On one fine summer day, Claude Giroux is holding the Flyers’ annual pool party for his teammates at his lavish mansion. In his massive backyard, there is a large pool where some Flyers are playing pool volleyball. Around the pool are lounge chairs under wide umbrellas, where other Flyers are sitting on. There is a grill by the corner of the area, where hamburgers, hot dogs, and s’mores are being grilled by Wayne Simmonds. And it’s not a Flyers party without the country music: speakers are placed in the bushes surrounding the area, pumping the twangy music into the atmosphere.

Overall, it is one lively party.

The french doors of Giroux’s mansion swings open and two young Flyers step out into the sunny scene: Nolan Patrick and Carter Hart. Nolan is wearing a gray tank top with his famous misty rose trunks, sandals, and a black, backward cap; he is holding a Flyers-themed beach bag. Next to him, Carter is wearing burnt orange trunks and flip-flops.

Before they can dive into any of the activities, Giroux bounces over to them with his flowy orange hair and large, windowed grin.

“Howdah partnersh!” he pipes up to them before halting in front of them. “Welcome to duh Flyersh pull parteh! We got uh barbeque, vollehball, an’ uh shwimmin’!” He hooks his arm across his chest. “Yeeee doggies, it’sh uh whol’ lotta fuhn ‘ere!”

Carter looks above the small captain at the party scene in awe. “This looks so cool!”

Nolan, on the other hand, has a flat look. “Totally.”

“Ahhh, even for yuh, Paht!” Giroux playfully slaps his shoulder, causing him to pull away with disgust. “Now get n’ enjoy yershelves!”

Carter gives the captain a bright grin. “Thanks, G!”

With that, the goalie ambles past him and with a left turn, walks alongside the pool. The center follows closely behind him.

Carter watches some of his teammates in the pool batting a volleyball over a net with their arms to each other. “I wanna play volleyball!” He halts in his tracks and whirls to his friend. “Wanna play volleyball with me?”

“No.” Nolan continues his stride, this time approaching the lounge chairs to his left.

Carter follows him with his eyes. “Why?” He steps up to him, entering the shade of the umbrellas.

Nolan halts in front of a row of empty lounge chairs. He places his bag on the ground and spins to face him with a glare. “Do you remember what we just discussed?”

All Carter can do is stares at him with growing trepidation.

He leans closer to him and hisses, “Tail. I’d grow a tail…” He snaps his sharp eyes to the glimmering pool behind him. “...if I get in there.”

Carter makes an “o” with his mouth and nods his head.

Nolan pulls away from him. “So I’m going to sit here—” He settles on the lounge chair right behind him. “—and stay here—” He leans over to his bag and rummages in it. “—and read.” He pulls out a purple-covered book of the Pretty Little Liars series and straightens up.

Carter gives a disapproving frown at his friend’s position. “Aw, that’s boring.”

“Better than sitting here with nothing to do. Or turning into a merman.” He flicks his hand out in front of him. “You can go play, I don’t care.” He then reclines against the back of the lounge chair, opens up his book, and hovers it over his face.

Carter still holds his ground. “But I wanna play with you!”

Nolan lowers his book so only his eyes and above can be visible. “And I can’t…!”

“Okay—” Carter plops himself onto the lounge chair next to him and lies on his side to face him. “—just think: what would the boys do if they find out you’re a merman?”

Nolan drops the book against his lap and turns to him with a sardonic expression. “Oh, I don’t know: make fun of me, treat me like a sea animal, think weirdly of me, tell others about it, most likely ruin my reputation, which would then wreck my life.” He gives him a mirthless smile. “Not that bad, right?”

Carter has his eyebrows raised. “Well, that escalated quickly.”

“It’s a possibility!”

He holds his pointer finger up toward him. “But what about this possibility: They think it’s cool and-and” —he holds his hand out toward the pool— “they let you play and then you don’t have to hide it from them anymore!”

“And then they go on to tell others and my rep is wrecked,” Nolan finishes off quickly.

Carter narrows his eyes at him. “You sound like Taylor Swift.”

He cocks an eyebrow. “Is it bad to care a lot about my rep?”

Carter lets out a grumble with a roll of his eyes. “Okay, fine, go read your book…” He rolls off the lounge chair and rises to his feet before looming above his friend. “...I’ll go play with the others.”

