The End? (featured song: broken strings and another now)
"I can't believe you could say that!" Cleo choked, hurt, a tear trickling down her cheek.
She couldn't believe her friend would hurt her like that, on purpose!
"You need to stop being so sensitive and open your eyes!" Rikki retorted.
Cleo has no back bone, she gives into everyone and everything without having her own opinion!Rikki had known this ever since she met Cleo and never had the heart to say anything of the sort but this time, she and Emma had wound her up to far…
"Rikki!" Emma let her arms drop to her sides.
"You Emma, if you chilled out a bit maybe people would see your sensitive side…" Rikki folded her arms.
Emma's mouth fell open, like a ton of bricks had spilled out and crumbled all over the carpet.
How dare she!
"I'm insensitive! You're the insensitive one, making Cleo almost cry!" Emma snapped.
Cleo smiled thinly, Em was sticking up for her!
But She felt sorry for Rikki being ganged up on and of course Emma did need to chill out a bit…
"Rikki does have a point, you do need to relax a bit…" Cleo muttered, quietly.
Emma felt a jab in her chest and her temper hit boiling point.
"Oh ok I see!" Emma glowered. "Taking Rikki's side are we when I'm defending you…."
Cleo was beginning to feel as if she was shut in a nut shell, which was slowly shrinking until it squished her.
She couldn't seem to do anything right…or saying anything right!
"I don't need Cleo's sympathy!" Rikki shook her head.
"Why not!" Cleo piped up. " I was only trying to be fair, being on both sides…"
Emma stared at her, Both sides? Seems as if you're trying to insult us both!
"There are no sides!" Rikki said bitterly.
"What do you mean?" Cleo asked, softly.
Rikki was beginning to scare her, what did she mean there were no sides…
Emma on the other hand burst out in spite, Rikki was making no logical sense what-so-ever
"No sides? Have you not been paying attention?" Emma laughed.
Cleo backed off a bit and tears slipped from her cheek.
Why were they fighting?
They were the best of friends!
Rikki averted her eyes, feeling a tiny bit guilty.
She couldn't stand to see poor Cleo cry…
"Guys, why can't we settle this?!" Cleo questioned.
Rikki snapped back to her angry, spiteful mood again, settle this after the way I've been treated?!
"Cleo, your 'peacemaking' act won't work this time!" Rikki said scornfully.
Why should I take the blame and apologize?
"Rikki stop picking on us!" Emma retorted.
Rikki continued glaring.
Me picking on you!?
"Now I'm being ganged up on!" Rikki rolled her eyes.
"No!" Cleo said.
"Cleo leave it!" Emma barked.
Tears stung Cleo's eyes.
Rikki snorted.
All this arguing was not worth it, if they wanted to ruin the friendship and their mermaid life then that was their problem.
"I'm out!" Rikki turned and walked towards the door.
"Rikki…" Cleo began.
Tears were beginning to rush over her red cheeks which boiled.
She tried to follow her but Rikki turned round sharply staring at her, directly in eye contact.
"Leave it, O-K! I can't be bothered bickering anymore, you two just don't care!" Rikki spat.
Rikki's eyes were flaming like a roaring bush fire and they flared into Cleo's soft gaze like a dagger through a marshmallow.
Cleo stopped before the door, watching Rikki open it and leave.
The next day, Emma sat on the table furthest away from Rikki, on the other side of the juice net with Cleo.
It was best to stay away and the fact that she hated them now.
Rikki didn't look at them.
Cleo and Emma could feel the raw sour energy pulsing in their direction, warning them away or suffer the dire consequences.
"We have to talk to her…" Cleo begged.
Emma blew air out of her nose and stood up.
Cleo didn't understand that Rikki didn't want anything to do with them and it seemed almost certain she wanted to take sides.
Emma didn't even consider trying to make Cleo understand and blow her top.
"LOOK IF YOU WANT TO TAKE SIDES THEN GO AHEAD! THE GROUP'S SPLIT NOW ANYWAY, I DON'T CARE!" Emma flamed and she left, stalking out of the café, head held high.
Cleo shrunk down into her chair and sniffed, Emma had never been so horrible towards her…
She considered this for a second then came to the conclusion.
If Emma won't sort this out then I will…!, Cleo thought determinedly.
She ambled over to Rikki's table and sat down slowly.
The leather couch sunk slowly as she sat too, as if everything had gone into slow motion in the anxiety of the moment.
Rikki smirked.
"We can't let this ruin our friendship!" Cleo paused.
Rikki sighed harshly.
Cleo knew the reaction immediately and her eyes swelled.
"Cleo, I've told you, the group's over, leave me alone!" Rikki stood up and stormed out of the juice net.
Cleo ran after her.
"Rikki please,…our secret…"Cleo pleaded.
"It's over and that's how it's going to stay, we're not compatible! " Rikki spat and dove into the water.
The water curled around her and soon she was rushing out of the bubbles to sea.
Cleo's eyes welled up and tears fell, falling to the grass as she saw the water distort as Rikki pelted away.
It looked like an invisible speed boat was slashing through the marina.
Cleo ran, past the juice net and into the sea…
Emma strolled through the forest, near the heart of Mako island.
Her trainers sunk into the mud and thorny branches tried to stick to the fabric.
Emma held her head high, trying to act like she didn't care…
But, she knew deep down, their friendship was in tatters…
Cleo swam silently through the ocean, surrounded by a fog of grey.
The water was dull and hardly warm.
Much like what she felt…
Cleo reached the beach, avoiding confrontation in the moon pool.
She hurried through the undergrowth, tripping over broken branches.
After a long walk, filtering everything that had happened through her mind, she reached the waterfall where the entrance to the moon pool cavern was hidden.
Suddenly, she heard the crack of twigs.
