A Wish on a Full Moon
I do not own H2O: Just Add Water or any of the characters.
Chapter 57: Love Potion #9 (part 1)
[Lewis runs down the sidewalk between two dolphin pools at the marine park. He holds his bag close to him until he runs up to Cleo and Emma walking along the path; Cleo fortunate enough not to be working at the moment.]
Lewis: stops in front of them, the other two stopping as well. "Hey guys, what would be the most important scientific discovery of the year?"
"An extinct animal discovered in a tropical forest?" Bella suggested. "The existence of unicorns?" Will joked. "Fairies?" Kim said excitedly. A few others around her gave her odd looks. Kim rolled her eyes. "Come on, guys. If mermaids exist, then there's a chance that fairies could too!" "Maybe I should've rephrased it to 'the most important scientific discovery to them'," Lewis corrected himself.
Nothing could've been as important as that cell sample though, Denman thought.
"What a strange way to start a conversation," Don chuckled. "We've had worse," Cleo shuttered, thinking about all the odd samples he would ask for.
Emma: "Somewhere to hold our school dance."
"Ooh, is this when your end of the school year dance was?" Lisa asked in excitement. She really wanted to see Emma enjoy herself at the school dance with her friends, but unfortunately, parents weren't allowed due to the limited space in the cafeteria. It was already crowded with the entire school there. There would be no room left for parental chaperones. Now her wish would come true thanks to the screen. "Yeah. This was about a few days before the dance," Emma smiled. She knew her mother wanted to come but it was hard having to tell her no. As the event director of their class, it wouldn't be fair to allow her mom there when the other students couldn't allow theirs.
"Sounds like this will be a fun episode for once," Sam said, having noticed the slight pattern of startling and crazy events they went through. Hopefully, the ones after these won't be as bad either. "Oh, you have no idea," Rikki snickered.
Lewis: "Incorrect."
Cleo: stands between the two. "Correct. The marine park double-booked the function hall we hired, and now we don't have a venue for the dance." Cleo and Emma start to walk off, Lewis follows.
"What did they double-book with?" Bev asked. "A wedding. And it happened to be Mitch's sister's wedding, so she automatically gets to keep her booking," Cleo sighed. "It doesn't matter though, we found a much better spot that wouldn't be so boring," Emma smiled, thinking of the café. "And it kept us from the splash zone, aka the dolphin pools, so it was a win-win for us," Rikki said. "Sure, if you don't count the dancing crazed teenagers with spilled drinks everywhere," Lewis said with a hint of sarcasm.
Lewis: "Relax, someone else will look after it."
Emma: "That someone else is us. I'm the chairperson of the organizing committee." Dolphins in the background in a nearby pool jump around and splash the water as they walk along the miniature bridge.
"How did you get that position?" Charlotte asked in surprise, not aware that Emma was on the student council. Although she's been at their school for some time now, she was still known as the 'new girl' and she might not like being called that, but they were right. There were still many things about their school that she had to learn. Such as the student council positions and the strange wind funnels that she encountered on her first day when she met Cleo and Lewis. "I got elected," Emma answered.
"She's the most organized person in our entire class, everyone knows it. It's only right that the position goes to her," Cleo mentioned. "And it'll look good on her college applications too," Neil nodded.
Lewis: "Well, I'm working on a scientific way that will make it easier for you guys to be mermaids."
"How so?" Max asked curiously. He's tried for so long to figure out a way to help the girls out, to help Gracie out with the transformations, but he could never make it right. By the time he got close to something, it was too late. Gracie had made their transformations much easier by then, by making them never happen again. The last thing he figured out by then, was the magnetic energy radiating from the moonpool. "I uh, I was trying to make a formula, per say, that could, uh, make – make them waterproof," Lewis stammered out nervously.
"A waterproof spray?" Denman couldn't help but laugh. She was a famous marine biologist with a PhD and a high IQ point. He was just a geeky high schooler. It was simply impossible for someone with his basic knowledge and limited scientific technology for him to be able to make such a thing. Not to mention that such a thing hasn't been invented yet, it was very unlikely that he would succeed. "It's a spray that prevents water from making them transform," Lewis corrected, some of his confidence returning. "Well, I can't wait to see how this turns out," Max leaned back, having a good feeling about this.
Cleo: ignores him. "Maybe we could have a street party."
Emma: to Cleo. "We could cordon off the roads around the school and have the dance in the street."
"That sounds interesting," Annette agreed. "That's not a bad idea," Ash thought.
"The only problem then would be who would cater the event and how could we even decorate the street," Cleo brought up. "It was your idea," Rikki pointed out. "I could've catered if we were in the area then," Annette mentioned.
"Were you even listening to me?" Lewis asked, slightly offended. "No," Emma and Cleo said bluntly.
Emma: "I'll call the council." Takes her phone out and begins to dial when she turns back to Cleo and Lewis, stress written on her face. "I'm losing it, aren't I?" Puts away her phone.
"What's wrong with that idea?" Neil asked. "Nothing. It just seemed a little, you know, old school," Emma grimaced. "That's what we used to do when we were your age, and right afterward we would head to the beach," Lisa told her. "She did say old school," Rikki muttered under her breath. "And that's the one place we were trying to avoid," Emma said.
"A party in the street sounds fun to me," Will and the other teenagers agreed, plus Kim and Elliot.
"Now the council probably would've thought you were losing it, but you could tell them that we agreed to it," Cleo said. "But they would've blamed me for not keeping the venue reserved for us," Emma sighed. "They can't blame you for something you can't control, and plus they were the ones who agreed to the reservation, they were to blame too if that were the case," Cleo explained. "I know, but they were happy about our second choice," Emma said brightly.
Lewis: "How about the café?"
"Also, not a bad idea," Ash nodded. "Even better than the street party," Charlotte smiled. "I don't know, a street party still sounds kind of cool," Will humored.
"Well at the café you wouldn't have to worry about caterers when you can get the food and drinks from there," Annette said. "And air conditioning," Lewis held a finger up.
Emma: "Brilliant, that's way more intimate than the function room."
