A Wish on a Full Moon
I do not own H2O: Just Add Water or any of the characters.
Chapter 29: The Siren Effect (part 2)
[In the kitchen, Emma is roughly wiping Cleo's hands dry while Cleo sits on the counter. When she gets done, she tosses the rag to the side.]
Cleo: "Ow!"
"No need to be rough about it, Emma," Cleo chuckled. "It was my first full moon that I wasn't moon-spelled. I was a little stressed out about the outcome," Emma sighed.
Rikki: "Cleo, listen. You touched water. And the full moon is doing something to you."
Cleo: nods, and smiles proudly, thinking of only her voice. "I can sing."
"Is that all you were focused on?" Kim asked. "Moon-spelled," Cleo reminded.
Emma: "Cleo, wake up. You're a bad singer."
"Well that's one way to put it bluntly," Zane snorted.
Cleo: shakes her head, looking at Emma. "You're just jealous. But that's okay. I still like you. You're my friends." Rikki gives Emma a weird look. "And if you want, you can pick out my next song."
"Well at least she's optimistic about it," Sam shrugged.
Emma: to Rikki. "Let's get Lewis." Cleo hops off the counter and follows Emma and Rikki to wherever Lewis is.
"How is he gonna help? He practically got hypnotized by the singing. Him and Byron both," Bella asked. "We didn't know what else to do. And besides, as he said earlier, he's the only one who knows the secret that can't get affected by the full moon," Emma reasoned. "Yeah, not really many options left when you put it that way," Rikki smirked as Lewis faked a gasp, feeling a little offended.
[In the living room, Don fixes the pillows up while Bev and Kim sit on the table, talking about Cleo's surprising new talent. Lewis and Byron stand in front of the staircase, looking bored.]
Bev: "No one in our family has ever been a singer."
Don: waves his hands outwards as he sits down. "Well, I sing now and then." After hearing their silence, he leans back and crosses his legs. "Yeah, ok, point taken." Bev nods as she starts cleaning up the popcorn on the table.
"Really, dad?" Cleo said, raising her eyebrows skeptically. "I do. On the boat. It's just, not as good," Don sheepishly admitted.
[Emma and Rikki try to take Cleo upstairs, with Emma in the lead as she holds onto Cleo's hand. Byron and Don hear them and turn to see them going upstairs.]
Rikki: talks quietly to Lewis as she pauses on the stairs. "Lewis, we need you, now." Cleo smiles giddily at him as Emma continues taking her upstairs. Rikki follows them up.
Lewis: "Cool. Cleo's so cool. I'm there." Starts climbing the stairs.
Byron: "Hey, hey, I wanna see Cleo too."
Cleo blushed, feeling a little awkward at how the two boys seem to be smitten over her. Of course, it's all due to the full moon and she doesn't remember a single thing of it. But to see it rather than hear her friends talking about it was on a completely different level. Plus, she wasn't going to say it out loud, but it was a little sweet to hear Lewis compliment her. Even if he were in a trance.
Lewis, on the other hand, was blushing as well, from embarrassment. The difference was that between his and Cleo's situation, was that he remembered it. He groaned, thinking he acted like such a fool. Zane chuckled next to him. "I'm there with you, dude. Think the café the next morning will be the worst for us."
Don: gets up from his seat and walks over to them. "Wait, no boys. I'll see what this is all about." He starts climbing the stairs and points down at the bottom of the staircase, passing Lewis, who seemed a little disappointed. "You two wait there." He heads to the second floor as Lewis climbs back down and waits at the bottom next to Byron.
"Dad, Lewis goes to my room all the time," Cleo told him. "Yes, but the way those two were acting, it wasn't going to happen. Not a chance," Don said, shaking his head as he frowned. Cleo sighed, shaking her head. I'm not going to like his reaction for this night, am I?
[Don walks out of Cleo's bedroom and into the hallway, with Cleo following behind him.]
Cleo: "Don't you like my singing, dad?"
Don: they stop by the bathroom door to finish their conversation as he starts pointing at her. "It's nice, Cleo. But I'm more concerned about you."
"And I meant it," Don nodded. "About the singing or being concerned about me?" "Both."
Don: points down the stairs as he stutters on how to discuss this with her, while she starts bouncing in excitement. "There are two boys down there who seem a bit, well, smitten."
Cleo: "They like me?" Rikki and Emma peek into the hallway from Cleo's doorway, listening in to their conversation. They glance at each other and then look back at the father-daughter duo.
"So you all like to listen to conversations. You did it with Emma, now with Cleo," Denman accused, crossing her arms. Being reminded of how the two overheard her conversation with Lewis on her last day at the Gold Coast. "We weren't listening in intentionally. We were just trying to keep an eye on Cleo," Rikki explained. "Yeah. Never take your eyes off a moonstruck mermaid," Emma sighed. "I think we've learned that after your first full moon," Max chuckled as he looked at the blonde.
Don: "Well, that's what it looks like. Now, why don't you go down there and tell them to go home. Right now."
"I wish it could've worked that way. Instead of that living nightmare that we went through," Rikki sighed. "I think it was more of a dream for Cleo," Emma muttered to her, causing Rikki to snicker. "What are you talking about?" Cleo asked suspiciously. "We've told you already. The whole boy thing?" Emma said, raising an eyebrow at her. "Boy thing?" Charlotte frowned. "You'll see. Anyways, Cleo, it's a whole lot more complicated than we explained," Emma smirked as she faced Cleo again. "Oh boy," Cleo sighed, not meaning to pun.
[Kim comes upstairs and sees the two in the hallway.]
Kim: "Dad, mom wants to see you."
Don: "I'm busy here."
Kim: "She said now, dad." Don looks at Cleo and sighs, who smiles in return as they both head towards the staircase and follow their youngest family member downstairs.
"In trouble with the misses, Don?" Harrison chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Not that day, he wasn't," Bev muttered to herself. "No, just some pests decided to show up," Don scowled, ignoring Bev. He still didn't like the idea of all those boys gawking over his little girl.
[Downstairs, Bev is surrounded by a group of boys: Lewis, Byron, and a few others that were never seen before. They all stare at the stairs, waiting for Cleo to come down, while Bev looks at all of them.]
Boy #1: smiles brightly. "I was just out for a walk. And I heard this fantastic voice."
"Out for a walk. This late at night?" Annette asked skeptically. "Well, Byron was surfing. So it was a little believable," Bev shrugged.
"Who are those people?" Will asked. "Beats me," Cleo shrugged. "So random guys just started showing up at your house then in the middle of the night?" Ash asked amused. "Apparently," Cleo winced, feeling a little bad for making her family and friends feel uncomfortable during the whole shenanigan. "If he thinks that is bad, wait till he finds out about the morning," Rikki muttered to Emma, who nodded in agreement.
