A Wish on a Full Moon
I do not own H20: Just Add Water or any of the characters.
Happy Halloween everyone! Wow, the year is almost over. Hard to believe, and we came so far already. Well I hope you all enjoy the story. Thank you all so much for the reviews, follows, etc. Stay safe out there, get lots of candy and hope you all have a great one! :)
Chapter 38: Lovesick (Part 1)
[It was a beautiful morning at the marine park as the employees walk down the sidewalk with their bags in hand, heading to their work zone to prepare it for the day to open. Cleo walks amongst them, holding her hand to her mouth as she yawns and lets a small smile form as she continues on.]
"A little tired there, huh Cleo?" Emma teased. "I didn't sleep good that night. But don't worry, I had my coffee," Cleo smiled. "A cup of coffee always does the trick," Don nodded. "Ew, coffee. Yuck," Elliot said with a disgusted look. Lisa and Neil chuckle at his reaction, shaking their heads. Their son never was one to enjoy the taste of it.
[A dolphin swims on the edge of the pools, his fins making ripples in the water as he swims along the small boardwalk which Cleo was walking across.]
"Should you really be walking across that? That's a little too close to the water for my liking," Bev said uncomfortably. "Yeah, Cleo. You're a klutz. You could fall right in," Kim mentioned. Cleo rolled her eyes at her sister's remark but replied to them anyways. "We weren't open yet, so I wasn't too worried about taking risks since there was hardly anyone around at the time. And that was a shortcut to my area, I've taken it a dozen times; I'll be fine … and I'm not that clumsy!"
[Cleo begins fiddling with her necklace, rubbing the jeweled locket, then begins messing with the latch that goes around her neck. However, it accidentally falls off her neck and drops into the water next to the boardwalk, sinking to the sandy bottom. Cleo looks down at the water in shock and bends down to get a better look. She looks around, making sure the coast was clear as she bites her lip and stands up.]
"See? I told you you're a klutz," Kim said smugly, gesturing to the screen. Cleo sighed and shook her head with a grin. The younger people in the room laugh lightly, finding the sisters' interactions a little humorous.
Max flinched, getting a sudden flashback of when Gracie had thrown her locket into the moonpool that one day. It reminded him so much of that moment. Something that he couldn't take back.
"Wait a second, I know that look," Rikki said, turning to her and squinting her eyes. "What are you planning?" "Nothing," Cleo said so sweetly it almost sounded innocent. But Rikki knows better than that.
[Down below, the dolphin swims toward the strange-looking object until a hand grabs the locket out of the sand and pulls it up. Cleo holds on to it as she aims her hands forward like an arrow and swims away. She turns around at the sound of cackling and sees the dolphin spinning around in the water, clearly wanting to play. She smiles and swims towards it, agreeing to have some fun. They swim along together side by side while Cleo holds onto its fin.]
"Of course you were planning to do that," Rikki sighed.
Bev looked at the screen in shock, surprised she would increase the risk of being seen. I really hope she knows what she's doing.
Don chuckled as he shook his head. "Why am I not surprised? You always were very fond of them."
Kim looked at the interaction giddily, bouncing up and down in her seat. This looked amazing, and it still felt unbelievable. A mermaid and a dolphin swimming together? It was every little girls' dream!
Are you not worried about getting caught?" Sam asked in surprise. "I had a clear view of everything. I would've seen someone come up before they could see me," Cleo explained. "Still, that's very risky."
Honestly, what's the point of keeping it a secret if you're going to do stupid things like this, Denman huffed, arms crossed.
[Cleo looks up to see a man walking across the boardwalk. She quickly ducks down and swims up under the boardwalk to the gate and flings herself against it, waiting for him to disappear. While she was waiting, her new friend swims closer to her. She gives it a smile.]
Charlotte looked at them in surprise. Wow, Cleo and that one must have been really close. I guess this is where their friendship started, she always did talk about them so fondly during these viewings. But Charlotte did feel a little confused. That dolphin acted so friendly to Cleo. Every time she tried, it always ended up as a disaster. They would always give her an evil look when she was a kid, especially when she almost got bit by one. It terrified her so much, and they all started laughing at her. That's when her fear began. But now, with seeing the way they were getting along, it almost felt different.
Charlotte shook her head at the thought. No. Clearly, it's because she's a mermaid. She's practically half them, that's why. It could never be friends with a human like me… Could it? Then again, all those dolphins from before didn't mind, no matter if they were in their mermaid or human form. It's like they could tell. Even to the other trainers as well.
[Cleo, now back in her human form, peaks her head out of the food prep room and looks around, making sure the coast was clear. She grabs her necklace, which was now back around her neck, and walks down the deck with gloves on, carrying a small blue ice chest with a smile. She stops at the end of the deck where her sea friend pops his head up and squeals with delight. She giggles and puts her fingers to her lips, trying to get him to be quiet, but the dolphin refuses as he shakes his head and cackles.]
"Aww, that's so adorable!" Sam cooed. Bella smiled, reminding her of the friends she made in her little underwater world. How she missed them.
"Guess you made a new friend," Bev chuckled. "Yup. Me and Ronnie were hardly ever separated from then on. I always made sure I could work nearby, that way I could always visit," Cleo smiled. "Ronnie? Who's Ronnie?" Don asked, his over-protective parent mode beginning to get engaged. "That is Ronnie. He was new around there, and was always causing mischief," Cleo pointed to the dolphin. "Hm, sounds like someone I know," Zane teased, Rikki scoffed and rolled her eyes. "For the record, I have reasons for mine." "Stealing my sparkplug because I was a 'pig' does not count."
Cleo: "Alright, alright." She holds up the ice chest and takes the lid off and holds up a fish. She smiles then tosses it into the water, which the dolphin gladly takes. She smiles at him, not noticing the trainer come up behind her.
"You're going to spoil him," Rikki joked. "Too late," Emma chuckled. "I don't regret it one bit," Cleo said, remembering that that fish saved his life, and a pregnant dolphin's life.
Mitch: comes up the dock and sees Cleo feeding the dolphin and looks surprised. "You fed him."
"Busted," Elliot winced.
"You didn't get in trouble, did you?" Annette asked, slightly concerned. "No, don't worry. He was just shocked, that's all," Cleo told her.