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with the function room at the marine park," Cleo pouted. "Cleo, it's nothing but a large hallway with sea cabin windows," Emma sighed. "It's still a nice place," Cleo frowned, not liking her work being complained about.
Cleo: "And there's still enough room for dancing."
"Yeah at least we wouldn't be bumping into each other, elbows to elbows," Zane agreed. He would've much preferred the café over the marine park for his first dance with Rikki.
"Let's just hope your dancing is a lot better than your singing," Kim muttered. She did not want to see/hear that trainwreck again.
Emma: "You're a genius Lewis." Cleo and Lewis smile brightly at the compliment.
"Don't feed his ego," Rikki whined. "Oh, come on, let me enjoy the sunshine. That's a rare compliment coming from her. They don't happen on the daily," Lewis argued.
Cleo: looks around when she notices someone. "Hey, there's Mrs. Chatham." The trio looks across the dolphin pool to find Mrs. Chatham walking down the sidewalk on the other side, her eyes on them.
"Good eye, Cleo," Mrs. Chatham chuckled.
"How do you always know when to be around?" Ash asked. "I don't. I just enjoy the marine park and the beach like anyone else. It's just random timing," she answered. "Well, you have spectacular timing," Ash commented.
Usually, when she's around, there's always either something going on, or something's going to happen. I wonder if it has to do with the dance, Don thought.
"Which mermaid needs a pep talk now?" Denman joked. It wasn't a mermaid this time, Lewis thought a little glumly.
Lewis: annoyed. "Can't we just wave?" The girls don't listen, however, and instead walk around the pool in her direction. Lewis watches them leave and reluctantly follows.
"What's wrong with saying 'hi?'" Neil asked. "Nothing. I just, uh wasn't, very fond of Mrs. Chatham at the time?" Lewis stumbled out.
"You didn't like Mrs. Chatham?" Elliot frowned. He didn't get it, everyone should like Mrs. Chatham. She was a very likable person in his eyes. "I mean it wasn't that, I just found her very odd. I didn't hang around her as much as the girls did. It was weird and hard to believe that she was an ex-mermaid and knew all this knowledge about them, yet I didn't. She kept chalking everything up to magic," Lewis explained. "Yet it wasn't weird or odd to you that you were best friends with three mermaids?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised that he didn't approve of Mrs. Chatham. "That I was used to," Lewis pointed out.
[A minute later, Mrs. Chatham walks along the gate plank in between two dolphin pools, where a dolphin swims nearby. Emma, Lewis, and Cleo tag along behind her.]
Mrs. Chatham: talks about the dolphin swimming by them. "He sensed you were upset, I sensed it from him."
"You were so upset about the dance that a dolphin could sense it?" Bev asked in surprise, not minding that her daughter and friend were too close to the pools for her liking. Cleo worked with them all the time, she needed to learn to ignore it. "More importantly, that Mrs. Chatham could sense it?" Kim mentioned. Mrs. Chatham laughed then shrugged. "Magic." Lewis looked over at Elliot and then gestures to the older woman. "See what I mean?"
Charlotte took a deep breath and tried her best not to tense up at seeing a dolphin once more. It's been a minute.
"Is that Ronnie?" Elliot asked in excitement. "Yep. You can tell from the look on Cleo's face," Emma laughed as she pointed to the screen.
Lewis: gives her a skeptical look behind her back. "A mind-reading dolphin?"
"Again, your friends with mermaids yet you couldn't believe that a dolphin can tell when someone's upset?" Kim exclaimed. "I really don't want to explain myself again," Lewis sighed.
"Dolphins are intelligent creatures," Denman informed.
Mrs. Chatham: not looking back and gestures with her hands. "Oh, a lot of sea creatures are empathetic. It's like a, kind of magic. I mean, not the kind where you make things disappear. They'd need a warden for that."
"Is that a joke or were you serious? I can never tell with you anymore." Cleo frowned. "I was serious about the sea creatures, but the warden magic was a joke," Mrs. Chatham shook her head. "Since when did you get a sense of humor?" Max teased. She was similar to Emma when she was younger, always taking things too seriously.
"Most whales are known to be empathetic," Denman pointed out.
"And what I was doing was magical too," Lewis laughed at his own joke, which no one else did.
Lewis: the group walks under a pavilion and stands near the balcony railing. "Fortunately, there's a thing called science to help the magic along."
"That's what you think," Max laughed, causing Lewis to look at him in confusion. "You might think that science has magic beat, but when it comes to magic, science can only try to understand so much until it reaches its limit. When it comes to magic, it can be described as limitless."
Cleo: "Lewis is trying to figure out a scientific way to make it easier for us to be mermaids."
"By the spray?" Denman asked with a giggle. She still didn't believe it would work.
"Did you ever find a way to make it easier for them?" Neil asked hopefully. If there was, it might be useful against the hunt for Zane's mermaid, aka Emma. "I thought I did," Lewis sighed, making Neil deflate.
Mrs. Chatham: turns to the group. "It won't work."
"What makes you say that?" Bella asked in worry. "You think we haven't tried before, back when my friends and I were mermaids?" Mrs. Chatham told her. "But you guys didn't have the advanced stuff we have nowadays. Technology's changed so much from fifty years ago," Don said in concern. He didn't mind all the magic stuff, but, would they be like this forever? "Technology might have advanced to help people, but it has only made things more challenging for the magic," Mrs. Chatham said in a warning tone, glancing at the girls. The trio was nodding in agreement, being reminded of the underwater cameras and the microcell sample that started everything with Denman.
Lewis: scoffs. "Well, it might not let them 'mind-meld' with the jellyfish, but it will give them a chance to live like normal human beings."
"We can still live like normal, just with a few, eh side effects," Rikki shrugged. "That's one way to put it," Max snorted, knowing there wasn't much that Lewis could do for them to make their lives 'normal.'
"But we do still tend to have normal lives. Mostly. We do things just like anybody else does," Emma stated. "Besides swimming," Will pointed out with a grin. "… precisely," Emma sighed but laughed.
"I'd rather not mind-meld with a jellyfish," Cleo said uncomfortably.