With that, he kicks off his flip-flops and shuffles toward the pool.

Nolan watches him dip into the pool and swim to the teammates playing volleyball. The teammates halt their match and wave to him before exchanging high-fives and fist bumps. They then continue playing their game, including him, with shouts and splashing.

“Hm.” Nolan raises the book back to his eye level and continues reading.

---

An hour has passed and Nolan read half of the young adult mystery novel even with all the rowdy shouting, talking, and country music. He finally looks up back at the pool; his eyes widen: The volleyball net is lonely.

Where did he go? He scans the rest of the pool with his eyes. Not there. He leans over and peers to the right, where the grill is located.

Sure enough, Carter is standing by the grill with a plate filled with food occupying his hands as he happily converses to the chef.

Found him. Naturally. Nolan continues gazing at him. I should check up on Carter. And grab some water.

With that, Nolan rises to his feet and steps out into the sun. He walks alongside the pool toward the grill as he opens the book and searches for his place in his reading.

Where was I? Where was I? I read that, I remember that--

“Heads up!”

Nolan perks up.

WHAP!

A blunt force bashes against Nolan’s right side of his head, causing him to let go of his book and fly toward the direction of the force, plummeting leftward, where the pool is located.

BOOSH!

Nolan sinks through the water. The small bubbles from the impact fizz against him as the faint knocking of water fills his ears. He flicks his eyes open; they land on the shadowy bottom of the pool. His heart begins to race as the realization of his situation fills his mind.

In gripping anxiety, he waves his arms in front of him, pushing himself deeper toward the bottom. He propels with his legs, sensing that they are now working as one. He reaches out to the dark corner of the twelve-foot section of the pool and whirls around to tuck up against it.

He brings his glinting tail up his chest, feeling its smooth, bumpy scales against his fingers. To cope with the weight of the humiliating predicament, he brushes his fingers down his tail as while drawing in large, aquatic breaths. He peers up at the bright surface, spotting for any signs of anyone diving in the pool or swimming.

But it’s peacefully lapping.

He dips his head, clutching his tail. I’m gonna stay there until the party is over. This was a huge mistake to even go to a place that has this much water…!

---

Meanwhile, above the surface, Nolan’s roommate, Travis Konecny, rushes up to the edge of the rippling pool with haste. “Oh, shoot! Pat!”

From the grill, Carter whirls around with large eyes at him. “Pat?!” He bolts to the pool’s edge, next to him. “What about Pat?”

Travis has his widen eyes directed at the pool. “I-I accidentally hit Pat with duh ball and he fell into duh pool.” He steps forward, yet is halted by an arm held out in front of him.

Carter stares at him with his free arm holding him in place. “I’ll grab him—” He hands him his plate. “Hold this.”

Once Travis takes his plate, Carter dives into the pool.

Carter squeezes his eyes shut as bubbles fizz against him and holds his place in the middle of the water by treading. He focuses on the surge of his powers to concentrate them within the palms of his hands. He then pushes the water away from his face with his hands, creating a bubble on his face.

He blinks his eyes open, viewing the crystal clear bottom of the pool. He then takes in a deep, smooth breath before exclaiming: “Sounds good!”

Carter propels deeper into the pool, scanning from side to side in the dim bottom of the pool. He then spots a faint glint from the corner of the pool to his right. He pushes toward it, gradually making out the source of the glimmer: Nolan curled up in the corner with his large, majestic misty rose-coloured tail.

Carter halts in front of him and spins his arms in slow circles as he pedals his legs. “Hey, Pat.”

Nolan flicks sharp eyes up at him. “I told you this was a bad idea.”

“No, no, no, no, no—” He pushes up to him and grabs onto his bare shoulders. “Look, we can get out of this, okay—?”

“Now it’s not the time for puns.”

Confusion takes over Carter’s face. “Puns? I didn’t even…” Then with realization at his unintentional pun, he lets go of him and drifts away. “Gah, I didn’t even mean it…!” He can’t help but chuckle sheepishly.

Nolan merely gazes at him with a grim expression.

He halts his laughing and continues treading. “But I’ll help you. We have to get to the surface quickly though— Like, you gotta show you’re fine…” He lifts his eyes up toward the surface. “The boys are getting worried about you.”

