A Wish on a Full Moon
I do not own H2O: Just Add Water or any of the characters.
Chapter 45: Hurricane Angela (part 1)
[One beautiful morning at the Sertori house, Cleo walks into the living room and spots her sister Kim at the kitchen sink who was oblivious to the oncoming disaster. She puts on a smile as she watches her do the dishes with gloves and a sponge. Don sits at the dining room table reading the morning newspaper.]
Cleo: "Kimmy, do you want to listen to something really good?"
Kim: "Sure."
Cleo: "Well you can't."
"Kimmy?" Will questioned. "That's my name," Kim said in a duh tone. "And that's also how you know when things are about to get real bad," Lewis pointed out.
"Then what was the point of asking?" Ash asked. "She was trying to rile me up," Kim sighed. "Don't break my stuff then you wouldn't have to worry about it," Cleo scowled. "Here we go again," Don leaned his head back with a huff as Bev chuckled to herself.
"This is going to be a long one of you two arguing, isn't it?" Bev asked, sighing. "In a way," Cleo hummed.
Kim: looks up at her as the elder sister walks into the kitchen. "Huh?"
Cleo: leans against the bar and holds up her now broken music player as she raises her voice. "And neither can I. Neither can anyone because you broke my mp3 player."
"How do you know it was her?" Will asked. "Because she's the only one in the house that would take it," Cleo answered, glancing at Kim.
Kim: shocked, gets angry. "I never touched it!"
"Yes, you did. You always do," Cleo remarked. "Just like I always do the washing," Kim countered. "You know why I can't do the washing!" Cleo exclaimed. "Yeah, now we know," Kim huffed, arms crossed. "Girls," Don warned.
"Not even a minute in and you two are already arguing. Both onscreen and in real life," Bev sighed.
"You know, the good thing about this is that your parents will finally know how demonic your cousin really is," Emma whispered to her. A wide grin spreads on Cleo's face at the mention of the brilliant idea. Oh, this is going to be fun.
Cleo: "Liar! You touched it. You took it from the bottom of my desk drawer in my bedroom." Points to herself.
Kim: "Well, maybe you'd like to do your washing up." Cleo tenses up as Don looks over at the two and flips the paper over.
"I'm guessing you didn't know about the extra chores?" Harrison chuckled at their bickering. "Not at the time. Though now that we know why I think it's time we switch up who does what chores," Don mentioned. "This is going to end up with me doing the dishes more, isn't it?" Kim muttered. Greeat.
Cleo: walks closer to her and lowers her voice, clenching her teeth. "It's not mine. I pay you good money to do it for me."
Kim: "Good money?" Scoffs as Cleo glances back at their father. "More like small change."
"Hey, ten dollars is a pretty good amount for dishes. I still think that's too much," Ash remarked. "The more I have to do, the more the price is gonna go up," Kim snottily replied.
Cleo: "You greedy little –."
"Would you like the finish that sentence, Cleo?" Bev said, giving her a stern look. Cleo huffed and crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair. "No thanks."
Kim: "Slave driver! Making me do your chores while you get to hang out with your dumb friends." Don looks up, getting tired of hearing their bickering.
"Excuse me?" the three of them say simultaneously.
"And just when I was beginning to like you," Rikki shook her head.
"I'll have you know that I have A's in all of my classes," Lewis pointed out. "I might not have all A's, but I wouldn't call myself dumb. I work pretty hard for my grades," Emma narrowed her eyes.
Cleo: "They're not dumb. You are!"
"Thank you!" Rikki said, glad that her friend was defending her.
"Why aren't you stopping them?" Bev asked Don. "Well, you were there too. Besides, it was best for them to hash it out before Angela came," Don admitted. Kim smirked, realizing that their cousin was going to get busted for the mess they got them in.
Kim: "Really? Well, I guess that makes me too dumb to do the dishes. I'm on strike." Smiles smugly at her.
"That makes no sense at all," Emma frowned.
"Well, I guess that means no ten bucks for you then," Elliot laughed. "Like I could do anything with that anyway," Kim waved it off. "Are you saying you don't want the money?" Cleo raised an eyebrow. "No. I'm just saying that I can't do much with ten," Kim answered. "Save it up, then you can," Zane stated as if it were obvious.
Cleo: shakes her head. "You can't do that."
"Uh, yeah she can. You can't force her to do it," Bella said.
Kim: "Pretty sure I can." Shoves the wet sponge into Cleo's shirt. Cleo tosses the sponge back into the sink and runs back upstairs in shock. Kim slings the gloves into the sink and storms off as Don watches the two, aggravated with all the arguing.
"And now we know why she ranted for twenty minutes about how awful Kim was on the way to school," Rikki muttered to Emma who nodded in agreement.
"You look like you had enough, already," Neil chuckled. "I already heard enough from my brother, it was another to hear it from them," Don said, remembering this was during the time that his brother and wife were separating.
"Just another day in the Sertori house," Lewis mumbled.
[Upstairs, Cleo enters her room and slams her door shut, trying to rush to the bathroom. But before she could, she pauses as the transformation begins.]
Cleo: looks down and sighs, then falls to the floor. "Oh, no."
Laughter fills the room, enjoying the small mishaps that come with the life of a teenage mermaid. "Never gets old," Will laughed.