Why does that guy look familiar? Don thought, squinting his eyes. Eh, probably nothing.
Cleo: turns back to him in worry and looks between him and the dolphin. "I'm sorry. I just-."
Mitch: holds his hand out. "No, no. That's good. He's only been here for a few days and he won't let anyone get close to him. What's your secret?"
"You don't want to know," Ash joked, several laughing around the room. "He probably does," Denman muttered.
"But he let you get close," Charlotte mentioned quietly, still feeling nervous as the dolphin swam around; but she couldn't help but find it a teensy bit cute that it was playing around. She had to admit, it's different seeing it on screen than in person. In person would be a whole new level. She wouldn't be able to handle that. She much prefers this method, to take it slow. "That's because we played together, went swimming. I guess he knew I understood," Cleo said.
"Dolphins and many other kinds of creatures always did get along better more with mermaids. Like they knew we were one of them," Mrs. Chatham said fondly.
"Guess you jumped into the right tank," Will laughed.
Cleo: looks at the dolphin and nods, hiding a grin. "Maybe he just likes my personality." The dolphin squeals in slight agreement.
"Yeah, right," Rikki scoffed. "What personality?" Emma joked. "Hey! I have one more than you," Cleo shot back, Emma shook her head, laughing.
"Definitely what he liked, not the having a tail just like him and going swimming part," Bella sarcastically said, smiling.
"Wait a second. Is this what caused the whole wedding fiasco?" Kim asked, pointing at the dolphin. "Wedding fiasco?" several members of the audience mumbled to themselves, very confused about what she meant. Ah, so that's why he looked so familiar, Don thought, he was the one we thought was marrying them. "Part of it. Another part was your snooping," Cleo said, looking at a now sheepish-looking Kim. "Part of it would probably be my fault as well. Sorry, Cleo," Zane said, looking embarrassed. "It's alright. You were caught up in it too. And really, it's not your fault, it was just bad timing," Cleo said, confusing the crowd even more.
[At the Juicenet café, Miriam is 'learning' how to play pool while two guys next to her teach her how. Miriam hits the balls with the pool cue and then jumps up and down in excitement as the boys cheer with her, not noticing her subtle flirting.]
Miriam: "Yay!"
"At least it wasn't me," Zane muttered.
"How did they not realize that she was flirting? That was totally fake!" Kim complained. "All they see is a pretty face, then everything else goes blank from there," Emma sighed.
[Nearby, Rikki and Cleo watch them from their table, sipping their drinks.]
Rikki: shakes her head in disbelief. "Those guys are morons. They hang on her every word."
"Aren't those guys in your class?" Kim asked. "Yes. But I didn't say they were intelligent. They're still morons," Rikki mentioned.
Cleo: they watch the three set the game back up as the boys direct Miriam on which balls to hit. "Still, I wish someone would have the hots for me like that, moron or not."
Rikki: "Don't worry, Cleo. Someday someone will find you attractive and it'll come when you least expect it. A bit like zits." However, they don't notice Zane walking up to their table and hearing their last bit of the conversation.
I do, Lewis thought, a bit sadly as he remembered the breakup. Though he didn't exactly understand why still; similar thoughts just like someone else.
Someone already does, Charlotte sighed as she glanced at Lewis, and just like him, hers was also from heartbreak. She knew he loved Cleo, and there was nothing that could change that. It was pretty clear so far out of these viewings. They were meant to be. But what about her? Is she meant to be left heartbroken like this? Is she just supposed to forget her feelings? What was she going to do?
"Like zits?" Ash said, confused. "That's an odd statement," Terry squinted.
Cleo: "And sweat marks under your armpits." They quickly lookup, finally noticing the visitor at their table, who was trying his best not to laugh.
Cleo and Rikki blush in embarrassment as the room erupts in laughter. "That was the worst timing," Elliot giggled. "You could say that again," Emma laughed, turning to her friends. "You guys never told me about this!" "Why would we ever talk about that?" Rikki complained, rolling her eyes.
"What were you thinking when that happened?" Harrison chuckled as he asked his son. "I was thinking, 'what the heck did I just walk into?' And also a little curious about their hygiene. It was the strangest thing I've ever heard," Zane shook his head, laughing. "Stranger than mermaids?" Max raised an eyebrow. "Ok, second strangest."
Zane: smirking. "Cleo, can I have a word?" Jabs his thumb toward the bar.
"What for?" Lisa asked. "You'll see," Zane sighed.
Rikki: "As if Cleo would waste her breath talking to you."
Zane: "Well, she wastes it on you daily." Rikki had a smug look, silently admitting to herself that she was impressed with his remark.
"Oooh, burn," Elliot laughed, before a hand clamps over his mouth. "Do you want to get 'burned' yourself?" Emma whispered in his ear, letting go of him once he shakes his head.
Lewis snorts, trying his best to hold back his laughter. "If I were you, I would take that same advice," Cleo said.
Rikki bites down on her cheek. "Well played. I'll admit I deserved that."
Cleo: nods. "It's okay, Zane. We can talk." She gets up and they walk over to the bar.
"You didn't think that it was a bit odd?" Emma questioned. "What's so odd about talking?" "With him? Everything."
Zane: they sit down at the counter and face each other. "Can I buy you a wheatgrass shot?"
Cleo: "No thanks." Rikki tries to look around a waiter, trying to keep an eye on them.
"Was you asking her out on a date?" Will asked. "No!" both Cleo and Zane shout. "I was… just, trying to butter her up, so I could get some information," Zane sighed, after seeing the strange looks. "What information?" Denman asked. "Some that I knew she had access to," he answered.
"Nice snooping," Cleo grinned, watching Rikki onscreen.
Zane: "So, how's work?"
"Did you even care?" Emma frowned. "Not particularly," he shrugged.
Cleo: gives him a weird look. "You're starting to freak me out, Zane. What do you want?" shakes her head.
"Why would that freak you out? He's just asking you about your life," Ash told her. "Exactly. Zane doesn't do that," Cleo said.
"That's smart, Cleo, smart," Don nodded. "He's nothing but trouble." Cleo rolled her eyes. Zane looked down, feeling a bit guilty and that Don was right.
