Cleo gulps nervously as she stands up and slowly makes her way forwards, trying to just focus on putting one foot in front of the other. Never having been one for public speaking, this is completely outside of her comfort zone, but at least Cleo has her notes to look down at, taking away some of the pressure to look out at the audience.
Once she has made her way to the stand, the mermaid takes a quick breath and then begins talking. Her speech revolves around her best memories of Lewis and how much he has always cared for Cleo and loved her through everything. She finishes her speech off by mentioning that Lewis will always be in her heart and that she will love him endlessly. As soon as she gets the last words out, Cleo breaks down into uncontrollable sobbing just as Lewis' mother had done previously. The whole world feels like it is falling apart right in front of Cleo's eyes. Don Sertori quickly gets up from his seat and embraces Cleo in a warm and comforting hug but is unable to think of anything remotely helpful to say to his daughter. Words can't fix grief.
Once the father and daughter pull out of the hug, they make their way back to their seats, where Cleo gives Kelly McCartney a tight hug as well. Of course, this whole funeral situation for Cleo is much worse than everyone else, considering she is pretty much the only one that still truly believes that Lewis is still alive. Denman probably has him locked up in some sort of fish tank somewhere. The brunette wishes that she could tell Lewis' mother this fact, but there's no way the woman would ever believe Cleo, especially if Cleo did decide to try and tell her the whole truth. Kelly would probably never want to see Cleo again. Even if Kelly did accept the truth, Cleo assumes that Kelly would be even more heartbroken for her son.
Emma is the one to speak next, reminiscing over how Lewis was such a good friend and how she could always count on him. Well, most of the time anyway. That part of her speech got a couple of chuckles out of people, including Cleo, easing the tension in the room a bit. She also makes sure to reiterate that Lewis had the purest heart out of anyone that Emma has ever known.
A couple more people go up to speak about Lewis, but as time goes on, Rikki starts to become more and more unsettled. She suddenly feels as though she can't sit still and that the air in the room is slightly too stuffy for her liking. Rikki focuses on her breathing and tries to clear her mind, refusing to lose her cool now. This day is supposed to be about Lewis, not her. Rikki just needs to get through the rest of the funeral service, which probably will conclude soon anyway. She feels something nudge her side and the mermaid glances over to see Zane gazing at her worriedly.
"Are you okay?" Zane asks quietly with a frown.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Rikki replies, possibly a little too quickly for Zane's liking.
"Rikki, it's understandable that this is difficult for you. Lewis was one of your closest friends. It's okay to grieve-"
"I said I'm fine, Zane! Just drop it!" Rikki hisses in annoyance, interrupting Zane suddenly.
"Okay, okay. Sorry I asked," Zane sighs and looks away, focusing back on Ash, who is currently up the front talking about Lewis. Rikki gazes back towards Ash as well, but isn't listening to the words he's saying, considering that her heartbeat is too loud in her ears while her mind is in a whirl of confusion.
Rikki suddenly snaps back into focus though when Ash finishes his speech and begins to make his way back to his seat next to Emma. Rikki is pretty sure that Ash is the last speaker, meaning that the funeral is going to be over fairly soon. For some reason, this causes a sudden stab of panic to enter Rikki's mind.
Without even taking a moment to think about it, Rikki stands up and shimmies her way down to the end of the row of chairs, despite her father's and boyfriend's protests. Additionally, the rest of the people in the row grumble and scowl at Rikki in annoyance, but doesn't pay them any attention. Not particularly intimidated by the fact that all eyes are now on her, Rikki marches her way towards the front of the room and stands in front of the microphone, staring out at the audience. From how hard her heart is beating inside of her chest, the fiery blonde mermaid is surprised that the microphone isn't picking up on it.
"I, uh…I wasn't planning on speaking here today, but I sort of changed my mind. I hope that's okay," Rikki begins, only being met with silence and confused stares. She knows that they are puzzled by her outfit choice.