Boy #3: "Yeah, who was that girl singing before? She was incredible."
Boy #2: "Yeah she –."
All the Guys: "Oh, yes."
"That is very –," Bella was going to say before Will cut her off. "Freaky?" "Definitely."
"I just want to know how they knew where we lived," Bev said, shaking her head. "Guess they followed the sound of her voice. The magic of it must've led them the rest of the way," Max assumed.
[At that moment Don and the rest of the girls come down the stairs, stopping halfway down while Kim goes to the bottom. Don looks at the group of boys in surprise, then jabs his thumb towards the door. Cleo and the other two mermaids peak over his shoulder.]
Don: "Out, now."
[Lewis and the rest of the guy's pout, not wanting to leave. They all groan in annoyance and head for the door as Bev lightly pushes them towards it.]
Cleo stared at the screen in complete shock. She knew that she had boys going head over heels for her, but she never knew they reacted so, enamored for her. In a way it was kind of nice, to see some people at least enjoy her one-time talent, but at the same time, it was a little too much. She never realized how big of an effect the moon really did on her. Not just her voice, but the people, or more like the guys, around her as well.
Emma: they climb down the stairs as she speaks to Rikki. "Reckon we'll get any ideas out of Lewis?" Lewis continued to stare up at Cleo, who was still on the stairs, all lovey-dovey.
Rikki: "Forget it. He's a pod person now, just like the others."
"I wasn't that bad," Lewis scoffed, the blush rising to his face again as he saw how his on-screen self was reacting to just seeing Cleo. "Lewis, you guys were basically just like Cleo. Moonstruck, but not in the literal sense," Rikki shot back. "It was like taking care of two moon-spelled people," Emma mumbled.
Cleo: smiles at Lewis, mouth wide open as she looks at the other two girls. "I'm popular. Isn't this great?" Lewis nods ecstatically, his goofy smile never leaving his face.
"And once again, that's all you were focused on," Kim sighed, a small smile on her face. A little happy to see that her sister's first full moon wasn't as bad as Emma's. Now, what does that mean about Rikki's? "Yeah, that popularity went downhill real quick," Cleo said, a little bummed out. Remembering that next morning after the full moon was over, and after the girls explained about everything that happened, the radio announcement of her failed singing attempt and the humiliation it caused around school. It's safe to say, that she will never sing in public ever again.
Charlotte couldn't help but laugh silently to herself. She didn't like the way Lewis was looking at her that night so far. But that big goofy smile, that's what she liked seeing the most. It was so, him. It was great to see it again.
[Later that night, Cleo continues singing in the bathroom while combing her hair, looking in the mirror while doing so. In her bedroom, Lewis sits on the bed wearing some headphones, listening to loud music to prevent him from hearing Cleo's song. He adjusts the earphones to keep any outside noise from leaking through. Rikki and Emma walk in and peek inside the bathroom to see Cleo still there, singing to herself. They walk over to the bed and sit down on it, trying to get Lewis's attention.]
Rikki: "Lewis, can you hear me?" Lewis jumps, just now seeing her. "What happened to Cleo?"
"You think that's a good idea? For him to be in the same room with her?" Bella asked. "We thought it was at the time. Besides, it was the only place we could go without her family interfering so much," Rikki replied. We never should have left them alone.
"Uh hello. We live in the same house. And, we were there the entire time, hearing and seeing everything going on," Kim explained. "We might have not known the secret, but we did notice it was really odd. Did you think we wouldn't walk in at any second?" "We knew you could, but we kept the mermaid talk to a minimum. We tried not to talk about it that much with knowing you guys were so close. Especially after the little diary incident," Rikki reminded, shooting Kim a look, who was now laughing awkwardly at the reminder.
"What's with the headphones?" Annette asked. "To keep him from hearing Cleo's singing and getting affected again," Emma told her.
Lewis: loud, unable to hear her. "What? I'm sorry. I can't hear you. But I think I know what's happened with Cleo." In the background, Cleo continues to sing in the bathroom as Lewis points over to her.
"If you couldn't hear them, then why not just take the headphones off?" Elliot asked, tilting his head. "Because if I did, I would've gotten hypnotized by Cleo's singing," Lewis said.
Lewis: "She's a siren, just like the mermaids in mythology." The girls turn their heads to look at Cleo still singing in the bathroom. "Their singing lured sailors to their deaths. I'm hoping this isn't quite that bad." He peaks over their shoulders at Cleo.
"How did you figure it out so quick?" Denman asked, a little impressed. "It seemed obvious after the whole voice change and luring random guys to her house. I'm only glad it didn't lead to our deaths," Lewis chuckled.
Rikki: "Ah."
Emma: leans forward. "So what do we do, keep her locked up?"
Lewis: "What? No, that'll never work. It's best if we keep her locked up."
They laugh at Lewis's failed attempt of trying to understand them. "That's exactly what she said," Elliot laughed. "I couldn't hear her," Lewis defended himself.
"What did you think she said?" Ash asked. "I thought she said if they should let her sing," Lewis chuckled.
"Like how you guys did with Emma last time? Because that worked out so well," Kim smirked, remembering how that lead to her escaping some and caused some 'trouble.' At least Cleo stayed in her room. Or in the house in general. "In a way, yes. But we stayed in the room with her that time," Rikki shrugged. "Too bad it didn't work the way we wanted it to," Emma muttered. That whole night was a total failure.
Rikki: to Emma. "Forget it. He's out of action. We need to figure this out for ourselves."
"Yeah, and you know how that worked out," Emma told her. "We didn't have a choice. And besides, it was our second full moon. We weren't experts, yet," Rikki shot back, confusing the others on what they were talking about. They refused to comment on it, however, figuring that it ought to show them what they meant.
Cleo: walks out of the bathroom. They turn to her as they heard the singing stop. "You don't have to do anything. This is the best thing that's ever happened to me. People like me, adore me. Aren't I adorable?" She places her hands on her hips and smiles, twisting around to go back into the bathroom.
Cleo shifted around uncomfortably. This was so not her. Nowhere near to how she normally acts. It was like a complete twist on her personality. And it made her feel weird for people to see her like this. Especially her family. She acted so much like Miriam that it made her want to throw up.
Emma: turns back around. "I'll get back to you on that one."
"Were you talking to me or Rikki?" Cleo asked curiously. "Both. You being moon-spelled is never adorable," Emma grinned, causing Cleo to fake a gasp as she laughed it off. Cleo felt somewhat okay to laugh it off some. At least she wasn't flouncing around dragging a tail everywhere, like someone she knew.