Zane: "Nothing." Looks down, hesitating. "Well, the marine park library has research material on every sea creature there is, right?" Rikki continues watching them.
Cleo: "I guess."
"Of course this is what it is about," Neil muttered rubbing his forehead before looking over at Zane. "You were still looking for Emma." "I didn't know it was Emma at the time. But, yeah, I was," Zane shamefully admitted. Lisa and Elliot look at her in worry. When will he quit?
Zane: "So, can you get me access?"
Cleo: "Probably, but why would I want to do that?"
"Wouldn't that risk you losing your job? To hand out information like that?" Bella asked. "No. As long as we know who we're giving it to and what they're doing it for, it's alright," Cleo explained.
Zane: grins. "It really burns me that some sea creatures are becoming extinct before they're even discovered. I'm interested in doing some research that could help save them."
"Please tell me you didn't believe that, please tell me you didn't believe that," Kim wished, her fingers crossed.
"It sounds like you practiced that line," Harrison shook his head.
"That doesn't make any sense! How could you save a sea creature that hasn't even been discovered yet," Denman scoffed, though felt a pain in her chest, at being reminded of the mermaids and the way she treated them. "I didn't even think about that. I should've thought it through before agreeing," Cleo sighed.
Cleo: smiles, looking amazed. "Wow. I'm really surprised, Zane. I'll see what I can do." She gets up and leaves, as Rikki watches her go, confused by their interaction.
"And you believed him," Kim huffed in defeat. "It sounded rather believable back then," Cleo shrugged.
[Cleo enters her home as she walks in the living room where she finds her mother changing the lightbulb in a lamp by the couch. Bev turns to her as she sees Cleo toss her bag onto the recliner.]
Bev: "Hello. How was your day?"
Cleo: "Awful. I had a surprise math test." The house phone begins to ring. "I'll get it."
"Oh gosh, don't remind me," Rikki whined. "Yikes, that does sound awful," Ash shook his head.
"I remember that. It wasn't that bad," Lewis said to her. "Nerd," Rikki muttered. "Maybe for you. You've always been good at algebra," Cleo remarked, not hearing Rikki.
Cleo: grabs it off the end of the bar and answers it, holding it up to her ear, and leans against the wall. "Hello? Oh, hi. I didn't expect you to call me." Bev listens in the background, pausing her task. "No, uh, it's a nice surprise."
"Who are you talking to?" Lisa asked curiously. "Mitch. My boss. Not my boyfriend. Right, Kim?" Cleo said, raising an eyebrow. "Right," Kim rolled her eyes.
"So you were eavesdropping on me?" Cleo asked, narrowing her eyes at the screen. I should've known. So that's where Kim gets it from. It wasn't just her. "Well, the way you sounded, it almost did sound like a boy. And I'm your mother, I should know who you're talking to," Bev responded. "Mother or not, you shouldn't be snooping like that. If she wanted to let you know, she'll tell you. Or you could just ask," Annette said, glancing at Charlotte. They went through the same thing at her old school.
Mitch: on the phone. "Did you find it was worthwhile?"
Cleo: smiles. "Yeah. Yeah, I really enjoyed it."
"What are you two talking about?" Will asked. "We were talking about our conversation from earlier. About me feeding Ronnie. He was asking if I was okay with it."
"You thought we were talking about a date, weren't you?" Cleo assumed, looking over at her mother. "Uh, yeah. Sorry," Bev blushed in embarrassment. "To be fair, it does sound like you were talking about one," Bella shrugged.
Mitch: at the marine park, trying to give Ronnie a fish but he refuses to take it. Mitch stands up and continues to talk to Cleo on the phone and picks up the bucket on the dock. "Look, he still won't let me feed him. Can you help out again tomorrow?"
"If he wasn't eating, why didn't he just ask for you to come right then?" Harrison asked. "Because it was closing time. And I guess he didn't want to ask me to come in on my time off," Cleo explained. "But why wasn't he eating? Was he actually attached to you?" Elliot asked, confused. "Not exactly. But all that will be explained later," Cleo said, smiling sweetly.
Cleo: "Of course. I'd love to. It's a date." Bev's eyes widen at Cleo as she turns the switch on, the light bulb shining brightly on those last words. Cleo hangs up the phone and walks out of the living room. She passes Kim, who was carrying a binder and climbs upstairs to her room.
"Ok, now it definitely sounded like one," Bella chuckled. "Yeah, I can see where it became a misunderstanding," Cleo admitted sheepishly and rubbed her neck, realizing where she screwed up.
The audience chuckled, finding the mix-up a little humorous. Especially with Bev's reaction. Now if only they could've seen Don's. "That conversation was just a coincidence," Cleo told them. "Honey that whole week was a coincidence," Don chuckled.
Bev: watches Cleo go upstairs, then sees Kim coming into the living room. She puts her hand on her shoulder and whispers in her ear. "Cleo's got a boyfriend."
"And here's where all the real trouble began," Rikki smirked. "Ah, so it wasn't just Kim who started this whole mess," Cleo grinned, shaking her head. "Sorry, Cleo. I shouldn't have meddled," Bev said, flinching slightly. "It's okay. I should've worded it better," Cleo sighed. Though she found it a little weird she was accepting an apology from her mom. Too bad it wasn't the one she's been waiting on.
Kim: looks back up at the stairs and her face twist into a disgusted look. "But she's so ugly."
"Hey!" Cleo shouted. "Don't hate me for speaking the truth," Kim teased. Cleo scoffed and shook her head. The crowd laughed at the sisters' bantering. Even their parents couldn't help but smile at that. Sometimes it was a good thing.
[The next day at the marine park, Cleo meets Mitch by the training pools where Ronnie was currently staying. They walk down to the end of the dock as they watch him slowly swim around, a little less perky than he normally was.]
Cleo: crosses her arms. "Why wouldn't he be eating or sleeping?"
Mitch: "I don't know. It's like he's depressed."
"Depressed? From what?" Charlotte asked, a bit surprised. She didn't think they had such emotions like that. Guess they act more human than she thought. "Dolphins don't normally act like that," Denman frowned, a little worried for the sea creature.