"Before you guys ask, yes, I am very aware that a bright red dress isn't exactly what should be worn to a funeral. But as some of you would know, I have never really been one to follow the rules. And I think if Lewis were here, he would approve of my choice and wouldn't want me to follow the rules either..." Rikki explains while gesturing down at the sleek red cocktail dress that Zane had bought for her a couple of years back. Rikki awkwardly clears her throat before continuing to speak once more.
"Lewis was a lot of things to a lot of people: a friend, a son, a brother, a boyfriend, a student, a scientist, a mentor..." Rikki says, trying to swallow the lump that seems to be growing in her throat. She tries to take a deep breath before attempting to keep going with the speech that she is purely making up on the spot.
"To me, Lewis was more than just a friend. There aren't really words to describe what we were. I guess the closest way to describe it would be that I have always felt like he was my brother? We certainly bickered all the time, as siblings do," Rikki continues with a heavy sigh, unable to look at any of her friends while guilt and shame roll over her in waves.
"I…I never really told him that I cared about him. He might still think that I hate him and blame him for things that weren't even really in his control. I-I have been having a fight with Cleo about this recently, actually. I even blamed Lewis for disappearing, that somehow it was all his fault that all of this has happened to him. I don't know why I ever said that because it's not true, nor is it even slightly fair for me to say. I just don't always know how to deal with certain situations, I guess. Especially if it even slightly involves me being more, uh, vulnerable." Rikki says, finding a spot on the ground to look at instead of gazing around the room and accidentally locking eyes with her friends or any of Lewis' family to see the sadness written on their faces.
"I know that it's a really bad trait to have, and I'm sorry. Lewis didn't deserve the things that I said to him, or recently the things that I have said about him…" Rikki sighs, the lump in her throat seeming to grow larger to the point it is painful. She pauses for a couple of moments, trying to gain enough courage to look back out towards the crowd again. 'Come on, Rikki. You're better than this,' Rikki internally scolds herself and shakes her head quickly to try and rid herself of the nerves and guilt, finally glancing back up towards the audience once more. The confused and heartbroken look on Kelly's face makes Rikki feel as if a red hot iron dagger has pierced through her rapidly beating heart.
"I wish that I could take it all back. I wish that I took the time to tell Lewis what he meant to me. I wish that I got to spend more time with him," Rikki says honestly, glancing over between Zane and the rest of her friends. She thought getting all of these things off her chest in front of people was going to help calm her down or clear her conscience, but it doesn't seem to be working. If anything, Rikki feels even more stressed out, the chapel becoming even stuffier and hotter as her chest tightens.
"I can't help but feel this is all my fault, you know? Lewis is gone, because of me. I should have been a better friend. But, like everything, I screwed it up. Lewis probably hates me," Rikki sniffles, barely keeping herself together at this point. She furiously wipes away the tears that are beginning to rapidly roll down her face.
"I'm sorry… I can't do this. Speaking up here today was a mistake. I thought it would help me, but it hasn't. I just feel worse. Mrs McCartney, I am so sorry for your loss, and I'm sorry that I let both him and you down. I-I have to go," Rikki trails off, her voice shaking as her eyes fill with even more tears that blur her vision and a slightly salty taste being left on her lips by the continuous tears. Deciding that she needs to get out of this chapel and away from everyone as fast as possible, Rikki runs down as fast as her legs can carry her down towards the exit of the chapel without waiting for anyone to protest or try to stop her.
"Rikki! Wait!" Zane shouts out desperately, standing up as she runs past the row that he and Terry (Rikki's Dad) were sitting in, trying to reach the end of the row and chase after his girlfriend, but he's too late: Rikki has already run outside.
The usually strong, feisty girl that thought she had mastered her ability to hide her most raw and vulnerable emotions from everyone, is currently sitting at the very back of the moon pool cavern with her knees pulled up close to her chest, chin resting on her knees. Rikki stares down at the moon pool a few meters in front of her, still struggling to fight back her tears and sobs. Getting out of the chapel had helped extinguish the inferno roaring inside of Rikki, but it didn't manage to completely put out the fire, with small flames still flickering around violently.
