The first thought Jamie managed as he was enveloped by the thrashing waves and carried away by the undertow was this: is Shiloh okay? It was obvious they'd been separated, there was no more warm at the end of his arm, no hand gripped tightly in his. It felt a lot like drowning, and maybe that's because he was, slowly losing himself to the water he couldn't escape from.

Never before had he been afraid of the water. It was a respect thing, actually. Jamie knew it could be dangerous, but it could also be lifesaving. It had just as many facets as a human did, vast and complex and awe-inspiring. Never before had he been afraid of the water and, truth be told, he wasn't now, either. He couldn't bring himself to be, even as it was swallowing him whole. It would be alright. After all, this was only a dream.

A dream. Jamie remembered then what he'd just told Shiloh. Since he was a child he wanted to be a mermaid, but he'd been told time and again by the bullies who hurt him that he couldn't. Only girls could be mermaids. Boys don't wear seashell bras. When he opened his eyes and looked up, he could see the sun streaming down through the surface of the water, making the most lovely ribbons of light.

As silly as it was, it felt something like he imagined a magical girl transformation might. The light glinted off of his skin, catching it just the right way. It let loose beams of brilliance in his hair. The fear of being different leaked out through his fingertips, dissipating in the water. From there his nails grew sharp, pointed, and painted like gentle rainbows.

Shimmering pink and elegant, his legs fused together into a tail with long, flowing fins. Over his exposed skin, delicate scales began to spread that shone like opal, while pink and blue markings mimicking makeup stretched over his eyelids. Even unable to see himself, Jamie felt beautiful.

What did it mean to feel beautiful? On his own, Jamie never would've been the type to associate words with genders. That was a trait ingrained in him by narrow-minded classmates, by people who didn't understand. Jamie felt somewhere deep down that even as a guy he could be beautiful. Or, perhaps more correctly, he could be beautiful no matter who he was. Guy or girl, it didn't really matter. The thought floated away from him then, trapped in a bubble to save itself just beneath the surface. It was something he'd think about later. For now—

"I can breathe!" he shouted to no one in particular. A school of dull blue fish flitted away at his sudden outburst. "I can talk. Under the water." Touching his throat with both hands, he looked startled. "I can..."

With a swish of his tail, he did an awkward, useless roll. It was a literal dream come true. He was a mermaid. At the same time, he was alone.

"Shiloh?" he called quietly, unsure whether they'd be anywhere near each other to begin with. What if Shiloh had woken up? That would be the ideal situation, he supposed. Jamie hated to think of Shiloh lost at sea and decidedly not a mermaid that could breathe and speak underwater like it was nothing. Well, he'd find out. The only thing Jamie could think to do now was find him.

"The ocean's pretty big," he muttered to himself, taking some ten minutes to get the hang of the new tail even a little. Once they'd gotten used to his presence, fish began to swim around him like he was one of their own. If only Glubby could see him now. "I wonder which way is back to shore."

Honestly, there was no immediate answer. All he could do was pick a direction and swim, so he did, and it surprised him how much his stomach muscles weren't complaining at the strain of this new mode of transport.

On either side, the world grew up into a canyon of coral. From the darkness between delicate spines and branches peeked many eyes and Jamie turned to wave at them, surprised when many saw fit to poke their heads further from the protection of their homes to greet him. He felt like the Little Mermaid, stopping to reach out to an anemone, to let a group of tiny baby clownfish swim between his splayed fingers. They nibbled at him before retreating away, scolded by their parents. From the plant grew a bubble, which popped just in front of Jamie's face. Come play again, it said. Jamie smiled.

It was magical here, it was more than Jamie had ever imagined, and he'd thought for years how wonderful it would be to swim undaunted through the ocean depths. The further he went, the more the world seemed to build itself to his fantasy.

Sea turtles swam up as if materialized from the sand and he set his hands on their shells, allowing them to guide him along. One of them he called Shiloh and the other Junior and he could've sworn he saw a glint of steely blue in the first turtle's eye before it inevitably swam away. Manta rays found him next and he laughed at the unbelievable softness of their underbellies as they swam over his head and back around to circle him like a vortex.

"Do you know where Shiloh is?" he asked them. There were no words spoken, but instead a group of bubbles appeared, floating a sort distance before popping. All together they sounded a lot like too many people trying to speak at once. It made Jamie laugh.

Everything about this world made Jamie laugh, it made him smile, it made him hope that someday, somehow, they could come here again. Wouldn't that be something? The only better break from the toils of their existence was a quiet moment in Shiloh's arms.

Come find me, called a voice, distant and low like a whisper. More and more bubbles manifested the further Jamie swam in search of the plea. Come find me, one popped right by his ear and he knew he was getting closer. The sun was brighter here, the water full to bursting with endless bubbles of all shapes and sizes. They bounced beneath the waves, each looking ready to pop at the slightest disturbance. It was beautiful and telling all at once.

Jamie knew then he was almost there.