"I guess he just needed a friend," Cleo grinned, refusing to give the little love story away. And she was glad that Zane wasn't saying anything about it either; maybe he felt a little embarrassed to be to talk about it, it did involve the two of them after all.
[Suddenly Ronnie pops up from the water in front of them and cackles happily. Cleo smiles as he swims backwards, playing around.]
Cleo: "He doesn't look so depressed to me."
"Yeah, he doesn't look depressed," Elliot commented. "That's because he had a friend who he knew could help," Mrs. Chatham realized, laughing to herself.
Mitch: grins. "Well, not now you're here." He holds up the ice chest that was laying on the dock. "Can you try feeding him for me?"
Huh, sounds like every time I told on Cleo when she was doing something odd, only to find out when mom and dad showed up that nothing was wrong. Curse those full moons and the other incidents. It always ends up backfiring on me, Kim thought with a laugh.
[Cleo gives Ronnie a slanted look before grabbing the ice chest from her boss' hand as Ronnie calls for it. She walks over to the edge and bends down. She digs through her bag and pulls out some tongs. Mitch gives her a weird look.]
Mitch: "Um?"
Cleo: hesitates. "I've got an allergy." Mitch nods slightly, letting it go.
"I bet that was an excuse you've had to use a lot," Ash chuckled along with everyone else. "Do you know how many times I had to 'remind' people of my 'allergy' at work?" Cleo shook her head. "Better than your fear of water excuse," Kim snickered. "Yeah, which I can't use anymore now that I work there," Cleo sighed.
"If we had a nickel for every time we used that excuse, we'd be rich," Emma grinned. "Then you wouldn't have to work anymore." "Or worry about allergies," Rikki added.
[Cleo takes the lid off the ice chest and picks up a fish with the tongs. She tosses the fish out into the water and Ronnie goes chasing after it. Cleo smiles and grabs her bag.]
Cleo: "There you go. Problem solved."
"I sure hope so," Denman sighed. She worked with dolphins a lot before, but she's never seen one act like this before. She only hoped that everything turned out alright with it.
Mitch: "Well, I don't get it, but whatever you did works." He points at the dolphin.
"But all she did was feed a dolphin," Will said confused. "A dolphin that refused to take it from anyone else. He just didn't understand how I was able to get close to him. Which he will never find out," Cleo explained, the others nodding in agreement.
Cleo: gives a small smile. "So does that mean extra shifts for me?" Mitch looks between her and the dolphin and sighs, then they both walk back up the dock.
"Why did you sound so excited about that?" Rikki frowned. "Extra shifts equal extra money, and extra money means more money for shopping, duh," Cleo said as if it were obvious. "Plus, that meant I got to spend more time with Ronnie. And he's so adorable!" "But still, extra shifts, that sounds exhausting," Rikki complained. "Of course you would complain about hard work," Emma sighed, shaking her head. "She's not the only one," Kim muttered.
[Emma and Rikki walk into the Sertori house with their bags to find Kim in the living room doing her homework on the table.]
Emma: to Kim. "Where's Cleo?"
"And here we have a rare sight of a young preteen doing her homework. Take a good look everybody, it'll be a long time before we see her do this again," Don joked, as the other adults barked with laughter. "I do my homework all the time!" Kim blushed. "Yeah, when you feel like it," Cleo laughed along with them, as well as Bev, though a little quieter.
Kim: still focused on her schoolwork, sitting on the couch. "She's not here. She's probably with her boyfriend." Emma walks further into the living room as she and Rikki give her a look.
"Ah, so that's how you guys heard of all this," Cleo said. "Actually, how did you hear of those rumors before I did?" "Because they seem to show up at home more than you do," Kim joked.
"You have no idea how confused we were during this whole boyfriend thing," Emma laughed at the memory.
Rikki: "Cleo doesn't have a boyfriend, squirt."
"Squirt?" Elliot snorted, then hushed once he saw Kim glaring daggers at him.
Kim: looks up at them then goes back to her work. "That's what you think."
Emma: "Kim, it's fine if you don't know where Cleo is, but sensible girls don't make up stories."
"I wasn't making it up," Kim said. "Technically, you were. You just didn't know it," Lewis mentioned. "Hey, blame mom. She's the one that started this whole thing," Kim said, pointing to her mother. Though she doesn't notice the slight smile on Bev's face. She acknowledged me. That's good. It's a start. "Yes, but you were the one who made it worse," Cleo remarked.
Kim: looks back up at them. "She was on the phone with him yesterday."
"No, I was on the phone with my boss," Cleo said. "We know that now," Kim replied.
[The door opens up and they all turn to see Cleo closing the door behind her. She looks at them and smiles.]
Cleo: "Hi. I'll just get changed." She begins walking up the stairs when Rikki asks her a question.
Rikki: "Where were you?"
Cleo: "Work."
Emma: looks at her surprised, Rikki frowns. "Before school?" Cleo continues up the stairs.
"Well at least we know she was telling the truth," Emma muttered to Rikki. "Even though we seen it, it's still hard to believe," Rikki said back. "It was hard to believe since it was so early in the morning," Emma reasoned. "I couldn't wait till after school and let Ronnie starve all day. That would've been so cruel," Cleo pouted.
Kim: still doing her homework, now with a small smirk. "Sensible girls don't make up stories." Emma looks at her then at Rikki, both with a confused look on their face.
"Okay, I deserved that," Emma shrugged. "But you did make up a story, Kim," Lewis reminded her. "I was just passing along information that I heard," Kim sighed. "And added to it," Bev and Don muttered, remembering the whole eloping situation.
[Later on, at school, Cleo and Lewis exit out of their math class with their graded math tests. Cleo brags to Lewis about it as they walk down the stairs.]
Cleo: "B+! Can you believe this?"
Lewis: "It's incredible."
"It really is," Cleo smiled eagerly. "Great job, Cleo. I knew you could do it," Don encouraged. "Pretty good for a surprise math test," Sam said.
Cleo: "B+. That's even better than Emma. Well, almost."
"No need to boast," Emma muttered.
"What did you get on it, Emma?" Lisa asked. "An A." "But you just said that was better than Emma's," Elliot pointed out. "I added 'almost'," Cleo mentioned.
