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“Really?” she said

He nodded “This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen”

“Ugh, htmare,” she snorted

“Nightmare? You can breathe underwater And probably swim faster, too”

“Yup, I crushed the other swimmers at the last swim meet and broke the official record”

“No joke?”

She nodded, re excited about it for the first time

“When I dove into the pool, it felt like I belonged there It was thein the world” Her voice trailed off

“I’ there’s a catch?”

“It’s a long story,” she said “Basically, if I don’t help the sea witch steal the trident from the main exhibit, then this will all become permanent I’ll turn into a fish for all eternity”

He blinked at her, taking that in “Waitthe trident? Why would she want that old thing

? You’d better tellDon’t leave anything out”

They waded out of the ocean, onto the beach, and walked back toward the aquariu the cup in the ocean The nautilus and the night up with gills When she finished, he studied her

“Wow, that is some story”

“You don’t believe me,” she said