Mrs. Chatham: "Well, no one can mind-meld with the jellyfish. They're jellyfish."
"Good," Cleo breathed out in relief. 'Didn't you dress up as a jellyfish for the Miss Sea Queen Pageant?" Don recalled. "Yeah." "So why does it sound like you'd rather not be around one?" Kim asked. "Because they look cool at first, but they're actually pretty protective over their territory. They don't like anything messing with them, especially mermaids," Cleo shuttered. "They have such a negative energy to them." "Hmm, shocking," Rikki said in a deadpanned tone.
Mrs. Chatham: "And these girls are not normal human beings."
"She's right, we're not," Emma shrugged. "You can say that again," Lisa chuckled, the rest of them agreeing. Never in a million years would she have thought her daughter would turn into a mythical creature. Not to say that it's a bad thing, but it's definitely not normal.
Lewis: "Yes, they are."
"You're crazy if you think they are," Ash said. "I was just trying to prove her wrong," Lewis said sheepishly. "By arguing over something that's very easy to tell isn't true?" Zane raised an eyebrow.
"No, they're not," the entire theater said, with a burst of laughter filling the room after, including the girls. "We're not normal. But I find that to be a good thing," Rikki smiled.
Lewis: "What's happened to them might seem magical, but the cure will be scientific."
"That's what you think," Max muttered. The 'cure' isn't for another six months, but it's definitely not scientific. It only comes around every fifty years, the time for it was almost upon them once again.
"There's nothing scientific about how they became mermaids, it explains nothing at all," Denman said with a huff, clueless as to how. How Lewis still had the willpower at the time, she will never know.
"Is there, a cure by any chance?" Bella asked curiously. She loved being a mermaid and she never wanted to give it up, but she had to admit even she was curious if there was a way to get rid of it. Plus, it'd be great to avoid ever getting rid of it. "There is," Mrs. Chatham sighed reluctantly, surprising a few. "But it's not particularly easy, and once it's done, it can never be reversed. The tails, the powers, would be gone forever."
Emma and the rest of the girls, including Bella, looked at each other in shock. They couldn't imagine being without their powers forever. They knew it happened to the previous mermaids, they really hoped it would never happen to them. "Forever?" Charlotte gasped, glancing over at her mother. That must've been what happened to her grandmother. If there was a way to get rid of it, she must've done it somehow. But how? And why, why would she do it?
Mrs. Chatham: "Can science explain why whales sing?"
Lewis: immediate. "Yes. Yes it can."
"Of course, it can," Denman said brightly, nearly jumping for joy at the thought of science. She remembered a time she studied whales far off the Australian coast.
"Not all of it," Max grinned.
"Whales sing?!" Elliot said in excitement. "Yes dear, they do," Mrs. Chatham chuckled as his grin grew.
"What do whales have to do with this?" Kim asked in confusion. "It's just part of their nerdy debate," Rikki sighed. "I prefer to call it a science vs. magic debate," Lewis corrected. "Same thing." "Where were you in all of this?" Terry asked her curiously, a little worried after the last episode. "I was with Zane. He was asking me to go to the dance with him," Rikki matched Elliot's excitement about the whales. Zane smiled, thrilled to see her so happy over going with him.
Mrs. Chatham: looks away. "Can it tell you what they're singing about?" Looks back at him, where he bites his lip and keeps quiet, clearly defeated.
"And you lost," Ash chuckled.
"As I said, science can only go so far as to study magic, eventually it gets to a standstill," Max said. "Even when it comes to some things, magic still knows more than science does, like the whales. And magic can't even explain it!"
Denman's smile from earlier fades, as she realizes that science can't explain it.
Emma: tries to defuse the tension. "Anyway, we've got a dance to organize." Emma looks at Cleo and nods for them to leave. Lewis gives one last look to Mrs. Chatham.
Mrs. Chatham: "Good luck." Lewis leaves in defeat and follows his friends.
"Awkward," Kim sang, being hushed once again by her mother.
"Gracie and I used to organize the dances for our school, we knew how stressful it can be. Though ours was usually in the gym," Mrs. Chatham explained. "They were still fun," Max said.
"Round one to Mrs. Chatham," Will snickered, causing Lewis to roll his eyes.
[Later, outside the café, the girls, now including Rikki, talk with Wilfred about the upcoming dance, to which he happily agrees to host. Wilfred was at the bar outside with the girls standing behind him. Byron sat on a stool nearby and listens to the conversation.]
Wilfred: turns to them and waves a finger at Emma. "You have to promise to stick to one rule." Emma tenses up, hoping that Wilfred won't be too strict. "No early finishing." Emma and the girls' smile then follow him to the outside juice maker with a tray of drinks in his hands. "Don't want people saying I laid some curfew on you."
"Sounds easy enough," Will grinned.
"He should include that they must have a good time as well," Sam nodded.
"It's a lot better than the rules for when it was going to be at the marine park," Rikki sighed in relief. "I'm probably going to regret asking this, but what were the rules for there?" Harrison asked curiously. "Don't break anything, no trashing the place, clean up afterward, no loud noises, and don't mess with the dolphins, and no swimming in the training pools," Cleo said, reciting it from memory. "Those should be rules for any party, asides for those last two," Lisa informed. "Do I need to ask why those last two were enforced?" Harrison said, looking over at Zane. "One word: Nate," Zane said, holding his hands up in defense. "I got one that matches. What an idiot," Kim sighed and shook her head.
Emma: grins happily as they follow. "We can manage that."
Wilfred: "Good. Then go for it." Walks away, leaving just the girls and Byron.
"That was simple," Annette said impressed. She probably would've talked about it a little more before agreeing to a school party full of teenagers going rampant into her restaurant. Then again, it is a juice bar, a great place for the kids to hang out.
"He agreed to it that quick?" Don asked in slight surprise. "All I had to do was say that the school would pay for all the drinks and a fee to reserve the place for the night. Wilfred's the best," Emma smiled. "It helps that Emma also works there and he knows she keeps her word and is very responsible," Cleo added.
