A/N: Sorry that it's been a while since I've updated this story. Haven't updated since June (my bad.) I've just been warped in with my other story, again, sorry. Since it's been so long, I totally lost track of what suggestion I'm on; I have so many. So I just did a random one that caught me eye. But next time I update it'll all be in order, just for this time I need to bend my rules. Okay, now relax your mind and enjoy the story.

Story Nine: What if Kim was Cleo's Twin, and They Did Everything Together?

(Suggestion by GothGirl69)

-Cleo POV-

"Dad, I'm going shopping, be back by dinner!" I called into the probably empty house. I turned to let myself out of the house and to Emma's place, when a face popped in front of mine.

"Gah!" I shouted, staggering backwards. I looked into the frowning face of my fraternal twin, Kim Sertori.

"God, Kim, you almost gave me a heart attack!" I cried, clutching my bag in fright. "What are you doing?"

"You're going shopping?" asked Kim. "Can I come? I'll grab my jacket!"

"No, Kim," I said sternly. "I'm going with Emma."

"I'm friends with Emma!" Kim beamed psychotically.

"No, you aren't," I argued. "She thinks you're annoying, and so do I."

Kim Sertori was my fraternal twin. We were both fifteen years old, had the same brown hair and hazel green eyes, yet I still thought our faces looked different. Hers was a paler complexion and rounder face, while mine was tan and shaped differently. Still, Kim made it an unhealthy habit to go everywhere with me. And I do mean everywhere.

"So I can go?" Kim asked annoyingly for the tenth time as I tried to wiggle past her.

"No, Kim, go hang out with your own friends!" I shouted.

"Your friends are my friends!" Kim sang. "So you're saying I should hang out with them. Hence, I should hang out with Emma. So I can go?"

"God, Kim, move!" I cried, pushing past her with an uncalled for move, knocking her away. I slammed the door in her face loudly, only to catch a glimpse of a face that looked like mine, but sorrowed.

-Kim POV-

That annoying Cleo. Who needed her?

You do, I thought to myself. I agreed. I always wanted to hang out with her, but she always shied away from me and shut me out like I was some random weird person asking for a phone number.

Maybe Cleo was right. Maybe we did need some space, even though we are twins. Maybe I should make my own friends, and try to do my own things. I mean, Cleo is horrible at drawing, that's why she never did it. So I never did it, even though it looked pretty fun and I thought I would be good at it. And even if I sucked, I could still try. Was that what Cleo meant? To try new things apart from each other? There were plenty of people I wanted to go up and introduce myself to them, make friends with them, but I couldn't. Cleo wasn't friends with them. Maybe it was time to step out on a new path...
No, I urged myself. You need to be like Cleo. You need to love the same activities as her and have the same friends as her. You needed to try everything with her, be in every picture with her, and wear the same things as her. Even go everywhere with her.

It was crazy, I decided. How could I go everywhere with her if she was on her way right now to Emma's, then to the mall? Suddenly I had an idea. And this time, Cleo couldn't stop me.

-Cleo POV-

I was glad I finally got Kim off my back. Hopefully she'd take the hint and go do her own things with her own friends. In truth, I loved Kim—I mean, she was my sister, right? But I hated how she was so clingy. Kim would be an amazing person if she just grew her own personality and her own interests apart from mine.

My mixed thinking got me all the way to Emma's house. I hopped up her front steps and knocked on her door. Emma opened the door with a bag strung across her shoulder, and a grinning face standing in front of her.

"Hi, Cleo!" Elliott, Emma's little brother said.

"Hello, Elliott," I said politely.

"We're going to the mall, and no, you cannot come," Emma said to Elliott, and he pouted.

"Ok-ay," he said, stretching out the word as if he was stalling his sister to go. "But pick me up a new shirt, and I'll pay you back."

"No problem," Emma said. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Elliott," I called behind the shutting door as Emma stepped out with me.

Emma and I walked off the front stoop and onto the hot driveway. "I wish I had a brother like yours," I couldn't help comment.

Emma looked at me weirdly. "Pesky, annoying and weird?"

"No," I said. "I mean, he wanted to go, but you told him he couldn't, and he just backed right off. I wish it were the same between me and Kim."

