After more exploration in the mansion, Abbigail found a nice pool. She stayed around the area at different times of the day, hoping to find if others used the pool. After several days, she found no one coming when she was there. Encouraged, she decided to swim for a bit. She hadn't been in the water in some time.

The little girl entered the pool area slowly. She looked around out of habit but there wasn't anyone else that she could find. It was a positive thing for the little girl so she headed to the changing rooms. She took off her top to show her tankini like swim suit. She left her skirt on as she walked into the swimming area.

At the deep end she dove into the water. The painful transformation lasted for around twenty minutes as her legs were covered in scales and fins grew from her skin. Once the pain ended, Abby gleefully swam to her hearts content.

Serena had decided that it was a good day to go for a swim. The sun was shining and the pool had seemed absent of late. It hadn't been hot enough yet for everyone to go for it. Apart from that one stray encounter with Cole recently... that had been embarrassing.

Hopefully she wouldn't find any mischievous boys who would make her feel very self conscious about showing so much of her pale skin while she was wearing a bikini. She would go so so red if there was one there.

After getting changed into a pale blue bikini and grabbing a towel, she went out into the pool area. She set down her towel on one of the sun bathing benches and moved towards the pool side.

She was pleasantly surprised to see that there were no males there. There was however, a little girl swimming in the pool. Serena stood on the side and leaned forward slightly. "Hi there!" She said with a wide grin. She hadn't noticed anything different about the young girl yet.

Abby was enjoying her swim when she noticed someone speaking to her from the side of the pool. The young blonde looked over to see an older blonde girl. With a few movements of her tail, Abbigail came to be about a yard from the other girl.

Poking her head out of the water, she looked at the newcomer. Abby made sure to keep her gills underwater encase the person was actually a threat.

"Hello," she greeted softly. Her tail swung back and forth under her, trying to keep her vertical. The edges of the dark gray fin flashing under her bright green skirt. "Um, do you want me to, uh, get out?"

Serena smiled sweetly to the girl as she moved across. She noted the tail... Well, that was something else. She was a mermaid... Serena wondered what it would be like to live with that mutation. Swimming would probably be quite something.

Serena shook her head at the little girl, maintaining the sweet smile she wore almost constantly. "No, it's fine. We can share... that is if you don't mind."

She wondered how old the girl was. She looked around 10, maybe a little younger. It was sad that a girl that little had to live here, away from her parents. But Serena guessed, one way or another, it was probably a better thing for her.

She dropped her towel by one of the benches and slipped into the pool, the cool water feeling amazing on her skin. She relaxed in the corner.

>>"No, it's fine. We can share... that is if you don't mind."

Abby nodded and dove under the water. She started to do loops at the bottom of the deep end. While she swam, she kept an eye on the older girl. After several minutes had passed, Abbigail rose to the surface. She swam closer to the girl, keeping with the traditional circle shark's swam in.

"Can, um, can I ask you a question?" the little blonde asked softly.

Serena smiled to the young girl and gave a small nod to her. "Of course you can." the sun was shining, this girl was sweet and Serena was feeling fantastic.

She wondered what sort of question the young girl had in mind, was she going to ask about Serena's mutation? Was she new to the mansion and wondering how to get around, or going to ask what the school was like?

A host of possibilities swirled the blonde's mind. However, she decided that she would only be able to find out what the young girl was going to ask... When she asked, so it was pointless having a mental debate with herself about what the question would be, when she truly had no idea of what it was...

"Um, well, I was wondering," Abby tried to ask her question but her words failed her.

The little girl closed her eyes and thought back to the fisherman she lived with before her Aunt and Uncle came for her. She focused on the kind couple who took care of her even though they didn't have to. Abbigail thought only of her friends and the courage they gave her.

"I was wondering if you could, could tell me a bit about this, this school. I don't know a whole lot yet," she spoke with her eyes still closed.

Before the other girl could answer, Abby dove under the water and swam around the bottom. After a few circlets, she rose to see what the older girl would say.

Serena smiled encouragingly as the young girl nervously prepared to ask a question, She didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. She even looked like she was younger than Victoria.

She grinned as the girl asked a question "Well I-" As Serena was about to answer the girls question, she dove underwater. Serena stood there, or rather, treaded water, waiting for the young mermaid girl to finish swimming under water and come back up to the surface.

As she resurfaced. "Well I've been here since december, so I know a fair bit about the school by this point, What would you like to know?" She gave the young girl a warm and reassuring smile.

She realised as she finished speaking that she hadn't introduced herself, Serena silently scolded herself for forgetting her manners, if only temporarily. "Oh, Sorry, I'm Serena, it's a pleasure to meet you." she gave another sweet smile to the girl.

"I'm Abb-Abbigail Clark. It's nice to meet yo-you too. Um, I was, uh, wondering if I'd, if I would make any fri-friends. I haven't met a lot of people," Abby explained softly.

Abby could count the number of people she had met since arriving at the school on her hands. They weren't many. She didn't even have a roommate. Though she had spent some time with other people. She hadn't really made any friends.

She moved her body around to help keep her neck submerged as she spoke with Serena. The other girl seemed nice enough. And she hadn't commented on Abby's gift. Though she was a good distance from the older girl.

Serena smiled reassuringly at the young girl, she must have had a low level of self confidence, Serena had never really been like that. Except for her interaction with mutants for a short while after she found out she was one.

But she was completely over that now, and could return to her old, social butterfly ways.

She smiled to the girl, Abby. "Well Abby, I have made friends here in my time at the mansion, and you seem like a lovely girl, so I'm sure you'll make plenty!" she winked.

She decided to risk commenting on the mermaid's pretty tail. "That's a pretty tail you've got there by the way, if you don't mind me saying." she grinned.

Abby smiled shyly at Serena's reassurance about friend making. Abby wasn't sure if she was right but it was nice to hear. The little blonde hadn't ever had a good time making friends.

>>"That's a pretty tail you've got there by the way, if you don't mind me saying."

Abby ducked her mouth under the water. "Th-thank you," she stuttered after raising her mouth enough to speak. "Auntie s-says it's su-sup, a ti-tiger sh-shark tail."

Serena gave an enchanting smile to the young girl. Bless her, she looked so nervous to Serena. And her voice carried that across as well.

Serena responded to Abby's comment. "I like sharks. Most animals in general really, I think they're really interesting creatures." She smiled more and took a relaxed position in the water.

She smiled gently to the girl. "Hey, you don't need to feel nervous. I don't bite." Serena said in a soothing tone.

OOC: So sorry this took years, but I return!

>>"I like sharks. Most animals in general really, I think they're really interesting creatures."

Abby ducked her head again. While she liked being able to swim for a long time, she couldn't forget the shark that attacked her before. She shook her head at the memories and focused back on the blonde girl.

>>"Hey, you don't need to feel nervous. I don't bite."

She smiled a little before moving closer to the kind, older girl. "What are the classes like?" she asked tentatively.