[They make it to the bottom of the stairs. As they were doing so, Kim, with her book bag and books in hand, spots them walking down the path to their next class. Her eyes widen as she quickly takes her phone out of her pocket.]
Lewis: "Cleo, congratulations."
Cleo: smiles. "Thank you, Lewis." Cleo gives Lewis a hug and he happily returns it.
"Okay, I understand congratulating her, but what's with the hug?" Ash asked. "I was excited about my grade and he's one of my best friends. There's nothing wrong with a hug!" Cleo exclaimed, hoping that she wasn't blushing at the moment. "Makes sense." "Yeah … friends," Lewis whispered to himself.
If I'd known she were there, I wouldn't have done that, Cleo mentally sighed.
[Kim holds up her phone and takes pictures of them while they were hugging. Cleo breaks from the hug and they continue down the path together.]
"You took pictures?" Cleo asked shocked. "Yeah? So?" Kim replied. "That's personal! It's none of your business!" Cleo shouted. "You were hugging out in public! If it was none of my business, then you shouldn't hug where everyone could see it! And as you said, it was just a hug," Kim argued. But it was more than that to me. To me, it was everything, Cleo thought sadly. And now that there was a picture, it felt like it was being taken away from her somehow. "Girls, enough," Don sighed.
"Stalker much?" Rikki muttered.
[After school, Kim shows the photos to her mom in the kitchen.]
Kim: "He didn't even see me take them." Walks into the kitchen, seeing them peering over Kim's phone.
"Seems like neither one of us did," Cleo pouted.
Don: "What are you looking at?"
"Oh this isn't going to go well," Cleo said as she began to bury herself into her knees once again to save herself from embarrassment.
"I think I'm rather going to enjoy this," Rikki grinned as she leaned back in her seat, getting comfy.
"Perhaps it's best if you don't know," Neil chuckled.
Kim: grins. "Cleo's boyfriend. It's official now." Don walks over and Kim shows him the photo of the two hugging on the phone.
"You are so awful. I love it!" Rikki laughed as Cleo's face reddened.
Note to self, ask Kim if she still has those photos, Lewis thought, hiding a grin. It'd be a nice present for her, she had another birthday coming up of course.
"Why am I only finding out about that then?" Don asked. "Because you were too busy on your boat working," Bev answered, facing the screen with a neutral look.
Bev: "Aw. Isn't puppy love sweet?"
"Mom!" Cleo's face reddened even more as the room burst into fits of laughter. "You are the worst," Cleo said as she looked over at her sister. "Aw, love you too sis," Kim teased, giggling to herself.
Don: "No, it's not." He walks away, a tad angry. Kim lowers her phone, and she looks at her mother, the both of them wincing.
"You just had to show him the photo," Cleo sighed, hoping the redness was disappearing. You knew he wouldn't be happy about that.
"Wait, so if Lewis was the supposed 'boyfriend,' then how did I get wrapped up in this?" Zane asked, completely oblivious. "Oh, because of your 'research,'" Cleo replied, giving him a look.
[Cleo walks down the road, on her way home from school when Zane jogs up to her, his bag slung over his shoulder.]
Zane: "Cleo." Cleo turns to him as he walks with her. "Uh, thanks for getting me access to the library. Nice one."
"You're thanking me? Well, that's a first," Cleo joked. "That's not the first time I've thanked someone you know," Zane responded.
Cleo: "That's ok. Saved any creatures yet?"
"You still believed it?" Bella scoffed. "I didn't think he would use it to look for the 'sea monster'," Cleo shrugged. "If I had used the real excuse, would you have let me?" Zane asked. "Ok, good point," Bella nodded.
Zane: looks at her, confused. "What?" They pause in the street in front of her house as he remembers what she was talking about. "Oh, um. Yeah, I'm working on it. I gotta go. See ya." Zane walks away and Cleo walks up the path to her driveway where she sees Lewis watching them as he sits on a rock decorative piece in her front yard. His bookbag lays next to him as he waits for Cleo.
"You couldn't even remember what you told her?" Ash laughed. "It slipped my mind," Zane shrugged.
"You're working on something, but it's not what she thinks," Neil scowled, thinking about his research on his daughter.
Lewis: "I guess you're going to have to go and fumigate now after speaking to Zane."
"Excuse me?" Zane narrowed his eyes at him. "You're excused," Lewis smiled smugly. Zane shakes his head and whacks Lewis across the back of his head. "… yeah, I deserved that." Rikki bites her lip, trying to hide a smile.
Cleo: walks past him with a smile. "He's not that bad." Lewis frowns, unsure of what she meant, then grabs his bag and follows her inside.
"He really isn't," Rikki whispered to herself.
"Care to explain yourself?" Kim asked. "I was talking about his efforts for the research. I thought he turned over a new leaf and cared about the sea creatures," Cleo huffed. "Well sorry for the false hope," Zane said with a soft chuckle.
[Inside, a few minutes later, Lewis was sitting on the couch doing homework with Cleo, who was sitting on the floor next to the table. Don looks at the mail, sitting in the recliner behind them, keeping an eye on the two. Mainly Lewis.]
Bev: walks into the living room with a bowl of biscuits and offers it to Lewis. "Another biscuit, Lewis?" Lewis was about to grab another when Don looks up and jumps up from his seat.
"By the way, I have to say, those homemade biscuits were incredible. Absolutely amazing," Lewis complimented. "Why thank you. I'll have to make some more someday," Bev chuckled, not noticing the sad looks her daughters gave her.
Don: "I think Lewis has had enough." He glares at Lewis, who drops his hand as everyone looks up at Don, a little confused about his actions. He takes the bowl of biscuits from Bev and sits back down. Bev walks back into the kitchen.
"You didn't need to intimidate him," Bev whispered. "Someone had to be the bad cop. No one messes with my little girl," Don whispered back. "She's sixteen!" Bev said, a little louder this time. "So? Like I said at my birthday party, I'll always be his little girl," Cleo told her, giving her a look. Bev looked at her in surprise before turning back to the screen.
Lewis: returns back to the schoolwork, clasping his hands together. "Right. Um, so, what do you know about Genghis Khan?" In the background, Don grabs the mail and starts snatching it open with the envelope opener while glaring at Lewis.
Cleo: "Is that some sort of heavy metal band?"