Rikki feels so ashamed of herself for being so weak and running away from the funeral like that, but she knows that she had to leave. She felt like she couldn't breathe in there, like the world was trying to crush her as you would crush an empty soft drink can.
As usual, Rikki's escape spot is none other than the moon pool on Mako Island. Being inside the volcano is peaceful in ways that she doesn't think that she can ever explain to anyone else. There's always a silent hum of electrifying energy within the volcano, as if the place is alive. That idea should freak Rikki out, but honestly, it's kind of comforting. Of course, she knows that someone will find her in here eventually, but she hopes at that point that she will be feeling a lot better.
Rikki's mind wanders back to Lewis, and she still isn't sure whether or not to believe that he's still alive. Sure, Cleo did tell the group about what happened with that detective the other day, but it was just a tiny piece of rope. That could mean anything. Rikki doesn't want to jump to any sort of conclusions like Cleo has appeared to. Rikki hates nothing more than false hope. Sadly, the mermaid sighs as she stares out towards the crystal clear water of the moon pool. Life doesn't want to give Rikki or any of her friends a break, does it? Perhaps everything would have been better off if Rikki hadn't taken Zane's spark plug that day. She never would have met Cleo, Emma, Ash or Lewis, and none of them would have tails. Sure, Rikki's life would have been a hell of a lot more boring and lonely that way, but at least Lewis would have been safe, and none of them would have to watch over their shoulders for the rest of their lives.
Would Zane and her have worked out at least in this better alternative reality? Rikki doesn't know the answer to that one, but again, at least everyone would be safe. Cleo, Emma, Lewis and presumably Ash would have all still been happy. They all would have become friends at some point anyway. Not Rikki, though. She suspects the fact that she even has friends in the first place is because of her, Emma and Cleo becoming mermaids and having to work together to keep the secret. If not for that, Rikki doubts that they could have become friends with either Emma or Cleo. Emma and Rikki could not be more polar opposite, and Cleo wasn't someone that Rikki would have wanted to hang around much back then either. Though she tries to ignore it, for the most part, Rikki accepts that she is the outside puzzle piece that doesn't quite fit in. Maybe she's ultimately meant to end up alone. She definitely will be if she keeps arguing with Cleo about Lewis, at any rate.
However, Rikki still doesn't believe that Cleo is right. Lewis would not want any of the mermaids to reveal their secret to the world in an attempt to find Lewis. If they did that, they would probably end up in a similar situation to the science geek, if Cleo's suspicions about Doctor Denman are correct. Besides, the police finding out the existence of merpeople isn't just going to magically make them closer to finding Lewis anyway. Unfortunately, Rikki doesn't think she will be able to convince Cleo of these things. At least she hasn't revealed their secret to the police yet, though. That's something, at least.
Suddenly, the water of the moon pool that was once still, begins to ripple. This quickly grabs Rikki's attention, her eyebrows furrowing into a frown. In the next second, Rikki sees a pair of hands followed by the rest of a mermaid's body appear as they enter the moon pool from the underwater entrance. Judging by the hair colour, Rikki can immediately tell that it's Cleo, which does surprise Rikki a little. The two haven't been on the best of speaking terms lately, so if anyone were to come and find Rikki, she would have assumed it would be either Emma or Zane.
Rikki watches as Cleo's head pops up above the water's surface and takes in a deep fresh breath of air, her eyes quickly landing on Rikki.
"I thought I'd find you here," Cleo says as she swims over towards the edge of the moon pool closest to Rikki.
"Yeah, well, guess I'm predictable then." Rikki sighs, looking down at the sandy floor of the cave, hoping that Cleo will just leave her alone. Unfortunately, Rikki can never just be that lucky. She rolls her eyes as she watches as Cleo starts pulling herself out of the moon pool.
"Are you okay? Everyone was really worried about you when you ran off like that..." Cleo asks worriedly once she has managed to drag herself out of the water and is lying down on the sand.
