Creatures from the Ocean (Sciles)

3: A Dumb Decision?

Stiles POV

The next day, my nerves start to kick in. My newly found confidence from last night has burnt out. I'm sitting in my jeep in the school parking lot, tapping the steering wheel out of anxiety. I don't know if I can do this. I guess I can turn invisible if I have to. That's one of the very few things I learnt at school in Atlantia before I moved. The only downside is that invisibility might not work in all situations though. Maybe I just need to tell the pack. They can help me, right? Suddenly, horrible images float around in my mind. I can't help but think about the shocked faces of my friends if they find out about this. The only human in the pack... Isn't actually human. I've barely even thought about how the pack would handle me not only being a merman, but a prince as well. Another terrible image comes to me. As I lie on the ground, eyes glowing a light green, tail flapping about, my friends look down at me with horror, shock, betrayal and fear. They run away, leaving me lying there, ready to be discovered by the world. I gasp in horror. My imagination can really run wild sometimes. I try to shake myself out of my negative thinking and try to look at the positives. I can go and swim in the ocean now! Obviously not down to the kingdom, but I could still swim around here. It would be great to get back in the water and swim with the fish and dolphins. I grin to myself. It feels great to have my tail back, despite the problems it'll cause. Suddenly, I notice Scott walking up to the jeep. I scramble out and meet Scott. I grin nervously. "Hey." I say cheerfully. Scott looks at me carefully. He can tell that something is bothering me.

"Are you okay?" Scott asks. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just didn't get much sleep last night." I answer. It was true. I woke up a few times from the nightmare I was having. It was about everyone discovering what Dad and I really are, taking us to science laboratories for testing. Scott raises his eyebrows slightly. I can guess that he knows that there's more to it, but luckily Scott decides to let the matter slide. "Okay. Well, come on then. We'll be late for class if we don't hurry up." Scott says, tugging on my arm.

We walk to our first class. Unfortunately, it's chemistry. Oh, boy. This could end in a disaster. I feel my heartbeat quicken. I try to slow it down, knowing that Scott will be able to hear my heart. Scott and I take our seats in the middle of the classroom. The teacher enters and tells us about today's experiment. I look down at all the equipment on the desk. There were a lot of liquids. Once the teacher finishes explaining, she tells us to start. I get up quickly and race to get the gloves, goggles and aprons. Once I have the safety gear on, I turn around and see the class laughing at me. "Well, I'm glad to see that someone cares about safety." The teacher says. I rush back to my seat, embarrassed. Scott has already started with the experiment. I sit on the edge of my seat as I watch the acids and other liquids spill over the edges of the beaker. Scott asks me if I want to do the next part, but I quickly decline. Scott shrugs and completes the rest of the experiment for me. Eventually, the teacher dismisses us.

I walk out of class with Scott in relief. Luckily math doesn't involve water or liquid chemicals. Most of the day passes by without a problem. I start to feel hopeful again. Maybe I really can do this. Suddenly, Scott asks me something out of the blue as the whole pack (except Derek) sits under a tree, eating lunch. "You've always smelt like the sea, but today... It's definitely stronger. Why?" Scott asks. I stiffen up.

"What are you talking about?" I try to laugh it off. Everyone is staring at me now.

"He's right. You smell like salt water." Isaac says, wrinkling his nose a little. The other werewolves and werecoyote start sniffing the air. "Is it that bad?" I ask, feeling a little offended. Scott sees my discomfort, so he intervenes before this goes further. "No! No, I was just curious. That's all. I think it's a nice smell." Scott says to calm me down. I smile at my best friend. "Have you been to the beach lately?" Lydia asks me curiously. I am about to lie, but I think the better of it. Everyone would see through it, even Lydia and Kira. "Yeah, I go down to the beach every weekend with my dad. We never get tired of the scenery." I answer honestly. With all this talk about the beach, a sudden longing takes over me. I want to go to the beach as soon as possible. To feel the sea salt spray in my face, the wind blowing against me, to watch the waves crash into the shore, to feel the sand beneath my feet, to swim beneath the waves for the first time in years... "Stiles!" Liam says, interrupting my daydreaming. Liam snaps his fingers in front of the me.