“But then they’ll see I’m a merman!”

He lowers his eyes back at him. “Not if you stay away from them and-and keep your waist below the water!”

Nolan narrows his eyes at him. “They can see through the surface…”

“I’ll stand behind your tail, or you can like put your tail…” He gasps as an idea enters his mind. “I got it! I can make your tail invisible!”

Nolan shoots him a suspicious look. “Phantom powers, right?”

“Yeah!” Carter begins treading faster. “I’ll make it invisible! Sure, it might look weird to those detail-oriented eyes, but it’s better than seeing your tail, I bet!”

With a heavy sigh, Nolan lets go of his scrunched tail and extends it out.

Carter halts his treading to hover above the tail. He holds a hand out toward it. “Can I touch it?”

“If you have to.”

Carter gently lays his hands on the tail. He closes his eyes and focuses on the supernatural surge gathering in his hands.

Expanding from his hands and around his tail is the invisible energy. It casts off an glinting rainbow tint before gradually erasing the tail from visibility.

Nolan watches in surprise as his tail disappears from sight. Yet the sensation of the tail is still completely in his senses.

Carter pulls his hand away and peers at him. He jerks back as an abrupt laugh jumps from his mouth at his friend’s appearance: Nolan appears normal, except for the fact that he is cut off from his waist down.

Carter’s head is instantly thrown to the left as his eyes fly open. “OW!” He straightens up and rubs the right side of his head with a grimace.

“Stop laughing,” Nolan orders him flatly.

The merman then bolts up to the surface. With one last shake of his head, the goalie follows him up to the surface before dissolving his bubble.

The two break the surface, feeling the air penetrate their skin and plastering their hair against their temples and neck. Nolan runs his fingers through his long, soaked hair, pushing it from his face.

They bob in the corner of the pool and peer ahead, spotting their teammates huddled on the other side of the pool. The team gaze ahead with worried looks, which quickly erupt into claps and cheers once they spot the two.

“I’m fine, guys.” Nolan flicks his hand at them. “Go.”

With that, the team, disperse from the poolside and return back to their various activities.

Carter whirls to his friend with a bright smile. He holds out his hand.

Nolan crosses his arms with a frown. “I need to turn back to myself.”

He drops his hand, disappointed. “How?”

“I have to completely dry myself.”

He juts his thumb behind his shoulder. “I can grab a towel—”

“No!” Nolan smacks his hands against the surface, spraying water in all directions. “It won’t work like that! Like I need to get out of the pool and dry myself when I’m not in water!”

Carter gazes at him with understanding. “Ohhh...well, I can wrap the towel around you to not make the invisibility not-so—”

“Can I even walk as a merman?” He shoots him a flat look.

Carter pauses, confused by the question. “Well, you’re the merman, not me.”

He shakes his head at his stupidity. “That was for you, wise guy,” he grumbles before answering louder, “No, I can’t walk as merman! I have fins as feet and no legs!”

Realization crosses Carter’s face. “Ohhhhh yeeeeaaaahhhhh, right, right!” He nods more times than necessary. “Okay, so, um, I can pull you out of the water and drape a towel around you and drag you to—”

Nolan shakes his head vigorously. “No, that would look weird and that’s torture, no.”

“Okay, so do you have an idea to get out of this?” He juts his chin toward him. “I’m trying to help.”

Nolan flicks his eyes around the scene, spotting all the various teammates in every angle. “I need you to get everyone out of here.”

“You’re serious?” he hears his friend ask.

Nolan lands his eyes on his worried look. “Yup.”

Carter shakes his head. “No, no, no, no, no—” He brings back his composure. “I got it: We can get OURSELVES out of here. With no one noticing.”

Pat narrows his eyes at him with doubtful curiosity.

Carter holds his arm out toward him. Its entire hand is gone. “We turn ourselves completely invisible,” he finishes off lowly.

Nolan gapes at the odd appearance of Carter’s limb. He lifts his eyes back up at him. “And how will I move on land?”

Carter slips his arm back into the water and shrugs. “I’ll carry you.”

His facial expression drops. “You’re kidding.”

“It’s easier—!”

“Fine.” Nolan rolls his eyes.