Emma cringed. "Ugh, Kim," she said. "What did she do this time?"

"She whined and cried and begged to go to the mall with us. It's like she thinks that because she's my twin, we must do everything together. It gets rather irritating. She also thinks my friends are her friends." I blew air out my lips.

"Frightening," Emma said.

"I know, I hate living with her."

"Not for you, for me!"

"What? Why?"

Emma squarely looked me in the eye. "She thinks I'm her friend too. So she has a reason to stalk me!"

We both burst out in laughter at the thought of Kim stalking Emma in her sleep. We continued our laughter until we got downtown.

-Kim POV-

Must. Not. Make. A. Sound.

I stealthily crept down the street, hiding in bushes as often as possible. I always kept my distance, but worried I would keep the pacing Cleo out of sight.

She looked as if she was in deep thought, and for a minute or two I believed she'd take a wrong turn on the way to Emma's and wind us both up in a different neighborhood. But she took direction and led us both to the way of Emma's.

Cleo stepped up and knocked three times on the door. Emma appeared with Elliott entwined between her legs. Words were exchanged, and Emma and Cleo were off on their way.

I walked close before them, amazed that they couldn't hear me. I continued until I heard my name. I strained to hear, but I heard, "Ugh, Kim. What did she do this time?"

I wanted to shout, "Hey! I can hear you!" but that would obviously blow my cover, so I kept my mouth shut.

"She whined and cried and begged to go to the mall with us. It's like she thinks that because she's my twin, we must do everything together. It gets rather irritating. She also thinks my friends are her friends." I wanted to protest. I was not that clingy to her.

Please. Look at yourself! said a tiny voice in the back of my head. I looked down at my crouching figure; tiny bleeding scrapes covering my knees from the twigs on the ground. You're hiding behind a bush for Pete's sake!

For a brief second I considered turning around and heading home. A brief second. I then decided that I was being paranoid. Cleo didn't enjoy my company now, but once she saw that we were truly twins, she'd see the error in her ways. All I have to do is earn her trust.

I followed them as they got down to the marina. They strolled down the docks like nobody's business, heading in the direction of the mall, when I was busy hopping behind boat to boat and trying to blend in and look casual, not like a stalker. I was actually getting the hang of it when I heard a, "Hey!"

-Cleo POV-

"Hey!" My head snapped up, along with Emma's in the direction of the cry. It came from a curly blond on one of the docks. She was trying to step away from the dock, but Zane was blocking her.

I was going to keep on walking, but a nagging voice in my head told me to lend a hand. I started pacing to the dock, Emma following along on my trail.

"Zane, Zane, Zane," I said in a disapproving voice. "I know you're trying to get to a new level of perv, but seriously? Blocking someone from leaving?"

"I'm not blocking her," Zane said defensively as the curly blond ducked out of the way to try to run, but he kept his ground. "This chick stole my spark plug for my Zodiac, and I'm just returning the favor."

"I did not, dumb ass!" she said hotly, and was about to punch him straight in the face, when he ducked.

"Feisty. We'll see who's the feisty one when I get my dad's lawyer into this. You stay here, or you'll be in much bigger trouble when we hunt you down." With that, Zane left in a huff.

"We'll see who's the feisty one when I get my dad's lawyer into this," she said in a high-pitched voice, mimicking Zane. "Can you believe that guy? What a spoiled pig."

"Oh, I can believe it," Emma said reassuringly, and the curly blond rose an eyebrow. "Um, I mean Cleo and I have known him since we were three. He's always been that bratty."

"Cleo," she breathed, acknowledging me. "Like Cleopatra? I like it. My name is Rikki. And who are you?" She turned to Emma.

"Emma Gilbert. And don't mind Zane, he's always been like that. You get used to it," Emma said.

"Zane," Rikki said. "Such a nice name, given to such a not nice person. Figures." She shrugged, and then looked down the marina. "He's gone. Perfect chance." Rikki started running down the dock, took a great leap, and I thought she was going to land in the water when she was really aiming for Zane's Zodiac. She landed with grace, and motioned for us to follow.

