Chapter 34: Riots
Same night
At school
Rikki's POV
I was sitting in class just gazing off into space, when my phone went off. Then I heard Emma's phone go off next to me, and Lewis' phone in front of me. It must have been a mass text to everyone in the group. So, I pull it out, and look at it.
Nate has a plan. Meet at the café. A.S.A.P
I look at it, and think 'Crap, I'm supposed to meet the merman king.' What should I do? Blow him off… probably, after all, it's been a while, I should just do the same thing that he's done to me to him.
As I'm thinking this, apparently Lewis has turned around.
Lewis' POV
Zane texted the whole group that Nate had an idea, so I decided to ask Emma and Rikki if they knew anything about this, but when I turned around a few minutes ago, Rikki looked so lost in thought.
"Earth to Rikki, come in Rikki," I say trying to get her attention.
"Very funny Lewis," she responds.
"I know. Anyway, do either of you have any idea as to what's going on with Nate?"
"No idea," Emma answers before returning back to taking notes.
"Me either, but I'm supposed to meet the merman king today," Rikki says.
Merman king? Have I really been missing that much? I used to know everything about the girls, and now I feel like I know nothing. Apparently, Rikki can see my confusion.
"No one's really known about it. I kind of forgot about it until now. I guess mermaids and mermen live in different worlds, and he wants to meet me since I'm the new queen. And talk to me about other mermaid stuff, I guess," Rikki says.
"Well, he can wait, obviously, we have something more pressing, but could I come with you when it happens?" I ask because meeting someone who probably has all the answers is all I've wanted since this whole thing began.
"I suppose, any particular reason?"
"He probably has all the answers."
"I thought Mrs. C had all the answers," Rikki says.
"Yah, but she doesn't tell us straight out, she beats around the bush and he's probably been around a lot longer."
"Why do you want answers anyway, you aren't affected by this like we are."
"I;ve been here for you girls, I've always felt like I'm almost one of you, and I just want answers maybe even more than you do."
"Alright, I guess I see your point," Rikki says.
"Thanks," I say before turned around for the remainder of class.
Bella's POV
Zane's text made me rush to the café with Ashley in tow. I go to the office because that's where Ash points to when he sees me. I walk in expecting to be late, but only Zane, Nate, and the kids are there.
"Hey Bella, you are the first are here. Rikki texted me saying her, Lewis, and Emma are in class, they'll be out soon," Zane tells me as I enter.
"Alright then, is it okay if I place Ashley in the play pen?" I ask.
"go right ahead, almost all the other kids are playing in there," Zane says with a smile.
"Yah, why is that?"
"Ash had to cover a shift, and Emma and Rikki are at school. Besides, I love kids, so I don't mind," Zane says.
That's not what I expected. He of all people should be the one that didn't like kids.
I sit down on the couch, and make myself comfortable, it might be a while.
Will's POV
I got the text while Sophie and I were eating.
"Sorry Soph, I have to go."
"Where are you going?"
"I just have to meet the guys," I say trying to be vague.
"Will, is this about their secret? Or Melanie?"
"Yes, Nate has a plan to get Melanie out, and I don't think they'll trust you being there."
"Well, they will just have to deal with it," Sophie replies always the stubborn one.
"Fine but I can't garuntee they will accept it."
"Trust me, they will," Sophie says with a wicked smile.
Cleo's POV
As soon as I could, I went to the café. If Nate has a plan to help Melanie than it will probably help me, too.
When I walk in, I go straight for the office, everyone's here except Will.
"Good, now we just need Will," Ash says when he spots me.
I smile, and put Catherine in with the other kids and sit next to Lewis and Emma on the floor, maybe we should've done this in the café part not the office.
We wait in silence for ten minutes, when finally Will knocks on the door before entering, but he's not alone.
"What is she doing here?" Nate asks with contempt in his voice.
"I'm here to help. I told you that I feel bad, but if you don't let me help, I'll expose everyone else. We all know Melanie isn't the only mermaid around here," Sophie says with a spark in her eyes.
"Sophie, you can't threaten them to let you help," will says before anyone can jump in.
"Fine whatever," Sophie says.
"Okay, Nate thinks that we should tell everyone that Melanie is human, too. Bring awareness to the fact that she's not just some creature. That she has a life and a family that needs her," Zane says.
"What? No, we can't do that," Emma says.
"Why not?" Nate asks.
"Because then people will know that mermaids can be people, and they might start thinking other people are hiding it too," Bella says.
"But most people will not care, they'll just want her free because she is human, too," Zane says.
The two begin an argument that is joined by all the others, so I stay quiet. Either way, I'm still in the dolphin shows, but maybe this could change things. Maybe people will petition against the marine park and I won't have to be in the shows anymore.
"I think we should do it," I say. It stops everyone from their yelling.
"Cleo," Lewis says with an unsure sigh.