Lewis: shakes his head. "No."
Cleo: pouts. "Ok. History's not really my thing. Do you mind if we work on our English assignment?"
"I don't think history is anybody's thing," Will said. "History should stay where it belongs. In the past. Nothing for us to worry about now," Rikki scoffed. "You know how the saying goes: don't let history repeat itself," Emma told her. "'Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.'" Mrs. Chatham thought, remembering the saying by memory. That's why I've been trying to help you girls out as much as I can. So you won't make the same mistakes we did. Although it seems you all had somewhat of a different adventure.
Lewis: "Yeah. Ok."
Cleo: "I'll get my notes." Cleo puts her pen down then stands up and heads upstairs. While she does so, Lewis grabs her pen and begins writing his own notes down on a notepad lying on the table. Don watches him, then slowly stands up, with the bowl of biscuits, and sits next to him, laying the biscuits on the table. Don watches him and shuffles his shoulders as if he were sizing him up. Lewis stops writing and turns to him.
Don: "The male of the species is a predatory creature, Lewis."
"Dad," Cleo groaned, going back to hiding in her knees. The crowd laughs at the awkward situation, finding it amusing that Don was trying to threaten him.
"You know back then I was so confused about what you were talking about. Now I finally understand," Lewis laughed, a slight blush to his cheeks.
"Lewis might be a male, might, but he'll get squashed like a bug if he tries to act like a predator," Rikki mentioned. "Thanks, Rikki, for the confidence booster," Lewis pouted as the laughter grew.
Lewis: nods to the biscuits. "If you want the biscuits, you can just have them."
"You two were on two different wavelengths," Max chuckled along with everyone else. Even Cleo seemed to find it funny as she perked her head up and had a small smile on her face.
"I had no clue what he was talking about," Lewis gestured to the screen. "I thought he was just extremely hungry."
Don: points at him with the envelope opener menacingly. "I know what you're thinking, and don't."
"What exactly did you think I was thinking?" Lewis questioned. "… we will not be talking about that," Don answered quickly.
"You didn't think he was acting crazy?" Sam giggled, making Don blush. "I've known the Sertori's for over ten years, I was used to it by that point," Lewis shrugged.
[The house phone begins to ring as Cleo walks back downstairs with her English notes.]
Cleo: "It's ok. I'll grab it." She puts her notes down on the table and grabs the phone, answering it as she sat down on the couch. "Hello?"
Don: speaks quietly to Lewis as Cleo laughs. "I'll accept that Cleo has a boyfriend, but far away and in the future."
"How far along in the future are we talking?" Cleo asked. "Hopefully when I'm long gone," Don crossed his arms.
Charlotte laughed, finding it a little funny that Don thought they were dating then. I wonder what he did when they actually started dating.
Lewis: looks at him surprised. "A boyfriend?"
"Ah so you're finally catching on," Rikki grinned. "Quicker than you two," Lewis quipped. "We didn't have enough information. We were practically lost the whole time. And we were there only part of the time," Emma defended.
Cleo: smiling. Bev watches her from the kitchen. "No. You know I love it." She begins laughing a little more, which grabs Don's and Lewis' attention as they look over at her warily. "Yeah, of course. Sure. Um, I'll be there as soon as I can. Bye."
They all turn her attention onto her and before anyone can speak, Cleo is already holding up a finger. "It's still about Ronnie. No boyfriend. Currently single in that part of the timeline." They all slowly nodded and turn back to the screen, except for one person. "Wait, what do you mean in that part of the timeline?" Bev asked. Cleo bites her cheek and keeps her focus on the screen, pretending she hasn't heard a word she said.
Cleo: hangs up the phone and looks back at the two, Bev returns to her task in the kitchen while sneaking glances at her. Cleo stands up and gives him an apologetic look. "Lewis, I'm really sorry. do you mind if we do this some other time? I'm needed somewhere else. See ya."
Lewis: stands up quickly. "Well, I-I think we should talk about this."
Don: "I-I agree. Do you think it's such a good idea-?" And before he could finish, Cleo was already walking out the door, slamming it behind her.
"What was there to talk about? Even if she had a boyfriend, it's her choice. Just let her do what makes her happy," Sam said. "While I would love for my daughter to be happy, I also want her to be safe. And I don't want her to get heartbroken if something were to, change," Don added, giving Sam a small smile. We've had enough heartbreak already.
[Don stares at the door in surprise, then turns when he sees Lewis sitting back down on the couch with a dumbfounded look. He picks up the biscuits and holds them out to Lewis, completely changing his demeanor.]
Don: "Have a biscuit, Lewis." Lewis looks at him sadly, then takes a biscuit and bites it as Don sets the bowl back down.
"Well, I'm glad you two are finally getting along, even if it is under a misunderstanding," Cleo smiled. "It didn't last too long after that," Lewis reminded her.
[A few minutes later, Don and Lewis come up with an idea to figure out who Cleo's 'boyfriend' is. They gather around in the kitchen with Lewis looking over the latest records of the phone bill. Bev stands next to him, looking at the list.]
Lewis: "And this is the latest phone bill?"
Bev: nods. "Yes." Bev holds onto her own set of phone bill papers as Don sits at the table looking at another list, seeming determined.
"You went through the phone bills to see who I've been calling?! Is there anything such as personal space anymore?!" Cleo asked in shock as she threw her hands up in frustration. "We were just trying to figure out who you were hiding from us, darling," Don said gently. "Dad, if I were ever to date anyone, I would make sure you were the first to meet him. And if you approve of them," Cleo sighed, rubbing her forehead from the oncoming headache. "And what about with Lewis?" Rikki whispered, teasing. "He'll have to accept him eventually," she whispered back. If we ever got back together that is.
Lewis: "Excellent. And um, have you got one for Cleo's mobile phone?" Don looks over at the kitchen entrance as he hears the front door open and sees Emma and Rikki.
Bev: "No, that's hers. There's a limit to how far I'll spy, Lewis." Bev walks over to the table.
"Thank you, mom," Cleo said, letting out a breath. Hey, she might be keeping being a mermaid from mostly everybody, but she would still need a private life.
Lewis: "I completely respect that."
Emma: and Rikki walk through the kitchen entrance. "Hi."