"Are you crazy?" I asked, Emma and I jogging down to the end of the dock to look at her. "You said you don't have the spark plug, so it's obviously missing if Zane doesn't have it. So what are we supposed to do? Sit in the boat and wait for Zane?" I then stopped. "Wait, or did you steal the spark plug?"

She snorted. "Not likely. I'm not a crook." She then bent down and pressed something down. That something turned out to be a latch, and the seat in the Zodiac leaned back to open a secret cubby under the seat. She rummaged around until she pulled out something that resembled a flash drive, but as I took a closer look, it wasn't a flash drive after all. "No, I didn't steal it. But I did hide it." She smiled, turning, and sitting in the driver seat. She then plugged in the spark plug, and turned the Zodiac on.

"I agree. She's crazy," Emma said, completely stunned.

Rikki patted the seat next to her. "Come on. What could go wrong?"

I thought long and hard. What could go wrong? Well, we could be caught and arrested for robbery. Or we could finally get back at Zane for all he's done. I turned to Emma, with a confident look on my face, and said, "Let's go." I almost forgot about my fear of water as I took a bounded jump off the edge of the dock. Halfway to the boat I freaked out, and landed off-balance. Rikki caught me, and carefully helped me sit down.

"Are you coming?" Rikki asked impatiently.

Emma seemed to think over the pros and cons of getting in, but finally decided to leap off the edge and land smoothly on the boat.

"Welcome to the club, population three," Rikki said, smiling, as she revved the engine. "Hold on!" Before I knew it, we were off into the deep blue ocean.

-Kim POV-

I watched in awe as Cleo and even the ever-careful Emma drove off with a stranger who called herself Rikki in a stolen boat. The boat slid over the ocean, cutting it in half smoothly and leaving ripples.

I didn't know what to do. It was obvious that I'd reached the end of the line. I definitely could not go any further. I decided I would grab quick juice and head home, defeated. I came out from my hiding spot from behind a tree and began to trod up to The JuiceNet Café.

Along the way, I bumped into the shoulder of Zane Bennett. "Damn it," he swore. "I knew she had my spark plug."

"She didn't have it," I said to myself matter-of-factly. "She hid it. Clever thing to do, actually." I had obviously heard and seen everything from my hiding spot.

Zane turned to me. He remained silent, and thought his way out of his situation. He opened his mouth, and I was ready to deny everything, when he hit me on my weak spot. "Actually it was a pretty dumb thing." He squinted out into the sun. "Looks like they are heading to Mako Island."

My mouth was dry. Mako Island was a deserted island with a dormant volcano as its main exhibit. All I knew was that there were sharp corals and Mako sharks surrounding the place.

"Mako?" I squeaked. "Cleo—I mean they—could get hurt!"

"Yeah," Zane said, shrugging. "Go figure."

I then made it my duty to protect my sister. No matter how much she hated me, Cleo was my twin and I needed to help her. If she died, it would automatically be my fault over others. I was the one hiding, and I could have easily stopped her. Plus, if she died, I would basically be nothing. A half without the other. Peanut butter without jelly. I just was not whole without Cleo; I had no one to follow. I made up my mind then and there. No matter how much I hated Zane (one of the only things Cleo and I actually agreed on), I had to help Cleo.

I took a deep breath and said, "How fast can you get me a boat?"

OoOoO

The answer was pretty darn fast. Zane hit me where it hurt most. He gave me a speed boat (promising me he'd murder me if I scratched it) and I was currently off and running. I knew Zane was only in on this to get his Zodiac back and Rikki in trouble, but I really didn't care at the moment. All I wanted was my sister home and safe.

I sped down the ocean, knowing they'd probably already be at Mako by the time I arrived.

And I was right. I dragged the boat onto shore, where I found the Zodiac discarded, the only remnants of Cleo, Emma and Rikki was Emma's purse, only thing missing was her phone.

I began to climb the rocks. I needed to find the other girls, which was going to be hard. The whole of Mako was pretty darn big, and it would be a coincidence if I found them. I was just here to help any injured person (I would be more concerned if it were Cleo, though.)

I stepped onto a moss-covered rock, taking my time not to slip. Though no matter how hard I tried, I managed to trip and twist my ankle.

