This is one of my first fanfic attempts in a long time, so please be patient with me. Also, I spent a while going back and forth in my head on what his power should be. For a while he had all three, but for right now I'm keeping it with telekinesis. Also, also, all of them have the invisibility power from Mako Mermaids.
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Lewis tried to play dumb but his heartbeat quickened. "Did Cleo really just... ask me that? I've been so careful, how did she catch on?"
"No... I don't know anything about… mermaids." He tried to sound convincing, but he wasn't sure if he had succeeded or not.
"Okay, sorry, bye." Cleo pushed him out the door, locking it promptly behind him.
Lewis shook his head in disbelief. If Cleo had discovered his secret, he'd need to talk to her about it asap. Making a mental note to meet her sometime privately, he walked out to the Juicenet Cafe. Choosing a booth after ordering and receiving a drink, Lewis thought over the day's events.
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About an hour of working on his homework had gone by when Cleo had entered. Her eyes scanned the room until they landed on Lewis.
"Hey, Lewis… Listen, I just want to talk to you about the mermaid comment." Cleo nervously stated after walking towards him.
"Oh?" He had a deer in headlights look as he stared at Cleo waiting for her to continue. If she had noticed his suspicious behavior she didn't mention it.
She turned her head avoiding his gaze, "I just thought you'd know about them."
Lewis's heartbeat quickened, "Why would I know about them?"
"Well, you're smart. I just thought you'd know something. It's for this mythology project I have… that's all."
As she spoke, Cleo scratched the back of her neck. It was a nervous tick she had, unfortunately for her, Lewis picked up on it immediately. "You.. don't take mythology..." Lewis looked at her. He wasn't trying to be accusatory, but Cleo began to feel interrogated from his confused stare.
Her face contorted into a nervous smile as she realized she was caught lying. "Did I say my project? I meant a friend's project! I misspoke."
"Right… uhh. It's fine," Lewis tried to change the subject, "Do you want to reschedule your lesson?"
"Yeah, usual time tomorrow?"
"That works just fine, see you then Cleo."
"Bye."
There was a nagging thought in the back of Lewis's head. Something was definitely up with Cleo, but he wasn't sure exactly what it was. Her behavior almost reminded him of himself just a year prior. Lewis had been night fishing on a perfect full moon. A choice he'd regret forever. For whatever reason, he had found himself exploring Mako when he'd fallen down a cave system. Seeing no other exit, he followed the cave into an opening with a pool connecting out towards the ocean. It was terrible timing, really, how he dove in headfirst just as the moon had passed overhead.
Lewis pushed the memory into the back of his brain, it wasn't something he enjoyed being reminded of. But, he couldn't help but think that when it happened he had acted so much like Cleo was now. Nervous, vague, researching mermaids. "Strange."
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He looked out across the canal. It was late, despite that fact, Lewis couldn't sleep. Last night had been especially tiring for him. The full moon usually caused him troubles but it was even worse then. He sensed something was going on at Mako, but he was too scared to go out and confront it. "When's the last time I've even gone swimming?" He asked himself. Though he hardly needed to, he already knew the answer.
The first month Lewis had a tail he spent all of his time trying to find a way to be normal again. After a while, he gave up. Being too afraid of facing how much of a freak he was, he vowed to never touch water again, save for bathing, and the occasional accidental splashes. Despite this, he still felt the pull towards the water. Sighing, he stood up and walked back inside.
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Lewis dragged himself toward school. After spending the whole night tossing and turning, he wondered how he was going to get through the day. Walking up to Cleo's locker, he heard the tail end of Miriam's party announcement. "Hey Cleo, you going to the party?"
She looked hesitant at first, finally shaking her head while saying, "No, sorry I don't think I can go."
Lewis turned away, trying to hide the dejected look on his face, "Right, yeah why would anyone want to go to that kind of thing anyway?"
Cleo barely even registered that he said something, her mind was somewhere else, "Sorry Lewis, I've got to get to class." But she turned in the opposite direction of her next class, instead, she moved towards the spot where Emma and Rikki stood further down the hall. Thus leaving Lewis staring quizzically after her "What is with you these days?"
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Many hours had passed since Lewis and Cleo had spoken face-to-face. Since then Cleo had continuously changed her answer about going to Miriam's party about a dozen times. And he had just about enough of it. He already made up his mind. Regardless of what Cleo said, he wouldn't be going. It was a stupid thought, really. That he of all people could attend a pool party, but also that Cleo would ever see him as more than a study partner.
Dejected, Lewis made his way to his secret fishing spot. He had used it for years, although the need for it increased once he realized it was the only safe spot he had to fish. Fishing was, of course, a decidedly wet sport. And, unfortunately for him, he wasn't able to spend time participating in his favorite hobby without growing fins. That made his fishing secret spot the only safe place for Lewis to fish. And it remained that way because Lewis had only ever told one person of its whereabouts. Which basically guaranteed that he could go there and be alone. Alone. Which made it extra weird when he noticed two blonde heads poking up from behind a rock.
"Um… Hello?" Lewis called out, slightly upset that he wouldn't be able to fish.
The two heads whipped around revealing the faces of Emma and Rikki. Their eyes widened in surprise and they quickly looked at each other. "Lewis! Uh, we hadn't expected someone to show up!." Emma yelled back, shakily.
"Neither did I, Only Cleo and I know about this place. I guess she told you then." Lewis responded, slightly pissed at Cleo's big mouth.
"Yeah, she did. Speaking of Cleo, do you know where she is?" Rikki asked, a slight edge in her voice.