Charlotte couldn't help but wait for her end-of-school-year dance, for when it comes up next time. It would be her first at this school with her friends, and she was very excited about it. If Emma was as good at decorating and organizing, as her father's party was, then it would for sure be a blast.
Byron: to Emma. "Cool idea having it here."
"Ooh can't wait to see how this goes," Elliot giggled, making his sister blush. Lisa shushes him but can't help the smile that appears on her face. She too was excited to see Emma interact with her crush.
Emma: steps closer to Byron and stands on the other side of the bar. Rikki and Cleo watch from a few feet away, with small smiles for their friend. Emma smiles brightly as she talks to Byron and nods. "Yeah, it should make it a lot easier to organize the drinks, and the music, and the security, which should free up some time for me to help with the food and the lighting."
"Wow, that's a lot to do," Ash whistled. "It's worth it if it means everyone gets to have a good time," Emma responded. "Well not everyone is if you're stuck working the dance all night."
"Are you sure you're not the only one on the council? Because it sounds to me like you're the one doing all the work," Neil frowned. "Of course, there is, they just, had other things to do," Emma said, glancing down. Neil and Lisa glance at each other.
"Why would you need security?" Bella asked. "When you have people like Nate and Miriam, wouldn't you want security to escort them off the premises?" Zane raised an eyebrow. "Fair enough," Bella tilted her head. "Too bad they didn't do their job," Rikki grumbled.
Byron: face falls the more Emma tells how busy she'll be. "That's a lot of organizing."
Emma: "Yeah, whatever it takes. I'm going to make sure this is the best dance ever. Nothing's going to get in my way. Everyone who goes is going to have the best time."
"And it was. It was pretty amazing from what I remember," Zane agreed. The only odd part he couldn't' figure out is when Rikki and the other girls and Lewis suddenly disappeared for a couple of hours. Maybe it'll be explained here.
"I think it beat your dad's party," Rikki nodded with a hint of teasing. "Yeah well at least no one got moon-spelled this time," Cleo laughed. "It wasn't much different than what happened," Emma muttered under her breath, rubbing her arms as if the redness would return.
Byron: smile falters even more before he plasters it back on. Hesitates, as if he were debating on if he should ask her to it or not, before deciding not to. "Cool."
"Looks like he was going to ask you before you basically told him you were going to be too busy to dance," Lewis said, leaning forward. "Ya think?" Emma sarcastically asked. Lisa sighed. She was hoping that Byron would ask Emma to the dance. He seemed like a good kid and was very sweet to Emma; to everyone actually, but especially to her.
Emma: looks back at her friends before she shrugs her shoulders slightly and looks hopeful at the boy in front of her. "So, are you going?"
"He doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would miss out on a party," Will said. "He did skip Miriam's pool party that she was throwing in his honor just to go surfing," Lewis pointed out. "True." "To be fair though, a lot of people would use any excuse to miss out on her parties," Rikki said in disgust.
"I think that was a subtle hint on asking him to go with her," Annette mentioned, not noticing Emma blush in embarrassment. "Not very subtle when everyone can tell, mom," Charlotte laughed.
Byron: "Don't see how I couldn't with all the work you're doing." Emma nodded, hoping that he would ask her. "So, I'll see you there." Byron smiles at her then jumps from his seat and walks away. Emma looks away, a little bummed out.
"He's cute, but he's clearly not the smartest guy in the class," Bella shook her head. "That guy has an IQ level of Cleo's fish. He's the reason why blondes are considered the dumb ones," Rikki commented. "Hey!" Emma and Cleo shouted.
"Does he not realize she was asking him?!" Kim exclaimed. "Apparently not," Elliot sighed.
"Oh Byron, Byron, you really need to pick up your game," Zane groaned in annoyance. It was painful to see his buddy struggle to ask Emma out to this extent. They obviously like each other.
[After the disastrous turned conversation, the trio head inside to the counter, with Rikki taking the lead. Cleo and Emma follow after her through the beaded curtains.]
Rikki: to Emma. "What's wrong with you? Why didn't you ask him to the dance?"
"I did, in a way. I'm not just going to straight out ask him, that'd be embarrassing!" Emma said, her cheeks reddening. "What's more embarrassing is knowing that you were shut down without him even realizing it," Rikki remarked.
Emma: gets between her and Cleo. "The guy asks the girl. That's how it works."
"Not entirely. If there was a guy I liked, I'm sure I would ask him to the dance," Charlotte mentioned, sneaking a glance in Lewis's direction. "Same here," Bella added. Though I might find it a bit more difficult since I move too much to ask a friend.
"At least your guy tried to ask you out," Cleo whispered to Emma, thinking back to Lewis's 'attempt.' Oh wait, they don't exist. No matter, the night still came out to a spectacular ending.
Rikki: "Well, welcome to the 21st century."
"It does seem a bit old-fashioned," Kim said. "Nothing wrong with tradition," Emma shrugged. Especially when I prefer him to ask me than the other way around. Keeps me from embarrassing myself.
Emma: "I don't have time to worry about it anyway. This dance is the last time our whole class is going to be together for the rest of the year." Rikki looks at the menu.
Cleo: "Exactly. The main thing is that we organize a great night for everyone."
"You seem on board with this, Cleo," Don raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't I be? I like parties and I want everyone to have a good time," Cleo said, glancing down as she fiddled with her braid.
"A wild night to end the school year sounds amazing," Ash smiled.
Rikki: glances at Cleo then looks back at the menu. "Lewis hasn't asked you either, has he?" She looks back at Cleo who takes a deep breath in response. Emma gives her a small smile.
"You know her so well," Kim grinned.
"Out of all people, I figured you would've asked Cleo as soon as the dance was announced," Zane told Lewis. "It kind of slipped my mind, I got sidetracked with my experiments," Lewis admitted to him sheepishly. "That would explain why you went with Nate instead of Lewis," Don thought to himself. This whole time he thought Cleo had told him no. Did Lewis forget? That could be possible for the science geek, especially if he's experimenting at the time. "… you went with Nate?!" Bella, Will, Ash, and Charlotte yelled in shock. "Long story," Cleo grimaced. "And one I really don't want to explain." "Well too bad it's going to be shown anyways," Rikki smiled smugly. She enjoyed this story.