"I'm fine. Just leave me alone," Rikki huffs, turning her gaze away from Cleo and staring off towards the side of the rocky volcanic cavern instead.
Cleo sighs, knowing that her friend certainly isn't fine. The brunette raises her hand out in front of her and concentrates, picturing all of the water droplets covering her body rising into the air into one large ball of water. It takes a couple of seconds to adjust her focus and move her hand ever so slightly and delicately before the water molecules begin to rise, forming a large ball of water in the air about a meter above Cleo's head. Once all of the water has been pulled off her body, Cleo transforms back to human, her scaly tail replaced by her legs once more. She thrusts her still raised hand forward, watching as the floating ball of water moves through the air and splashes down into the moon pool. The dark-haired girl then shuffles over towards Rikki, eyebrows furrowing together.
"Yeah, for some reason, I just don't believe you," Cleo replies teasingly, hoping to at least somewhat lighten the mood. Rikki doesn't respond, continuing to staring off into the distance.
"Did you mean what you said back there at the funeral?" Cleo asks, obviously uncomfortable with the awkward silence that had fallen between the two friends.
"Of course I meant what I said! I do actually care about Lewis, you know. I'm not a heartless robot." Rikki snaps harshly, finally turning her gaze back onto Cleo, her expression hard and cold, causing the brunette to hesitate a little.
"I didn't say that you were a robot, Rikki. But, sometimes it is hard to read you. I think you have become too good at putting up walls to stop people from seeing you vulnerable," Cleo points out in a gentle tone.
"What of it, exactly? Why does it matter? It doesn't change anything. Lewis is still missing or dead, and I can't take back the things I've said to him… or you." Rikki retaliates, her eyes narrowing as she continues to glare at the mermaid sitting opposite her.
"Well. Um," Cleo pauses for a couple of painfully long seconds as she tries to figure out what to say, "I guess what I was trying to get at is that I'm sad that you couldn't tell Emma or me about how you felt about this whole mermaid thing. It's not your fault; I can't stress that enough. I hope that you'll believe that yourself one day soon as well."
"Maybe," Rikki shrugs, glancing down at her feet, biting her lip to try and keep her emotions in check. There's no need for another emotional outburst in front of anyone else today. Another long pause falls over the two mermaids, each of them feeling rather awkward and tense.
"Lewis knows that you care about him, I'm sure. Yeah, maybe sometimes you've been a bit harsh, but haven't we all sometimes regret what we say to each other? You were right in your speech; Lewis and you are like siblings in a lot of ways. And bonus, you two actually get along way better than I do with my biological sister." Cleo eventually replies, attempting a small smile that she hopes doesn't look too forced and offers at least a bit of comfort and support.
"I guess…" The blonde mermaid sighs, still not looking up, her tone suggesting that she isn't buying into Cleo's attempt of comfort.
"Thank you for saying something today. I know that it probably didn't go the way that you planned, but it still meant a lot to everyone there, including me. I understand how hard it is for you to allow yourself to be vulnerable around other people, especially those who you aren't close to. I think what you did took a lot of guts, and I reckon Lewis would be proud of you." The brunette tries again, more quietly this time.
Cleo glances out towards the moon pool, just barely blinking back the tears that are rapidly filling her eyes. It has been a very tough day for her; it's hard to see that so many people have given up on Lewis and have begun to accept the fact that he's dead. If Cleo can't figure out something very soon, her boyfriend more than likely will die. At the very least, even if his body and heart don't give up, Cleo is sure that his mind and soul will. That may be an even worse fate than physically dying and it makes the already anxious mermaid feel extremely queasy.
Rikki's voice suddenly snaps Cleo out of her wandering thoughts, "I'm sorry if I gave you guys the impression that I don't give a shit about what happens to Lewis, because I do. And if Denman does have him? That woman better pray that she doesn't run into me because I would more than happily boil her alive. I don't even care if that led to jail time for me, though the police wouldn't have any evidence against me anyway. No one hurts me or my friends and gets away with it."
