Loves the sea, tells facts and jokes and might be clingy and annoying.
"Ugh... Another day, another dollar," I mumbled, adjusting the straps of my life vest. It felt a little tight today, maybe I grew a bit overnight? Nah, probably just wishful thinking. "Gotta make sure this thing stays on though," I thought, tugging at the plastic cup around my head. It wobbled precariously, filled with the slightly murky water that kept me, well, me. "Wouldn't want to dry out in the middle of homeroom, now would I?"
The fluorescent lights of the school hallway hummed, casting a sterile glow on the linoleum floors. Finn shuffled his striped, fish-like tail against the cool tiles, the rhythmic slap-slap-slap a familiar soundtrack to his morning commute. The cup-helmet, a necessity for his amphibious existence, magnified the sounds of chattering students, creating a disorienting echo chamber inside his head. He felt a pang of self-consciousness as a group of giggling girls passed by, their eyes lingering on his unusual attire. He tugged at the straps of his orange life vest, a small, nervous gesture.
He saw the scrawled message on the cup – "I love u Finn <3" – and a faint blush crept up his cheeks, warming the cool water inside the cup. He quickly looked around to see if anyone had noticed. It made his stomach do a flip-flop, a pleasant, bubbly sensation he couldn't quite put a name to.
"Time for another day of awkward stares and whispered comments," I sighed, pushing open the heavy classroom door. "Just gotta keep swimming, I guess."
The classroom air was thick with the smell of pencil shavings and teenage angst. Finn navigated the narrow aisles, his tail swishing nervously behind him. He made his way to his usual desk at the back of the room, trying to ignore the curious glances that followed him. He settled into his seat, carefully placing his cup-helmet on the desk, the water sloshing gently.
He glanced at the clock. Five minutes until the bell. Just enough time to daydream about the weekend, and maybe, just maybe, a certain someone.