The Sertori family gathered in the living room, all eyes on Cleo. She stared at the floor, fidgeting slightly, unsure of how to explain the situation. Her father had already called the school and said Cleo and Kim would be absent for the day.
"Well," Don finally spoke, "we expect an explanation, young lady."
"Um," Cleo looked around, wishing a hole would open up in the floor and swallow her whole, "well you see, it started when Zane pushed me out in the harbor on his boat. Someone had taken a spark plug so it wouldn't start, and he tricked me into getting on the boat. He pushed it out and laughed at me, and out of nowhere Rikki jumped down into the boat with me. She'd had the spark plug all along, and when she put it back in and started the boat, she decided to go round the harbor with it for a bit. We saw Emma and she got in with us, and Rikki thought it'd be fun to go out into the ocean."
"You should have known better than to go into the ocean in that thing with an unlicensed girl!" Don exclaimed, momentarily forgetting the point of the story. Cleo smiled apologetically and continued.
"Well, we got out into the ocean and the engine died. The closest place we could paddle to was Mako Island. We explored it a bit, looking for a place Emma could get reception on her mobile. I fell down a hole in some rocks and Emma came down after me. Rikki was supposed to stay up top and throw down a rope or something, but she followed Emma. We walked through the cave a bit and found a pool. Emma said it connected to the sea, because it was rising and falling. She went into the pool and swam down to find an opening, and she did. Rikki and I got into the water with Emma, and it kind of bubbled, but we didn't know what it meant. We all swam down-"
"What are you talking about," Kim interjected, "you can't swim, you hate water! You won't even do your share of the dishes!"
"Quiet, Kim!" Bev snapped. "Go on, Cleo."
"I couldn't swim then, but Rikki held on to me and swam while I held my breath. We got out of the cave and up to the surface, and the water police were there. They brought us back to shore. We all went home, and thought we'd hang out the next day. I took a bath first though, and ten seconds after I got in, I grew a tail!"
Don put his head in his hands. "So you're...and Rikki and Emma are...you're fish?"
"Mermaids, Dad. And that's why we get strange during the full moon. There's something about it that, if we look at it, makes us crazy."
Nobody had noticed Kim stand up and go into the kitchen. When she came back, she threw a glass of water on her sister, a terrible smirk on her face as Cleo's tail appeared. "Wait until everyone at school hears my sister is a freak! Nobody'll want to be your friend then, and they'll all feel sorry for me."