02.
When Rikki saw the look at Emma's eyes she knew she'd been right about her reaction all along. Still, she copied Cleo's actions and gave Emma a hug too. When they released she could feel the tension rising.
Emma turned to Lewis, Zane and the two blonds sitting next to them. She then pointed at Will and Bella turning to ask Cleo and Rikki, "Who are they?"
Rikki was the one to answer. "Our friends. That's Bella who is also one of us and the boy next to her is Will - her boyfriend. He knows everything so there's no place for worries."
"Everything?!" Emma asked firmly.
"Everything." Rikki repeated with a nod.
Bella stood from the table and walked to Emma.
That's when Emma noticed her two best friends and the new girl were wearing identical crystal necklaces. Her hand reached up to where her locket was lying on her chest and anger filled her.
"You must be Emma." Bella smiled to her. "It's so nice to finally meet you, I've heard so much about you from Cleo and Rikki." And she stretched her hand towards Emma.
Emma however didn't take it. She turned to Cleo and Rikki.
"We need to talk."
"Ok." Both of them answered immediately.
"At our private place." She finished and pointed out of the cafe.
Rikki and Cleo nodded and they walked out along with their blond friend.
Emma dived in the water and they jumped after her. Emma and Rikki had one of their races again, but with Emma not being able to swim so much while traveling, Rikki was far ahead from her and was the first one to surface the moon pool. After a few seconds the other girls followed. When Emma surfaced she felt new wave of anger forming inside her. The three of them pulled out of water and Rikki dried them.
Emma pointed angry at the wall. "What happened here?" She asked firmly looking at her best friends faces.
"It's a long story." Cleo replied.
"I don't care, I want to hear it!" Emma hissed at her and Cleo's eyes watered.
Rikki noticed that and stared at Emma. "What's your problem?"
Emma couldn't believe her ears.
"What's my problem? You replaced me with two strangers, you've recked our private place, you switched the lockets that we were meant to always wear, to some stupid crystal necklaces and you ask me what my problem is?"
Tears started falling down Cleo's cheeks.
"How could you do this to me?" Emma started shouting at them.
"Em, we're sorry, we can explain-"
"No, Cleo don't!" Emma shouted at her. "Don't even try!"
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Rikki hissed at her angrily. "You come back after you've been gone for almost a year and a half, and you start shouting at us? Who do you think you are to judge us like that without even giving as a chance to talk to you?!"
"Well, last time I've checked I was your best friend and I had no choice but go and you know it!"
"Of course you had a choice! Everybody always has a choice! But you chose to go and leave us! And when we finally got over your absence, when we went through what you can call the hell, and made two amazing and loyal friends, you suddenly show up again, and start yelling and accusing us for something we'll never be capable of, instead of first listening to us and trying to understand! That's the choice you made!"
Emma had red spots on her cheeks. She quickly made a step back from Rikki. She knew that she was the rebel of the group, but she had no idea how much Rikki had changed while she was gone. It seemed she took her place as the leader of the group and there was some strange power inside of her.
"Well, now you two will have to make a choice!" She hissed at the two girls. "I'm back now and I have no intention to let those two newbies in our group. Especially her. So, it's up to you to decide, it's either me or her."
"You can't be serious!" Rikki shouted at her face.
"I've never been more serious in my life! We're best friends and you two need to make a choice!"
"Best friends don't give each other ultimatums!" Rikki hissed at her.
"This friend does!" Emma shot back.
Rikki pulled out her locket with the red gem stone from her though she didn't wear it on her neck anymore, she always carried it with her everywhere she went. Now she threw it on the ground in front of Emma.
"You're going to regret what you made us to do!" She hissed. "I can't believe what you've turned in to!"
With those last words she dived in the moon pool and disappeared under the water, leaving only small waves after her.
Emma suddenly felt her emotions burst into her. She was angry Rikki didn't choose her, but at the same time she felt a strange emptiness in her heart while watching one of her best friends swim away. Tears started to form in the back of her eyes. She turned to Cleo who was looking at the small waves in the moon pool left from Rikki and was on the verge of bursting into tears.
"What about you? Who do you choose?"
The brunette turned to look at her. Inside her heart was breaking, but she had to do that's .
"You." She answered simply. "I choose you."
"Thank you." Emma said and the corners of her mouth trembled in an attempt to give Cleo a small smile. "Now it's only the two of us, me and you, like the old times." She then suddenly became serious again. "Promise me you'll never speak to her ever again!"
A tear rolled down Cleo's cheek when she whispered, "I promise."
"Good." Emma said and jumped in the pool, swimming out of Mako.
Cleo walked to where Rikki's locket was lying and took it in her hands before breaking down and bursting into tears. She kept Rikki's locket next to her heart and whispered through tears in the air, "Forgive me!"
{ * }
Meanwhile Rikki came back furious at the cafe and when she sat back on their table she left a deep sigh to come out from her mouth, before she looked at Bella and said, "From now on it'll be only the two of us."
"What?" Bella asked confused. "Why?"
