Scales: Mermaids Are Real

My whole life, I've dreamt of water.

Not just being in it, or swimming in it...

but living in it.

Breathing it, tasting it, loving it.

And yet, in life, I stay pretty far away from it.

Get off the road!

Sorry!

Mom, next time can you drop me off on the other side?

Sorry, honey.

Oh... hey!

So what you're saying is, if I punch you...

your bones will break like toothpicks?

Come on. Yes, that's what I'm saying.

How about we give it a try?

Hey! Leave him alone!

This isn't your fight, Siren. Get out of here.

You know I can scream loud enough.

I'll get Principal Strauss out here in a heart beat.

So?

Last I heard, you're one scream away from being expelled.

Whatever, we were just playing around, right, brittle boy?

Yeah.

Thanks.

What was all that about? Nothing.

That didn't look like nothing.

She found out about this.

It's a form of Osteogenesis Imperfecta.

It just means my bones are very fragile.

Like all the time?

Every day for the rest of my life.

Thanks for stepping in, though.

Gross! Stop.

All right, everyone, settle down.

First things first, we do have a new student joining our school.

Please give a warm welcome to Adam Wiltz. Adam, please stand.

Hello.

The floor is yours, introduce yourself.

I'm Adam.

What's wrong with you?

A better way of asking that question would be...

what's different about you?

Okay, then what's different about you?

I have what's called brittle bone disease.

Oh, that sucks.

Crystal!

No, she's right, it does suck.

Hayden!

We talked about throwing paper!

What's something else you threw last time?

Was it your sandwich?

Are you all done, Adam?

Uh, yeah.

All right, well now that you've been properly introduced...

let's get back to studying!

Okay, don't make friends with the new kid.

It's social suicide.

I don't know, I kind of like him.

Metamorphosis.

A biological process in which an animal...

goes through an abrupt change...

due to something called differentiation.

Now can anyone tell me another animal...

that goes through metamorphosis?

Siren

Siren?

Um...

Mermaids?

Mermaids aren't real, Crystal.

What don't you try something else...

like a different type of fish or a caterpillar?

Did you know that metamorphosis is a Greek word?

Meta is a prefix that means after...

What is it, Siren?

I have to go to the bathroom!

All right, everyone, settle down. Eyes back up front.

You can't control nature.

Where do you think you're going, young lady?

Siren, you get back here!

Oh, hey there, Siren, everything okay?

Yes!

What are you doing home?

Nothing, Mom! School is canceled!

What do you mean, it's canceled?

Siren, are you okay?

Fine, Mom, just let me be for a minute.

I said I needed a minute, Mom!

I'm not your mom. Okay, what's going on?

I've never seen you break a single rule before.

Now you're ditching school?

You ran out of class after me?

No, I went to the bathroom. Duh.

Cute, you can go home.

Please, your face has psycho written all over it.

So what happened?

Did you get your period? What? No!

Okay, so is it a boy? No.

Is it that new kid? No!

A girl?

Okay, well, I didn't come all this way to play guessing games.

Spill it.

Okay, sit down. Okay.

What are we doing?

Just wait.

Knock, knock. Mini sandwiches!

Yay! You're the best, Mrs. Phillips.

Try to convince Siren of that.

I will...

if she stops acting like a crazy person.

All right, well, you know, have fun.

It's not every day that school gets canceled.

What is this? Have a little respect for your room?

Mom, out!

What? I'm just saying, the solution is less pollution.

Fish sandwiches.

Is something wrong?

It tastes funny.

Since we're not in school, you want to go to the beach?

Mm, okay.

Whoa! Take it easy on that thing.

What? I'm thirsty.

So, has your mom talked to you about anything lately?

My mom talks to me about all kinds of things...

all the time.

Well, anything unusual?

She gave me a lecture on properly watering the lawn.

Is that what you mean?

What about your birthday next week?

Or your body?

My body?

What are you talking about?

Never mind.

You feel like people are watching us?

Well, we are pretty cute.

Not like 'those two are adorable' kind of stares.

More like...

psychotic killer kind of stares.

Come on, let's go somewhere more quiet.

I got you an early birthday gift.

You didn't have to get me anything.

You say that, but you still took it.

Wow, it's beautiful!

Do you like it?

I mean, jewelry is not really my thing, but it's very pretty.

Thank you.

Promise me you'll wear it.

Well, put it on!

You really don't get me.

Well, you look awesome.

Keep it on.

Hey, I brought you something.

I just dug these up.

This is pretty.

Thanks. Crystal got it for me, early birthday gift.

Where did you find these?

I was just going through some old boxes.

You know how clutter eats up the important stuff.

I thought you could put a few of them up on your wall.

Tell me what she was like?

She was beautiful like you, and she was very kind also like you.

What else?

She had a laugh.

Oh boy, when you would get her going, oh my god.

I remember one time, she got an entire room laughing...

and I don't even think they knew what was funny.

If she were alive, do you think she would love me?

She would love you.

She does love you...

when she protects you in her own way.

The day that your mom left us...

well, that was the day that I got you.

That was the happiest and saddest day of my life...

all rolled into one.

Do you think my dad's out there somewhere?

I don't know, honey.

I suppose if he was, I wouldn't have ended up with you, huh?

Ow! Ow!

Hey, sorry, did I hit you?

What are you doing here?

I'm not stalking you or anything, I swear.

Then what are you doing at my house?

Can't we take a walk?

Where?

I guess I didn't think this through too much.

Uh...

Fine, wait there, I'm coming down.

Do you want to sit down or something?

Don't do that. Do what?

Treat me like I'm a special case.

All right, so we're walking.

What?

Nothing, you're... you're really pretty.

What?

Nothing. Thank you.

Are you laughing at me?

No, sorry, I laugh when I'm nervous.

I make you nervous?

When we're walking alone, yes, a little bit.

You have nothing to be nervous about me, Siren.

So why did you move here?

It's kind of embarrassing.