A/N: Happy Chapter Reading! Thanks to my reviewers for last chapter:

Marril96: Good guess on whom it came from. We'll see soon if you're right!

tyrone beard: Yes, you are right, you are close to finding out her secret…but I can't tell you how close. We'll find out…

Disclaimer: I do not own H2O.

Mysteries AriseFriday

My stomach was twisted into knots all night long. I just couldn't get my head cleared about that necklace.

Linda had even come to my door and asked why Amber and Jack were saying I somehow scared off a robber with my necklace. I just laughed, and ruffled Amber's hair (she had come with Linda to ask me.) "What an imagination," I marveled. "No, the day went fine."

But Amber insisted that I did. I got even more worried that she might tell people. What if they linked it to my secret? Okay, that was a little far-fetched, how someone could connect a wild story told by a child to me being a mermaid.

But it didn't matter, because I still had that big ol' knot in my stomach, which I couldn't get rid of. I felt like I wanted to throw up.

I climbed out of bed, and stared at the window. It had just rained that morning—pretty rare around these parts, but not impossible—and the rain left streaks across the window.

I sighed, backing away from the window. I checked my watch. I knew I had to get ready soon to make it, so I pulled on some clothes and got ready.

I was about to leave and go out the door, when I remembered about my necklace. There came the knots again.

I sat myself back on the bed, and took a few deep, slowing breaths. After a while, I knew I just couldn't do it today. I wasn't ready, and I physically couldn't do it.

I picked up my cell phone, and coughed a while, clearing my throat. I dialed a number, and held the ringing phone up to my ear.

"Hello," I said, once the office picked up. I was using my best deep voice. Bishop had picked up, and I knew she wouldn't be easy to fool, because I knew she recognized my voice from my countless hours spent in her office for being late, detentions, and other things I cannot mention. "This is Avery Peacock's dad, and I'd like to inform her school that she is sick, so she will not be able to make it to school. Thank you, have a good evening, ma'am."

I hung up, and stared at the phone in my hand disbelievingly. I didn't believe that I had just done that. I also couldn't believe Bishop had bought it.

I looked out the window at Shane. He was checking his watch, and nervously looking at the door. He was probably wondering where I was, since school was about to start.

I saw Shane saunter back into the apartment. I quickly jumped into bed, and pulled the covers over my clothes.

I heard the door knob jiggle around a while, then a, "Avery? Can you open the door?"

I twisted my hand, unlocking the door. I hid my arm back under the bed cover so Shane couldn't see my sleeve. Shane immediately came in. When seeing me in my bed, he asked why I wasn't in school.

"Sick," I muttered in my best sick voice. I fake coughed, which ended pretty badly in a squeak. I silently cursed myself. Why did I have to be such a bad actress?

Shane insisted to stay here, but I said I'd just be here all day, and if I needed something, I'd just yell (which I wouldn't be needing anything, since I wasn't really sick.)

"Alright," he finally gave in. He headed to the door, where I stopped him.

"Wait, Shane," I said.

"Need something already?" he teased with a smile.

"Shane, there's a reason I don't want to go swimming with you," I said, eyeing the glass of water on my bedside table.

"And what would that be?" he asked.

I was about to reach for the glass, when Emma's face popped in my mind. "Don't do it Avery," she warned, his tone and expression both dead serious. Her blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail like any other regular day.

"We hardly know him." Now Rikki was in my head, her blue eyes fuming with hatred and anger.

Cleo joined the gang. "But of course, you're too wrapped up in this to care that this is our secret, too." She glared at me with dagger eyes.

They started yelling at me, word after hateful word. The thing that snapped me back was Shane saying, "Avery? What do you want to tell me?"

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. "Uh, nothing. Never mind. I'll tell you later." Then he left.

I sighed and slumped back on my lumpy pillow. Why did this have to be so hard?

Cleo POV

"Have you guys seen Avery today?" I asked when I approached Rikki, Emma and Lewis in the hallway.

"No, not at all. But I did hear something weird when walking to school," Lewis said, his voice drawn serious.

"What?" Emma asked.

"Two little kids—a boy and a girl—were walking in front of me with their mother. The girl tugged on her mom's arm, and said, 'But really! She really did use her necklace! It was like magic!'"

"Where is this going Lewis?" asked an impatient Rikki.

Lewis continued, "The mom said tiredly, 'Amber, I do not have time for this. Avery did not use her necklace, she did not scare off any so-called robber, and nothing ever happened!'"

"Do you think that's our Avery?" I asked.

"That's kind of what I was getting at," Lewis said.

"But how could that be?" asked Emma. "She can't control anything."

"Maybe it wasn't her, but her necklace," said Rikki.

"But what necklace?" I asked. "She doesn't usually wear any necklaces."

We sat in silence for a while. After a few minutes, Lewis's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Usually."

"What?" exclaimed Emma. I could tell Rikki was confused too, and I admit, I was a bit puzzled myself.

"Usually. She does wear a necklace once in a while, right?" asked Lewis.

"Yeah, but it's always the same one," I put in. "That gold square with a gem on top."

"Which is unusual," remarked Rikki. "Her clothes are usually—and I love her when I say this—crappy. I mean, like holes in them, pretty dirty…you know. But that necklace must have been expensive."

"She came to me for a dress to wear for her date," I piped up. "She didn't have anything else to wear."

"Wait," said Emma. "She went on a date? Why didn't you tell us?"

"That's not important. I didn't know who she was going out with myself."

"Oh!" said Rikki, bouncing up and down like a chipmunk. "She lives at an orphanage! She's an orphan!"

"Isn't that pretty far-fetched?" asked Lewis. "I don't think she'd be living at an orphanage at this age."

"No, she's seventeen. She has to be eighteen to be considered an adult and not live in an orphanage—if she's an orphan," Emma said. She paused. "I think."

"Plus, she moved here about a year ago," I said. "I don't think she'd move if she lived in an orphanage."

"Maybe she already is adopted," said Rikki.

"That still wouldn't make sense," said Lewis. "If she were adopted, why couldn't we meet her parents that adopted her, and she would pretend it's her real parents until she gained enough courage to tell us the truth?"

"So she's not adopted," drew out Emma slowly. "So what is it about her?"

I could tell we were all wondering the same thing.

Avery POV

-Times Shane Came Up To Check On Me: 22

-Times He Asked Me If I Wanted Chicken Soup: 13

-Times I Wondered What Emma, Cleo And Rikki Were Doing: 17

-Times I Wondered If They Cared That We Weren't Talking To Each Other: 34

-Times I Attempted To Show Shane My Secret: 8

-Times I Felt Bad About This Whole Thing—And I Mean Everything: 79

That was pretty much my list of that day. I had nothing else to do, so I brainstormed a list. All in all, I felt bad about pretending to be sick, and I just wish this whole situation would disappear.

I checked my watch. My school would just be letting out right about now.

I sat up in bed and took a deep breath. I still had to figure out what to do about tomorrow. Tomorrow was Emma's birthday. I didn't know what the girls figured I would do, but I still had a big decision to make.

After a while of thinking it all through, I finally came up with my answer.

A/N: So what will she do? Will she go? Will she stay? Only one way to find out: review!