[Later during the day, while waiting around for their next class to start at school, Emma and Rikki corner Cleo against the railing on the second floor of the school, near the stairs.]
Rikki: "You can ask Lewis now. Do not make the same mistakes certain other people have made." Glances at Emma.
"You were trying to ask me?" Lewis asked in surprise. "Well, someone had to make the first move," Cleo grumbled, blushing. "Otherwise, it'd be a standstill of denial all over again," Rikki sighed. Lewis couldn't help but smile, the fact that Cleo was trying to face her shyness just so she could go to the dance with him.
"Why ask right then? Isn't there still plenty of time till the dance?" Will asked. "Two days. But then it would take two days for Cleo to finally have the guts to ask him, and by then it would be too late. In order to toughen it up and not chicken out, she needed to do it right then," Rikki explained. "Since when did you become an expert?" Terry raised an eyebrow. "Since I got a boyfriend," she smiled smugly. "I had one too you know," Cleo argued. "Not till after my dance-saving advice," Rikki shot back.
Cleo: "As if you'd ever ask a guy." Cleo and Emma begin to walk around her.
Rikki: throws her hands to her side. "Of course I would." Turns around and walks with Cleo and Emma slowly to their next class. Lewis climbs up the staircase next to them to meet up with them, not hearing the conversation going on. "As it so happens, Zane's already asked me, so I don't have to." Holds a finger up as Cleo shoots her a look. "But I would have."
"Hey, he asked me, not the other way around," Rikki shrugged as everyone gave her a look. "Even if I didn't ask, I figured we were going anyway, so there wasn't really a need to," Zane mentioned. "Oh no, you have to. It's a requirement in the ancient law of dating. If you don't ask even though you are dating, one would assume that you weren't going to the dance with said person," Harrison told him.
Lewis: makes it to the second level and stands in front of them, stopping them in their tracks. "Hi guys." Holds a test tube in his hand.
"Your timing is on point," Ash said, pinching his fingers together.
"That better not be what I think that is in your hand," Don scowled, noticing the test tube. Now he wasn't sure what he was more aggravated with, the experiments or Lewis not asking Cleo to the dance. Sure, he didn't like Lewis being with Cleo, but his little girl was growing up and he much preferred him over that imbecile Nate. "It is," Lewis winced, knowing this will look bad.
Rikki: "Cleo's thinking about not going to the dance. She should definitely go, shouldn't she?" Cleo elbows Rikki and gives her a look to zip it.
"I see subtleness isn't included with your mermaid powers," Kim said, thinking of Emma's earlier attempt. "She needed a push," Rikki shrugged. "I think you would've had a better chance at pushing me down the stairs," Cleo deadpanned.
Emma: "We're both worried about getting wet."
"Nice cover-up," Charlotte grinned. "Actually, it wasn't just an excuse, we were worried about sprouting tails," Emma admitted. "But you're always worried about that. And you've been to plenty of parties that you didn't have to be nervous," Bella pointed out. She's been to a fair amount of her family's birthday parties. "Yes, but then you have incidents like the sleepover that problems could always arise. Not to mention, we never had one at the café, so there's a lot more risk," Emma explained. "At least there was an escape route with the water being nearby if it were needed, which it wasn't," Rikki mentioned and cut in before her father could worry.
Cleo: "Uh, a dog always brings a water pistol."
"Uh, is that some sort of weird metaphor that I clearly don't understand?" Kim scrunched her face up in confusion. "She was talking about Nate," the other three in the group simultaneously said. "Nate brings a water gun to every party he goes to. He likes to squirt water in people's faces whenever he thinks they're becoming a party-pooper," Cleo explained as she noticed everyone getting even more confused. "aka Emma," Rikki gestured to the girl.
"Hey, I was the one planning the party, not destroying it!" Emma defended. "And you didn't have to worry about that since I made him leave it behind since I was planning on dancing with Rikki that evening and preferred her not to be angry and wet," Zane added, Rikki and surprisingly the other girls giving him a grateful smile.
Lewis: they continue their walk, with Lewis in front of them, walking backward. "Oh no, no, no. Rikki's right, you should definitely go." Points to Cleo. "Oh, there's something I need to ask you."
"So how did it slip your mind if you were not only talking about it but asking Cleo to the dance," Zane frowned, turning towards Lewis. "It didn't exactly click in my head at the time, and uh, also, I wasn't asking Cleo to the dance," Lewis rubbed his neck, looking a little embarrassed. "Then what were you asking her?" Don raised an eyebrow. He knew Lewis had never asked Cleo, but it didn't mean he wasn't curious as to why he didn't. "You'll find out in a minute," Lewis sighed, blaming himself for never bringing up the question.
Cleo: looks hopeful, a smile forms. "Really?" Rikki grins at Emma, having an idea of what the question was.
"This ought to be good," Ash chuckled. He too was curious as to how Lewis could forget about all this when he was discussing it!
"Don't get too hopeful, Cleo," Kim warned. After all, she knew who Cleo really went to the dance with, and it was not her Lewis. Even if it was clear as day that she wanted to go with him.
"Boy, was I wrong about that idea," Rikki snorted, knowing what Lewis had actually asked her.
Lewis: "Yes, which I will in a second." Talks to the group as a whole, still walking backwards. "Now, do you guys remember my research?" No answer. Lewis pinches his fingers together. "Well, I can now reveal that I am this close to a formula that'll make you guys waterproof." The group stops in their tracks, a little shocked at the news.
Denman couldn't help but snort once more. The mere thought of it made her want to laugh. A formula that could make magical skin 'waterproof'? Hilarious! Even Mrs. Chatham was laughing quietly to herself, with Max by her side. She tried to warn him, but guess he had to learn his own lesson. Magic always out beats science.
"Are you sure this will work?" Elliot asked, sounding a little skeptical. "At the time I was," Lewis sighed. "And what about now?" Bev asked, hoping this would work for Cleo. This would benefit her daughter greatly. But Lewis never answered, only looking at the screen in what she could only assume was regret, something that made her lose hope.
