A/N: Hello, everyone! I was watching H2O earlier today, and just realized how much I missed it, so I decided to make this! I hope you like it! I do not own H20, Just add water OR the plot, but I do own my original characters! Thanks, and enjoy!
"Francesca Marilyn Cortez!" Yelled the angry woman that was Frankie's mother. Uh-Oh. She thought. Mom's using my full name. She must be mad.
The unconventionally dressed brunette ran down the stairs of her two-story beach house. Her large, neon green boots clunked against the wooden stairs as she trudged downward to her fuming mother. "What is it, Mom?" She asked as Mrs. Cortez glared at her.
"Why did this come in the mail?" She asked interrogatively as she held up a previously folded piece of paper. Frankie slowly walked closer to her mother who was standing in the middle of their mostly blue and white living room.
"Oh, it's that thing about that extra-credit field trip. What's the problem with it?" She asked in a confused tone.
"Well, it says here that the students with a C- average are obligated to go on this trip. So, does this mean that you're failing?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. Frankie rolled her eyes and grabbed the paper out of her mother's hand.
"No, mom. I'm not full-on failing. It just means that I need a little help to 'reach my full potential' or something." Replied Frankie, who was now re-folding the paper and putting it back in the envelop that was sitting on the sky blue, over-decorated coffee table.
Mrs. Cortez's face softened, somewhat. She put her hands on her hips and regained composure. "Well," the newly 40 year-old began. "I hope that next time; you won't need to go on a trip like this." She took the envelop out of her daughter's hand and pulled out the letter. "It says that you're going camping at Maple Ridge Park, huh? Sounds like it will be fun." The stressed out mom said.
Frankie shook her head and put her hand to her forehead. She already knew that it wouldn't be a bit fun. It was being chaperoned by her overly strict Biology teacher, Ms. Larden. Nagging and being just plain unpleasant was her thing. She was the teacher that no one could stand.
Suddenly, Frankie's father walked into the living room. He was coming from the indoor, yet at the same time, outdoor porch. It was like a glass box that jutted out from the rest of the house. Mr. Cortez called it his "Cave of Manly Manliness". It was unfortunate how he would monopolize the thing. It really was a cool place: It had an amazing view of the ocean, had a stereo system, and had several pretty, yet cheesy wind chimes on the ceiling. "Hey, girls! Frankie, there's this really cool lizard outside. It has these little blue spots all over it's back. You should go check it out." The tall, lumbering man said.
At that, Frankie ran out the door to the outside. She was obsessed with all sorts of reptiles, which she came quite acquainted with ever since she moved to Melbourne, Florida when she was five. Ever since, she became utterly infatuated with the lizards, turtles, and frogs she would find in her backyard.
She looked around as she came to a stop in her vast backyard. She looked at the trees, the flowers, and then, the ocean that lay out in front of her. Salty sea air filled her lungs, and she ran towards the smell, almost forgetting the lizard she was previously excited about. She stopped herself as she almost stepped over the border between grass and sand. No, no. Gotta find that blue-spotted lizard first.
She began searching again, until she found a large lizard sitting on a rock as if it were a prized statue. Frankie walked over to it, slowly. She didn't want to frighten it away like she did last time (although, that time, it was a baby glass lizard that slithered away at the sight of her). "Come on, little guy. I'm not going to hurt you." She said, comfortingly as she walked closer. But, as she did, she realized that it was a Blue-Spotted Tree Lizard. "Yes! Finally, I can add you to my list." She said, referring to her list of lizard sightings. She desperately wanted to take a picture of it, but had forgotten her camera inside. At the risk of the lizard running away, she just knelt down next to the lizard and began to draw a picture of it on her arm with the pen she had grabbed on her way out the house.
She reached her hand out to pet the lizard to see if it was friendly or not. He obliged by letting her place her small hand on his leathery body. Frankie smiled. "Yes, you're a nice little guy, aren't you?" She asked as she stood up and began to walk back inside.
Suddenly, she heard a shriek coming from down the street. It sounded like a male voice, and she immediately knew who it was. Frankie giggled to herself and ran past the side of her house and down the street.
"Why, hello, Mr. Screamalot. Where's the 'scary monster' now?" She asked, sarcastically to her awkward, zany neighbor, Kyle. He blushed slightly, and combed a hand through his light brown hair as he walked towards Frankie.
"Thank you for your concern, but it was nothing. I'm alright now." He said as he brushed the dirt off of his green shirt. He had obviously been on the ground before.
"What happened?" Frankie asked, knowing that he had probably seen a large bug and had tripped over something.
"I told you, nothing." He said, but Frankie began to shake her head with a smirk on her face. Kyle sighed. "Okay, fine. I saw this huge bug. I mean, seriously, this thing was big. Bigger than that caterpillar from Tuesday." He said, and the two reminisced about the day when Kyle had seen a slightly larger than usual caterpillar crawling on his shoe.
"And, let me guess. You tripped over that stick over there and went into a fit of screams, thinking that it would attack you?" Frankie asked with amusement.
"No! Well, sort of. Okay, yes. But, it was really big and scary!" He said, trying to justify how much of a wimp he knew he was.
"I believe you, Kyle. Hey, you want to come over to my house for dinner?" She asked with a smile.
"Sure! What's Mama cooking?" He asked, referring to Mrs. Cortez as Mama again. She was like a second mother to him, and he had accidentally called her mom once as well. Normally, people do that to their teachers, but Kyle does that to his friends' parents.
"You know, the usual: Fried salamanders!" Frankie yelled before Kyle jumped and almost fell again. She began laughing at his demise all the way back to her house.
"So not funny, Cortez. I'll get you one of these days." Kyle retorted, playfully. "So, anyways, you excited for that camping trip on Friday? Maple Ridge Park is awesome."
"Eh, not really. A whole weekend stuck with Ms. Larden does not sound like my definition of awesome. And why are you going? You're practically a genius." She replied. It was true, Kyle really was a genius. He got straight A's, and made the Honor Roll every year.
"Yeah, but I really want to go! Camping is really fun, and I'd probably be bored all weekend with my best friend gone, anyway." He said, and Frankie knew it was true. Before they had met, all Kyle had done on the weekends would be just sitting around at his house, and watching the Discovery Channel. Not the best example of a thrilling weekend.
"Okay, but you do know that there will be all sorts of 'icky bugs' there, right? After all, it is the outdoors." Frankie asked.
"Yeah, but I'll be wearing my brand new bug repellent. I made it myself. I was just testing it out before you got here. It kinda needs to be perfected a bit, though."
"Nice, I can't wait to see you, in the 'Great Outdoors' trying to avoid tiny, little bugs."
At that, Kyle rolled his hazel eyes and the two 14 year-olds walked to Frankie's abode.