Bev: glances at them, then goes back to the papers. "Oh, hi girls."
Rikki: waves at her. "Mrs. Sertori." The two stand next to Lewis.
Emma: "What's up?"
"Did they call you two over there?" Terry asked suspiciously. "Yeah they did," Rikki answered.
"So that's why you guys kept asking me all those questions at the moon pool," Cleo shook her head, laughing lightly.
Lewis: "Well, I'm searching through the Sertori's phone bills to find out who Cleo's mystery boyfriend is." Lewis walks over to the bar and sets the papers down. Emma and Rikki follow him, a bit surprised.
"You know, if she did have a mystery boyfriend, don't you think we would've known by then? She's our best friend, and we share secrets," Emma reasoned. "Even best friends keep secrets from one another sometimes," Mrs. Chatham said as she turned to them, her eyes lingering on Rikki for just a second longer. Oh, great, Rikki mentally sighed, as she knew what that meant. She knew. Again.
Rikki: hand on her hips. "So she has a boyfriend?"
Lewis: "Oh, yes." Flips to the next page.
"And you believed him?" Cleo said, feeling slightly offended. "There was a lot of evidence," Rikki shrugged. "Which was proven false!"
Emma: "Lewis, you can't just go through people's phone records. There are privacy laws."
Lewis: points to Cleo's parents. "Uh, they encouraged me. Besides, it's their phone."
"That's true. If they gave him permission, then it's legal," Max commented.
Lewis: looks at the paper in shock as he realizes that he found the number. "Oh, gotcha. Ooh." He circles the number then quickly pulls the house phone closer to the edge of the bar. Don and Bev look back from their spots at the table. "There have been multiple calls to this number. Ring this and we've got the guy's identity." Lewis dials the number then puts it on speakerphone. He puts a finger up to his lips to silence everyone as it rang aloud.
"Great, so you called my work. I'm surprised Mitch didn't mention it," Cleo rolled her eyes. "Actually, it wasn't your work that we called," Lewis grimaced. Cleo frowned. "Then who was it?"
[The phone continues to ring until finally, the person on the other line picks up.]
Zane: "Hello, Zane speaking." Don and Bev give each other strange looks. "Hello." Emma and Rikki looked at each other, also giving each other strange yet surprised looks, while Lewis looks at the phone with anger, his hands put together, trying to keep from breaking the phone for Cleo's supposed boyfriend being Zane. "Hello, who is this? Hello?" Zane hangs up the phone after hearing no reply. The room stays silent as they take in the new, shocking information: Zane was Cleo's 'secret boyfriend.'
"Ah, so you were my prank caller," Zane chuckled, finally understanding how he got wrapped up in that whole mess.
"But wait, that's not the calls I've been making. You didn't check the other phone numbers? Like my work phone?" Cleo said. "Well, I knew what your work number was, so I didn't expect it to be that. Though I should've checked the time records to be sure. Zane's number was the only other one being called several times.
"But why were you calling Zane's phone?" Charlotte asked. "They weren't. It was the house phone. I just had Zane pick it up since I was too busy at the time," Harrison answered for them. "Then who's been making the calls?" Annette asked curiously. "That would be me. I just forgot at the time," Don admitted sheepishly.
[Cleo leans against the railing as she waits for Mitch at the dock. A trainer was currently practicing with two dolphins at the end. He does a hand motion, and the two dolphins jump in the air and dive back down, making a splash, luckily not close enough that it would hit Cleo. Cleo claps and so does Mitch, who just arrived and stood next to her.]
Cleo: hesitates, thinking. "Do you think Ronnie will ever do tricks like that?"
"He can. And he's one of the best ones we've got. He's our star," Cleo beamed, answering herself. Charlotte looked at her, slightly impressed that the marine park could train one that quick. If it's up to the time now, it would've only been a few months. They really can change.
Mitch: looks out toward the main gate, where Ronnie was swimming circles. "I doubt it. He's still not eating enough. He's getting weaker, he's listless." Shakes his head. "I can't get him to do anything at all."
"But he's not lonely now. He's got friends in the tank. Why isn't he eating?" Elliot frowned. "You'll find out soon enough," Cleo smiled, refusing to give it away. It was too sweet to ruin. He wasn't looking for those kinds of friends.
Cleo: pouts and shakes her head. "I could come and feed him more often."
"You can't spend all your time with Ronnie. He needs to learn how to do some things without constant help. Or else he won't be able to learn how to do anything at all and heal properly," Denman informed, hoping the brunette would understand. "I know I couldn't, but it was so hard seeing him like that," Cleo sighed.
Mitch: smiles and holds up the rubber football in his hands. "Well, that'll help. But most dolphins, when they've been rescued from the wild like Ronnie has, they learn to be hand-fed fairly quickly. Not Ronnie, though. He's just not adapting."
"I don't know. He seems to adapt quickly to you. You two seem like good friends," Will said. "We were. And still are. Ronnie adapts, but he chooses what he wants to adapt to. That's why he's different from the others. He's smart, funny, and a really sweet dolphin," Cleo smiled.
Cleo: the two look back out to Ronnie, where he was still circling the gate. "Poor Ronnie."
Mitch: "Yup. It's a worry."
The crowd looked sadly at the dolphin, worried for its wellbeing. Ronnie seemed like a great friend, and Cleo really cares for him. They didn't want it to get sick. Though Denman felt like it was odd. She raised an eyebrow at the interaction and wondered why the dolphin kept consistently circling the gate. Dolphins don't normally do that, unless there was something on the other side that it wanted.
[Cleo looks back at him, then Ronnie, then back at Mitch, and holds her hand out. Mitch holds the football out to her, knowing what she was asking, and hopes that maybe she could get his spirits up. But the look on his face seems like it was hopeless. She takes the football into her hands, then walks down the steps to the end of the dock, where the dolphin trainer was behind her, kneeling down and writing down some notes. Mitch watches her by the railing as Cleo throws the ball into the water. Ronnie pokes his head up and sees the ball and squeaks. He dives back under and grabs the ball; Cleo smiles as he swims back over to the dock. Ronnie pops his head back up and tosses the now wet football back to her. Cleo ducks and jumps to the side, avoiding the ball and the water that came with it.]