[Outside Cleo's room, Bev and Kim march up to the door and knock. Kim tries the doorknob to find it locked.]
Bev: "Cleo, can you come out here please?"
Cleo: "Not really."
"Not like I was able to," Cleo gestured to her legs. "Sorry, sweetie," Bev grimaced.
Bev: "Kim tells me you have been bullying her."
"That wasn't bullying, that was just sibling banter. Big difference," Lewis scoffed. "And how would you know?" Kim turned to him. "Uh, hello. Four older brothers," Lewis waved his hand. "Oh, right." "And she was paying you to do the dishes, it's not like she was blackmailing you. If anything, you're the bully for breaking her mp3 player," Sam stated. Kim pouted, knowing she was right.
Cleo: pauses in her path to try and drag her tail to where a towel was hanging from her desk chair. Looks up, glaring. "I have not!"
Kim: "And when I tried to discuss it with her maturely, like you've told us to, she just ran off." Crosses her arms as Bev tries to calm her down.
"I was there, Kim. And I can definitely say that that was not handled maturely," Don commented. Kim scowled as she realized she's been caught. "I think we can all agree that it wasn't," Annette nodded.
"Neither one of them was able to settle it," Emma mentioned. "She could've talked to me about the mp3 player instead of screeching in my face," Kim exclaimed. "And you could've apologized instead of shoving a wet sponge into my shirt," Cleo griped. "… and still can't apparently," Rikki muttered to Emma.
Cleo: "I did not! I just had to come and dr – dry my hands." Reaches up and snatches the towel off the back of the chair.
"Nice save," Rikki laughed quietly.
"You were about to say tail, weren't you?" Lewis looked at her. "I corrected myself," Cleo winced. "Could've said your shirt since it was the only thing that got wet," Bella pointed out. "My hands did get wet though, after throwing that wet sponge off of me," Cleo said, sending another glare towards Kim. "Sorry," Kim rolled her eyes, grumbling.
Kim: "Why? It's not like you did any of the washing up." Cleo clenches her jaw then continues drying off her arms.
"Very mature of you, Kim," Elliot giggled.
"She does have a point. You didn't," Lewis shrugged. "It's not my fault. I didn't know I was going to turn into a mermaid," Cleo sighed. And if you did know it was going to happen, would you still? Denman thought.
[Back downstairs, Don walks into the living to finish his newspaper and a mug of coffee, just as the other two mermaids plus Lewis walk into the house with their schoolbags.]
Emma: "Hi, Mr. Sertori."
Don: "Hi, girls."
"Hi to you too Mr. Sertori," Lewis said, noticing how he was left out. "Lewis if you had a morning like I did just then, you wouldn't worry about saying hi to everyone either," Don chuckled.
Cleo: stomps down the stairs with Kim taking the lead, yelling at the latter. "Do me a favor, don't ever talk to me again." Don takes his seat as the two Sertori's come barging downstairs into the living room as the three new guests watch the little feud unfold.
Kim: "Fine! I won't!" Refuses to look behind her as she marches into the kitchen. Don stands up and takes his coffee and newspaper to his office.
"You clearly had enough of their fighting already," Harrison laughed. "It's bad enough I have to listen to it every. Single. Day," Don complained. "We're not that bad," Cleo disagreed. "You two almost just got into an argument over an argument," Rikki pointed out.
"And just like that, my few minutes of peace and quiet are gone," Don sighed.
Cleo: grabs her bag off the chair and looks over to her friends. "Hey guys. I'll be ready in a few minutes. There's just one thing I've got to take care of." After putting the strap over her shoulder, Cleo walks to the end of the counter. While Kim was distracted doing the dishes once again, with a devious smirk, Cleo twists her hand and causes the soapy dishwater in the sink to explode all over Kim, causing her to scream and jump in shock.
Kim gasped as the crowd burst into laughter. "You're the one that caused that?!" "Looks like I can't use that trick anymore," Cleo said, faking a pout, which was replaced by a wide grin a second later. "Do you have any idea how hard it was to get that dish soap out of my hair?!" Kim argued. "Just as hard as it was to dry myself off, I suppose," Cleo shrugged. "Oh, you so owe me for that!" Kim huffed, crossing her arms. "You splashed me with a wet sponge. We're even!" Cleo pointed an accusing finger at her.
"This whole time I thought it was the faucet or the drain. It was you? I spent all that time and money working on that stuff for nothing," Don shook his head in disbelief. "Yes, worry about the sink, not your daughter getting soaked in dishwater!" Kim complained with a hint of sarcasm. "You came out fine," Don waved it off.
"That's so evil, but you gotta love it," Bella laughed.
"I thought you were on strike," Elliot grinned at her. "Mom made me do them still," Kim grumbled.
Kim: "Ah! The water in the basin! It jumped up at me!" Kim looks down at it in clear confusion. Don looks over at her, then back at his newspaper from his office.
Cleo: smiles mischievously then walks back over to her friends, who were looking at her in disapproval. "Alright. All set." She rushes over to the door as the rest of the group shakes their heads and follows after her.
"If I'd known it was you, I would've so gotten you back," Kim frowned. "She did it in plain sight, how did you not notice?" Will asked, still laughing. "I was too focused on the dishes that someone made me do," Kim said, glaring at her sister and mom, the former snickering at her misfortune.
