Mermaid Can’t Swim: A Girl Power Adventure

Hey! So I was really busy this past week and did not get any pieces finished, but here is a story with from 2013 featuring a few characters you might already know, if your read "Fairy Troubled: A Girl Power Adventure". If you have not read "Fairy Troubled" it is also available for your reading pleasure.

            Midge Beach stepped into the shower, clicked to turn the shower on and jumped back, when the icy water hit her face. “Well now I am awake,” she said as she stepped out of the shower and into the indoor pool area. The area above the pool was all windows, but without the lights the room would have been dark. Midge was practicing swimming before school, in preparation for a big swim meet that Saturday. She was about to set her backpack on the bleachers when she spotted Mel Monticarlo, a rival swimmer from another pool.

            Midge wanted to find out what the enemy was doing in her base of operations but she knew there wasn’t time for that, so she just got in the calm blue pool. After that she did laps of backstroke, breaststroke, sidestroke, than finally her favorite Butterfly stroke. By the time she was done she had swam ten laps.

            As Midge got out of the pool she looked around at the pool seeing several coaches and swimmers talking about practice. She was looking for Mel but didn’t see her, so midge headed for the bath house to rinse off and get ready for school.

            After school Midge returned to the pool with her questions about why Mel was there. This time she noticed many other people who belonged to the same pool of Mel. As Midge walked to her coach, to talk to him, she received many dirty looks, even from people who were on her team. She finds herself wondering why everyone was starring at her.

            Midge has just been told she suspended from the swim team. She been accused of cheating and until further notice she could not take part in the swim meet on Saturday.

            Knowing why everyone was looking at Midge was a relief; however, she still wished that she could still compete on Saturday. She was not allowed to compete again until her coach had proof she had not been cheating. She has four days to clear her name. The only thing is Midge has no idea how she had been cheating.

            She went ahead and swam even though she couldn’t compete she figured she still needed to practice. While swimming Midge thought the first thing she should do is find out why there were people from another pool were at her pool.  She saw a bulletin board with a flyer on it saying that Mel’s pool was closed all week for refinishing and their swim team would be at her pool.

            Outside the weight room she finally found Mel. Midge had several questions for her.

            “Mel,” Midge called out, “I need to talk to you, I’ve been looking for you every where.”

            “Okay, Midge, you found me. Ask away,” Mel replied.

            “Why have you been telling people that I’ve been cheating?”

             “Because you are cheating, you’re an aquatic mammal.”

            Midge grabbed Mel’s arm and said, “I am fish, I can’t help that, But it’s not against any rules.”

            Mel coolly replied, “You can breathe under water, plus you should be glad I haven’t given away your secret, yet.”

            “Actually, I can’t. I come up for air as often as you do. You’ve been speeding rumors about me because you’re jealous.”

“I can beat you fair and square any day,” Mel stated as she left.

            Midge decided if she wanted to swim on Saturday, she had to prove that she wasn’t cheating because Mel was going to tell people that she started the rumor. All Midge had to do is to figure out how to prove it. The coach decides if she can swim at meets or not.

            After a good night’s rest, she was refreshed and ready to clear her name. She got to the pool ready name. She got to the pool early that morning. Midge headed to the bath house to change into her swim suite and rinse off. Once inside she came across one of her friends on the swim team.

            “Midge, why would you cheat, you’re great at swimming, you don’t need drugs to help you,” said Jenna

            “Where’d you hear that? I would never to it,” Midge calmly told her teammate.

            “Then why is everyone saying that?”

            “Because, they don’t want me swimming on Saturday; who even told you I’d been cheating?”

            “Everyone—but I do think some people from the other pool stared it. Why are you so good?” asked Jenna.

            Midge winked as she said, “It is cause I am a fish.”

            Jenna and Midge parted ways but not before had asked Jenna to tell the coach she thought that was just a rumor stared by the other pool.

             Wet and cold midge emerged from the shower ready to warm up before school. As she was about to get into the pool when the tan swim coach said, “You can’t swim before school. The people who are swimming on Saturday need to practice.”

