"Where's Sammy?" I question the two standing around the kitchen table. Gage and Asada both shrug at the same time heading back to the assignment with the kids. Each one learning at their own pace.

"I'm right here," She shouted, as she comes rushing into the kitchen, Hudson in tow. Asada rolls her eyes as soon as she spot her brother lightly punching him in the shoulder.

"What's up mer-freak!" She shouts, my heart bangs because he would never actually be able to transform like us. His blood holding him back from being the merman Gage needed as a friend. His legs cursing him to forever walk on the shore. His gills taunting as he can hold his breath but never go anywhere

Hudson had become an important part of our school we had created, especially since he was so good at math. Sammy and I could teach the other things fairly well but neither of us had a clue on how to do math.

I glance at the clock on the kitchen, it was about time for the kids to get heading down stairs for their lessons for the day. I would teach them reading, and literature, Sammy would teach them science, while Asada took on the history, both human and mermaid history, while her brother Hudson would end the day off with math.

"We have kind of a horrible setup with these kids ending their day with the worst course," I chuckle whispering to Gage. Asada must have overheard me as she nods her head to agree.

"I would have left high school if I had this set up," She shrugs her shoulders before continuing, "But, they need to learn it and that's when Hudson is usually available to teach it." I nod my head as we begin ringing the breakfast bell. Plates of eggs and pancakes sit delicately on the kitchen counter just waiting for the kids to devour them. Gage had been amazing letting us use his place. He cooked breakfast and lunch for the children every day, usually Sammy or I taking over for him for dinner.

As soon as the bell echoes through the house all three of the kids come rumbling down the stairs towards their food. Gage was a spectacular cook. Henry was the first to sit, as he usually was before he bows his head to pray. I always thought this was amazing that even in time of hardship he never stopped, his faith was too strong.

Stephanie would usually stop to help Opal to her food as she was the shortest and usually struggled to get on Gage's super high bar stools. Stephanie was the oldest of the three kids, her hair fiery red like Sammy. She was months away from turning eighteen, so close to being pushed out onto the streets and forgotten about. Her lesson plan was geared more towards the history of mermaids. Stephanie would usually be the last one to finish eating her food as well. Making sure the other two had enough food to supplement themselves. She was a nurturer.

Opal was the youngest of the three, her age of the prime age of ten. She was left out on the streets just waiting for death to come. Her hair a silvery blonde, unlike any I've ever seen naturally before. She was the sweetest little thing, and so eager to learn.

After breakfast the kids would rush upstairs to get ready for the day before heading down with their notebooks. This was something Asada had made them start, these children would write in their notebook for thirty minutes everyday, anything they wanted. Maybe it was something about school, maybe it was their thoughts, maybe it was just random doodles on the page. Whatever they decided to put down on the page they would then have the chance to share it the next morning.

Henry was usually too shy and Opal almost always shared her thoughts. Usually they were about school, or how cute she thought Gage was. The little girl had no filter and she always wrote the same way.

Once the kids were bouncing down the stairs and ready for their lessons Asada sat down to start the day with history. Gage and I sit down as well to listen to the information Asada had to share. Sammy and Hudson trailed off to the living room to spend time flirting on the couch as they watched whatever movie they picked today.

"Are you guys ready?" Asada pauses looking at every student waiting eagerly. Their notebooks open, each page labeled with the word 'notes' across the top. Gage and I nod eager for her to start. This had become one of my favorite parts of the day, learning all I could never read in books. Learning about myself and my culture. I had since found out my mother was a mermaid herself, losing her powers when she married a human, everything felt like a dream to her since then.

"Long long ago the sea was controlled by mermaids, we were superior, but due to our breeding restrictions we soon began to die off. The gods believing we should always only reproduce with true love in our hearts, they made it so a mermaid must find their one true love to have kids. This was harder said than done, because sometimes our one true love would be human," Asada pauses before pointing at Gage, "Like Olyvya and Gage here, they are one true lovers, their hearts connected by the gods up above. My mother Atargatis was once a beautiful mermaid herself, but she was called back to help protect us from the heavens. She took control over the oceans, and fertility. This being ironic since her people couldn't reproduce fast enough to keep their own populations alive, and this is when she came up with the other routes of transformation." She paused for a moment once again pointing at Henry's paper.

"Take notes on this," She mumbles before continuing. "There are only three ways one can become a mermaid. By birth, if they are lucky as the odds for this aren't very good unless both of your parents are pureblood mermaids. Hudson is not a pureblood and he was born without a fin. When he goes in the water he never transforms, he just gains gills. Olyvya is a halfblood that got lucky, her mothers genetics were much stronger than her fathers. The second way you can become a mermaid is by transformation but only the most powerful mermaids have this ability, and only on the dusk of a full moon. That is the process we will be going through tomorrow with you guys.

"The last way is the way Gage here became one of us, by drinking the tears of a mermaid. Now I don't recommend this because you never know what could happen or what the blood of that mermaid holds, meaning if Olyvya was only a third of what she is now, Gage would have cut the inside of his throat with those crystals an literally nothing would have happened, but because she is as powerful as she is he was able to make the full formation."

Gage and I sit and listen carefully as Asada continues to tell us all the history we need to know about mermaids. My body tingling with all of this new knowledge. My crystal necklace sitting delicately against my chest.