[On their way to school, Rikki decides to bring up what they had just witnessed as they walk into the schoolyard.]
Rikki: "So, what happened to not using our powers unless we absolutely had to?"
"Using your powers on family, very necessary," Denman muttered sarcastically. Though, using it for sibling rivalry, not a total waste.
Cleo: "I did absolutely have to. You know my sister." They each give her a look.
"I've known her my whole life, yet I still wouldn't do that," Emma crossed her arms. "Hmmm, I think you would," Elliot disagreed. "I know I would," Rikki said, looking at her nails.
"No, you didn't. You could've just let it be. Ignore her," Sam said. "And let her have the upper hand? I don't think so," Cleo shook her head as Kim scoffed. "Unbelievable."
Cleo: "Ok. You guys don't know what it's like. You don't have little sisters."
"No, but I do have four older brothers, and believe me, there's no difference. Sure, there's some, but we still argue the same. But we always forget about it later on," Lewis commented. "Older siblings are not the same as little siblings," Cleo mentioned. "I beg to differ," Kim held her hand up along with Elliot.
Emma: "Well, I've got a little brother. And he can be pretty annoying sometimes."
"Likewise," Elliot remarked.
Rikki: "Like the time he almost accidentally forgot that it was his turn to set the table." Lewis runs off in another direction, heading to his class.
Emma: "Exactly. But we sat down and talked about it openly and honestly."
"… you're kidding, right?" Ash chuckled, quite unsure if she were serious or not.
"You two argued over table setting?" Kim raised an eyebrow at her best friend. "You two argued over dishes," Elliot countered. "And we didn't argue, I just forgot that it was my turn until Emma reminded me, that's all."
"It sounds more like an adult talking to a kid that did something wrong. You're not an adult, Em," Cleo said.
"What were you there for then if you weren't going to talk?" Charlotte asked him. Lewis shrugged. "I dunno. Morale support? We did talk though, but I guess it wasn't important enough for, whatever this is."
Rikki: "It actually works?"
"Yes." "No." Emma and Elliot look at each other strangely.
Emma: "Both times we've had a fight."
"At least I don't try freezing him," Emma grinned. "You could at least talk to us about it. Both of you," Lisa added as Neil nodded.
Cleo: frowns. "I don't think Kimmy really responds to reason."
"No, but I don't respond to water being shot at me either," Kim grumbled.
Rikki: "So a jet of water up her nose was the obvious alternative." Cleo looks at her and grins. They continue their path toward their classes.
"Thank you! The sarcasm is appreciated," Kim sighed.
"If I had a nickel for every time you've done that to me, I probably had a quarter." "That's only five times," Cleo shrugged. "Once was enough!" Kim shouted, holding up a finger.
[Later that night as the Sertori's eat at the dinner table, Bev and Don discuss the problems the two girls seem to be having.]
Bev: "Look, I don't know what this latest row between the two of you is about –."
"I told you what it was about," Kim remarked. "You told me half of the story," Bev corrected. "Did you not just see what was going on?" Don gestured to the screen. "I do now. And it seems like it's both of their faults," she sighed, rolling her eyes.
Kim: gestures to Cleo, who was sitting next to her. "She said I broke her mp3 player."
Cleo: "She broke my mp3 player." They say simultaneously.
"That's because you did," Cleo reminded. "I already said I was sorry. Any more than that is overkill," Kim rolled her eyes.
Kim: "I didn't!"
Cleo: "She's a liar!"
Kim: "I'm not a liar!"
Cleo: "She's a sneak, too. Don't you have anything better to do than snoop around my drawers?"
Kim: "Don't you have anything better to do than make up stories?"
"You see what you started?" Don muttered to her. "I can't start it when it happens on the daily," Bev muttered back. Just another reason as to why I left. The fighting was just too much.
"I take your mp3 player one time and suddenly I'm a snoop," Kim complained. "If you weren't then how did you know where my mp3 player was? And do I need to remind you about the diary again?" Cleo raised an eyebrow, smirking. "No, thanks." "I thought so."
"I wasn't making up stories, I knew you broke it," Cleo defended. "Then what about all of your other excuses for like your chores for instance?" Kim smirked back. "That's different." "No, it isn't." "Stay out of this, Lewis!" Cleo shot back as Lewis held his hands up in defense.
Bev: "Quiet! I don't want you two behaving like this when Angela arrives tomorrow."
"Who's Angela?" Annette asked. "That's my niece. Their cousin," Don nodded his head towards them and smiled fondly. "We nicknamed her Angel for short because it's in her name, but she's also the sweetest person you could ever meet."
Kim: frowns. "Angela?"
Cleo: rolls her eyes. "Your cousin, dummy."
"How did you not know?" Charlotte asked. "Angela and her parents live a pretty long ways from here, so they never got to see them often. Before this, the last time they got to see her was when Kim was a baby, so it's understandable for her not to be able to remember them, Cleo," Don said, making sure Cleo heard loud and clear. Which she did hear as Cleo lowers herself down into her seat feeling a tad guilty for calling Kim out for that.
Don: "And her parents have been going through a rough patch lately. So it would be good for her to have a happy family environment while she's here."