Kim: walks into the bedroom, talking to Cleo's friends. "Dad says it's getting late. And he wants you guys to pack up all those microphones and stuff."
Rikki: nods towards the door. "We're busy, kid. Scram."
"And once again, you have no good communication skills with kids," Emma chuckled, being reminded of everything that happened between Rikki and Elliot. "Elliot was a lot easier to deal with than her. I'm used to him now," Rikki shrugged. "And what about me now?" Kim smiled, fluttering her eyes open in a playful matter. Rikki hesitated as she tilted her head, thinking of how to respond. "Hmm, I guess you're getting there. Not on the same level though." "Well, better than nothing I guess," Kim sighed, laughing a little.
"A little too honest there, darling," Terry chuckled to himself. She was never one to talk gently with kids.
Kim: smirked wickedly as she walked out the door. "He's not going to like that."
Rikki: back to Emma. "What are we gonna do?"
"You could do what he said," Sam stated as if it were obvious.
Emma: "Let's just get it done, quick." Rikki and Emma get up from the bed. Lewis looks at them, completely clueless as to what was going on.
"I'm surprised you got her to listen," Terry said in surprise. "How do you do it?" he asked her jokingly. "Lots and lots of practice," Emma grinned. Rikki scowled playfully in response.
Emma: the two walk over to the bathroom door, where Cleo comes over to them, still combing her hair. Emma leans forward and speaks slowly and clearly to her. "Stay here. Do not move." Cleo smiles at them as the two walk out of the bedroom to go deal with the mess they left downstairs. Lewis watches them leave, still oblivious as to what was happening.
"Well, at least she listened to that first rule. The second, not so much," Rikki winced, as she realized what was about to happen. Though to be honest, she was kind of excited to see Don sling Lewis out of her room again. "What did she do?" Charlotte asked as she overheard Rikki's comment. "She moved," Emma replied. Cleo's eyes widen, thoughts filling her mind. What do they mean? Is this when it's about to happen? The kiss? Oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh. Out of all the full moons we have to watch, why this one?!
[Cleo returns to her siren singing. Lewis sees her walk out of the bathroom, staring at her. He turns to avoid her gaze as she sits down on the bed, still singing her melodic tune.]
Lewis: looks back at her. "What? I-I can't hear you, Cleo." He takes off his headphones and immediately falls into the trance of her beautiful singing.
"You. Freaking. Idiot," Rikki said, slapping her forehead. "Really, Lewis? We told you not to take the headphones off no matter what," Emma said, shaking her head in disappointment. "And here I thought it was Cleo who took them off. Not you."
"Yeah, I know I messed up. But in my defence, I didn't know she was singing. I couldn't hear her, remember?" Lewis said, pointing to his ears. His cheeks started turning red, a little worried as to how her family will react to seeing the kiss. Especially her dad, again. He really didn't feel like getting slung out of the room again. Could he do that here? Don't want to find that out!
[Lewis leaned forward, hypnotized by her magnificent voice, as he slowly crawled over to her. Cleo quits singing and leaned forward as well, connecting their lips together with a kiss.]
The room fills with oohs and awes. Well mostly everyone. Don remained quiet, fuming over having to see this. You're lucky I've already dealt with this once, Lewis. Or else you'd be dead meat for touching my little girl!
Bev gave Cleo a genuine smile, glad that she got to kiss the one guy she has been crushing over for ages. Of course she knew. Cleo told her everything. Well, almost everything, excluding the secret. Ever since she left, she hasn't heard much out of her at all. Her and Kim both.
"Finally!" Kim yelled; Don quickly covers her mouth to keep her from saying more.
Cleo and Lewis were bright red now, not daring to look at one another. Cleo awkwardly covered her mouth with her hand, trying to hide a smile. Too bad she didn't count that as her first kiss with Lewis, since she was moon-spelled, thus having no control over what she did, and since she couldn't remember it. It was always the one at the moon pool that she counted as her first, after the class party at the Juicenet, which quickly became the best night of her life.
Charlotte felt like her heart was breaking into a million pieces; she stared at the screen, her jaw dropped down slightly, trying her best not to look hurt. Tears tried to break free, but she wouldn't let them, refusing to show any kind of negative emotion. She knew Lewis liked her but having to see it being played on a screen in front of them was especially hard to watch. She was once reminded again that maybe, those two were definitely meant to be. But does the kiss really count if she was under the influence of the full moon?
Annette laid her hand on Charlotte's shoulder, letting her daughter know she was there for her if she needed anything. Charlotte always talked about that boy. She knew she had a crush on him. But, if the boy was in love with someone else, what could she do? She couldn't force him to be with her daughter. All she could do was comfort her, in any way she can.
"Knew there was something going on the moment we heard the singing stop," Rikki muttered to herself, grinning from ear to ear.
[At that moment, during the kiss, Emma and Rikki step into the doorway, shocked by what they were seeing.]
Emma: "Lewis, what are you doing?!" Don comes up behind them and sees the two in the act. Outraged by this, he pushes through the two girls and barges into the room. "Hey, you! Out, now!" Lewis breaks from the kiss and sees the angry father heading for him. He crawls to the end of the bed, but before he could get off, Don slings him off, and Lewis yelps in fright. Emma and Rikki step back, careful to not be in the way as they watch Don literally drag him out and push him out the bedroom door.
"You sure knew how to make him angry that night," Zane laughed as he watched Lewis get dragged out of the room.
"Ouch. That looked like it hurt," Ash winced, feeling a little bad for him. "It's alright. Only bruised a few ribs," Lewis said, unconsciously rubbing his side.
Don smiled, although he didn't like the kiss, he enjoyed seeing himself snatch Lewis out of the room. And no, he will not be apologizing for it. That's what he gets for messing with my little girl.
Bev sighed, shaking her head at her ex-husband. No need to be so rough, Don.
Cleo: turns to her dad then starts brushing her hair again. "You can't protect me forever!" Don points at her warningly as he takes Lewis downstairs.
"I can still try!" Don told her. "Something tells me that overprotectiveness has now doubled since he now knows our secret," Cleo mumbled to the others, lowering herself in her seat. "You're not the only one," Emma sighed as she looked over at her dad, who seemed ready to defend her at any second.
Rikki: she and Emma walk into the room. Emma sits on the bed as Rikki closes the door. "No, but we can. And we will, all night if we have to." Cleo smiled, glancing at her two friends as Rikki leaned against the door, preventing anyone else from barging in.
"And we did. Or so we thought," Emma said, as she turned towards Cleo, who was grinning a little. They told her what happened that night. For somehow outsmarting them while they were asleep. Even though she was moon-spelled, she was a little proud of herself. Even if it did cause a lot of trouble later on for them.