Emma: smiles in hope. "Really?"
"Did you not know what his research was about?" Bella asked. That would be the first thing I ask. "Not really. He wouldn't tell us a thing about it. All he did was ask us about our 'abilities' and more samples, but most stuff he already had in his notes from the beginning," Cleo explained with a shrug. "All which turned out to be a waste," Rikki mumbled.
Lewis: "It looks that way. Which means that you'll certainly be able to go to the dance." Rikki and Emma smile wide at that. "And anywhere else for that matter." Turns to leave when Cleo stops him, with her hopeful expression returning.
"It does sound like a dream come true," Sam admitted. "So does becoming mermaids," Kim scoffed, finding it hard to believe that Lewis of all people would be able to create such a formula. It wasn't possible. Then again, mermaids weren't supposed to be possible either and yet her sister proved that highly wrong.
Cleo: grabs his arm to stop him. "Wasn't there something else you wanted to ask me?" Cleo looks back at the girls while Lewis looks at the ground in thought before his eyes widen in realization.
Lewis: "Oh, yes. Um, Cleo, I was wondering if you would like to …"
The girls in the theater, except for the trio, lean forward in their seats, excited to finally see the moment happen. It was always exciting to see romance blossom, even from a simple thing like asking a crush to a dance.
Lewis: "… give me one more hair sample." Cleo's smile slowly falters and her shoulders slump. "I just need to do one more test."
"You have got to be kidding me!" Kim shouted, her hand meeting her forehead as several groans of complaints were muttered out at the same time.
"Seriously, Lewis?" Zane gave him a pained look. "Not one of my proudest moments," Lewis admitted. He really should have known that that was the perfect time to ask her. "Not your smartest either," Cleo muttered.
[Lewis pulls out some tweezers and reaches for Cleo's head where he finds a strand poking out and pulls it out.]
Cleo: winces. "Ow."
"So now you've hurt her both mentally and physically," Will commented.
"I'm not sure what I'm mad at more, the fact that he broke her heart or that he hurt her head," Don wondered in his hidden rage. "Why not both?" Sam suggested with a shrug. She was mad too. The least he could've done was wait till she said yes. She hadn't even gave him an answer yet!
"You are terrible at reading signs," Zane shook his head in disappointment. He had a lot to teach Lewis. And one of them was teaching him how to read the signs of love.
Lewis: looks at the strand trapped between his tweezers. "Sorry, I needed a follicle. Bye!" Walks off.
"At least he apologized, I guess," Don narrowed his eyes.
"Well, that was a nightmare," Bella chuckled. "That was a disaster," Ash corrected.
"What does a follicle have to do with waterproofing them?" Kim asked. "DNA," Lewis answered short and simple.
"That was painful, Lewis, and not because of the hair-pulling," Zane commented, Lewis flinched.
[Cleo looks back at the girls in defeat, who also had a dumbfounded look, when Nate walks up behind them, fixes his shirt collar, and looks at Cleo with a smug smirk.]
Nate: "Hey, spunky." Points a finger gun at her and then moves in front of the group. "You moved house lately?"
"And things just turned from a bad dream to reality," Bella said.
"We've lived in the same place for years, and he's just now noticing?" Kim scoffed. "Just shows the levels of his attention span," Harrison said. He honestly never liked Nate and can tell that even Zane sometimes can't stand him. It makes him wonder how Zane was able to handle him this long and how they even became friends in the first place. He would know if he had paid more attention to Zane when he was younger. "Actually, I think that was a pick-up line," Zane mentioned. "Something tells me it doesn't work very often," Emma commented.
Cleo: gives a weird look and steps forward. "Umm, no."
Nate: "Cool. I know where to pick you up from, then." Emma and Rikki snicker in the background as they listen to Nate's attempt to 'ask' Cleo to the dance.
"Yup. A pick-up line," Zane nodded as Don scowled. Cleo couldn't possibly fall for such a ridiculous line, could she? "I really hope that didn't work," Charlotte grimaced. "Well at least it wasn't cheesy," Annette shrugged.
Lewis glared at Nate trying to ask Cleo out to the dance. She should not have to go with such a pitiful man. Yet his anger was overridden with guilt. Lewis had plenty of chances to ask Cleo, even before Nate had asked her, and he blew every single one of them. He felt like such an idiot, especially now after watching this.
Cleo: raises an eyebrow. "Does this have anything to do with the dance, Nate?"
"No, Cleo, he was just going to offer you a ride to the dance," Kim rolled her eyes. "With Nate, you never know what his plans are," Cleo shrugged. "I had to be sure." "It was pretty obvious," Rikki told her.
Nate: looks to the side, still smirking. "Can be if you want it to be." Points two fingers at himself. "Yeah, I'm in the market for a chicky to take."
"I'd rather not," Cleo said in disgust. What repulsed her even more was that she actually went with him to the dance. If she hadn't talked to Lewis at the end, it would've been known as her worst party ever.
"With an attitude like that, it'll probably stay that way," Lisa said.
"… chicky?" Ash raised an eyebrow.
Cleo: shakes her head. "No."
Don sighed in relief, along with many others. At least she was resistant at first. But he knew this wouldn't be the last attempt, since they ended up going anyways.
Lewis looked surprised before it turned into even more guilt. She told him no? Then, then that means she tried again before she changed her mind about going with him, Lewis thought. He never felt so stupid.
Nate: sighs, his large ego shrunken at the rejection. "Well, I'll leave you to think it over then." Snaps two fingers at her and winks as he walks away. "Catch ya."
"Glad that was over with," Bella sighed then turned to her with a look of confusion. "But I thought you said you went with him?" "That wasn't the first attempt, nor was it him asking me," Cleo said, mumbling the last part.