"That sure is one happy family," Ash laughed to himself. You have no idea, Cleo and Kim both thought, reminded of the heartbreak that their mother caused, knowing it'll be a while before they could be happy with her around again. If she stays around that is. They do often wonder though if she was happy seeing them again.
Bev: "Do we have your support on this?"
"Despite all the bickering we've heard through that week, I'm proud of you girls for working together and getting along for your cousin. I'm sure she was quite happy to be with you two," Don stated with a proud smile. "Trust me, dad. It took a lot of hard work, but we worked it out. It was all Angela's doing for us getting along, right Kim?" Cleo grinned. "Right. What a wonderful cousin she is. We couldn't have done it without her," Kim said, hiding her smug grin as her parents smile in approval, not knowing the disaster it really was.
Cleo: "Can I get a padlock on my bedroom door?"
Kim: "Can I get a new sister?"
"You two just had to ruin the moment," Emma sighed. "We both know who really ruins it," Cleo mumbled, thinking of her evil cousin.
Don: looks back at his wife then they both give them a stern look. "Girls!" They quiet down before Kim sighs and finally speaks up.
Kim: "I promise I won't let Cleo annoy me." Kim gets back to eating as Cleo glares at her and bites her cheek, stabbing at the food on her plate.
"I don't think that's what he meant," Max chuckled. "It wasn't," Don said, slapping his forehead.
"Hey, at least I kept the promise. She didn't annoy me. Mostly," Kim tilted her head.
[The next day, Cleo is getting breakfast ready at the bar as she fixes some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, spreading the peanut butter onto the bread with a butterknife. At the sound of the door opening, Cleo looks up and sees her father and cousin Angela entering the house. She puts the butterknife down and wipes her hands on her pants while she walks into the living room. Kim stands up from the couch she was sitting on as she sees her cousin in what has been quite a long time. Bev meets them downstairs, where she greets her niece.]
Don: "That's it. There we go."
Bev: "There she is."
Angela: looks at Kim and Cleo and smiles. "Hello. Whoa! You guys are so good looking." Looks at her aunt and uncle, smiling widely. "Mind you, not surprising." Don laughs happily. Cleo looks a bit surprised as Kim tries her best to hide a disgusted look.
"Aww, she's so sweet," Annette smiled. "She's such an angel," Lisa beamed. "More like a devil in disguise," Kim muttered to Cleo who hid a snort.
"I'm going to enjoy this," Cleo grinned.
"She always has been my favorite niece," Don smiled, remembering the good times. "She's your only niece," Cleo reminded him. "Still my favorite," Don shrugged. Probably not after this, Emma chuckled.
Bev: "Angela, you can come and stay anytime."
"You know what, after this, I say she should come by," Don humored. "No!" Don, and Bev, jumped in surprise at the shocking yell given by not only his daughters but the oldest daughter's group of friends as well. "Uh, maybe some other time, dad," Cleo said hesitantly. "Why?" he asked curiously, wondering what in the world happened for such a reaction. "You'll find out soon enough," Kim exhaled.
Angela: "You're so close to the beach." Looks at Don. "Can we go bodyboarding?"
Don: "Yeah, sure. Maybe we should get you unpacked first."
"It's better to get that out of the way than to procrastinate," Sam agreed.
"How long was she staying?" Zane asked. "The whole weekend," Don answered. The longest weekend of my life, Cleo groaned.
"She must love the beach," Annette smiled. "She sure does," Lewis mumbled. "They live a couple of hours away from the beach, so they only go a few times a year, but she always enjoyed it whenever they came by when she was younger," Don admitted.
"Hint number one," Lewis whispered to himself.
Kim: "Follow me." Grins and goes to Angela where she grabs her bags as they head upstairs. Don, Bev, and Cleo head into the kitchen smiling, glad to have their house guest/family member. "It's so good to have someone my own age around here."
Angela: "Cleo's a pain, then?"
"Wha – hey!" Cleo shouted, leaning up in her seat as several giggles echoed in the room.
Kim: pauses at the bottom of the stairs. "A great big one."
Angela: giggles. "She seems that full of herself. Could you carry these?" Holds her large purple bags out to Kim.
Don, Bev, and the rest of the adults' smiles falter upon hearing the surprisingly rude comment that Angela made of her older cousin. Maybe she's not as much of an angel as we thought, Sam hummed.
"That little rat," Cleo gritted her teeth, then turned her head upon hearing Kim giggle. "Oh, you think that's funny? Wait until you hear what she says about you."
"That's some pretty large bags for just one weekend," Max commented. "I don't think it's enough," Cleo replied. "It's too small." She looks around the room, seeing the stares she was getting. "What?"
Kim: "Sure. Wait until I tell you about the strike I pulled on her." Smirks as they walk up the stairs.
"A strike that you weren't even fulfilling anyway. You still did the dishes," Lewis pointed out. "Like I said before, only because mom told me to," Kim said in a duh tone. Bev had a small hint of a smile, glad that Kim still listened to her some.
[Several minutes later, Angela walks into Cleo's room, rolling one of her suitcases alongside her as Cleo walks behind her carrying her other bag.]
Angela: "Thanks for letting me stay in here. Kim's room is way too sunny. No way could I sleep in."