"Emma made me and Cleo choose between the two of you. Cleo chose Emma, so now it'll be only the two of us!" Rikki answered.
"But that means you chose-" Bella started.
"Yes." Rikki said and gave her a small smile.
"Hang on, where's Cleo right now?" Lewis interrupted. "She must be devastated that she had to choose between two best friends."
"Still out there with Emma." Rikki answered.
With that Lewis jumped from his seat and went straight to Mako.
{ * }
Lewis found Cleo crying at the moon pool cave. He sat next to her and took her in his embrace, kissing her on the head.
"What happened?" He asked her gently.
She turned up her head to look at him and whispered, but "It's over, Lewis... She left us... Our friendship is broken."
And she lowered her head, bursting into tears again. Lewis was held her tight trying to comfort her and kissed her head from time to time.
He didn't know what had happened between the girls, but he knew he had to do something. He had to go and have a talk with Emma.
{ * }
Back at the cafe, Rikki was still fussing, but somehow Zane managed to calm her down a bit. He put his arm around her shoulders and her close.
"Look, I don't know what happened, but I know you're going to sort it out." And he gave her a small smile.
"Not this time." Rikki sighed. "It's over, Zane. Between me and the girls is over."
"Their loss then." Zane said trying to cheer her up.
"Thanks." Her lips twinkled forming a barely visible smile and she went behind the bar to make herself a new drink.
{ * }
Meanwhile Will and Bella went back to his boatshed. Bella was quiet all the way there and Will was concerned about her.
"Is everything ok with you?" He asked her.
"What? Oh, yeah." She said. "I just...I don't know how I'm going to live with this."
"Live with what?"
"It's all my fault, Will. I was the one who broke their friendship apart."
"No you didn't! Don't you dare to blame yourself for that!"
She looked at him and he could see the tears forming in her eyes.
"But I...Rikki lost two best friends because she chose me and I'm afraid one day she might regret about it and then..." She didn't finish, but he understood.
"She knows what she's doing, and everything's going to be fine. She'll never regret choosing you, because you're an amazing person and friend! It'll take time, but she'll be ok, I know it. She's stronger than any of us ever thought. Don't doubt that."
"It sounds good and I wish I could believe you, Will."
"Than believe me, it all will be fine. Maybe not now, but one day it will be, I promise you."
"I hope so...because otherwise..." She trailed off deep in her thoughts.
{ * }
After leaving Cleo at Mako Emma curled up in her bed and tears started running down her cheeks from the memory of Rikki swimming away from the moon pool.
Rikki was her best friend and Emma wondered if she'd ever get over what happened. She doubted it.
She heard her doorbell ringing and quickly ran downstairs to answer the door.
"Oh." She said. "It's you."
"It's me." He answered and tried to smile at her.
"Look, I don't know what you want, but I'm not in a mood right mow."
"I want to talk to you about Cleo and... Rikki."
"I will hear you out about Cleo, but I don't want to hear a single word about Rikki!"
"Well, you're going to have to!" Lewis stated passing through her entering into the house.
Emma closed the door behind her and turned to face Lewis.
"Go on, talk."
"Well, first of all - welcome back!"
She smiled a bit.
"Thanks."
"Now to the main thing. Look, I know how upset you were to come back and find everything different, but Cleo and Rikki didn't replace you with Bella. You have no idea how much they missed you, especially Rikki! They would never replace you for anything!"
"Yeah, but they did replaced me. Look, Lewis, I-"
"No, Em, listen to me. Cleo and Rikki love you more than anything. When you left new problems began for both of them. There was a water tentacle that attacked them-"
"A water tentacle?!" She was taken aback.
"Yes. It attacked Rikki and kidnapped her. And if Bella wasn't there to jump in the water with Cleo and save Rikki's life...well, let's say it would've been the end of Rikki Chadwick."
Emma didn't say anything. She didn't know all of that. She accused Cleo and Rikki without trying to hear them! Lewis was glad he made Emma think all over his words.
"Look, Em, I'm here because I went to the moon pool and found Cleo crying her eyes out holding Rikki's locket. What you made them do really shook her and devastated both her and Rikki."
Emma didn't say anything again.
Lewis walked over to the door and opened it.
"What I'm saying is you were one of the closest friends I've ever seen. Is it worth it to loose a strong friendship like yours without giving them both a chance?!"
With that he left closing the door behind himself and Emma deep in her thoughts.
{ * }
Rikki was alone in the office.
After Zane's attempts to calm her down she decided to finish her shift here, doing some paper work. Soon she got bored and she had leaned back in the chair, staring into the space and thinking.
She couldn't believe what Emma had made them do. Maybe she naively believed the spooky secret she and Rikki shared would make Rikki choose her. But Rikki was an open person who always said what she thinks and did what her heart and brain were telling her to. Even that dark secret they shared wouldn't change her mind.
Flashback
It happened to be a really dark day. There were dark clouds, colored in the deepest shade of grey, covering the whole sky and the weather reports were all claiming there was a severe storm coming up. That day everyone preferred to stay home, just in case it started raining and they got caught.