[A few minutes later, Cleo was in her pajamas. She pouted as the girls made her get in her own bed. They tucked her in, making sure she wouldn't get out. Crossing her arms, Cleo twisted around in the bed, trying to get comfortable. The two blondes laid down in their sleeping bags, getting ready for some well-deserved rest. Emma looked at Cleo as she saw her twisting and turning. Rikki put some earphones in one ear and turned on her music from her mp3 player. She laid down, getting comfy on the ground and in her covers before looking back up at Cleo in her bed to make sure she was alright, then lied back down.]
"Good plan. It would be hard for her to sneak out of there with you guys surrounding her bed," Ash nodded. "Yes. It would be hard, but as she showed us, not impossible," Emma sighed. "You mean she got out? But how?" he asked quizzically. "Guess we're about to find out. Cause we have no clue," Emma said, shaking her head.
"What's with the earphones?" Lewis asked, mocking Rikki. "I like to listen to music while I sleep. And I'd prefer not to hear hers," Rikki answered, pointing towards Cleo who scoffed and shoved her finger away. "Hey, me too! You know, listen to music while sleeping, not the whole siren singing in sleep," Bella answered quickly, correcting herself. "Yes, because we already know what your taste in music is, Rikki," Emma chuckled.
[During the night, Cleo opens her eyes and sees that her two friends were sound asleep. Quickly, yet quietly, she throws the covers off herself and climbs out of bed. She tiptoes to the door, opens it, and walks out, smiling as she closed the door quietly behind her.]
"You are very clever when you're moon-spelled," Rikki pouted, hating being outsmarted. "And that's saying something since she's so clumsy. She would usually get caught," Kim teased her as Cleo gave her a look before turning back to the screen. Just what was she up to?
"We should put something on her door like a bell to make noise next time. That ought to wake us up," Rikki whispered to Emma. "Let's not let there be a next time," Emma whispered back.
[Downstairs in the kitchen, Cleo grabs the house phone and starts dialing a number. While doing so, she leans back, looking to make sure no one was awake and sees her. She holds the phone up to her ear and waits for someone to pick up, where she hears a voice on the other end.]
Radio Host: "Fresh FM, you're on the air. Everybody's listening."
"You called a radio channel?!" Several people in the audience yelled, including her family. "Apparently so," Cleo said in absolute shock. Her voice was quieter than usual as she tried to process what she just saw her past self done. I can't believe I did that! Oh no, how many people were listening?!
"Ah, so that's how it happened," Rikki nodded in understanding. "I was wondering how your voice was on the radio the next day." "More like the whole week. I was the talk of the month. And not in a good way," Cleo sighed, feeling extremely embarrassed for what she got herself into.
Cleo: "I've got something I wanna share with the whole world."
Radio Host: "Well go right ahead and share." Cleo starts singing as it gets broadcast all throughout the town.
"Well, think of it this way, Cleo. They might have heard your real voice later, but at least it wasn't to the whole world. Just for probably the entirety of Australia," Rikki winced, trying to make her feel better. "You're no help," Cleo said, hanging her head low.
"Hang on? You said her real voice?" Will asked, confused. "Yeah. The next day, when the moon was gone. Her real voice was broadcasted onto the radio," Emma said, feeling bad for Cleo. That was almost as bad as her first full moon. You know what, it was worse. Hers was only a problem with her family and close friends. Cleo's, however, was for the entirety of the whole country. That beats a terrible party any day. Will winced in response, along with everyone else. Her real voice to be heard on the radio? That's gotta feel awful, and really embarrassing.
"You know, if I ever do that again, just knock me aside of the head. I'll shut up then," Cleo sighed, shaking her head. "Oh, can I do it?" Rikki asked, eagerly raising her hand. Cleo slapped it down and scoffed, laughing along with her.
[The next morning at the Sertori house, the two non-moon-spelled girls believe they have made it through the night without any casualties. As they wake up, they head downstairs to the kitchen to get them something to eat for breakfast. Rikki takes the lead in to the kitchen as she talks to them about surviving the night.]
Rikki: "I never thought we'd make it till morning without something else happening."
"Well, ya didn't," Ash chuckled. "Yes, we know. It was a total failure," Rikki said, rolling her eyes.
Emma: they turn to Cleo with a smile. "Yeah, thanks Cleo, for not doing anything crazy."
Cleo: "Sure, no problem."
"I take back everything I said," Emma joked, turning to Cleo who had a grin forming on her face.
[Rikki rummages through the cabinets for some food for them while Emma opens the fridge. Cleo hops onto the counter as the radio turns on from above the fridge, the girls listening to it.]
Radio Host: "And now, some late-breaking news. Fresh FM has discovered a new star. And you're not going to believe this voice. Her name is Cleo Sertori. Remember it."
Emma: stares at the radio as she closed the fridge, holding a jug of orange juice, then turns to glare at Cleo, Rikki doing the same. "You didn't."
Rikki: takes out a box of cereal. "She did." The radio begins to play Cleo's siren tune as Cleo gives them a sheepish, yet giddy smile.
They chuckle at their reactions, even the girls join along. "Honestly, what did you guys expect? For her to actually listen to you? Emma didn't during her full moon," Sam pointed out. "To be fair, it was only our second full moon. We didn't know the whole ins and outs of the whole thing," Rikki said, tilting her head. "We've gotten more experienced since then with the other full moons," Cleo shrugged.
Bella slightly nods, understanding in a way. It took her a while before she could overcome the moon. And even before then, it took a while to figure out how to avoid and learn from her mistakes. She knew what it was like after all. They were lucky though. To be able to do it as a team, instead of all alone.
[Emma reaches up and turns the radio off, cutting out Cleo's song. Rikki slams the box down next to Cleo while still glaring at her as Emma comes up.]
Emma: "How could you?"
"I'm in no control, Em. Remember?" Cleo reminded her. "Yeah, sorry. It was my first full moon not being moonstruck. I didn't know how to deal with it," Emma winced. "None of us did. And this is coming from someone with outside knowledge," Lewis mentioned.
Cleo: "I'm good. Why not let me share it?"
"Because it affects all the boys in the neighborhood, and it can risk our secret?" Rikki asked sarcastically. "But your secret is already out," Zane replied, tilting his head in confusion. "I'm talking to the screen," Rikki said in a duh tone.
Rikki: "It's the full moon, Cleo. Don't you get it? It's not you."
"You were getting real agitated then, weren't you?" Terry chuckled. "Oh, you have no idea. I felt like I was talking to a child. Again," Rikki said, rubbing her forehead.
Cleo: "Yes, it is. That's the thing. This is the real me, the one that's been hidden. Why shouldn't I let it out?"