"That's a strange excuse. There are curtains in there for a reason. Use them," Zane scoffed. "She must've used that as a way for us to start talking about each other," Cleo whispered to Kim who nodded in agreement. "Oh, she's good."
"I know she's your family, but do you really think it's a good idea for her to stay in your room when you could sprout a tail at any moment?" Emma whispered. "Only if I touch water, and the bathroom is right there. I can just hide in there if that happens, which it didn't," Cleo whispered back. "You couldn't even make it when you ran from upstairs, do you really wanna risk it?" Rikki added her input. "It's the past, Rikki. It's fine," Cleo rolled her eyes.
Cleo: lays her bag on the bed and begins to unpack it for her. "That's fine."
Angela: looks around the room. "And Kim seems a bit, immature." Quickly looks over to Cleo and gives her a bright smile. "I hope you don't mind me saying."
"Hey!" Kim shouted as Cleo giggled with the others. "Reading diaries, causing arguments, going on strike on chores. Yeah, seems mature to me," Emma said sarcastically, grinning. Kim pouted and crossed her arms.
Cleo: "Kim is totally immature."
Kim scoffed. "You're one to talk." "Hey, I'm very mature!" Cleo exclaimed, pointing to herself. "Meh," Rikki shook her hand. "Arguing with your sister isn't very mature. And some of those you start as well," Bev added.
Angela: "It must be hard for you, putting up with her." Walks over to the bed and sits down where she holds some of the clothes up that Cleo had pulled out of Angela's bag and laid them there. "Could you hang these up for me?"
Cleo: smiles and grabs the clothes. "Sure. Oh, wait till I tell you about the so-called strike she tried to pull." Cleo walks over to the closet and starts putting them up. Angela turns around and smirks, looking down at the bed.
"Why does it sound like she's trying to make them turn on each other? She's switching sides," Don frowned. "And why is she getting them to do everything for her? There's something about this that I don't like," Bev said, pointing to the screen where Cleo was putting her things away. "That's because she was," Cleo groaned, hearing her parent's whispers.
"Clever girl," Lewis muttered.
[Later in the living room, Kim sat on the floor watching a panda documentary on the television. Angela glances at it from the side as she sits at the table flipping through a science book.]
Angela: shows a slight pain of boredom. To Kim. "I brought a couple of music DVDs we could watch instead."
"Wait a second, she's the one who had my book? How did I not notice?" Kim frowned, confusing the others.
Kim: turns to her then waves to the TV. "Aw, cool. But I've just gotta see this documentary for my science homework. It's nearly finished." Kim turns back to the TV. Angela flips through the book some more, ever so bored, then closes it and smirks as an idea pops in her head. She turns to where Kim is and grins even more as she holds the book up.
"That sounds like the most boring yet easiest homework ever," Will said. "Oh, that wasn't all. I also had to write an essay about it afterward," Kim added. "An essay?! Are you kidding? That's English, not science," Ash scoffed. "That's what I said!" Cleo interrupted. "The teacher tends to disagree," Kim huffed. "Unfortunately, writing is a part of science. You have to be able to know how to describe every single detail and how to report on it and so forth," Denman informed. "She's right. Science involves a lot of writing and studying," Max included. "And that's why I hate science," Cleo muttered. "You hate every subject," Rikki chuckled.
What is she planning? Lewis frowned. "That little thief," Kim grumbled.
[Back upstairs in Cleo's room, Don talks to Cleo about the two younger ones in the household as the latter walks around her room.]
Cleo: arms crossed. "Why do I have to look after both of the girls? What'll I do with them?"
"And yet I still didn't get paid for babysitting them," Cleo pouted. "We don't need a babysitter," Kim scoffed. "You're still young, Kim. You're not as grown up as you think. You can't do everything on your own," Bev sighed. And yet you thought you could leave us on our own? You're such a hypocrite! Kim thought, biting her tongue so she wouldn't burst with anger. Now wasn't the time to say what was on her mind. She couldn't. It'll have to wait, till the time is right.
Don: gestures around, standing beside her bed. "You've got the whole Gold Coast. You'll think of something."
"She did mention the beach. Take her there," Sam mentioned. Oh, she did eventually, Lewis snorted. "A mermaid near the water at a public beach. Good idea!" Cleo perked up with a hint of sarcasm. "Oh, right. My bad," Sam winced. "You walk by it all the time, no different than being at it. Or take her to the private part of the beach instead," Zane said. "It's meant to be private. Hence the name," Emma stated.
"Why didn't you watch her? She's your niece," Zane asked. "Because I have a job. You know that thing where people go to work for a living," Don described. "I walked right into that one," Zane shook his head, but couldn't help a small smile.
Cleo: "Dad!"
Don: "Angela's our guest. She shouldn't be having to sit about watching TV. Show her around. And no, you're not going and leaving your sister home alone. You're the older one. Show some responsibility."
"It's not easy when they refuse to listen to anything I say," Cleo mentioned. "Some of the stuff was just ridiculous. Like you not going on the rides with us at the marine park, though now that I think about it, that does make sense as to why you made Lewis tag along," Kim thought aloud. "You had Lewis go with you?" Bev asked. "A mermaid at a marine park with two preteens? Yeah, I was going to need some backup," Cleo laughed.
[Kim suddenly marches into the room, mad about something she believes Cleo did.]
