Lyla was not in a panic. Her nerves were not on edge, her leg was not bouncing like a hummingbird's wings, and she was most definitely not in a panic.
It had been hours since Nixie and Cam had left in search of Zac and not one of them had returned yet.
With a flick of her wrist, she brought her watch into view, her heart lurched in her chest and she rose from her seat and headed to the stage where Serena and David were busy putting away their equipment.
Setting the last container atop of two others Serena turned to spot Lyla coming their way. She turned to look at her mate, gesturing at him with her arm and catching his attention. "I can finish up, just need to put things in the corner." he gestured for her to handle whatever situation had arisen.
After dating the mermaid, David learned that something was always going to pop up. And David understood why, putting away the mermaid aspect of things, those girls were sisters in every way that matters and there wasn't anything they wouldn't do for each other.
"Serena, we have a situation," Lyla wrung her hands together, obviously agitated. Serena gestured to her friend to head to one of the corners of the cafe where they could talk privately.
Serena worried. "What happened?" she asked and let herself be led outside the café. Lyla looked around to make sure no one would be listening in on them. "Zac, went out swimming around Mako this morning and hasn't come back. Nixie and Cam went out to find them but they haven't returned either," She said.
Serena frowned in worry and reached out and took her friend's hands in her own to stop the anxious wringing. "I'll go out after them, you should stay here," she said, sensing an objection coming she quickly added, "I know you want to go out there, but think this through, if all of us go and he comes back, who will tell us the search is over?" she reasoned.
Lyla wanted to argue, but Serena's reasoning was solid. So with a bitter taste in her mouth, she nodded and sighed in defeat. "Fine, but if I don't hear from anyone before midnight, I'm heading out," she warned.
Serena smiled tightly, looking at the clock on the wall she noticed she was getting a two-hour window. Deciding the amount of time was fairly reasonable she nodded her head and pulled the other blonde in for a hug. "We'll find him, I promise," she whispered before pulling away. "Let me tell David and I'll head out. You go back to the grotto and tell Rita what's happening, if things go south, she'll know what to do."
"I might as well go with you then," Lyla suggested.
"No!" Serena cried in a panic, causing the few remaining patrons and David to turn and look at them. Blushing Serena continued. "I know you, you'll just find an excuse to follow after me, I'll ask David to walk you to Ms. Santo's home and stay there with you."
Lyla frowned, lately no one wanted her in the water after the sun went down. Serena had a point though if she was in the water, it would be very easy for her to go her way in search of Zac. Lyla felt something wasn't right, she was normally able to sense when a big change was headed their way. Like the time Zac had first landed on Mako they were Outcast when Zac found out about them, and a few other times, and now she felt like a huge change was headed their way again.
Finally, she relented, her hands dropped to her sides and her shoulders sagged. "Fine, but be back by moon's time, with or without him, otherwise I'm heading out after you," she warned again.
Wrapping her arms tightly around her friend, Serena whispered her promise to be back before the moon hit its zenith before making her way to her boyfriend to explain the situation. With a quick kiss, the mermaid rushed out of the café, and moments later a distant splash could be heard.
David and Lyla looked at each other in awkward silence before the young man broke the silence. "Would you like a tuna sandwich for the road?"
Lyla bit her lip. "Can I have a can of anchovies instead?"
Grinning David nodded and gestured for her to stay put before heading to the kitchen to grab a can and handing it to her along with the keys to the shop. "You can help me close up, let me get the lights."
Lyla smiled, her worries pushed back for the time being. She trusted her friends, and until the moon was at its peak, she would not panic.
Zac was no idiot, contrary to popular belief.
He knew he was being followed. Honestly, were all girls this back at stalking, or did he just have a sixth sense for this kind of thing?
What did throw him for a loop was the fact that they weren't invisible as they trailed after him. Then again, Zac only suspected, which is why he had walked around until he spotted the beach, only it wasn't the ocean beach he arrived at. Looking around casually as if lost - which wasn't all that hard considering he was actually lost- he noted that the girls were still hot on his trail.
Deciding it was a now-or-never venture, he made haste to the closest tree and used his powers to create a large water tentacle he then released, causing a large splashing sound. Distraction set he took a calming breath before going invisible.
The four young women heard the splash and looked at each other with wide eyes. Taking no one by surprise Emma and Bella were the first two to move forward, despite Rikki and Cleo's whispered warnings.
Looking at each other, the blonde and brunette shrugged and followed after their friends until they reached the water, all of them making a face at the smell. "Do you think he went in there, willingly?" Bella asked after a moment.
The other girls shrugged, unsure. "Maybe he fell?" Cleo suggested, causing everyone to turn to look at her, in turn, she blushed and averted her gaze.
After a few minutes of staring at the water and waiting, Emma spoke up "Shouldn't he have surfaced by now?" she asked.
Bella frowned, "Do you think he's on to us, think he knows we're following him?" she wondered.
"Not a chance," Rikki said confidently with a scoff. After years of sneaking around, the young women were confident in their sneaky skills.
It was then that Zac decided to make himself visible behind the girls. "So you were following me, why?" he challenged.
Cleo, who seemed to be the one who got startled the most jumped back in fright and bumped into Bella, who then stumbled over Rikki, who in turn knocked Emma over the edge. Emma, in a desperate attempt to not fall over, grabbed the back of Cleo's shirt –and some hair- for support, causing both of them to lose their balance and crash into the water.
"Cleo, Emma!" Bella exclaimed.
Zac panicked thinking that perhaps the girls didn't know how to swim. "Maybe he had been wrong all along and they were just regular, albeit awkward, young women. He was seriously debating going in after them, just to make sure they were still alive when they surfaced.
Zac grinned excitedly, his fists pumping in tandem as he danced in victory. "I knew you were mermaids!"
Panic seized the girls, sharing a look the other two girls made to jump, but Zac, having become familiar with that look held up his hands open in defense.
"Stop, stop-stop stop!" he said quickly, stepping closer to them, effectively stopping them from joining the others in the water. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me, but I promise you I'm no danger to you," he promised before offering them a wary grin. "If anything you might be the ones of danger to me."
Sharing a look among themselves again, Rikki's face hardened and she turned her attentions to the man before them. Crossing her arms at her chest she raised a brow, focusing her attention on him. "Oh really, how's that?"
Zac laughed at the image of another familiar blonde striking the same pose. "We'll let's just say our kind don't play well with each other."
"What does that even mean, our kind?" she asked challengingly, and the girl behind him made to move behind the other blonde, hedging closer to the water.
Zac made a face and scratched the back of his head nervously. "Funny story actually, a bit of a long one too," he started.
"Why don't you try us?" came the surprising reply from Cleo.
Everyone turned to look at the brunette like she had sprouted two heads, causing her to duck her head, embarrassed. "I mean, we've heard a fair bit of long funny stories, might as well hear yours too."
Then everyone fixed their rather expectant eyes on Zac, waiting for him to speak.
"Um, I think it might be easier if I showed you rather than tell you," he eventually saved, looking around nervously. "But could you guys um, get out of the water first?" he asked.
"Why?" came Emma's response.
"Because this is not the kind of conversation that happens out in the open," he said simply.
"I can text Will to meet us at his place in 20 minutes." Bella offered, pulling out her phone from her back pocket.
"That works," Zac shrugged, this was going much more amicable than he thought it would go.
Hopefully, it will continue to be so. He really needed to get back home. Looking at his watch, his gut churned, the girls were probably getting worried about him.
"Come on, you can follow behind." Rikki's voice snapped him back to the matter at hand.
Sighing deeply, he gestured for them to lead the way.