Thinking of Cleo, I shook it off and stood up. I put a bit of pressure on my foot. It hurt just a bit, but not so much that I thought it would be needed to worry about. I continued my journey.

I was busy pulling myself up onto a rock and trying to shoo away the small spider on my shoulder when I heard voices. I craned my neck to hear, "Jump, Cleo, jump! It's the only way to make it across the rocks."

I ducked behind a small boulder and peeked out to see the ground of two rocks, each covered with thick patches of moss here and there. In between the rocks was a space a few feet wide, and the pit led to who knows where. Emma and Rikki were waiting patiently on the right rock, Emma waving her phone high in the air, and Rikki tapping her foot impatiently, arms crossed. Cleo was on the left rock, stepping on a patch without any moss, as if debating whether or not to jump.

"Cleo!" Emma called, and Cleo jumped. My heart leapt up to my throat just as Cleo landed. Rikki and Emma cheered.

I thought it was over, but that was before I realized Cleo landed on moss and she slipped and fell, but not to the ground. She fell down a seemingly invisible hole.

"Cleo!" Emma cried, and the two girls rushed over to the hole. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," came the echoed reply, slightly stalled. "Help me! It's too steep to climb."

"I'm going down," Emma bravely said.

"But what good would that do?" Rikki asked, but it was too late, for Emma was already sliding head first down the hole.

I watched as Rikki peered down the depthless hole. "What should I do?" Rikki called down. No reply. "Hello?" she called again. Still no reply. I was getting worried. "Screw this," I barely heard her mutter, and she dove into the hole.

I knew there was no way they were getting out, so I quickly crept to the hole. I heard echoes of Emma, Cleo and Rikki, frantically arguing and deciding how to get out. I heard the loud Emma's voice say, "Look! Over there! There might be an exit!"

I heard footsteps that died away and soon disappeared all together.

I started biting my fingernails nervously. What should I do? Well, obviously follow them to keep Cleo out of trouble!

I sat down at the opening of the hole, peering down to see if I could see anything in the way of my slide. I came to be disappointed when I figured it was all pitch blackness. I held my breath, pushed off with my hands, and slid down silently.

"Oof!" I couldn't help but yell as I landed, toppling over myself. I sat up and brushed myself off. I did not expect the slide to be that fast.

I then noticed my surroundings. I was in a shallow cave, surrounded by massive black walls that sparkled as if covered with diamonds. I touched the ceiling (not hard to do since it wasn't that high up) and found it just to be slightly damp. I peered around, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the dark, when I saw what Emma, Cleo and Rikki saw: ragged black rock stairs jutting out, as if waiting for anyone to step on them. They seemed to lead somewhere.

I stood up, ducking slightly to keep my head from hitting the rooftop. I then stepped on the black rock, but quickly took my foot off. I was afraid that I was either going to slip on its shiny surface, or it would crumble beneath my weight. I decided to risk it.

I slowly ascended the staircase. It climbed slowly higher and higher, though not by much. I came nearer to some voices.

"Come on Cleo. You can do it. What, do you want to be stuck here forever?" came the bossy and demanding voice of Rikki. I met the exit, but quickly hid behind a wall so the trio wouldn't see me.

Let's just say the scenery was beautiful. So many other words to describe it, but beautiful covered quite a bit. I knew I had found the heart of the island: the volcano, symbolizing the middle of Mako was the shell we were in. The cone of it was at the top, and you could see the starry sky out of the hole at the top, the bright full moon almost over it. Under it, there was a magnificent pool of water, where Emma now was treading water, her hair slicked back with water as if she'd already gone under. Rikki was next to her, her curly hair still dry, but the ends of it floating in the crystal clear water. Cleo only had her shoeless feet in the pool, mixing up the water that came beneath them. I recalled how Cleo always hated water (and because of that, I had sworn I would be afraid of water, too.)

She took a brave, deep breath and said, "How many seconds?"

Emma shrugged. "Twenty, give or take five seconds. Not long at all."

Cleo snorted. "For you," she muttered, crossing her arms and looking away in my direction. For a brief second I thought she spotted me, but I hid more and she seemed to counter herself, as if seeing me wasn't real.

Rikki extended her hand, hypnotizing Cleo with her eyes. Cleo soon agreed, and took her hand, plunging underwater. After three seconds, she came up for air.