"You know, you're probably not the first girl he asked," Emma suggested. "Oh, she's not. Miriam was after her. He kept trying to get Miriam to go with him, but she denied him every time claiming that she was going to try to go with me," Zane mentioned. "But you already asked Rikki to go," Terry reminded as he narrowed his eyes at Zane, hoping he would try another trick on her. "Exactly. She thought she could get me to change my mind. Didn't work," Zane chuckled. "Another victory to Rikki then," Kim grinned.
Rikki: and Emma laugh quietly. To Cleo. "You're so lucky, chicky." They walk around her, and Rikki snaps her fingers at her, mimicking Nate, as they walk past her laughing. Cleo scrunches her face up then pulls her strap up on her bag and follows after them.
A few laughs escape the room. "And she proceeded to call me that for two weeks straight," Cleo announced as the laughter ended.
"You were lucky that he stopped bothering you so quickly," Sam noted. "Not for long," Cleo sighed.
[A few days later, on the day of the dance, the three girls sat on the grassy beach going over the plans for tonight. Emma was on the phone with the ice carrier as the wind whipped through their hair.]
Emma: "Well, the dance is tonight so I'm going to need the ice as soon as possible. Thanks." Emma nods then the three of them look down the hill of the beach where they see Byron hanging with Miriam as he held his surfboard in his hands, her hands on his shoulders behind his back. Emma was still on the phone as she waited for a response from the other end of the line.
"That quick? Wow," Will said a bit surprised. "Time flies quickly when you're getting everything prepared," Emma shrugged, trying to ignore the slight pain from seeing those two together.
"Wait, I thought you said Miriam was trying to go to the dance with you. What's she doing with him then?" Charlotte pointed out. "She was trying to make me jealous by going with him after I rejected her so many times and reminded her that I was with Rikki," Zane grinned seeing her failed attempts once again. It didn't work the first time, and it certainly wouldn't work now.
Lisa and Neil look at each other in concern. Emma really liked that boy, and it must have not been easy to see him with someone else, yet she still seemed so brave. They hoped she wasn't trying to hold everything in, it wouldn't be good for her to keep it in until she explodes.
Rikki: to Emma. "I can't believe you're letting him get away with this."
"Miriam asked him though, not the other way around," Emma told her. "We didn't know that at the time," Rikki whispered.
Emma: "If he wanted to take me to the dance, he would've asked me." Faces forward again then squints as she realizes the man on the phone thought she was talking to him. "No, not you." Laughs. "Yeah, I'm sure you're too old for me. Just the ice will be fine. Thanks." She looks back at Rikki who laughs and hangs up the phone.
The room burst into laughter. "He thought you were asking him?!" Elliot giggled. "It did kind of sound like that. It was my fault for having the phone still on the line," Emma laughed along, her cheeks red with embarrassment.
"Getting rejected by the iceman? Poor Emma," Zane taunted in a joking matter. "It's better than any of Nate's rejections," Emma shot back. "Good point."
"Wouldn't there already be ice at the café?" Annette thought. "Yes, but I wanted more just in case. The whole class was going to be there, I didn't want to run out. Besides, I didn't want to use up all of Wilfred's resources," Emma answered. "You were paying him to rent out the café for the night and pretty much had unlimited access to juices, I'm pretty sure you didn't have to worry about the ice. Not to mention he wouldn't care as long as he was getting paid, and your class was having fun. It meant more business for him," Harrison said.
Emma: looks back at Byron and a flirting Miriam. "And anyway, I'm not letting anyone get away with anything. I'm not even sure I want to go to the dance."
"You have to! Surely after all your hard work, you would want to see it be a success," Sam exclaimed. "Yeah, if anyone deserves to go to the dance, it's you. You worked so hard on it, don't let it go to waste," Ash said. Byron would be crazy to not want to go to the dance with her. Heck, anyone would be.
"The dance wouldn't have been the same without you. No dance is fun without friends," Cleo smiled. "Thanks, guys," Emma blushed.
Rikki: nods. "Ok, so will it be board games or card games?" Emma gives her a look which Rikki returns.
"Don't encourage her, Rikki," Terry sighed. "That was sarcasm dad," Rikki told him. "I know, but still, there was no need for it."
Cleo: crosses her arms. "I want to go. And if Lewis won't ask me, then –."
"Please tell me you weren't considering Nate," Charlotte grimaced. "Surely there were other guys to go with than him," Will said. "There was the first time he asked me. But the closer it got to the dance, the more the numbers began to dwindle down. Nate was basically my last chance," Cleo pouted.
"You better get your act together Lewis," Zane said, but Lewis doesn't answer, knowing what was coming up.
"You could still go to the dance without a date. You had your friends you could go with," Bev told her, hoping to cheer her daughter up. "Still," Cleo shrugged, looking down.
Emma: "Look I think you should give Lewis one last chance."
Rikki: holds up a finger. "Last being the operative word."
"Thanks, Emma, and you too Rikki," Lewis said, a little glad that they were trying to help him. Help her.
"Yeah, everyone deserves a second chance. Who knows, things might change," Bella encouraged. "Oh, they changed alright," Rikki snickered as Cleo and Lewis's faces faltered.
[Cleo sighs and takes out her phone and dials Lewis's number. On the other side of the Gold Coast, Lewis walks around the mall when his phone suddenly starts to ring. He takes it out of his pocket and smiles at the caller id. He holds it up to his ear and answers.]
Lewis: "Cleo, hi."
"What were you doing at the mall?" Emma asked. "I was gathering more supplies for the experiments. I needed more test tubes," Lewis shrugged sheepishly. "Of course," Rikki sighed.
Cleo: "Hey, Lewis." Looks at her friends with a hopeful expression. "Lewis, is there anything you wanted to ask me?"
Lewis: "Yes, there is actually."
"Finally," Bella sighed. Cleo pouted as she saw most of the people in the room lean forward once more in their seats, including her mother. She didn't know how to tell them their excitement was about to fall very quickly.
"Don't disappoint me, Lewis," Zane shook his head. Don't speak so soon, Lewis thought.
Cleo: looks excited. "Really? And what would that be?"
Lewis: rubs his neck as he continues walking down the sidewalk of the mall, passing shoppers as they walked by. "Uh, well I was kind of embarrassed to ask in front of the other girls, but –."