Kim: "What have you done with my book?"
Cleo: throws her hands up. "What book?"
Kim: gets in her face and crosses her arms. "You know what book. It was in the lounge room, and now it's gone."
Bev gasped. "Angela!" "Finally, someone gets it!" Kim sighed. "You're the one that thought it was me who took it," Cleo argued. "That's because you were the only one getting on my nerves at that time. Until that spoiled brat showed up that is. And how was I supposed to know she took it?" Kim claimed. "You said it yourself. It was in the lounge, where the only two people in there were her and you," Cleo pointed out. "Fair point," Kim sighed.
"But why would Angela take it?" Bev asked, bringing the main topic back around. "Because she liked causing arguments it turns out. Makes me wonder if she was the one who caused her parents to get in such arguments," Cleo answered. "But we didn't realize how manipulative she was until it was too late. She's evil," Kim finished. "I don't believe it," Don shook his head in denial, refusing to believe that his sweet little niece would do such a thing. "No, it couldn't have been her," he whispered. "Dad. Who else would take the book?" Cleo turned to him.
Cleo: "Why would I take your book?!"
Don: holds his head in his hands then gets in-between the two girls, getting frustrated. "What did we say about arguing during Angela's visit? Now if you've taken the book, give it back. And then, it's out of here for the afternoon." Don holds up two fingers as Cleo rolls her eyes. "Maturity and responsibility." Don and Kim leave the room, the younger one glaring at her as Cleo storms off into the bathroom.
"I tried dad. I really tried. But Angela isn't as sweet as she seems," Cleo said sadly, knowing this was going to change her dad's perspective of her cousin. "Sweet? She's as sour as a lemon," Lewis scoffed.
"What book was it?" Charlotte asked curiously. "It was my science book, and it had some information on pandas too that wasn't in the documentary, so I really needed it for my essay," Kim explained.
[Back downstairs, Angela turns off the documentary and puts in her music DVD into the player. She sits back and relaxes on a small chair that she pulled over to the TV, where she had a cover laid over it to cushion it even more as the music begins to play. Don comes downstairs to check on the little girl.]
Don: "Everything okay?"
Angela: sits up and turns to him with a wide smile. "Couldn't be better." Don heads towards his office as Angela grabs the remote and turns the volume up louder.
"She's good, I'll admit that," Lewis hummed. "Too good. She's lucky that I had finished that documentary anyways. And good thing I was able to find the book too, or else I would've failed that homework," Kim breathed out in relief.
"Sabotaging Kim's homework and their relationship? Don, this is serious. What if she was purposefully trying to ruin her parent's relationship?" Bev asked worriedly. "No. Not my angel of a niece. She's too kind. She might not be as sweet, but she's not mean. I'm sure this is all a big misunderstanding. Besides, you're one to talk about ruining relationships," Don said as he held up his hand and wiggled his fingers, where a faint line of where his wedding ring use to rest could be seen. "This ring any bells?" he said a bit hurtfully, not noticing how Bev was hurting on the inside from that statement.
I know it hurt him, but doesn't he realize it hurt me too? Leaving my daughters behind? And Don, even though we divorced, I thought we could still be friends. I just wasn't ready to talk to you yet. But I wasn't happy there, I needed to go somewhere where I could be, Bev thought as she breathed heavily, trying her best not to let the tears burst through. She seriously needed to talk to them. And soon.
[Later at the marine park, Lewis and Cleo walk down the pathways of the amusement side of the park as Angela and Kim walk ahead of them, the two of them looking at a map.]
Lewis: to Cleo. "You've got the whole of the Gold Coast, and you bring them to your work?"
"He makes a good point. Out of all the places we had to go, why there? We've been there a dozen times," Kim whined. "You might have, but Angela hasn't. I couldn't take Angela bodyboarding, I couldn't get in the water with her," Cleo explained. "Then why didn't you ask Byron? I'm sure Emma could've helped with that," Rikki teased as Emma sent a small glare at her.
"Cause I had to keep an eye on her at all times. And I don't know how dad would feel about someone else watching her instead," Cleo grimaced as she looked over at her father, who was confirming her thoughts. "It's a definite no. I don't like Lewis being there, but I have to admit he's better than nothing. He's somewhat trusting." "Thanks, I think," Lewis frowned in confusion.
Cleo: arms crossed as they walk along the path. "Well, Angela really wanted to go bodyboarding. And at least here I know where the water dangers are."
"Yeah. They're everywhere," Bella nodded. "What's better than the one place I know as well as my own home," Cleo beamed.
Cleo: "By the way, thank you for coming."
Lewis: "Yeah, well I can't stay long. Uh, Wilfred needs a hand with one of the computers."
"It's okay. I know I can always count on you," Cleo smiled, which he gladly returned. "Seems like everyone counts on him," Will thought. "We do. He's always helping anyone he can," Emma smiled. "As weird as it is to say, I do need his help sometimes. But don't make me say it again, Lewis," Rikki said, pointing at him.
"As much work that you do for him, does he pay you?" Charlotte asked curiously. "Sometimes. Sometimes he gives me free drink coupons in exchange for the work. I don't mind either way," Lewis shrugged.
Kim: and Angela walks up to them. "Can we go on the volcano ride?"