They were going to exit, but that was before the moon came over the opening of the volcano. The water began to do something weird: it was bubbling rapidly.

"Cleo!" I screamed, finally giving away my identity. Cleo, surprised that I was there and by the bubbling, gasped. I ran and jumped in the pool, attempting to save her.

I was underwater for a while, trapped between the girls legs. The frothing of the water didn't help. I guessed it was some sort of hot tub, even though the water wasn't at all warm.

No matter how much I fought, I couldn't get to the surface or see. Once the bubbling had ceased, the girls made a space for me to come up for air.

"What are you doing here?" Cleo asked, wildly mad at me.

"Who are you?" Rikki asked suspiciously.

I ignored Rikki, and pushed past the last of the bubbles. "I was just trying to help," I said sheepishly.

"We'll call the police once we're back on land," Rikki assured Cleo. She looked coldly at me. "Wait a second. Are you related to Cleo? You look like her." She looked at Cleo, then at me.

"I'm her twin," I said.

"Fraternal twin," Cleo interrupted. "And just because I'm her sister—"

"Twin," I corrected smugly.

"—She feels she can butt in whenever and do all the things I like," Cleo said.

"She's very annoying," Emma put in, talking to Rikki.

"Hey, I heard that. And don't think I didn't hear the things you said about me on the way to the mall," I said hotly.

Emma and Cleo stared at me. "You followed us all that time?" Cleo was furious. "How could you? How'd you even get here anyway?"

"Boat," I said easily.

"From who?" Rikki asked.

I sighed. "Uh...Zane?"

Well, that certainly made them explode. "Zane?" Emma and Rikki screeched. Cleo had had enough. She dove under, swimming to get out.

Slowly but surely, Emma and Rikki followed. I just sat there, stunned. Had I done the right thing? Was it really worth all that? Well, of course. I had saved Cleo from danger.

I took a deep breath and sunk underwater. I followed the girl's trails and found an underwater exit. I surfaced on the other side, breathing in deeply to regain my lost oxygen. I spotted Cleo climbing aboard the water police's boat, Emma and Rikki next. I swam in their direction, hopping on the boat and riding off.

-Cleo POV-

I was still steaming mad at Kim the next morning. Not only had I gotten in trouble with my dad, but also I had been blamed for Kim's actions, and I was grounded double the time I would have been! And Kim didn't even care, the pest.

I stripped off my clothes and hung them on the rack. I was now facing my bubbly warm bath, waiting for it to be ready to get in. I was looking forward to warming up.

I stepped a toe in. Perfect temperature. As quick as that, my whole body was submerged in warm bath water. I closed my eyes and leaned against the bathtub's siding. I felt like I was going to go to sleep.

I was abruptly awoken by a door slamming and a frantic, "Cleo!" being called. My eyes shot open as I saw Kim staring in horror at me.

"Kim!" I screeched, putting my hands over myself to shield me, but I realized I wasn't naked. I had a scaly bikini top on.

"What the hell...?" I muttered, wiping away the rest of the bubbles. My legs felt weird. They didn't feel like two, more like...one.

I stared in awe at what I saw as the remaining bubbles popped. In place of my feet was a huge, orange and scaly tail. A mermaid's tail.

I looked quickly back at Kim. Her horrific gaze turned into one of pure happiness. "Cleo! Guess what? I went to wash my face this morning and I sprouted a tail, too! It was orange also! Oh Cleo, now we are truly twins! We have a secret between us now!"

I realized with dread what she meant. The moon pool yesterday must have caused this with its abnormal bubbling, and now I was stuck with a tail. We were stuck with tails.

And now she was right. I had a chance to get away from her, to have one thing that was mine. But that chance was over, and now we'd always be joined together. Always.

A/N: How'd you like it? I am going to update my other story ASAP. But for now, I have an idea. Should I write another story, but this time it will be an interactive H2O story? I'm seriously thinking about writing it. Of course, I'd have to write it all at once and upload it all at once, but that wouldn't matter. How does it sound? Review with your thoughts. Ciao! Oh, and, Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukah! Happy Kwanzaa! Happy whatever else you celebrate! Bye!