Rikki: shakes her head. "Does the word 'deluded' mean anything to you?"
"It's clear that you can't talk to her normally. To avoid headaches, I would just agree with her until the full moon passes and she's back to normal," Harrison suggested. "I wish we could. And we did for a bit. Until she gets some idiotic ideas that we couldn't agree with," Rikki sighed. "What ideas?" Charlotte finally spoke up, trying to let go of the kiss scene they just watched. "She wanted to do a concert," Emma groaned, rolling her eyes. "Oh," Annette winced.
Cleo: "Why can't you just be happy for me? You'd think as my best friends, you'd be a little more supportive. I'm a star. You can be my entourage." She puts her hands on their shoulders and looks them both in the eyes. "I won't forget you."
"We would be if we knew it was the real you," Rikki said to the screen. "I know you guys are always supportive. And I'll never forget that," Cleo said, giving them both a hug. "Ah, now she remembers us," Emma teased. "I never forgot. Even if I were moon-spelled and acting like a delirious singer," Cleo laughed.
[Someone knocks on the door, and they all look at it as Emma looks at the other two.]
Emma: "I'll get it. It might be Lewis." She walks out of the kitchen and over to the door.
"I'm surprised you decided to show back up after that little stunt you two pulled that night," Max chuckled. "Oh, I uh, didn't go alone," Lewis replied, awkwardly rubbing his neck. "He brought backup," Don scowled.
[As soon as she opens it, however, she is stunned by the number of boys that were in the Sertori's front yard. The boys groan in response as they see that it wasn't Cleo who had walked out the door.]
Emma: eyes widen. "Oh no."
Byron: him, Lewis, Nate, and Zane are at the front of the group of awestruck boys. "Is Cleo home?"
"Oh. My. Gosh," Ash said, completely dumbfounded by the number of guys that were at her house. Everyone in the room, who wasn't there that day, jaws were dropped at the surprise on the Sertori's front doorstep.
"That radio station really is something," Annette said in amusement. "Why would they listen to it that late at night? Or heck, even that early in the morning?" Elliot asked. "Not everyone sleeps in late, Elliot," Emma said, giving her brother a look as he sticks his tongue out at her.
She enchanted that many?! Denman thought in shock. Just how powerful can the moon really be?
[They all stare at her as she remains quiet and heads back inside with her mouth wide open, still in shock. The boys start complaining as she closes the door once back inside. Cleo and Rikki walk into the living room to see her by the door.]
Cleo: gets closer as Rikki follows behind. "Is it Lewis?"
Emma: winces, staring at the door. "Sort of."
"It sure is. And it seems like he brought some company!" Rikki quipped, earning an elbow from Cleo. Though she reluctantly chuckled as well, finding it funny from both the remark and the question she asked on the screen.
Don: walks down the stairs, and heads for the door. "What's going on? What's all the noise?"
Emma: "No, don't open that."
"I really should have listened," Don muttered. "Yes, you should have," Bev laughed.
Don: stops and turns to her. "Why?" She stays quiet again, unsure of what to say as they look back between each other and Cleo. Don gets angry, realizing that Lewis might have returned. "Is that boy Lewis back?"
"Yeah, and he brought back up," Kim chuckled, making Don smile a little. "I don't think me and the rest of them could go up against your dad, Kim," Lewis shook his head. "No one can beat an angry dad," Bella said, reminded of her own father.
[Cleo only smiles at him as he scowls and opens the door, finding all the boys on his front porch. They take a step back as Don walks out. They cheer up though as Cleo leans over his shoulder, beaming at all her 'fans' that came to see her.]
"Well that's a sight to wake up to, isn't it Don?" Neil chuckled along with Don. "I wasn't sure what was worst. That or, last night," he shuttered, making Cleo and Lewis blush.
Cleo: steps out a little further for everyone to see. "Hello, everyone." She begins to sing once more, and they all stare at her in amazement. As she finishes, they applaud for her, cheering her on and she takes it all in. "Yay!" She yells as she raises her arms up in victory and they increase their cheering. Don, getting angry, grabs her and pulls her inside, closing the door; leaving the boys to whine in disappointment.
"Don't give them what they want. It only makes things worse," Annette shook her head. "Again. No control. Can't help it," Cleo reminded, getting a little annoyed by her on-screen actions.
Don: him, Emma, and Cleo face her in the living room. He crosses his arms as all three narrow their eyes at her. "Explain, young lady."
Cleo: sits in the chair, looking up at them and shrugging. "They're my fans."
[Outside, the rally of boys begins chanting her name, getting louder each time. She sways her head side to side, listening to them call for her. Bev and Kim rush downstairs, hearing all the ruckus.]
"That does not help the situation at all," Lisa said. "No, it just made things even more annoying. The singing was already getting on my nerves that night. Then we had to deal with that," Kim said, gesturing to the screen.
Bev: "Who are all those boys outside?" Don waves around, unsure of what to do.
Kim: smiles, teasing her sister. "They're Cleo's boyfriends."
"That was not the time to be joking around, Kim," Cleo scoffed, trying to hide the blush on her cheeks. "You brought them there. Why couldn't I tease you for it?" Kim said innocently, smirking as she saw Cleo's blush. One of them eventually did anyways. Just hope you treat her right, Lewis.
Don: outraged. "That's it. I'm calling the police."
Emma: "No, wait."
Rikki: "Why don't we negotiate?"
"I say call them. They are trespassing on private property after all," Harrison shrugged. "That and they can't arrest them anyways. Too many and they're underage to go to jail," Neil said. "I can't believe I'm saying this but they're right. It would've made things a whole lot easier to deal with," Rikki told Emma, who nodded in agreement.
[Rikki pushes past Emma and heads for the door. Don holds the phone up, pausing his actions as he and Bev look at each other before watching what Rikki does. Kim looks out the window, wondering what she was up to. The boys gasp as they see the door open, but groan in disappointment again as they see that it was Rikki and not Cleo who came out on the front porch. She closes the door and addresses the large crowd.]
Rikki: "Alright, three of you can come inside, that's all." All the boys immediately start raising their hands and asking for her to pick them. She frowns as she sees how many want to come inside so badly. "You choose." They all look around, then Lewis, Zane, and Byron shove themselves ahead and into the house.
"Why not just pick them yourself?" Will asked. "Part of the negotiation system. We allow three, they pick the three," Rikki answered. That, and I didn't feel like doing it.
"Why were you there?" Harrison asked his son. "I think I was at the café that morning with Nate. Wilfred had the radio on when the song came on," Zane said, thinking about it for a moment. "Ah, so that's how so many showed up that quick," Rikki realized. "It was like a herd of animals, running for their life," Lewis said, remembering how he almost got trampled from it.