"But let me guess. Giving the police any sort of clues that could help find Lewis isn't worth the risk, is it?" Cleo sighs, glancing back over to her friend, feeling defeated.
"No, I don't think it is worth that risk. Lewis wouldn't want you to get hurt no matter what, I know that for certain at least." Rikki replies, her expression sincere and apologetic.
"As much as I hate to admit this, I know that you're right, Rikki. I'm sorry for overreacting the other week. You weren't the only one that was saying awful things and putting accusations into people's mouths. The police can't find out about us. It's not fair of me to potentially risk yours and Emma's lives." Cleo says, staring at her friend seriously.
"Wow. I'm impressed," Rikki grins, causing Cleo to chuckle a little.
"I'm really sorry about slapping you the other week as well. That was so out of line, and so not me. I don't know what came over me…" Cleo adds, still horrified by how she had reacted to the argument with Rikki several weeks ago and how it had put a massive strain on their friendship up until now.
"Grief, anger, feeling overwhelmed and at a loss for what to do. Am I right?" Rikki suggests, catching Cleo by surprise.
"Yeah, I guess so," Cleo nods, quickly sniffling and wiping her eyes again.
"It's okay, I understand why you were upset with me. Though the slap wasn't quite necessary, in my opinion." Rikki says with the smallest hint of a smile. The flustered look that appears on Cleo's face makes the blonde mermaid smile a little bit more.
"Well, at least you can say that you were right and that I was being reckless when giving information to the police back then. That makes it a little bit worth it though, yeah?" Cleo asks, frowning guiltily.
"I guess so. But the most important information to take away from all of this is that you need to work on your slaps, because yikes. It was almost pitiful," Rikki chuckles lightly, which Cleo joins in with after sniffling one more time.
"Shut up," Cleo says quietly while gazing at Rikki with appreciation, glad that they both have finally decided to be on proper speaking terms again and put the disagreements behind them.
"So, you really think Denman has Lewis, huh?" Rikki asks, the smirk fading away from her face.
"Yeah, I do. Lewis wouldn't just run away like this, nor do I think he's the type to accidentally put himself in mortal danger. There was definitely foul play, and Denman was last seen on the Gold Coast only about a week before Lewis disappeared, so the timelines probably work well. Plus, the police found a piece of netting on the island, and I'm fairly certain it wasn't for fishing. Well, not the usual type of fishing, anyway." Cleo sighs sadly, heart aching at the thought of Lewis being trapped with Denman.
"I really want to believe that he's still alive, but even if Denman did catch him, there's still a fairly likely chance that Lewis isn't…" Rikki begins to say, but trails off, unable to finish her sentence, her throat suddenly feeling like there is a golf ball stuck in it.
"No. Don't say that. Lewis isn't dead, okay? I just know it! But I wish that we had a way to find him..." Cleo states firmly, gritting her teeth in determination while her hands clench into fists.
"I hope you're right. I know that he's a geek and all, but I do miss him. I miss our bickering, proving that he is wrong about things. Seeing the defeated expression on his face is priceless. I also miss beating him in races to Mako, but most of all, I just really miss the guy that was like a brother to me. Lewis has always been here for us, even though his attempts at helping haven't always been successful. I hate that we can't be there for him right now when he needs us most." Rikki admits with a sigh, once again being more raw and honest than she likes to be. She squeezes her eyes tightly shut, trying her hardest to not let the tears fall. The fiery mermaid's breathing becomes shaky and broken as she tries to contain her sobs; her whole body slightly shaking as a huge wave of guilt and sadness forms inside of her, smashing into the mermaid's heart just as the ocean waves would crash against rocks and cliff faces.
"Yeah... I get that," Cleo mumbles before shuffling closer to Rikki, pulling the curly-haired blonde into a tight hug. At first, Rikki doesn't hug Cleo back in return, but after a couple of seconds, she starts to relax, wrapping her arms around Cleo gratefully, the two girls leaning on each other's shoulders while both of their hearts continue to feel shattered.