“Cool, so, we’ll be like ghosts—” Carter holds his palms out toward him. “—no one can hear us, smell us, or feel us.”

Nolan raises his eyebrows and states flatly, “That sounds like a dream come true.”

Carter groans and plops his hands back into the water. “Oh my goodness, I’m just trying to—”

Nolan dips his head, keeping his eyes on him. “That was genuine, Carts, relax.”

Carter leans back and lets out a deep breath. “Finally.”

“Okay—” Nolan lets go of him and gazes at him. “Do your stuff on me.”

“Alright.” He nods. “Let’s do it underwater to not make it so obvious.”

“Good thinking.” Nolan then slips under the surface.

Carter takes in a deep breath and submerges into the water. He quickly spots Nolan facing him with his hair drifting behind him. He reaches out to him with his two hands and grabs each of his wrists.

Nolan flinches at the unexpected touch, causing Carter to only tighten his grip as a way to signal him not to move.

Carter closes his eyes, pressing his focus on the surge coursing through his body. The surge accumulates in his palms, releasing the same invisible energy. The energy spreads up Nolan’s arms, onto his shoulders, and stretches up his head and down his torso, leaving behind the rainbow glimmer before dissolving him from sight.

Carter then lets go, allowing the same energy to engulf through him. The heaviness of the water is lifted, making the atmosphere lighter without anything on his skin. He takes in a deep breath then blinks.

He then spots his merman friend visible from the tips of his flowing hair to the edge of his delicate fin protruding to his tail. “We’re now invisible!”

Nolan darts his eyes around his surroundings with confusion. “I hope so because I can’t see you nor me!”

“I can see you.”

Nolan’s eyes land above his eye level. “What? How?”

“It’s another power of mine.” He shrugs cooly. “I can see ghosts.”

Apprehensiveness gradually fills Nolan’s face. “Wait, so ghosts are real?”

He holds his hands out toward him. “What are we exactly?”

“No, like real ghosts, not made-up ghosts for the sake of not being seen!”

He lowers his hand. “Yes, Pat, they’re real.”

Nolan now has a blank stare of fear. “I shouldn’t have asked.” He then flies upward, out of Carter’s sight.

Carter follows, easily flying through the water without creating ripples or bubbles. He halts after he slips his upper body through the surface.

He turns to Nolan. “Okay, if you want, we can fly.”

Nolan is spinning around in his place as the waters gently ripple through him. “Where are you?”

Carter reaches out to Nolan and grabs the back of his shoulders. Nolan yelps as he spins him around for him to face him.

Carter lets go of him before Nolan cries out, “I felt you!”

“I did that on purpose!” he tells him back. “I had to!”

Nolan gazes ahead of him with unsureness. “Am I looking at you?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Yet Nolan moves his head back and forth in an attempt to fix his eye contact.

“Okay, we can fly,” Carter continues on, getting their mission back on track. “How does that sound?”

Nolan stops, yet still has his eyes fixed ahead. “That would be great. Back to our place.”

An unconvinced feeling fills Carter. “And then fly back over here?”

Nolan shrugs. “Walk back over here.”

“We can just go to G’s bathroom.”

Nolan shakes his head. “No.”

“Have you seen it? It’s big!” He stretches his arms out from his sides. “It’s like as big as our whole place!”

Nolan bites his bottom lip and flicks his eyes downward. “Okay, that is a bit enticing.”

Carter drops his hands. “I think you’ll love it. And no worries, it has a lock!” He then rises completely above the surface and whizzes around his friend.

As he is doing so, Nolan is warning him, “If we get caught, it is all your—”

Carter wraps his arms around his torso and propels himself into the air, pulling him along against his chest.

“AHHH!” Nolan shrieks.

Picking up the speed, Carter nosedives toward the bustling scene of the pool party before curving upward to face the cream-coloured wall of the mansion.

“THE WALL, THE WALL!!!” he hears Nolan screaming.

Yet right before they hit it, the scene instantly changes into the narrow, dark, wooded area between the floors. Small pillars coated with cobwebs zip by them along with a few mice scurrying below.

“EEK!”

“Whoops!” Carter cries out at his mistake of forgetting Nolan’s worst fear.

The goalie pulls upward, slipping up into an opulent hallway with hues of maroon, gold, and white and embodied with baroque painting. The paintings whizz by in a blur as the dark, wooden floor rushes beneath them.

