A/N: So this chapter was originally going to be about Bella meeting Carys, as stated in the previous chapter, but I changed my mind because I can so there you go. I wanted to get back to the real plot. ;) This will probably end soon. Then I'll probably rewrite it for the gazillionth time, and change it quite a lot, then add a sequel. Now, uh, read...

Chapter Eighteen

Lydia's POV

"Lydia...?" a gentle voice pulls me out of my deep sleep. "Are you okay?"

As my eyelids flutter open I see a teenage girl with jaw length honey coloured hair and twinkling blue eyes towering above me. Emily. I slowly sit up from my position in which I was lying on the sand beside the pool.

"What happened...?" I tentatively ask Emily as I stand on shaking legs.

"You, uh, shouted at me then... passed out," she tells me.

I groan, and collapse on to the ground again.

"What was that?" she asks.

"I'm just... tired."

"I'm no expert but it didn't seem like you were just tired to me."

"Leave it," I say abruptly.

"Lydia. Has this ever happened before?" She says my name firmly, but her voice softens as she continues.

"Once or twice..."

"You should go see a doctor or something..."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

I choose my words carefully. "There isn't a... medicine for it."

"So you know what's going on with you?"

I groan again.

"Lydia! Tell me!" she snaps, beginning to get fed up with me.

"I... I can't!" I screech, growing impatient, and with that, I leap into the water and swim away as fast as I can.

Emily's POV

As Lydia swims away, I feel nothing but pity for her. It's obvious that her fainting had something magical about it. I'm just not quite sure what. I pace around on the sand for a bit, trying to concentrate and figure out what's going on, before I give up completely and dive into the moon pool myself. I slowly swim aimlessly, hoping that will help me to focus, but it doesn't. If anything, it does the exact opposite. And so it isn't long before I head for home.

I swim quickly until I reach a familiar cove - the place where I normally dry myself off. No one ever really comes here, so it's a perfect spot. I drag myself behind a large rock anyway, just in case. Unfortunately, I'm not a secret agent with a hair dryer installed in my watch or something - however cool that would be - and so I have to wait it out to dry off.

Lolly... I mumble in my mind as I rest my head against the rock and close my eyes.

Yes... a mumbled reply comes back.

I wish you could dry me off because I'm in the cove sun drying and I feel like I'm about to feel asleep which would probably end with some sort of catastrophe.

Yeah, sorry, I can't be bothered...

You're mean.

I know.

I smile. Good old Lolly. I sometimes think she quite enjoys being mean. And in all honesty, I wouldn't mind being more like that myself. It probably would have helped me a lot with Lydia earlier. Suddenly, I feel myself transform back into a human. I open my eyes and jump up, then start in the direction of Rikki's Café, which is where I'm hoping at least one of the others is. I need to tell them about my encounter with Lydia.

Lolly's POV

"So she just screamed at you then fainted?" I ask, an eyebrow raised.

"Uh... pretty much..." Emily replies.

I smirk. "Guess she had it coming to her.

Emily frowns. "No, this is more serious than that. I think there's something wrong..."

"Good! Let it stay that way! I don't like her. I don't like either of them."

"Neither do I but... I just have a bad feeling."

I sigh, and press a hand against my head. "This is stressing me. I'm going for a swim."

"Want us to come with you?" Mel offers.

I shake my head. "Alone."

Mel just shrugs. "Your choice," she says, and with that, I stand up and exit the café.

It doesn't take me long to get to the beach, but it's long enough for me to have calmed down, even if only a little. Until, that is, I spot Elexis and Lydia just a few metres away from me. Although they aren't even looking in my direction, I shoot a glare at the two of them, and run into the water, beyond caring if anybody sees me.

When I arrive at the moon pool I hoist myself out of the water and quickly steam dry myself. By this time, I've tired myself out with my fast swimming, and so I simply sink down onto the sand and close my eyes. The midday sun beats down on me through the opening in the cave's roof, luring me into a relaxing sleep after the annoying morning I've had. It's just as I'm drifting off that a voice drags me awake.

"Lola?" someone inquires sceptically. I immediately straighten up - panicking first of all that there's someone else in here, then that they know my name - and turn towards the land entrance. Cue widened eyes from me...

A/N: Sorry for another short chapter, but hey, it's something. So, who do you think it is that came into the moon pool and saw Lolly? I'll try and update soon in order to not leave a cliffhanger for too long a time ;)

-KittyKat X)