Sounds of clapping filled the room, glad that the dolphin seems to be doing better. The ball cheered him up some. "He doesn't act sick," Bella said. "He was sick, we just had the diagnosis wrong. Physically he wasn't, but he was mentally," Cleo hinted.
"Wow, that was a close one," Rikki said, blowing out a breath. "Good thing you got quick reflexes or that would've been a disaster," Emma grinned. "Guess all that time watching you practice your laps for the swim meets really paid off," Cleo joked.
Mitch: goes over and picks up the ball, showing it to her. "It's amazing. He hasn't been trained to do that."
"And it could have almost blown your cover. Really Cleo, doing something he wasn't trained to do?" Rikki scoffed. "I didn't know he wasn't trained yet," Cleo shrugged.
Cleo: shakes her head and shrugs. "I don't know what's gotten into him."
Mitch: "It's remarkable." He looks amazed at her as he gestures to the dolphin. "You have a strange effect on this dolphin. It's like-." He pauses as he looks back at her. "It's like he's got a crush on you."
"Yes, yes, it's hilarious. Very funny," Cleo rolled her eyes as laughter filled the room. Even her own family was laughing. "Ah, so there was a boyfriend," Kim teased, wincing as Cleo elbows her in the ribs.
So that's who my competition is? Lewis snorted, trying to keep from laughing at Cleo. It wouldn't do good to laugh at someone you like.
Guess I don't have to worry about my chances with Lewis then, Charlotte giggled, figuring it was best not to say aloud. She was still hurt by it, and she feels like she should give up, but it doesn't hurt to joke about what she believed.
"Can dolphins have a crush on humans?" Elliot asked. "Well, they can have one on other dolphins, but I'm not so sure about humans. I mean, technically she is a mermaid, and they do get along well. It's hard to say," Denman explained, as the laughter died down, as well as hers.
[Cleo frowned, then thought back to earlier that week, when she and Ronnie hung out together. A memory popped into her head of the two of them swimming together, smiling at each other. Back in reality, Cleo grimaced at the thought of Ronnie, something that wasn't human, having a crush on her. She stared at Ronnie with a weird look as he smiled and cackled at her.]
The laughter grew louder than ever, with Cleo blushing brightly with embarrassment. "No way! You actually thought he had one on you?! Welp, better him than me," Zane barked with laughter.
"So not only were you going to work, you were seeing your boyfriend while at it. Aw, so sweet," Rikki snickered; Cleo glared at her. "I didn't know what else it could've been at the time! There was no other explanation," Cleo grumbled.
"Love is in the air," Lewis sung, the laughter growing even more. "Nice one," Rikki giggled as she high-fived Lewis. "I really need new friends," Cleo sighed, shaking her head as her face still reddened.
[Kim sits on a couch cushion on the floor, watching tv with a blanket laying on the ground behind her. In front of her lays a bowl of chips and some magazines. Bev walks through the front door with her purse and bag to find Kim slacking off.]
Bev: walks into the living room. "Haven't you got homework?"
Kim: still watching tv. "Yeah."
"That's some interesting homework," Ash grinned. "Well like Cleo, I had a history assignment. But history is so boring!" Kim whined. "Something we have in common," Cleo joked.
Bev: lays her belonging on the couch. "You know the rules. No homework, no tv." She walks over to the television and turns it off.
"I always hated that rule," Kim griped. "That is so lame," Rikki scoffed, others agreeing with her such as Ash, Will, Lewis, and Bella. "It always worked in our house," Neil answered. "Yeah. Totally," Elliot mumbled, Emma patting him on the shoulder in comfort.
Kim: pouts. "Cleo's got homework too. So shouldn't she be doing hers instead of being out with her boyfriend?"
"I was at my job," Cleo groaned, as the muffled laughter began once again. "We didn't know that," Kim interjected. "I told you guys before I left!" "Our mistake sweetheart, we thought you were lying," Don winced. Cleo rolled her eyes and sighed.
Bev: eyes widen and looks at her sternly. "Homework. Now." Kim sighs and stands up to go do her homework.
"Ah, the motherly tone. Always effective," Annette chuckled. "Not now, it isn't," Kim glared at the screen.
[A few minutes later Bev is in the office, the room next to the kitchen. She is holding the phonebook in her hand as she holds the house phone to her ear, sitting down at the desk.]
Bev: "Harrison, it's Bev. Bev Sertori, Cleo's mom. Yes, well, um, it's about something important. As I'm sure you're aware, Cleo and Zane have been spending a quite a bit of time together lately." She looks around to make sure no one was listening in. "Yes. Right. Actually, I'm a bit worried."
"Ah, so that's how you found out we were dating. Darn, busted," Zane sarcastically said, laughing as he spoke. "I'm sorry I wasn't aware about your love life. She had me concerned," Harrison remarked, adding in a bit of sarcasm himself.
"We weren't even spending a lot of time together. And as I said, I was at work, not with him," Cleo huffed. "But you guys were hanging out a bit more than usual," Emma mentioned. "If it's at school, we have the same classes together. You should know, you're in some of them," Cleo pointed out. "And if it's at the café, well everyone hangs out there all the time, of course we're going to see or talk to him almost every day. And with work, we were only talking about the research, if he showed up, and that was for a few minutes." "Okay, that's some good reasons. But still, you gotta admit that's more than usual," Rikki shrugged.
"Just out of curiosity, why would you be worried?" Zane asked her. "It's just, well no offense but you're not the type I'd expect my daughter to date. You seem like the bad boy type, again no offense," Bev reluctantly admitted. "None taken. And I'll take that as a compliment," Zane chuckled. "Cleo's not my type anyway, she's just a friend." We're friends? Cleo thought, looking surprised. I guess we are. I mean, he's not an enemy at the very least.
"And who would you expect her to date," Don raised an eyebrow at her. "Someone that has more things in common with her and is a nice boy. Like Lewis," Bev said. Cleo's blush rises once again as Lewis begins to choke on water, coughing for air. Rikki laughed and patted his back to help him cough it out. "Take that as a good thing Lewis, she likes you," Rikki teased. "One of us does," Don mumbled. "He's still on the itsy-bitsy for me." You don't get a say in who I date, Cleo thought bitterly towards her mom.