Carter throws himself with his friend into the wall on the left, switching the setting into yet another dark area in between the walls. Carter continues leaning left, making a wide curve as the pipes and wooden beams fling through them. He then blasts across the narrow area, flies through a cluster of pipes, and explodes into a massive, bright room.

Laid out before them in this room is marble flooring with white walls. The white door is to their left; to their right is a granite countertop with multiple sinks. And in front of them is a large, circular bathtub.

“I’m gonna put you in the tub.”

“Okay, but don’t make me slip through it,” he hears Nolan remark.

Carter can’t help but chuckle. “I won’t.”

Carter then drifts across the room with his friend hanging in his embrace. He hovers above the bathtub and gradually lowers him into it. Then once he lets go of him, he pulls the coating energy away from him, letting him plop solidly into the ceramic container.

Nolan lets out a quick sigh before landing his eyes ahead of him. Draped over the edge of the tub his the fin of his tail. He follows his tail from the edge down to his waist, where it gradually fades into his skin.

“Ugh.” Nolan runs his fingers through his damp hair, disappointed.

“I got some towels!” he hears Carter announcing from his left.

Nolan turns leftward, spotting Carter ambling up to him with two white folded towels in his arms.

Carter halts in front of him and holds the a towel to him with his free hand. “Here.”

Nolan snatches it and begins rubbing it against his heavy hair.

Carter gazes at his actions before his eyes trail off to his glimmering tail. “Can I dry your tail?”

Nolan halts his rubbing and peers up at him through furrowed eyebrows. “Sure. Make sure to go in the directions of the scales: down toward the fin.”

Carter nods with bright eyes. “Right, right!”

The goalie then kneels next to the tub, facing the merman’s tail. He drapes the towel on the base of his tail and runs it down toward the tip. He pulls the towel off from the tail and places it once again on the base before running it down the tail once again. He continues the smooth motions as Nolan rubs the water from his hair and upper body.

Then, a yellow energy appears from the fin of Nolan’s tail and rapidly spins around Nolan, engulfing him in the brightness for a split second before unravelling and dissolving.

Now laying in the bathtub is Nolan with his two legs and swimming trunk.

“Yes!” Nolan cries out. “Finally!” He extends his legs and rotates his ankles on the tub’s edge. He then leans his head back and lets out a groan. “Ugh, that was so terrifying!”

Carter reaches his hand out toward him with a large smile. “Well, we did it!”

Nolan smacks his hand against his hand, giving him a high-five. He then shoots him a sweet smile. “You are a lifesaver, Carter. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

All Carter can do is hold his huge grin. “Aw, well, that’s what friends are for!” He then holds his hands out from his sides.

Nolan gazes at his position, emotionless. Then with a scoff, he pulls his legs into the tub and rises to his feet. He steps out of the tub while Carter climbs back up to his feet, and wraps his arms around his shoulders. With a look of content, Carter enveloped his arms around his back and pulls him into a big bear hug.

After a few moments, Carter pulls away. “Now let’s go enjoy that pool party!”

Nolan throws an index finger in the air. “And I’m staying farther away from the pool.”

Carter purses his lips with a disheartened look. “Okay.”

---

Minutes later, the two enter the party scene once again through the French doors.

Carter leans over to Nolan and whispers, “I hope no one noticed we were missing…!”

“Heya, Pat…!” Travis is heard shouting from in front of them.

The two halt in their steps and peer ahead.

Sure enough, Travis is jogging up to them from the poolside. In his hand is Nolan’s purple book, which is dripping with water.

“Sorry that I knocked ya with that ball.” He halts in front of the two with a guilty look. “I got your book though.” He holds out the soaked book.

With a scowl, Nolan snatches it back into his possession.

Travis scratches the back of his neck with uneasiness. “Um, is there anythang I can do to make it up?”

“Just leave me alone,” his roommate grumbles.

“Right. I should’ve remembered…” He looks down, ashamed. “...after roomin’ with ya all this past season…” He then peers up at Carter. “And your bait’s been already chewed.”

Carter shoots him a confused look. “My what?”

“Your food,” Nolan clarifies, grabbing his attention. “Someone ate your food.”