[Inside, the three boys sit on the living room couch, smiling their ears off while Bev and Kim sit in the chair next to them. Don stands in front of the guys, waiting to hear what they have to say. Emma and Rikki sit in the recliner behind him; Rikki on the armrest.]
Zane: "Cleo, has a gift."
"I believe had is the word," Zane corrected himself. Cleo frowned at him.
Zane: Don nods slowly. "What she needs is a manager. I can do that."
Lewis: sitting next to him. "The world needs to hear her sing."
Byron: "Please."
"You guys wanted her to do concerts? Like, go on tours?" Charlotte asked skeptically as they all turn to the two boys that were in the room with them. Zane and Lewis glance at each other and sigh, a bit embarrassed at how they reacted. Zane holds up a finger and speaks for the two of them. "I just want to remind everyone that we all were under the influence of her singing. We do remember, but we couldn't control ourselves." "And plus, even if we did, her singing would've only been temporary just until the moon's power completely faded. Her voice would've gone back to normal eventually and everything would've gone back to normal. Mostly. The concert idea would have never worked," Lewis chimed in.
Don: walks forward and sits on the table, jabbing a thumb towards the front door, getting angrier by the second. "Absolutely not. I want all your little friends, off my grass, right now. That lawn's only just been laid."
For once we finally agree on something, Bev sighed. "Yes, the lawn is what you need to worry about, not the hundreds of teenage boys in your yard," Rikki sarcastically said.
[Cleo comes down the stairs and pauses, leaning against the railing as she looks at her dad. The guys smile giddily as they notice her.]
Cleo: "Dad, there's only one thing to do. I could put on a concert, at the Juicenet café for everybody. They'd love it." Rikki and Emma look away, seemingly annoyed.
"Of course you four would have the same idea," Lisa said, shaking her head.
"Why aren't you two doing anything to stop it?" Sam asked, looking at the two blonde mermaids. "Nothing much we could do with the family and a whole crowd of guys there," Rikki shrugged. "That, and we only had about an hour left at that point till the moon completely disappeared. We were just killing time and trying to stall till she went back to normal," Emma explained.
Zane: all three boys have goofy expressions on their faces as they stare at her. "Fantastic idea."
Don: glaring at the boys. "I don't think so."
Byron: "Think about it Mr. Sertori. You can't keep Cleo all to yourself." He looks back at Cleo and sighs dreamily. "She belongs to the world."
"Ooh, bad choice of words to say to a parent," Ash winced.
"She belongs to the family, not to some fanboys," Don hissed, getting a little angry at the scene playing out again. "Dad," Cleo sighed, feeling a little embarrassed.
Don: "No, she doesn't. She is my daughter."
Cleo smiled. This night might have been very embarrassing for her, for the way she acted, and the guys acted around her. And even if her dad was being overprotective just a little too much, she couldn't help the smile forming on her face. Glad that he was only trying to keep his daughter safe. Glad that he saw her as his daughter still during her odd moments that night.
Lewis: "Oh, she used to be your daughter. Now, she's so much more than that." Rikki and Emma frown at them, surprised by the way they were acting.
Don: stands up and backs away, twirling his finger around the side of his head in a crazy motion. "You three are off your collective rockers."
"I couldn't have agreed more," Harrison said, the other men nodding in agreement. "Yeah, unfortunately, I agree there too," Lewis admitted shamefully, Zane reluctantly agreeing with him.
Cleo: from the stairs, ignoring her dad. "So the concerts on?"
Zane: "Yes, leave it to me."
Don: points at the door while looking at his daughter. "Cleo, you are not going out there." Looks at the guys and waves to the door. "You three, conference over. Outside!" They look at him as they slowly get up from the couch and make their way towards the door. Taking their time as they admired Cleo who was still on the stairs. Rikki, Emma, and Bev watch them go to the staircase and get close to Cleo, staring at her with fascination.
"I probably would have been ripped apart if I went out there," Cleo said, shaking her head in regret.
Don: picks up the house phone and dials 911. "Yeah, police? My house is surrounded by teenage boys. Yes, I will hold." Don goes over to the boys and pushes them to the door, forcing them out as he slams it shut. Emma and Rikki look over to the window, not noticing Cleo leave out the back door.
"That is probably the weirdest emergency call they have received that day," Elliot laughed. "Probably that whole week," Lewis said. "Month," Will added.
"Cleo, where did you go?" Denman asked, noticing that she was no longer on the stairs, causing the others to notice as well. "Where do you think?" Cleo scoffed. "The café," Max realized. "Bingo," Lewis answered.
[Kim gets up and goes over the window next to Emma and Rikki and peaks out the curtains, before turning to her parents.]
Kim: "Mom, dad, they're leaving."
"Gee, I wonder why," Rikki sarcastically said, rolling her eyes playfully as she looked over at Cleo. Cleo groans in frustration and leans further back in her chair.
Bev: looks over at the window, Don standing next to her, still on the phone. Emma gets up and goes over to the window, Rikki leans forward on the armrest. "She's right. They're going." They look out and see all the boys marching off back into the street.
Emma: looks back at the staircase and frowns. "Where's Cleo?" They look at the staircase and noticed she was gone. Then the boys outside take off into a run, presumably following her to the café.
"It's about time one of you noticed," Cleo added playfully, a tint of redness forming on her cheeks as she knows where this was going. This was one detail of the story that the two did not leave out for her: the failed concert.
"You have got to stop sneaking off," Emma sighed. "Hey, you did the same thing during yours. You were always escaping somehow," Cleo said, defending herself. "She's not wrong. And you know it," Rikki told her before Emma could reply back.
[A few moments later at the café, before the full moon descends below the horizon, the rest of the Sertori family plus Rikki and Emma make their way through the crowded building, trying to find a way inside and look for Cleo.]
Don: takes the lead on trying to get them through. "Uh, excuse me, guys. Uh, sorry, coming through. Excuse me." He takes Kim's hand and glances her way as he pushes through the crowded café. "Stick with me, kid. Excuse me."
Kim smiles, happy to hear the nickname her dad always called her. Yeah, she was a kid and it's not really much of a nickname. But that's always what her dad had called her. And she enjoyed it. Missed it. It's been a while since she heard it. Before her mom left. And she just had to up and leave, ruining everything, and tore her family apart. Kim shook her head from those negative thoughts, trying to keep positive about Cleo's first full moon almost being over.
Rikki: turns around to Emma as they follow behind the Sertori family. "This could get ugly."