The morning went peacfully. Cleo was sorting her clothes in her room while her parents were watching tv with her sister.
Emma was cleaning her room, Eliot was playing computer games in his room and their parents were cooking.
Rikki was trying to keep herself occupied with something, but when nothing seemed interesting enough she decided to go out and take a swim before the storm hit them. She took her time swimming with the sea creatures around her, playing with the dolphins and she even came closer to the sharks, to take a look at them. Finally, when she realized she's been swimming for hours she went home.
She took a bath and put her pajamas on. Taking her phone out of her jeans, she saw she had a missed call and a message from Zane.
"You didn't pick up, so you're probably at Mako. Have a safe swim back and lock yourself at home, because I heard the storm will be severe. Call me when you get home. Love you!"
Rikki smiled and layed on her bed dialing his number. They spoke nearly an hour, and the storm was already starting, when she heard someone knocking on the door of her trailer.
She ended the call with Zane and went to answer the door. But when she opened it, her eyes were wide open.
Emma was standing in front of her, but Rikki almost didn't recognized her. She was covered in blood, her hair was a mess, and she was holding her right hand over her stomach where Rikki could see a wound from a bullet. Emma's make up was all over her face, and tears were rolling down her cheeks.
Rikki quickly pulled her inside and into her room. Not saying anything, she helped Emma clean herself, and cleaned her wound after she made sure the bullet was out. Rikki then prepared a hot bath for Emma and told her, "Your bath is ready. You can take your time. You'll borrow some of my clothes, while I clean yours."
Emma only nodded, more tears coming down her face.
"Thank you." She whispered.
Rikki gave her a smile.
"Don't mention it. We're best friends and friends are always there for each other, right?!"
Emma nodded.
"Now go before the water cools down. And one more thing. I won't ask you what happened, because when you're ready and if you want, you can tell me. But if I'll be helping you, then it'd be better to go and take care of the mess if you understand me."
Emma nodded again and told Rikki where to go. Rikki nodded and before Emma went in to the bathroom, Rikki put her hand on her friend's shoulder.
"Everything will be ok. I promise you!" With that she walked out of the door.
From that moment this became their deepest secret. And it was the real reason for Emma's leaving. Because she didn't left to travel around the world with her parents. That was only a lie she and Rikki made up for Cleo, Lewis and Ash...
End of flashback
Someone was waving his hand in front of Rikki's face.
"Earth to Rikki!" He said and she snapped out of her thoughts, looking at him.
"What? Oh, sorry, I was just thinking about something." She said.
He sighed. "Emma?"
Rikki nodded.
Zane pulled her out of the chair and hugged her.
"I know a way to take your mind off things." He said walking over the door and locking it.
He then walked back to her and started tickling her.
"Zane...what the hell...no...stop..." She tried to stop him, but was laughing like crazy.
He pressed his lips roughly against hers. She put her arms around his neck. He gently touched her leg and pulled it up, putting it around his waist. She jumped putting both of her legs around him. He pushed her softly against the wall, giving her roughly kisses. "Hell, he definitely knows how to distract a person's mind off things!", Rikki thought and smiled in-between kisses...
{ * }
Cleo was cleaning her room when she heard the bell rang. After Lewis had comforted her for almost an hour, she felt slightly better.
"Coming!" She shouted before running downstairs.
She opened the door and a big smile lit up on her face.
"Lewis!" She threw herself in his arms.
She pulled him inside and up to her room. She gave him a big kiss and asked him, "What are you doing here?"
"I need to talk to you." She tried to smile, but his tone was firm.
"What is it?" She asked and they both sat on her bed.
"I have to go back." He said and her smile vanished.
"What?"
"I have to go back to the States."
"But...why?"
"We had only a week off university before starting again."
"But that..that means-"
"Yes. My flight's on sunday, in the evening."
Cleo didn't know what to say. Tears started rolling her cheeks.
"When...when will I be able to see you again?" She asked quietly, almost whispering.
"I don't know."
She hugged him and bursted into tears on his shoulder.
He laid on the bed still hugging her, and they spent hours like that. The only thing that could be heard was her quiet sobbing.
{ * }
Emma curled up on the couch in the living room. She was thinking of what Lewis had told her and about her secret with Rikki when her doorbell rang.
"Go away, Lewis!" She yelled, but whoever was at the door continued pressing the doorbell.
Emma sighed in annoyance and stood up to open the door. She almost fell down when she saw who was her secretive guest.
"Ash?"
"I'm back, Em!"
She threw herself in his arms.
"It's so amazing to see you again!" She said.
The pair soon was sitting on Emma's couch talking about everything that's been going on lately with them. Actually it was Ash who was talking and Em was listening.
"Enough about me." He said. "What about you? How was the trip with your parents?"
Emma's face darkened and her smile disappeared. Ash was about to ask her what's wrong when her doorbell rang again.
Without saying anything she went to answer door. When she opened it and realized who was standing in front if her she shivered and a hidden trace of fear ran through her face. When she spoke her voice was slightly shaking.
"You?!"