"Books are fun, but they get boring sometimes. Also, I think it'd be nice if I wasn't the only hybrid. " 

"I guess. I don't think species is that important."

"It can get lonely when you're the only kid who with legs who isn't a total wimp about holding their breath. Well, besides Swim Kid."

"It's not very nice to insult people because of things they can't control."

"I'm sorry. Moira can hold her breath for nearly four minutes!" 

The two children eventually emerge from the jungle onto the beach, another kid lying on the wet sand, apparently watching the clouds.

"I don't think I can do even one minute. Hi new person."

The child stands up. He's obeying the same dress code as Michael, so it's quite clear he's a boy. Specifically, he's a blond, tanned boy with scales running along his arms and legs. Like Michael, his fingers and toes are webbed. Unlike Michael, he has fishy looking fins protruding from his back and elbows. "Hi, I'm Paul. Are you the alien Michael told me about?" 

"Yeah. Are you the kid with the mer powers?"

"Yeah. Kinda."

"Kinda?"

"Do me and Michael look that much alike?"

"Well, no, but you're a Miracle."

"Mer are not Miracles."

"I know."

"Paul's just  the luckiest Miracle!"

"Says you."

"You don't like your powers?"

"I kinda like being like this, and mer are fun. My actual power is boring. Do you have any ice cubes?"

"Um, no, what's your actual power?"

"Well, if you had ice cubes, I could make them be ice forever."

"And he can make water stay water forever! And steam!"

"...that's really cool, are the ice cubes cold forever? And steam hot forever?"

"Yeah. What's so cool about that? Do you not have Miracles on your planet? You've met the triplets right? Even Maurice is a million times better than me."

"Infinite energy!"

"...How?"

"If the steam is always hot it will always heat up stuff around it! Or if the ice cubes are always cold they can keep anywhere cold."