Emma had been sitting a few metres away glaring at the floor.
Cleo slipped behind the massive rock that housed the tunnel down to the cave and peered behind her to make sure she didn't slide on anything, ending up in the pool of water by the waterfall.
Emma trudged over to the tunnel and folded her arms.
Rikki emerged.
"What are you doing here?" Emma asked.
"I think I'm entitled to spend some time at Mako island" Rikki frowned.
Cleo didn't like where this was headed, she'd had enough of the conflict between her and the girls.
"Not when I'm here" Emma narrowed her eyes.
Rikki raised an eyebrow.
Wow assertive…
Cleo moved down slightly, so her head wasn't in sight.
Rikki moved back and perched on the rock.
"If your warning me than go ahead, try me!" Rikki smiled.
Emma glanced towards Cleo's direction, missing Cleo as she dived out of view.
"You and Cleo tore the group apart, you ruined something special!" Emma growled.
Cleo felt a jab in her heart, I tore the group apart?
"And here is the one who ruined for me, you and Cleo…" Rikki began.
"You and Cleo spoiled it, I did nothing!" Emma shot back.
It was true…
"Cleo was never on my side, nor yours, we're all going our separate ways!" Rikki said simply.
Cleo shifted her gaze back to Emma who scowled at Rikki.
Rikki looked straight towards Cleo.
Cleo began to panic, she couldn't let them see her spying on them.
She turned and dove gracefully into the water.
The splash didn't seem to disturb Emma and Rikki's verbal conflict.
Cleo swam over to the edge and peered round, orange scaled tail bobbing behind her.
"Rikki, I don't have time for this!" Emma shook her head.
Rikki didn't want her here so be it, she felt exactly the same…
"Neither do I…" Rikki said quietly.
And then, right in front of Cleo's eyes, Rikki pulled her locket from her neck and disappeared into the foliage of the woods…leaving the necklace on the ground…
Cleo felt her shoulders slump.
Her voice seemed to have been stolen by the wind that followed Rikki.
The locket lay on the ground, dust already starting to engulf it.
She pulled back out of view.
She wished she had something in eyes, tricking her vision.
Cleo wanted to think it was all a nightmare but she knew, all too well, it wasn't.
She turned over, her back up against the boulder, arms slumped and soaked.
A tear ran down her cheek.
The only thing to comfort her was the sound of the waterfall and the water running coolly over her tail.
Emma scowled at the glimmer of orange scales disappearing behind the rock.
"If that's the way it is then fine!" Emma too tore off the locket and threw it into the water beside Cleo.
She screwed up her eyes
Emma then slid down the tunnel into the moon pool.
Rikki was boiling over.
Anger and hurt was pulsing through her body.
There's only one mermaid to worry about now, Rikki thought.
She padded back through the woods and sat down in front of the ocean.
The tide was coming in and would soon wave over her toes.
Rikki stood up and looked up at the pink and orange sunset-stained clouds.
Something told her she'd regret it…
She pushed the thought from her mind and stepped into the ocean.
Rikki dove forward, only focusing on the water.
It's history now… She assured herself.
Emma sat in the water, staring down at her scaled tail.
It was quiet in the moon pool.
She mulled over what had been said.
"Doesn't matter now, anymore.." Emma said to herself.
And she sunk under the water.
Cleo was back sitting in the juice net the next day.
Her throat was sore from dehydration but she was in no way going to talk to Emma.
Lewis pulled back the beaded curtain and smiled.
"Hey Cleo, what's up?" He asked cheerily.
Cleo looked up, eyes red, a tear resting on her cheek.
"What's wrong?" Lewis leapt from his seat and curled an arm around her shoulders.
Cleo sniffed loudly and wiped her eyes.
Lewis peered at them, they were red and sore with salty tears.
"Rikki…um…Emma…" Cleo wavered, more tears spilling onto the table.
Lewis looked towards the counter where Emma was serving a red haired woman.
Emma smirked at him.
Lewis strolled over and slammed his hands down on the counter.
"What have you and Rikki been saying to Cleo?" He demanded, scowling.
"Nothing, that's the whole point" Emma said plainly.
"The group's finished Lewis, I have nothing to do with any of those two and neither to they with each other or me" Emma sneered turning away to the cool room.
Rikki smirked at both Emma and Lewis then left the juice net, strutting through the bead curtain noisily.
Cleo had been watching.
Lewis padded back over to Cleo.
Cleo stood up before he reached her.
A single tear rolled down her cheek.
She clutched her locket and un-did the clasp that held the locket round her neck.
Cleo held the locket in her hand and ran from the café.
"Cleo!" Lewis yelled after her.
But she had already bolted for the ocean.
Lewis glared at Emma.
She sat on the soft sand staring out at the ocean in the delicate morning light.
Her locket sat in her palm, reflecting the sun off it's shiny metal surface.
Cleo ambled over to the sea and stepped into the water.
She sped through the current, reaching the moon pool in no time at all.
Cleo swam down to the bottom of the pool and lay the locket on the sea bed.
Where had been left 50 years ago…
Cleo returned to the open sea, alone she seemed but she sensed Rikki was somewhere near.
Not that she really cared much now, they'd ruined the whole secret…
She let the water run between her fingers, hoping it would relax her.
Cleo stared for a bit at her orange mermaid fin, thinking of the ocean deeply.
She didn't even notice Rikki enter the moon pool until she spoke.
"Are you going to follow me everywhere?" Rikki snapped.
"I was actually here first!" Cleo shot back quietly.
"Oh and you think this is your territory then?" Rikki smirked.
"No…" Cleo hissed.
"From now on when I'm here, you and Emma have to keep clear" Rikki said plainly.
Cleo knew she meant it and narrowed her eyes, slipping under the water.