"What are you two doing there? Isn't the full moon still out? What if you two get affected?" Lisa said worriedly, trying to calm her heartbeat. "Don't worry mom, we didn't. And we needed to make sure she wouldn't blow our secret or get too into the whole singing thing," Emma told her. "The moon would've been at its weakest point at that time. There would've been no chance for them to be affected by it. And in a few minutes, it should wear out on Cleo as well," Mrs. Chatham pointed out, calming Mrs. Gilbert's fears. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm glad she knows that part, Don thought, a bit conflicted on what to do. To think.
Don: "Coming through." They continue to push through as the crowd begins clapping and chanting Cleo's name.
Emma: looks around, talking to Rikki. "How much more of the moon do we have?"
Rikki: looks at her watch and looks at Emma worriedly. "Mm, not much." The crowd began chanting and clapping even louder as they push further and faster into the café. Meanwhile, the full moon is almost over, reaching its lowest points near Mako Island.
"I was right, as always," Mrs. Chatham smiled, whispering to Max. "No need to brag about it," he chuckled.
Crowd: "Cleo! Cleo! Cleo!" In the center of the café, Cleo is surrounded by a large group of guys as they continue chanting and applauding her even more. Finally, she spins in a circle and swings her arms up in the air in celebration.
Cleo: "Yay!" She twirls around as they applaud even more and hoot and holler for her. She makes her way over to the small stage in the corner, where they had the karaoke contest the day before, and steps up to the microphone and takes it in her hand.
The audience braces themselves for what they are about to see. If it is true that the moon's powers will fade from her at any moment, causing her to lose her voice and return to normal; then as Rikki said, this could get very ugly indeed.
Cleo whined and leaned back further into her seat, not wanting to see the disaster of a show happen to herself. Not wanting to see everything get ruined right before her eyes. She didn't remember it, considering she was still under the moon's influence, or what was left of it, till she got home when it was completely gone. And she still didn't want to remember it.
[The crowd quiets down as she takes a deep breath and begins to sing, and all the boys stare at her dumbfounded, listening to her wondrous tune. In the crowd, Don continues trying to squeeze his family through the tightly crowded café.]
Don: "Let me through. I'm her father."
Boy #4: "Hey, watch out."
"I don't think they care, dad," Cleo sighed.
[Beside Rikki and Emma, as they continue making their way through, Miriam pops up, wondering what the large crowd is about.]
Miriam: "What's going on?"
"Oh great, the karaoke brat has returned. Just what we need, a wannabe loser to disrupt everything," Kim scoffed. Bella snorted, knowing she deserved that in a way. She's going to stick by her word. Karaoke is and always will be for fun. No matter what.
Boy #4: standing next to her, answering her question, staring at the stage in fascination. "It's Cleo. She's here, and singing."
Miriam: staring at the boy in slight shock. "Cleo, singing?"
"That's what he just said. Catch up, sherlock," Kim huffed. She hated the girl with a passion, especially after what she's seen her doing to Cleo in these showings. "I think that's enough, Kim," Bev told her quietly. "Whatever," she mumbled, not noticing the touch of hurt on Bev's face as she said that.
Boy #4: "It's beautiful." He moves further into the crowded room, passing through the beaded curtains and through the people as Cleo's singing grows stronger. Miriam tries looking over the people, standing on her tiptoes to see the so-called singer, but to no avail, as people push her back as they try to get through.
[The moon goes further down, reaching the edge of Mako and the tip of the ocean as time passes by. Don finally makes it through with his family and watches Cleo on the stage, singing, as he makes his way to the edge of the café and gets closer to her to try and stop her. Unfortunately for her though, the moon finally reaches its breaking point as it sinks below the horizon, its connection to Cleo breaking as it loses its grip on her, and the power begins to slip away; causing Cleo's beautiful melody to return to her normal, awful voice. Her voice cracks into the mic, startling the boys back into their normal state. She continues to try to sing, but the crowd backs away, disturbed by the truth.]
"Ah, so you're finally back to normal," Ash said, hiding a wince as her real singing hurt his ears for a moment. "Yup," Cleo said quickly, hating how the crowd reacted to her real tune. It wasn't that bad, was it? The rest of them sigh in relief, glad that the effects were finally over. Glad that the second full moon was officially over.
Zane: frowns, stepping back. "What is that? What's that?"
"That is my real voice, Zane," Cleo scowled, not having heard that comment before, since she couldn't remember. "Sorry, Cleo," Zane apologized, wincing at the way he sounded.
Cleo: abruptly stops singing as she sees the crowd dispersing, leaving the café and giving her disgusted glances. Talks into the mic, her eyes widening in desperation. "Wait, don't go." She begins singing awfully into the mic in a last-second attempt. "Don't. See." Rikki, Emma, and Lewis watch from the counter as she quits singing and stepped away from the mic, begging for them to stop. "Please, don't go." She eventually gives up and looks at her friends, waving her hands up in defeat.
"Wait, I thought the full moon was gone. You're singing has stopped, so why are you still acting like that?" Ash asked in confusion. "Left-over magic from the full moon. It might've been gone, but it still took some time for her to go back to her normal self," Lewis explained. "Just like how Emma lost a lot of energy her full moon night from its power weakening, the same happened to Cleo with her singing. They were still moon spelled, just it has weakened the effects on them." "And no, I don't remember this part either," Cleo sighed as she saw the boy open his mouth again before closing it.
Emma: sighs, feeling a little relieved. "It's over."
Lewis: frowns, deeply sadden by the loss of her beautiful voice. "Sure is." The three slowly exit the café as they give Cleo one last glance before going through the beaded curtains.
"Well thanks, Lewis," Cleo playfully pouted. She was a little upset by the overall night and the failed concert, but she felt more relieved that it was finally over, and no one has ever talked about it in town ever again. After a whole month. She just hoped no one would talk about it anymore after the wish is over.
"Sorry, Cleo. But it did sound great. Even though it did make us go crazy," Lewis sheepishly admitted. "It's alright," Cleo smiled, trying to hide a blush.
[Cleo slowly but surely climbs down from the stage. She walks to the middle of the café, a sad and regretful look written all over her face.]
Cleo: "I thought they loved me."
"Still a part of the moon spell. It's not over yet," Cleo reminded as they all gave her a sympathetic look.
I did, Lewis thought, looking at the screen sadly.
Don: appears behind her, giving her a small smile as she turns to him. "I still love you, chooks. And I always will." He wraps her up in a hug and she returns it with a huge grin. The other two Sertori members join into the group hug as Wilfred sweeps up the mess the crowd left behind in the background. "Come on." He wraps an arm around her shoulder and the four of them walk out of the café and head home.
"Aww," the girls in the audience say, smiling over how sweet of a family gesture that was. Of how sweet of a father-daughter moment that was.
Cleo gets up and gives him a big hug, and he returns it. "Thanks, dad." "You're welcome, sweetheart." She goes to sit back down, not noticing the look Bev had on her face, beginning to feel left out of the circle.
