Chapter 1: Empty places
One girl was walking down the beach, hands in her pockets and thinking. Thinking about her whole life.
She had a blond curly hair and eyes as blue and beautiful as only the ocean could be. Chances are that she was connected to the ocean in a very strong and special way. She was a mermaid. A mermaid with superpowers. She had the power to boil things and make lightenings.
Her name? Rikki Chadwick.
She was said to be the rebel of the town. Not only she was beautiful, but also very strong and stubborn.
Rikki was walking slowly to Will's place. Cleo, Bella and Will were waiting there for her to show up. She wondered if she had the strength to take the look in their eyes, when they hear she's leaving with her father.
She took a deep breath, than she stood at the front door and pushed it open. They were all there together, and when she came in they looked at her with worried faces. She was a little pale and didn't feel very good, but she had to tell them everything. She gave them a little smile, and they did the same to her.
"I have to tell you something guys." She said. "I have to leave the town with my father."
She sat on the sofa next to the girls, observing their reactions and that of Will. The girls looked at her with eyes full of tears and Will's look was full of pain.
"What? Why?" Cleo asked and tears started forming in her eyes. "You can't leave us. We're the best of friends, soul sisters, we need each other."
"I'm sorry. My dad is going to England, and he wants me to go with him." She said with small tears forming in the back of her eyes.
The three girls hugged each other. Then Rikki slowly walked over to Will and put her arm on his showder. He turned back, he didn't want the girls to see the tears that he couldn't stop. He took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound stable.
"So, you'll just go? You'll leave us without even giving us the opportunity to tell our opinions?!"
His words stabbed her heart like a knife.
"I really have no choice, but go with my dad. But I'll miss you so much, all of you!" She said and a tear rolled down her cheek.
Cleo and Bella ran to Rikki and hugged her. All three were crying. When they released from the hug Rikki turned to Will and hugged him whispering in his ear "I'll miss all of you".
For her he was something like the brother she never had and she cared a lot for him. But for him she wasn't just like a sister. She meant a lot more to him.
He loved her. From the day he met her, he fell in love with her. She meant the world to him. She was his everything. But now she was leaving, she was going away from her soul sisters, from Mako, from everything. She was going away from him.
"So when…when are you leaving?" He asked wiping away the tears.
"My flight leaves at 8.00 pm tomorrow." She said with pain in her soft voice and brushed the warm tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Tomorrow?" Bella said. "But…that's too soon."
"I know. I'm sorry for not telling you all this earlier, I just… I couldn't." She said and looked at the girls with eyes full of tears. "Do you…um…do you want to come with me to Mako for one last swim?" She asked with a shaky voice.
"Yes, of course." They answered quickly.
Before they were about to leave, Bella walked over to Will and put her arm on his shoulder.
"Will you be ok? If you want you can come with us with the boat."
"No, it's fine." He said. "I'll just wait for you here."
Bella nodded and left with the girls leaving Will all alone.
He was so upset. If anything he loved Rikki too much and he didn't want to let her go.
{ * }
They reached the moon pool for a several seconds. The girls stood in the water next to each other, tied in a hug. Then they let go and looked around the place.
"I'll miss this place." Rikki said softly.
"The moon pool used to be our place. Our thing. But without you…it'll never be the same again. It'll feel…empty." Cleo said and two tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Don't talk like that. You two are of the strongest people I know. You'll get through this. You'll carry on with your life. Because a mermaid always has her ways to make herself feel better. Swimming, shopping and stuff like that. And then before you know it, I'll be back!" Rikki said with a soft voice and she smiled to cheer them up then she hugged them again.
"Are you going to tell Zane?" Bella asked.
"No. Why should I?" Rikki said looking at her.
Bella only shook her head helplessly meaning "I don't know". Rikki sighed quietly to herself.
"I've got to go home, to pack my suitcase, I'll meet you here later." Rikki said and she hugged the girls before leaving the place.
The other two just stared sadly at the small waves left by her.
"We can make a Goodbye Party for Rikki here!" Cleo said after being silent for a while.
"Great idea." Bella said with a smile and Cleo tried to smile back at her.
"I'll tell Lewis and you tell Will. Me and Lewis will make up the place and pick up the music and you can pick up the food." Cleo said again.
But even the idea of a party couldn't take her mind off Rikki's leaving. She realized she couldn't hold the tears and the pain to herself anymore.
"I'm going to miss her so much!" She said and burst into tears.
Bella hugged her, trying to show her comfort, but she started crying too.
It felt so wrong and painful. Their best friend going away. Their triade broken.