xiii.

"I can't believe we're having this conversation." Rikki stated while jabbing a finger into the gelatinous mass Cleo considered a dessert. A friendship offering, no less. Her stomach turned in unpleasant knots as she made the mistake of imagining it as something worth being consumed. She barely managed not to dry heave in front of its far too perky creator.

Cleo beamed as if Rikki had just invited her in for tea. "I know, it's really late for me to be finally getting to know you, but don't worry. I'll totally make up for it!"

"That's exactly what worries me," she said with a grimace.

"Well, I was going to try to make up with you a lot earlier but then I felt awkward and then it had been so long that it felt even more awkward, but then Lewis said..."

"Lewis," Rikki repeated with gritted teeth in a fashion that was meant to appear as a smile, "I should have known he was the one behind this."

"We just thought you could use someone to talk to!" Cleo replied brightly.

"Eugh. It's even creepier when you say 'we.'"

Entirely unabashed by Rikki's response, Cleo announced, "I like your house!" by way of changing the subject.

"Uh... you're joking, right?"

"No! It's really neat! Is it as cute on the inside?"

Rikki blinked, "On the inside?"

"Uuuusually when someone brings over a friendship pudding to your house, you're supposed to ask them in for tea or something."

"Yeah, I'm not really into the whole... traditional hostess thing. But thanks for stopping by!"

Seeing that Cleo made no effort to vacate her property, Rikki sighed. "You're not leaving."

"No. Lewis said you'd probably put up a fight, but I'm not supposed to leave until I'm sure that we're friends. And you're making it difficult to tell, so..."

"Hey!" Rikki interrupted, "I was just about to go out! So we should... go, right?" she finished, motioning anywhere away from the trailer she shared with her dad.

"Okay! Where were you headed?"

"That way," Rikki pointed aimlessly.

Cleo merely smiled and waited for her to lead the way. Rikki did so with an exaggerate eye roll and they ambled with no purpose away from the trailer park, though Cleo hardly seemed to mind that they had no real destination. She was content to provide Rikki with all manner of irrelevant information concerning her pet fish, kids at school, the trouble with camisoles, and natural cures for warts. By the end of it, Rikki also knew far more about Lewis and his preferences than she ever cared to know.

Cleo was by no means economical with her words, but little by little Rikki found herself appreciating the constant stream of conversation that required nothing on her part but an occasional nod of sympathy or a noncommittal noise to assure Cleo she still had her attention. It helped take her mind off of recent developments and in a weird way she was grateful that Cleo was so persistent.

However, it turned out that even Cleo had an agenda, as a very brief pause in her ramblings caused her to broach a new topic with Rikki. "So... since we're friends now, I guess I should come clean about something."

"Oh, goodie. The feelings talk already."

Undaunted, Cleo blurted, "I was really mad at you. I even hated you for a little bit."

Rikki sighed. "Perfect. So you devised all kinds of ways to get back at me, and you figured the best was to befriend me."

"No, that's not... a punishment!" she wrinkled her nose in confusion.

Rikki said nothing, but she wasn't sure she agreed.

"And I don't hate you anymore!" Cleo said with enthusiasm. "I just... I thought you and Lewis were dating, and we hadn't really talked about how we felt before, and I was confused. But I'm not mad anymore! Besides, I think you're really cool."

"Are you being serious?"

"Of course!"

"What planet are you from? Because in my world, people aren't just... cheery and forgiving and cool with people for no good reason other than to be nice."

It was Cleo's turn to roll her eyes with a little huff. "Well, in my world, they are. Sometimes. Okay, mostly it's just me. And Lewis. But I guess Emma's not really like that. Anyway, she doesn't have time to hang out anymore since the swim competition kicked into high gear. So I'm really glad we're friends now!" she beamed, and Rikki had to wonder if it hurt to smile so much, "It'll be fun to have another girl to talk to."

"Okay, let's get one thing clear," Rikki stopped her, "I am not into girly stuff. If you want someone to talk nails and hair and cute clothes during sleepovers, find another friend because that's not me."

"Oh, no problem! I already have Lewis for most of that stuff. Except the sleepovers..." her mind seemed to wander for a moment and she blushed. "What I mean is... well, it's actually... that's... guys were what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Usually, that would be my favourite subject," Rikki half-smiled, "But lately, I don't know if I can talk about that, either."

"Well... We don't have to talk about all boys. But I did want to ask you... um... have you kissed anyone before?"

"Yeah," and before she could think better of it, the words, "It was phenomenal," slipped out of her mouth.

"Really?!" Cleo looked at Rikki now as if she held all the secrets of the universe. "How did... what did you do to make him kiss you? I mean... I can't get Lewis to kiss me, and I'm starting to wonder if it's me."

"He hasn't kissed you, yet?" Rikki was about to laugh until she realised that kissing for them usually resulted in a tail. "Ah. That's... probably for the best."

"Why?"

"Well, for him... it's... probably gross, and he might want to stick his tongue in your mouth, and what if you hate it? Also, if he has a cold, you might catch it! Totally unsanitary."

"Oh. I thought it might be okay. I thought you said..."

"Nope." Rikki shook her head forcefully. "Definitely do not. Kissing leads to other things. Especially with guys like Lewis. Like one minute you're kissing and the next you could be... waking up naked in a dormant volcano!"

"Oh."

Rikki nodded. "Do not kiss Lewis. Ever. Just... don't."

Cleo sighed, "You sound like an advert for sex education."

Rikki wanted to argue, but as her mind drifted to the often embarrassing classes that her father had not seen fit to excuse her from, she felt a knot of dread forming in her belly as she remembered one of the aspects talked about most.

Pregnancy.

But she couldn't be, could she? It had only been the once! And surely her luck couldn't be that terrible...

Rikki swallowed, feeling that violent urge to vomit again.

"Cleo, as a friend, I need you to do me a huge favour."

Cleo looked as if Christmas had just come early.

"This is serious, and you can't tell anyone you're doing this for me. No one. Not even... no. Especially not Lewis."

"But I tell Lewis everything!"

"Not this time you don't, or the friendship is off."

Cleo pondered for a moment, sighed a little, and finally nodded solemnly. "Okay. I won't tell anyone. Promise."

"I need you to go to the chemist with me."

A/N:

Weeeeelll... Did anyone have an inkling that this could be a possibility? Or like Rikki, are we all pretty much flabbergasted by the thought?