“Oh.” He nods before turning back to Travis. “Okay...thanks…”

With a heavy sigh of disgrace, Travis turns around and shuffles away.

Carter follows Travis leaving them with his eyes. He leans over to Nolan and whispers to him, “I should be your roommate when I join the Flyers.”

Nolan snaps his eyes to him. “That would be great.” He then peers at his book and shakes it, spraying the excess water in all directions.

Carter raises his eyebrows at the state of the dripping book. “Wow, that doesn’t look good.”

Nolan halts his shakes and frowns at it. “I’ll blow dry it when I get home.” He then lowers it and turns to him. “Now, is there any dessert?”

Carter’s eyes light up. “Simmer makes the best s’mores!”

He narrows his eyes at him. “But are they dairy-free and gluten-free?”

“Well, there’s one way to find out!” Carter crosses in front of his friend, heading toward the grill to their right.

Nolan sets his soaked book on the brick ledge of the planter bed that is by the French doors before joining Carter at the grill.

“Hey, Simmer!” Carter chirps to the chef.

With a metallic slotted turner in his hand, Wayne turns to him. “Howdy!”

He holds up an index finger. “I have a question: Are there any allergy-friendly s’mores for Pat here?” He nods toward the his friend who is now standing next to him.

Wayne’s eyebrows rise. “I wash prepared for that.” He turns around, his back facing the two with the bow of his apron sticking out.

He whirls back around. This time in his hands is a paper plate bearing golden graham crackers layered with thick, melting chocolate topped with perfectly golden marshmallows.

Pat gasps happily at the sight with sparkling eyes.

“Gluteh-free graham crackers, dark chocolate, ‘n healthy marshmallows from yer friendleh neighbourhood marhket, Trader Joe’sh,” he hears Wayne explaining from behind them.

Filled with awe, Nolan grabs the plate from his hands and pulls it close to him. “Thank you, Simmer…!”

Wayne tips his chef hat to him. “Ya earned it!”

Carter holds a pointer finger up. “Can I have the regular ones?”

“Sure!” Wayne snatches his slotted turner and a paper plate, scoops some grilling s’mores onto the plate, and hands it to the goalie.

Carter has an excited look at the dessert and the chef. “Awesome! Thanks!”

With that, the two amble away from the grill and back toward the pool.

Carter swings his head toward his friend. “Hey, you wanna eat by the poolside and dip your feet in the water?” He faces the glimmering pool in the evening sun.

Nolan gawks at him. “Are you crazy? After what I just went through?”

Carter turns back to him as they begin walking alongside the pool. “I’ll hold you back if you get hit. Besides, you’ll be low and if a ball does fly at you that low, it would most likely be from the pool, so you’ll be knocked to the ground rather than the pool.” He chuckles.

Nolan lets out a defeated sigh. “Okay, fine. I do like dipping my feet in the pool.”

A grin pops onto his face. “Sweet!”

They halt next to the five-foot area of the pool. Carter lowers himself into a sitting position and slips his bare feet into the water. Nolan kicks off his sandals, place his plate on the edge, and settles next to him before dipping his bare feet in the water.

He plucks one of his special s’mores from his plate and takes a gooey bite from it. His eyes instantly light up at the sweet, smoky flavour.

“MMMMM!!!” He swallows and peers up with sparkling eyes. “This is SO GOOD!” In excitement, he kicks up the water.

Carter has a large grin at his reaction. “You want s’more?”

“Yes!” Nolan stuffs the rest of the s’more in his mouth.

“Heads up!” Travis is heard yelling toward him.

Nolan perks up, the thrill in his expression being replaced by surprise.

Flying straight at him is the airborne volleyball.

Nolan throws his hands in front of him and catches it. He peers deeper at the pool’s surface.

Among his teammates and the volleyball net, Travis has his arms up in the air.

“Over ‘ere!” he shouts.

Nolan swallows and snaps at him with playful anger, “I told you to leave me alone!” He then thrusts the ball back toward him.

“Sorry, sorry— OOF!”

The ball slams into Travis’s chest, knocking him into the water.

The teammates surrounding him burst into laughter.

Carter chuckles at the scene before turning to his friend. “Revenge is sweet, eh?”

Nolan turns to him with a smirk. “Definitely.” He then takes another bite from another s’more.



The End!

Notes