"No, she's been so confusing lately, one minute she's going to the party and the next she's not," Lewis' phone buzzed in his pocket. After pulling it out and checking the message he sighed, "Uhg! Again! Now she's going."
"You need to call her, now! Tell her under no circumstances is she going!" Emma urgently explained.
"No, I came here to fish. You two shouldn't even be here." Nevertheless, he dialed Cleo's number, "You know this is my spot for a reason, I need it."
"Yea? For what? You can just fish off the pier like everyone else." Rikki spat back.
Lewis just rolled his eyes, there was no point in explaining more to Rikki, besides he had to get in touch with Cleo. "She's not answering."
The girls shared another quick glance before Emma responded, "Lewis do us a favor, please go to that party and make sure Cleo never gets in the pool."
"Fine, whatever, not like I can fish anyway." And with that, Lewis started jogging towards Miriam's house.
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"I shouldn't be here. It's too risky," Lewis thought to himself as he headed to Miriam's party. And yet, he felt a pull towards it. The strange unmistakable pull he felt towards the moon pool, and to Mako every full moon after that. He ran to the back yard just in time to see Zane and his lackeys about to throw Cleo into the pool.
"Let her down, Zane"
Zane let out a chuckle, "Well, if you insist." Cleo was thrown into the pool.
"What an ass," Lewis thought as all the party-goers left to go inside.
"Cleo, I'm sorry about this," Lewis said while kneeling down to speak to her.
"Lewis, there's something you should know."
"No, it's okay you don't have to explain any-"
"No. Really, Lewis it's important." Cleo looked up, fear evident in her eyes. At that moment, her legs gave way to a golden tail. "Please, Lewis. I need your help."
Everything clicked at once. The weird feeling he had last full moon, Cleo's sudden interest in mermaids as well as her strange behavior. She had been turned.
"I can't- I-I don't-" Lewis' eyes looked around frantically, trying to figure out a way to help Cleo without outing himself. He sighed, defeated. The only way was to either grab her, making him grow a tail from her wet hands, or to use his powers. Both resulted in the same outcome. He had to tell her. Mentally preparing himself, he reached out his hand and began to move her onto the concrete siding, her eyes growing larger as she realized Lewis was the one controlling her floating body.
"How are you-" Cleo was cut off by the arrival of Rikki and Emma. The pair by the pool looked over at the pair standing at the gate. Though Emma could hardly believe her eyes, she snapped back into action. "Where are the other people?" she demanded.
"They're inside! Distract them, I need more time." Lewis responded, his attention quickly returning to the task at hand. He moved Cleo onto the pavement, carefully avoiding the puddle forming around her. "I'm gonna go find some towels to dry you off."
"I think I can help with that." Rikki now stood at their side. She moved her hand over Cleo's tail and began to evaporate the water.
For the second time that day, Lewis struggled to process what he was seeing. "Cleo AND Rikki. Emma too?" His thoughts came out as fragments. He blinked a few times refocusing on Cleo who now had her legs back. By then, Emma had returned. "Come on, we have to go!" She shouted, pulling Lewis from his stupor. They ran out the gated fence, heading out to the fishing spot.
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The quartet spent a minute catching their breath before Emma started on Lewis. "What was that back there? You have powers and you didn't tell us!"
"I- I don't-" He stuttered.
"No, I think you do. What's going on?" Rikki continued the attack.
"I, uh…" He sighed, defeated. Another minute of silence hung between them before Lewis finally spoke, "It started a year ago. I was out on Mako one night. I fell into a cave that had this weird pool thing." The girls shared a look. "Ever since then I've had powers… and a... tail." He said the last part softly, hoping no one would hear him, it did not go unnoticed.
"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Cleo looked hurt and felt even worse. She understood why he wouldn't tell many people, but she was his friend. She wanted to tell him what happened to her, why didn't he want the same?
"I didn't know who to trust, so I just didn't trust anyone." An uneasy silence sat between the four. "Enough about me, what about you three?"
Rikki spoke up, "Same story as yours, 'cept ours was only a couple nights ago." Her face twisted as she realized something, "Wait, you said powers plural?"
"Just the telekinesis and invisibility. -Though the latter only manifested after the first full moon."
"You can go invisible, really," Cleo sounded skeptical, though it was silly of her. She was a f*cking mermaid yet she couldn't believe that someone could be invisible.
Lewis nodded his head. He moved his hand across his chest and suddenly disappeared from the girls' sights. The three of them gaped as Lewis came back into view.
"Riiight, uh anyone else fancy a swim? I need to clear my head from all the weirdness of the day." Emma chimed in, all too happy to quit talking about Mako.
"I'll join!" Rikki eagerly jumped in.
Cleo hesitated, but eventually shook her head no, "I'm still not used to this."
"I'd rather not, bye," Lewis responded rather bluntly as he turned away.
"Why not?" Rikki asked, surprised at Lewis' unwillingness to get wet.
Lewis stopped walking for a second but he still didn't turn to face them, "I'm no good with this stuff. Forget I ever told you, okay?" Lewis stated as he began walking away again, this time he didn't stop.
"Hey, wait!" Emma called after him. Afterward, she turned to the other girls.
"What is with him?" Rikki asked.
Cleo only shook her head. She knew that feeling. Even after a whole year of being a fish, he was in denial.
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First chapter done, and it took me nearly a month to complete as well. Basically what I'm trying to say is don't expect consistent or frequent updates. Chapters will finish when they finish.
Anyway, if you liked it feel free to follow/favorite. And leave a review if you have the time. I'd love some feedback.
(P.S. if anyone could tell me the command to add the line breaks in that would be perfect)