Lewis's POV
The Juicenet is pretty slow today, fortunately. Somehow when I snapped back into reality, I had some recollection of what happened today. Now, I just need to find out why. Cleo's out of the spell too, ever since she had some juice. Actually, exactly as she drank the juice, she stopped glowing and staring, and told me she didn't remember a thing. Was it the juice? Is it the cure? It's too bizarre. First, a clock has the same effect on the girls as a full moon. Now, juice is having the same effect as the moon disappearing into the horizon. It just doesn't make sense.
All of the sudden, Zane, carrying Emma, strides into the Juicenet. The look on his face tells me that he's under the weird spell too. I rush to bring Emma a juice.
"Drink, Emma! Drink!" She drinks it, and immediately loses the glaze over her eyes. Zane drops her.
"Zane!" Emma shouts, her juice spilling on top of her. She runs to the back, just in time.
"Lewis, I have to tell you something," Zane tells me seriously. My heart speeds up. "Emma and Rikki-" Before he can say it, Byron bursts into the Juicenet carrying Rikki, shouting his immense love for her.
"Hold that thought," I say to Zane, and speed over to the counter to get Rikki her juice. As soon as she drinks it, she's back to normal again. Well, at least they didn't show up as mermaids, that'd be quite a show. Zane rushes up to me, grabs my arm, and makes me sit in the nearest booth.
"Rikki and Emma are mermaids," he whispers. Oh, great. Before I can offer and explaination, Rikki, accompanied by Cleo and Emma, pulls me out of the booth and out of the Juicenet.
"Lewis," Rikki hisses. "What is going on?!" The girls stare me down, as if I know why things are happening the way they are. It's not like they can blame me for having a magical clock. All of the sudden, my mind conjures up a way to figure everything out.
"Rikki, come with me," I say.
"Why her?" Cleo asks, with obvious envy.
"Because it happened to me first," Rikki says confidently. "Right, Lewis?" I look at her for a few seconds, unable to get the words out. She and I both know that that's not the reason at all.
"Right," I finally say, and Rikki and I head off to my house.
Rikki's POV
Once again, I'm entering Lewis's house. This time is different though. Someone's here.
"Hello mother," Lewis sings, but with insincerity in his voice. His mother walks in, and stops in her tracks. Clearly she doesn't see Lewis's friends too often.
"Oh, hi Lewis, you didn't tell me you were bringing someone over," she says, more to me than to Lewis.
"Right, well, we're not going to be here long," he says. "I need to ask you something." He motions for her to go to the kitchen, and I follow.
"What is it Lewis?" his mother asks, seeming irritated.
"Where did you get that clock?" he points to the clock. I almost look at it, but catch myself just in time.
"Oh, that old thing?" she laughs. "Some silly store in Brisbane." Her facial expression becomes serious. "Why?"
"What store, exactly?"
"I think it was called Moonshine," she informs us. Moonshine. Lewis and I glance at each other knowingly.
"Thanks mom, gotta go, bye!" Lewis says quickly, and scurries out the door. I speedwalk behind him. His mother mumbles something, but the door closes before we can figure out what she said. I realize that Lewis has something in his hand… keys.
"Lewis, do you even have your license?" I ask, mostly out of curiosity, not because it matters. I've driven illegally tons of times, it's such a rush, I love it. Lewis doesn't give me an answer. We walk to the side driveway, and get in the car. It's a convertible.
"Shh," he says. "My mom can't know I'm taking her car." I laugh.
"Wow Lewis, I didn't know you could be so rebellious!"
"I have my moments," he says, grinning. He starts the car, and we're off to Brisbane, our hair blowing in the cool sea winds.