"I'm being serious, no one has to know that we are mermaids, too," I say.
Everyone stops and thinks for a minutes, and then suddenly everyone is nodding.
"Alright, I made fliers and Zane thought that we could hold a concert here, like a benefit," Nate says happily.
"A benefit?" Rikki asks.
"Yah, something that will gather people who want to listen to what we have to say, and it can be done all at once," Zane says.
"I guess, when?" Rikki asks.
"Uhhh…. Noon or maybe one tomorrow," Zane shrugs.
"I guess we have to do this fast then," Emma says.
"Yes, now everyone grab some fliers and get going," Zane says.
And we all do.
Will's POV
After everyone grabbed their fliers and kids, they left. It was down to just Sophie, Bella and I in the office.
"Will, I'm going to go, if you need me to help with Ashley tonight, let me know," Sophie says before leaving.
As soon as the door closed behind Sophie, Bella turns to me with an angry look on her face.
"I can explain," I say before she can even begin.
"Oh really? You lied to me, you told me that it was hypothetical. That she had no idea," Bella says angrily.
"And at the time, that was true," I say.
"If that's true, then how come she knows?"
"I decided to be more careful, so that none of you ended up with the same problem. Unfortunately, she knows me too well and when I tried to cover it up by saying that I was checking for sharks," I explain.
"And she didn't believe you, so you just told her our secret? What part of secret don't you understand? You should've left it alone, Will,"
"It was bound to happen sometime," I say, which I believe it true.
"I don't care, that wasn't up to you. You still taking Ashley?"
"Yes," I say.
"Good, then I'll see you tomorrow," she says grabbing some fliers and leaving.
The next morning -9 AM
At the soon-to-be Bennetts
Zane's POV
I was surprised to be woken up by not the twins, but Nate. He stayed up all night, posting fliers and trying to get people to come for the benefit thing. After every person he could convince to come was gone, he started to research petitions and things. I guess that it depends on what is being petitioned, but the thought is that for this to have at least 500 people to sign. He came early this morning to give us our petition form, and said that one of each couple should be at the café and the other one out and about to get signatures.
I agreed, and then told him that he needed rest, but he refuses to. Sam, Cleo's stepmother and Melanie's good friend, is watching Nathan while Nate's going crazy.
Rikki and I decided that she would be bringing Marie with her while she's out getting signatures, and I'll keep James with me. We'll stay at the café and talk to the people who decided to give it a shot. I hope that today works.
I look at my watch. Time to go.
Ten minutes till noon
Ash's POV
Along with working this benefit thing, I'm working my normal shift as well. Emma's sister, who'd rather be helping Melanie, is babysitting the girls. Bella and Nate are up on stage trying to get ready to entertain the people. In between songs, they will talk about Melanie as a person, and try to show that it should be okay to have her live among us.
I'm surprised that there's already a huge crowd of people. Some of which are reading the short article about Melanie, and how she ended up captured ad about the rough life since she became one. The article even says that she knows how it happened, how she became one, but not specifics.
Some people have even signed the petition before it has even started. Which is quite surprising.
Suddenly, Bella's tapping the mike to get everyone's attention.
"Welcome everybody to this benefit about a close friend of ours. Her name is Melanie, but some of you may know her as the marine park's mermaid. She's not just a mermaid though, she's a friend, a girlfriend, a mother, a sister, and everything else that you and I are. So, we are going to play some music for you, and tell you about some things in her life during he breaks. Please give us a chance to prove that she's so much more than just a mermaid, and think about signing our petition. Thank you. Now let's get started," Bella says than whispers something to the back and start singing.
Behind her, s screen is setup, and shows pictures of Melanie throughout her life, and when it shows her holding Nathan after he was born, there were a ton of people that immeadately wanted to sign the petition. Maybe this will work after all.
Out and about
Three o'clock
Emma's POV
Rikki, Maria and I have been going around all day trying to geet signitures. Some people listened, but most just kept walking. Of the people that listened, only about 25% actually signed.
"Rikki, this isn't working," I say.
"Sure it is, some people have signed," she answers.
"Maybe, we should head back," I suggest.
"No, give me one more shot," she says.
"Why do you have an idea?"
"Maybe."
She then hands me Maria, and climbs up on a rock that we're standing by.
"Attention everyone, there are some things that you should know about the world we live in." She stops and waits as a crowd gathers.
We live in a world, where we are supposed to be free. Allowed to do everything and anything we want, which includes being different." She holds up a picture of Melanie and Nathan on his third birthday just a couple weeks earlier. "This girl, this woman, is different from us, but the same as us. She goes to school, she works, and she takes care of her son. She has friends, a boyfriend, and a family. So, what makes her different?"
She holds up a picture of Melanie as a mermaid. Some people gasp.