"Looks like Wilfred had to clean it up all by himself," Harrison noticed. "Sounds like he needs some assistance," Ash said. "Actually, last we heard was that he was looking for some help with management," Emma added in. "That's great! He needs it. Hey, maybe you'll get the job, Em," Cleo told her, giving her an encouraging smile. "I hope so."
[Back at the Sertori house, after the whole full moon event was completely over. Emma and Rikki sit Cleo down at the dining table and explain to her everything that happened as the radio played in the background.]
Cleo: "This whole full moon thing is so creepy. I wasn't that embarrassing, was I?"
"Now I'm back to normal," Cleo smiled, glad that it was completely over with. "It's good to have you back, Cleo," Don teased.
"Eh, maybe a little," Rikki said, shaking her hand as if it were debatable. "I think it topped mine," Emma chuckled, as Cleo groaned once again. "Great."
Emma: looks at Rikki then back at her, trying to bite back a laugh. "No of course not."
Rikki: "Don't worry. Before you know it, everyone will have forgotten." Cleo chuckles quietly when suddenly the radio stops playing music and returns to the regular channel.
"Wish it would've been sooner. Took like a whole month," Cleo complained. "Well, you did perform to like half the population on the Gold Coast. It would've taken a while anyway," Lewis said.
Radio Host: "And back by popular request, the amazing voice of Cleo Sertori." This grabs the girl's attention as they look up at the radio as it starts blasting Cleo's song, instead of it being her powerful tune, it was her singing terribly. Cleo looks at it in shock as she gets up and rushes toward the radio. Emma silently laughs behind her as Rikki whistles quietly in surprise. The radio interrupts the recording and cuts it off. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Sorry folks. What was I thinking?"
"Now that's just awful!" Annette gasped. "The singing or the radio doing that?" Charlotte questioned but looked furious as well. That was simply wrong of someone to do that to her. "You know what I meant!"
"Who would do such a thing?" Bev stared at the screen in horror. "If I had to guess, Miriam. She was there after all," Zane frowned. "Of course, who else," Emma said, narrowing her eyes as she thought of the mean girl. "I'm glad that the radio quit playing it. Eventually," Cleo sighed. It did hurt what everyone said and picked at her, but she was only glad that that terrible month was done and over with. She refused to live through another full moon like that again. Especially after the last one they had.
Cleo: turns the radio off that was above the fridge and looks at her friends in worry. "I'm never going to live this down." She shakes her head as they look at her and smile, and she laughs it off.
"It was a long, painful month. But now that I think about it, it was pretty funny," Cleo shrugged, even laughing along with a few others who thought about it as well.
[Outside, Lewis walks up to the front door and hesitates a few times as he considers whether he should do this or not. Finally, after a few seconds, he knocks on the door and steps back, sighing as he prepares himself for what he was about to say. Cleo opens the door and smiles as she sees who it is.]
Lewis: "Hi." Cleo steps out and closes the door, facing him. "Cleo, I just wanna say, um, about the kiss last night, I was –." He pauses, trying to figure out what to say.
Don's frown lightens up. Originally, he wasn't too happy about the boy showing up at his house. But now that he knows he was apologizing for his actions, it kinda made him feel a little guilty for kicking him off the property. Only a little though. At least he was taking responsibility for his actions though.
"In a trance? Hypnotized? Fascinated by her singing?" Bella tried to guess. "Wrong. Wrong. And wrong," Lewis answered. Right, right, and right. Gosh, she's good at that.
Cleo: "Lewis, it's ok. Don't be embarrassed. I know it was just because of the full moon, and the siren thing. I'm sorry."
I wasn't embarrassed, Lewis thought, hoping that his cheeks weren't reddening now.
"You shouldn't have to apologize, it wasn't your fault that you got moon-spelled," Lewis said. "I still felt guilty about it though," Cleo added. "Don't be. I already said it wasn't your fault."
Cleo: steps closer, smiling at him. "Can we just forget about it?"
Lewis: pauses, surprised by her little outburst, then changes his mood from shock to happy. "Oh, yeah. Yeah, of course we can. Of course we can."
But I didn't want to, Lewis thought some more. He might have regretted that kiss, since she was under the full moon, but he will never regret the one that night of the prom. He will always cherish that memory.
Cleo: "I mean, we're just friends, right?"
Lewis: a slight look of pain on his face that he tries to hide, which she doesn't notice. "Friends, right, yeah."
Charlotte flinched slightly. She should've been happy that they both agreed to be friends. Happy that they weren't dating. Happy that they chose to forget about the whole incident. But she knew the truth, and the truth was that she could see clear as day that the two liked each other a lot. That they wanted to be together. Her heart broke at the thought. So why should she keep trying to chase after Lewis even if she could see that those two were meant to be? Maybe Lewis just isn't the right one for her, but for Cleo instead. They were best friends since they were younger after all.
Annette patted Charlotte's head and rubbed her shoulder in comfort as she laid her head on her mother's shoulder; a single tear escaped as doubt and conflict ran through her mind.
[The front door opens, and Lewis looks to see Don walk out onto the porch, glaring at him. Don stands beside Cleo and strengthens his glare.]
Don: "Goodbye, Lewis."
"Well seems like the friendly chat has come to an end. I know that look anywhere," Terry chuckled.
Cleo: frowns and whines. "Dad." He pushes her inside as Don heads in after her, not before sending another look Lewis's way, and shuts the door behind him. Lewis watches the door close, then perks his lips up into a small smile as he turns around and leaves in a chippier mood.
"Well, thank goodness that nightmare is over," Cleo spoken as it came to an end. "Agreed," both Don and Lewis say, glancing at each other in surprise.
"Since those two now had their full moons, when will yours be, Rikki?" Elliot asked her. "Hopefully not for a while," Rikki muttered under her breath as she glanced over at Zane.
"So, how about one more before we take a lunch break?" Neil asked. The audience all mumbled and nodded in agreement, except for a select few. "Girls?" The girls look at each other, unsure as to whether they should wait a little longer or not, knowing that this next one will reveal a huge secret to the whole group: Mrs. Chatham's past, and how she truly understands the girls.
As if knowing what the girls were thinking she clears her throat to get their attention. They turn to her, and she gives them a small smile as she holds her hand out. "You're not the only one who has to go through with this. I'll be fine," she whispered to them. After a moment of thinking, they slowly nod, and Emma placed the remote in Mrs. Chatham's hand. "It's quite alright," she whispered to herself, giving herself some motivation. Max gives her a worried look, wondering what this could be about, and she gives him a reassuring smile as she holds the remote up and pressed play.
Everything will be alright.