Cleo: looks a little surprised but smiles anyway. "I thought you hated rides."
Kim: nods her head towards their cousin. "Angela wants to go on."
"If you hate rides, then why would you go with her?" Neil asked. "Well, it would be rude to have her go alone. She's my cousin. And like dad said, she's our guest, we needed to treat her like one. Even if I have to get strapped to one of those crazy rides," Kim explained. "That's sweet of you, Kim. Real mature," Bev smiled proudly surprisingly making a small grin form on Kim's lips as she tried not to laugh.
Though deep down she couldn't help but feel like this was another plan of Angela's. So far, she's proven that she's rather quite manipulative, and a sneaky one at that. Could she have tricked Kim into going with her? Is she really as bad as Kim and Cleo have been saying? If so, what else happened while she stayed there?
[Cleo looks over to the ride, where one of the boats slid down with screaming kids, splashing water everywhere.]
Cleo: turns back to them. "There's a lot of water."
Angela: raises an eyebrow. "So?"
Kim: "It's not like you're allergic to it."
"I might as well be. One drop and then my whole form changes. Literally," Cleo chuckled. "I guess it could count as one," Harrison thought to himself, with Denman nodding along.
Angela: "It's alright, Kim. If it's too hard for Cleo."
Cleo: raises her eyebrows in surprise then nods her head. "Fine. I guess if you want to go on it, you can. Lewis?" Angela hides a smirk and smiles at the two of them. Lewis sighs and nods his head, smiling at the little girl.
"I can't believe she convinced me otherwise. I'm sorry to the both of you," Cleo said apologetically. "It's alright. I fell for it too. We all did. And all it did was end up getting me soaked all over. Again. And again. And again," Lewis forced a grin. "This sounds like it'll be fun to watch," Zane said in amusement.
"I can't believe she convinced me to go on there. The whole experience was terrifying! No matter how many times we went," Kim shuttered. "Wait, 'how many times?' Exactly how many times did you go on that ride?" Don frowned. "You're about to find out," Cleo pointed to the screen, sounding annoyed.
[Lewis, Angela, and Kim, plus a few riders behind them in the boat, ride down the ramp and slide into a large amount of water waiting at the bottom, splashing water all over themselves as they screamed in excitement. Except for Kim, who screamed in terror. Meanwhile, Cleo watches from above on a bridge that goes over the volcano ride, where she was far from the splash zone and could watch them safely. They go once more as Cleo watches some more in anticipation, tapping her fingers against the railing. Lewis stands up, ready to leave so he could help Wilfred out. But before he could, Angela pushes him back down in his seat, holding up a finger, begging for one more ride, which Lewis and Kim reluctantly agree to. The three of them go down it again, this time as Kim and Angela scream, one in terror the other in excitement; Lewis leans back and looks bored out of his mind, regretting his decision to stay as they get splashed again. And again, and again, and again each time they go down. Cleo turns around from where she was watching, this time where she was near the exit for the ride, where hopefully the group will finally get off this time.]
"Wow, okay. Yeah, she definitely has a problem. And I'm not just talking about the manipulative ways, but more of her addiction with water," Will said, pointing to himself. "And that's saying something, cause I love the water." "She has it worse than Emma does," Elliot claimed. "I'll take that as a compliment," Emma shrugged, grinning.
"She's more manipulative than I thought. I could never convince Lewis to go that many times. She's like a mini Miriam," Rikki said. "Eh, I rather deal with her than Miriam. Seems so much easier," Zane admitted. "If those two ever meet, they would become best buds," Emma chuckled. "You haven't seen the worst of it," Cleo said through gritted teeth.
"Don't you see, dad? She's a lot more cunning than she looks," Kim said, trying to prove her point. Don only shakes his head in disbelief as he tries so hard to remember the little girl he thought was an angel. Though as time moves on and at each passing moment of this viewing, he's starting to believe what they were saying and what he was seeing. But he still needed to hold onto that hope. He already lost enough family, he didn't need to lose another. He glanced over at Bev who was too focused sending disapproving looks to his niece onscreen.
Lewis: the three of them walk up the ramp, finally exiting the ride, soaking wet as Lewis squeezes the water out of his hat. "Once was ok. Ten times and I'm going a little out of my mind." Lewis points rapidly at his head.
"Felt more than that," Lewis disagreed. "I don't know. I lost count after five. After that, I didn't bother watching anymore," Cleo admitted.
"Wow, Lewis. I can't believe a little girl was able to do that to you," Zane laughed. "You try dealing with her and you'll see what it's like," Lewis griped.
Angela: "But I like the water."
"Not everyone likes it as much as you do," Kim scowled.
Lewis: "I'm out of here." Begins to rush off as Cleo tries to stop him.
Cleo: "Lewis, wait." Sighs and turns around, giving up on him as she faces the two soaking wet younger girls. "Look, I'm responsible for you two. And I'm sorry, but you can't go on the ride again, not on your own."
"Good, Cleo. Take charge. That's the way to go," Terry nodded.
"Sorry, Cleo. But Wilfred needed me too. And I needed to go change before I showed up looking like that," Lewis waved to the screen. "It's fine. But next time, don't leave me alone with two soaked preteens. That just adds more danger if they would've touched me," Cleo added. "Point taken," Lewis nodded.
