Sirene saw Nate's mood seem to change as she spoke. But before she could ask him if he was okay, she heard his words about a birthday gift for her. She let out a gasp, seeing what it was,"Oh my gosh." She said softly, gently taking it to look at it,"How on Earth did you manage to get a shell like this? They are so hard to find?" She gently put the necklace on and smiled before swimming over and hugging him tightly,"Thank you so much!" That simple gift was enough to make her feel better.

Nathan smirked as she accepted the gift, and put it on. He lightly pat the top of her head when she hugged him. "Nevermind how I got it.." He mused lightly. "I'd manage to get you anything, to make you smile." He spoke casually. Natalie smiled as she watched the two of them. He was acting like a big brother again, trying to tell her not to give up. She knew he'd never say it, she just knew how to read her brother.

Sirene smiled and let go,"I do appreciate it very much." She said, looking down at the necklace again happily. She then looked at her friends, "I'm so lucky to have you guys as friends." She said,"What more could a girl ask for?"

Natalie smiled and easily draped an arm over the two of them, bringing them into one big group hug. "You two are so predicable~" She teased playfully before letting them go and humming softly. Nathan had a faint tint to his cheeks as his sister brought them closer together, then averted his eyes. "You two have fun, I've got somewhere to be." He said quietly, lightly ruffling his sister's hair. Natalie blinked. "Huh? Hey, no fair getting out of this!" She pouted, draping an arm over Sirene's shoulders and glancing at her friend. "Right Siri?" She asked with a giggle.

Nathan rolled his eyes and smirked. "I got a job to go to." He explained, what kind of job he had however, was a secret.

Sirene was happy until Nate said he had to leave, for some job he had to do. She sighed,"Come on, Natalie." She said,"We can't force him to hang around if he has other things to do." She turned and swam off into the city, trying to act like she wasn't upset. She assumed he was going off to meet up with some other girl, since she knew he liked to flirt with them.

Natalie frowned, seeing her friend leave so upset. She glared at Nathan for a moment. "You big dummy." She said, then swam off after Sirene. "Hey, wait up!" She called to her friend. Sirene always swam faster than her. Maybe age had something to do with it?

Nathan sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "I've got pay off that shell somehow." He murmured before leaving as well.

Sirene finally stopped at one of her favorite hidden areas, a small garden like place only Nate and Natalie knew about. She sank down under a tree and held her fin at her knee. When Natalie came up to her she shook her head,"I don't know how much more I can take of this." She said,"I'll never be able to tell him I like him and he'll never think the same way about it that I do." She felt bad she just swam away and that she had gotten so upset, but she couldn't help it.

Natalie settled down next to her friend in the garden when she finally caught up to Sirene, and gently wrapped her arms around her friend. "I know.." She said softly. "But.. I've noticed changes in him since the last time he saw you get hurt. He doesn't want me to tell you, but sometimes he comes home banged up from a getting into fights." She said quietly as she lightly began running her fingers through Sirene's long beautiful hair. "You won't know how things will go, if you never tell him." Natalie spoke, having one of her rare moments of acting her age, instead of a child.

Natalie sighed and slowly pulled away from Sirene. "At least you have feelings to share with someone.." She murmured softly. Natalie was nineteen, and had currently been on zero dates. She just wasn't interested in the mermen she saw.

Sirene sighed,"It will never be anything." She said softly,"I've already accepted that. That's why I've dated other guys. To try to forget those feelings. But they never go away." She looked over at Natalie sadly,"I'm sure you'll find someone. I just know they aren't here, that's for sure." She looked down,"I'm starting to doubt the one for me isn't here either." She rubbed her face.

Natalie sighed. Great, now they were both depressed. What was going to take to get through to those two? Her brother, and her best friend.. They were perfect for each other, yet neither one wanted to say anything. She blinked as the ocean began to dark slightly, and she could faint rumbling from above. Natalie looked up and pointed. "Hey, I think there's a storm above the water." She said, then got up and began to swim.

"C'mon Siri, let's go watch!" She called to her friend. This was just like one of her stories that she had told Sirene about.