"This girl is a mermaid, but only when se touches water. She lived among us, causing us no harm, until the marine park captured her. They think she is nothing, but a creature. That she's not human, but she us. Do you agree?"
She pauses to wait to see if someone will answer.
No one does.
So, she takes action. "You, what do you define as human?"
The girl looks scared, "Ummm…. Something like me. You know, a person, who thinks, walks, talks, and I don't know. Just a person is human."
"Okay, what is a person?"
"Like you and me?" the girl answers questioningly.
"Right, which is exactly what Melanie is, just like you and me. Except that she has something more. An ability to swim with the dophins and explore the ocean. She didn't ask for it, and she can't change it, and that's why you should join our petition, sign it and we could free her," Rikki finishes.
"I have one better," says a man in the crowd.
"One better?" Rikki asks.
"Let's bring the protest there. We can picket the front of the exhibit. Stop people from going in," he yells.
"Yes," the crowd yells.
Suddenly, the crowd is heading towards the marine park. I think this might be a problem.
"Rikki?" I ask.
"I'll call Zane and tell him what happened. We have to follow the crowd," she says.
"then let's go."
At the café
Zane's POV
Almost everyone in the café had signed the petition, but by now only a few people were left. Bella, Nate and Lewis were pacing up. When I got a call.
"How's it go?" I ask seeing as it's Rikki.
"Uh alright, I think a lit bigger fire then I can handle. Emma and I are going to the marine park, following a crowd that want to physically protest outside of the Melanie's tank," she answers.
"What? I'll be there soon," I say.
"I can handle it…"
"It doesn't matter, I coming."
At the Marine park
Melanie's POV
I was laying on my rock, pretending to be asleep, when suddenly I hear yelling. I open my eyes to see a lot more people then I'm used to seeing, and they look angry. Is it because I'm not entertaining?
I can't understand with all of the yelling that is going on, then one of the people who is holding a sign turns around, and I'm shocked.
It's my suitement at the college, and he sign says, "Free the mermaid."
Then the person she was arguing with turns around too, but their sign says, "Mermaids are creatures, not human."
The sign hurts me more than being locked up. It hurts even more when I realize that she was one of my friends. How could I be friends with her now?
I move closer because I want to hear what's going on.
"She deserves to be free, and most of the people here feel that way. You've her friend, how could you do this to her?"
"I'm Melanie's friend, not that creature's."
"She's been lying to us."
"and obviously for a good reason."
I decide that I've heard enough, so I move on to everyone else fighting. I can see the other girls that are mermaids are here defending me, even Bella. They aren't clumped together thoug, and arguing with separate people. I can also see Nate and Nathan helping. I'm so happy that he has finally come around to my side of things. To really love me enough to fight for me.
Suddenly, the door to my tank's open area opens.
"Mermaid, we have to more you," the women says.
Yeah, like I'm going to respond to that.
She apperntly expects me to listen and come over to her, when I don't , I can see her get angry. I just smile at her.
Suddenly, I'm surprised to see her wave someone in. it's two guys and Sophie.
"Please Melanie, just come here. It'll make things easier. I don't want them to hurt you," Sophie says to me.
I look into her eyes, and see that she's being sincere. She truly doesn't want them to hurt me. I swim towards the land, hopefully this won't come back to haunt me.
Rikki's POV
When Zane made it to the marine park, he wasn't alone. Bella, Nate, Nathan, and Lizzie came with. Lizzie came to get Maria, and then go back to get James. Ash is still working, apparently at Cleo's insistence, Lewis doesn't know what's going on, Lizzie also took Catherine so that Cleo didn't have to worry about her, and Will is taking care of Ashley.
So, all of us came to the marine park to see what my little speech caused. When we got here, we could see the crowd was split in two. people for the mermaid being free, and the other side people who agree with the marine park. Immedately, we all split up, and start defending our side.
I got into a heated argument with some man about how he couldn't stand the thought of being with a mermaid, and how he coudltn stand the thought of being with a mermaid, and how if you had to hide it, obviously you shouldn't be here. I retailiated by saying that there are many different kinds of people in this country, why not look at it as a different type of person and by okay with it.
He was about to answer when we could hear something through a bullhorn, but we couldn't indentify the words coming out and then suddenly the crowd is getting soaked. By the time I realized it, it was too late. I became a mermaid.
A/N sorry that it's late, but I hope you enjoyed. Let me what you like and what you don't like.
Chinaluv: thank you for the reviews. And thank you for understanding, and who knows maybe they can get out of it.
Swimngym: thanks for the review, and maybe the plan did work. Also I've never really considered OC's, but I guess I could consider it. What did you have in mind?
Zikki 3: thanks for the review, and I'm glad this chapter made you smile, hopefully this one made you happy.
Guest: I'm glad that you like the boys POVs, thanks for the review.
H2oRikki: I'm glad that it was interesting enough even though it was long, and I'm glad you like the suspence. Thank for the review.