Angela: "We're not babies."
"No but you sure are acting like one," Rikki frowned. "Eh she seems like she's all bark and no bite, I wouldn't give in to her demands," Ash said leaning back. "She has a bite alright. She's just not showing her teeth yet," Cleo said, biting her cheek.
Cleo: "Not without Lewis."
Angela: gestures to where Lewis went. "Why did he have to leave?" Cleo looks at her surprised.
"Because I have responsibilities. Something you clearly know nothing about," Lewis spoke to the screen.
Angela: changes her demeanor. "Can we go bodyboarding then?"
Cleo: "No!" Angela crosses her arms as Cleo huffs and turns around, spotting her boss walking down the railing, heading their way. "Look, there's my boss, Mitch. He's really interesting." Cleo grabs Angela's arm, making sure not to touch her wet clothes or hair, and leads them towards Mitch's direction.
"She's persistent, I'll give her that," Max said. "Yeah, but so is Cleo. It's like a duel," Rikki chuckled.
He's been interesting since the so-called wedding, Bella chuckled.
[Mitch enters the pelican pen with a feeding bucket as Cleo, Kim, and Angela watch from the railing. Angela pouts in the distance, looking bored as Kim gets closer to Cleo, curious about the large-beaked birds.]
Mitch: "Here, is where we keep the injured sea birds that have been brought in to us."
Kim: leans over the railing with Cleo and smiles in adoration. "Aw, they're so cute! Do you ever give them away, like pets? It'd be so cool to have a pet pelican." Mitch feeds the birds fish while Kim rambles on. "I'd call him, Mr. Pelican." While the two were distracted, Angela walks off from view.
"That's sweet of the marine park to take care of birds too," Annette smiled. "They take in all kinds of sea life. Though they don't give them away as pets, they return them to the sea once they are healthy again. Whatever one that needs help, they'll take care of it until it's ready to go off on its own, or if it wants to stay, like Ronnie," Cleo explained. "Sometimes they'll take in other animals too, like cats or dogs if the vet's office is overrun. They'll get it back to health then let the owners take it home," Denman added.
"I didn't know you liked birds, Kim," Elliot thought. "Not anymore" Kim loudly replied, making Elliot wonder what caused her to change her mind so quickly.
"So original," Rikki mumbled after hearing the name.
"Wait, where's she going?" Bev asked, frowning; Don finally noticed as well.
Mitch: "They're wild animals, Kim. Once we fix them up, they need to go back to their natural habitats."
"I'm surprised he's talking to me after the whole wedding fiasco," Kim said. "I thought we weren't going to bring that up anymore!" Cleo groaned in annoyance. "You and Zane agreed to it, I am allowed to speak my mind," Kim smiled smugly.
Cleo: "Sorry." Mitch looks over at her and smiles before returning to his work and tosses the fish to the other pelicans.
"Why are you apologizing? I was the one asking him questions. Wait, was I embarrassing you?" Kim teased playfully. "I was worried he was getting tired of your loudmouth," Cleo retorted.
Cleo: "Well, what do you think of them, Angela?" The two look over their shoulder, where they find that Angela was no longer there. They look around, finally noticing her disappearance. "Angela? Angela?" The two run off across the bridge, beginning their search for their cousin. Cleo calls to Mitch over her shoulder. "Thank you, Mitch. Angela?" Mitch waves goodbye to them.
"You had one job, Cleo. To keep an eye on her. And you couldn't even do that," Don said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "She's tricky, dad, as we've been trying to tell you. She proved very well she was hard to keep up with," Cleo argued. "She had us running around like a bunch of headless chickens," Kim sighed, rubbing her arms. "Don't you mean headless pelicans," Elliot giggled.
[Cleo and Kim run all around the park, searching everywhere for their lost cousin. Cleo looks around all the water rides then runs off again searching every booth and ride as Kim tries her best to keep up. Cleo searches the train rides, the balcony, and the kiddie playground. Finally, Cleo comes to a stop, starting to get her hopes up.]
"Where the heck would she have gone?" Sam asked worriedly. "The one place I should've checked in the first place. The beach. I checked everywhere but there," Cleo complained. Don frowned, not believing that Angela would put them up to such a wild goose chase. Was Angela really as bad as she seemed?
Cleo: "I can't believe Angela would just run off like this, Kim." After not hearing a reply, Cleo turns around, finally noticing that Kim was no longer with her. "Kim? Kim?" Cleo runs off once more, this time in search of both her cousin and sister, yelling out her name as she goes.
"Oh, great you lost both of them?" Bev said in disbelief and worry. "Where did you go? Are you okay? And how come we never heard anything about this?" Cleo avoided her mother's gaze, hoping to not have to answer that question.
"Do you have any idea how hard it was to keep up with you? You have a lot more stamina than I thought. And longer legs. I couldn't keep up with you any longer. I lost you, but I knew you knew your way out of there and how to get home, so that's where I went," Kim explained to her mother before turning to her sister.
"Angela wasn't the only one who ran off. You did too," Kim grinned. "I panicked. I was responsible for her and the moment she disappeared, that responsibility went down the drain," Cleo rushed out. "But what about Angela?" Don said in worry. "She's fine, dad. She knows how to take care of herself apparently. She'll pop up later," Cleo waved it off.