            Frustrated Midge sat down on the bench, wrapped herself in a towel, a pulled out her homework. She couldn’t swim but she felt unable to go to school until her normal time.

            After school back at the pool she finally got to swim. The water felt so refreshing. She couldn’t focus at school and she knew it was because she was not allowed to swim that morning. Finishing hr laps, she got out of the pool to dry off. When she reached her bag on the bleachers she noticed a note in her bag.

             The note was on notebook paper written in a fiery red ink. It read as follows.

            If you want you dignity back, meet me on Friday, at the lighthouse.

            Midge was excited she should be able to swim on Saturday after all.

           

            On Wednesday Midge didn’t bother going to the pool instead she tool a bath in a swim suite. She felt a little frustrated as she headed to school. After school she went to the beach she knew her dad didn’t want her to swim in the ocean unless she was with some one else, but she was just wanting to get a good look around.

            Midge took a notebook and a pen out of her backpack, and began going though her list of things to be prepared for Friday:  place to hide a video camera, sit that was out in the open and couple of quick escape routes.

            She figured the ocean would work but realized a half mile north was a boardwalk, and that, that would be the safest place to make a getaway from. So she got to work on an announcement to go on the bulletin board at the pool.

            On Thursday after school Midge pinned the note she had spent all night making sure it was perfect. She also had made a copy and had put it with Mel’s stuff.

            Her note read:

            To whom it may consume,

            I regret to inform you I will not be able to meet you at the suggested place. However I should be able to meet you at the boardwalk, approximately about a half a mile away from your suggested place. If you are still interested in meeting I will see you there.

            Midge didn’t sign her note. After all of that, she swam laps making sure she got a good workout, because she was planning on swimming on Saturday. Midge headed home and prepared on for her meeting on the next day.

            On Friday afternoon as soon as school was over Midge rushed to the beach. She arrived at ten till four, the ocean was calm but the beach was busy. Perfect, Midge thought the more people who were out, the less someone would try. Midge had brought a towel, umbrella, and small video camera from home. She quickly set up the trap and made foot prints in the sand to show her where the camera would see her.

            Midge took out another towel and laid it on the ground. A couple of yards from the camera and waited. At 4:02 her patience was rewarded when a familiar face arrived.

            Midge got up and walked to the place she had marked out. “Mel! Why am I not surprised?”

            Startled Mel said, “Midge, what do you mean you put a note in my bag, saying you wanted to meet me?”

            Midge questioned, “So you didn’t put a note in my bag first.”

            Another figure from the crowded beach approached them. She removed a big hat and sunglasses to revel the face of Jenna, a member of Midge’s swim team.

            Jenna chuckled, “This is better than I could have planed. Both Mel and Midge, all my competition eliminated at one time.”

            “Jenna, it was you all along,” Midge gasped.

            “Yes, Mel’s swim team at our pool was just what I needed to cover my tracks, the timing, just before the big swim meet, was perfect.”

            Mel remarked, “You did all that just because you were jealous of your team mate—what did you do any way.”

            Jenna said, “I started the rumors about Midge, sent her the note and I kidnapped her, all so she can’t swim on Saturday.”

            Jenna pulled back the edge of her jacket to reveal a gun.

            “The both of you walk slowly toward the lighthouse,” Jenna growled.

            Midge and Mel did as she instructed. Midge whispered, “Can you swim for it?”

            “I can defend my self. I don’t have to run.” Mel replied.

            “If we can get away, I have evidence. She won’t get away.”

            When they reached the rocks that led up to the lighthouse, Jenna gave another command, “Climb!”

            Mel and Midge Began to climb. A violent wave hit the rocks and sparks began to fly. Jenna was startled for a moment but she managed to grab the gun from her pants. Fortunately, when the steam cleared Mel and Midge was already far away, headed for the camera.

It was a glorious Saturday morning, but Midge was too busy wining the swim meet to enjoy it. She and Mel had taken the video to Midge’s coach. He watched it and allowed Midge to swim. She was ecstatic. However, Janna didn’t get to swim; in fact she had been suspended for the rest of the season. Thankfully Mel and her team would be returning to their own pool. Everything went back to normal or at least as normal as things can be for a mermaid.