Chapter 9

Rikki's POV

I was walking at the mall with Zane. So far, our date was amazing. He really has changed.

"I'm sorry," I said to him.

He looked at me and asked, "For what?"

"For being mean to you when you were just trying to help at the moon pool. I was a jerk and I really am sorry."

"What happened to the Rikki who never apologized?" he asked me.

"You're not the only one who changed."

"Really?"

"Yep. I am now more sympathetic. Someone shoot me." We both laughed and walked into the ice-cream shop.

"How may I help you?" the man at the counter asked.

"Get anything you want. I'm paying," Zane said to me.

"Great! Then I can get everything in the shop." He looked at me with disbelief. "Kidding. I'll have a vanilla cone with rainbow sprinkles."

"And I'll have the same," Zane said.

The man started to create our orders and I said to Zane, "Copycat."

He looked at me and said, "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." He kissed me. "Zane, I want to take it slow."

"We were kissing on the beach."

"I know, but I think that if we take it slow, I will forgive you faster." Did that make sense?

"Okay. Fine." He paid for our ice-cream and we sat down at one of the tables.

"So, how's your dad?" Zane asked me.

"You really want to talk about my dad?"

"No." We laughed.

"I don't blame you. And I don't really talk to him much anymore. He got a new job and is always gone. I do wish he was there for me though."

"Do you want to talk about it? I have become a better listener lately."

"You are so cocky."

"You like it. Admit it." He had me there.

I nodded and said, "Remember that time when we were eating ice-cream and you got it on your shirt."

"The way I remember it was that you got your ice-cream on my shirt."

"You pulled me into you." We stood up and started walking out the shop.

When we were outside he said, "Like this?" He pulled me into him and my ice-cream smashed into his shirt. This is the second time that happened, but I like how he recreated it.

"Yeah. Oh, and look! You have ice-cream on you again!" I started laughing at him and he started to laugh after a couple of seconds.

"Ha ha. Very funny."

We walked to the beach and finished eating our ice-cream.

"Thanks for the ice-cream," I said.

"Anytime, Rikki."

Once we got on the beach we sat in our spot, the place where we were kissing earlier, and he put his arm around me.

I really miss Emma. I pray that she isn't dead. She can't be. If she is gone, I lost one of my best friends. I remember how she used to yell at me for all the reckless things I do. She cared about me and I treated her like crap most of the times. I wonder how Ash took the news.

"You okay Rikki?"

"Huh?" I asked him.

"I asked if you were okay. Just tell me the truth and don't hide how you really feel.

He waited for me to answer. I looked at him with tears stuck in my eyes.

"I'm scared," I said.

"Don't be."

"How can I not be? Emma is missing. Something hit me over the head and made me lose my memory. Oh, and let's not forget the mermaid tail I saw in the moon pool and I still don't know whose tail it was. I am freakin scared!" I stood up and dived into the ocean. I could hear Zane screaming my name.

He just doesn't understand. He's not a mermaid- merman? How can he not understand how I feel? He said he cared for me. If he cared for me, then he would support me. I knew I shouldn't have trusted him.

I swam into the moon pool with my eyes closed. I reached the surface and opened my eyes.

There was another mermaid in the pool.

"Who are you?" I asked the mysterious mermaid.

She said nothing. Her blonde hair reminded me of someone. Wait.

"Emma?"

She turned around and looked at me. I couldn't tell who it was. Her hair was covering her face. She put her finger up to her lips, as if to tell me to be quiet. The mermaid went underwater and swam away.

"Who was that?" I asked myself out loud.

I went under water and tried to follow her. I saw her tail and swam towards her.

Why won't she stop? She went behind a rock. I followed her and when I got to the other side of the rock, she was gone.

I swam above water and looked around. I was right outside of Mako. Right near the shore, I saw a boat. The boat looked so familiar. It couldn't be.

Denmen.

I swam away as fast as I could. I needed to tell the girls.

I saw Cleo and Bella together on the beach. Thank god. I won't have to go searching now.

"Cleo! Bella!" I screamed. They looked at me. I ran towards them. When I finally caught up with them I said, "We have a problem. Denmen is back." Cleo gasped and Bella looked confused.

"Who's Denmen?" Bella asked us.

Cloe answered her. "Denmen is someone who found out that we were mermaids. She trapped us in the moon pool and we thankfully got out."

"How did you get her off your back?" Bella asked.

I said, "We gave up our powers. It was only for like half a day though. She believed we were normal and come to think of it. She's the reason me and Zane broke up the first time. That bitch!"

"Rikki, calm down. We can deal with your Zane problems later. We have to focus on Denmen. Are you sure it was her?" Cleo asked me.

"It was her boat." Should I tell them about the mystery mermaid?

"Hey guys!" we heard someone yell. We turned around and saw Lewis. He saw our faces and asked us, "What's wrong?"

"Denmen," we said at the same time.