"Why would you be embarrassed to ask her in front of them? Literally, everyone else was asking others to the dance, it's completely normal!" Kim frowned. "What he asked me, wasn't normal," Cleo said, her face twisted into disgust, almost as bad as when Nate asked her. "What did he ask you?" Denman asked though she had a feeling she knew what it was. "Well, it wasn't about the dance," Cleo sighed as her friends giggled.
Cleo: pushes her hair behind her ear as she hears his question. Instead of giving him an answer, her face quickly falters, and she hangs up the phone. She looks at her friends in slight disgust. "He wants a sample of my ear wax." Rikki and Emma mirror her grossed-out expression.
Instead of the laughter that was there before, the room began to erupt into several people gagging, "ew's" filling the room. "That's disgusting!" Charlotte gagged. She'd rather get rejected from the dance than do that. Heck, even swimming with a dolphin was better than that!
"Gross! What is wrong with you?!" Kim said in disgust. "It was for the formula!" Lewis said, his face red with embarrassment. "You used Cleo's ear wax in the formula?!" Emma and Rikki said, who were once the only two laughing, were now joining along with everyone else's round of disgust.
"And just when you thought things couldn't get worse," Zane shook his head in shame. "Humanity has really taken a downturn," Max chuckled slightly.
"There goes that last chance," Don sighed.
Cleo: slams her phone onto her bag. "Right." Stands up and heads down the hill.
Rikki: calls out to her. "Take no prisoners."
"What are you doing?" Lewis asked, though in his heart, he knew what was coming as it began to break. "I'm going to ask Nate to the dance," Cleo groaned in complaint. "Oh, come on. I know your desperate, but anything is better than him!" Kim whined. "Desperate times call for desperate measures," Cleo grumbled as she glanced at Lewis.
"Guess you really wanted to go to that dance," Charlotte mumbled. She wasn't sure how she felt about the whole ordeal. She felt a little relieved, though she knew that Cleo and Lewis were a good match for each other, her feelings for Lewis weren't that easily removed, so she felt a little happy that Lewis hadn't thought about asking her. But she didn't want Cleo to have to suffer her last school event with a guy that was basically the last man to ask on earth.
Cleo: marches down the hill to where Nate was with his surfboard, hanging with one of his buddies a few feet from Miriam and Byron. "Hey Nate." Nate and his buddy look up at her as he stops cleaning his board. Puts her hands together, feeling a little nervous. "I was just wondering if you'd still like to come to the dance with me."
"Out of all the things I've ever heard from you, that is the last thing I'd ever expected," Kim said, her jaw dropped.
"You asked him?" Lewis asked in horror. He thought it had been the other way around, not from her! "I didn't know when he was going to ask me again since someone else didn't," Cleo shot back, Lewis's gaze lowering to the floor.
Nate: "Cool." Tosses the sponge in his hand and turns back to his buddy. Cleo turns around and begins to walk off, her goal a somewhat success when Nate calls back out to her. "Oi!" Cleo turns back around. "Wear something short. And tight." Nate grins and laughs along with his friend as Cleo turns back around and grimaces. The two guys high-five.
Don glared at the teenager, being reminded of what he said at their home later on. I cannot kill someone that's not here. I cannot kill someone that's not here, even if he is a little twerp, Don thought, reciting the mantra. Though he did have a few ideas of what he would do to him when they returned. Bev had an idea of what Don was thinking and she wasn't going to stop him. She didn't agree with this boy's behavior and how he was treating their daughter either. That is no way of treating a girl. Lewis joined in on the glaring, imagining lasers going through his head. No one talks to his friend like that.
"Ok, forget him. Drop him dead and just go with friends," Bella scoffed, hating the way Nate had spoken to her.
"I would've slapped that guy faster than he could say cool," Kim shook her head. "It would've been short," Elliot joked. "Not the time, El."
"And you still went with him after that comment?" Ash asked in shock. "I tended to ignore his comments. Basically, every time he talked," Cleo shrugged, rubbing it off. "I think duct tape would've been better use," Charlotte fumed.
"I hope you didn't give in to his demands," Sam said in concern. "Of course not! I'm not that stupid!" Cleo scoffed. "Yet you went with him," Rikki reminded her, making her demeanor fall and her shoulders slump.
"He'll complain about it for a while, but he'll still go with her. He would say it's so he wouldn't seem like he's turning her down, but really, it's because he didn't want to end up on the dance floor alone," Zane mentioned.
[Cleo walks back up the hill to her friends and sits down.]
Rikki: "That was short."
Cleo: rolls her eyes in annoyance. "And tight." The three look at each other, the two blondes laughing.
"Gotta admit, the timing there was hilarious," Ash laughed along with a few others.
"Guess there was a bit of light that came out of this then," Will smiled, glad that she had a bit of humor through this turnout. "You have no idea," Cleo smiled as she snuck a glance over at Lewis.
[Later that night, right before the dance, the girls get ready at Cleo's house. The girls were covered head to toe in long, thick clothing to protect themselves from any spilled juices. Rikki and Emma were checking themselves out in the bathroom, looking at their unusual yet nice-looking garments while Cleo gets her purse ready for tonight at her desk.]
Emma: "Are we covered up enough?"
Cleo: leans around the corner to look at Emma in the bathroom as Rikki walks out and into the bedroom. "Sure. Not even a tiny spray of water vapor could touch our skin."
"Uh, what are you wearing?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow as no one complimented them on their clothes. "Clothes for the dance," Cleo said, trying to hide her face from the embarrassment. "We were wearing them to prevent water from getting on our skin and risk transforming in front of everyone."
"I think it looks quite nice," Mrs. Chatham complimented. "That's because it's something only you would wear," Max said, pointing at what she was wearing.
"I don't recall seeing that in your closet," Kim thought. "That's because I got rid of it the second we changed clothes. I never wanted to see it again," Cleo shuttered. "Gasp! You got rid of clothes?!" Lewis mocked, slapping his hands against his cheeks in exaggeration.
"Well, you're right about one thing, you definitely don't have to worry about any water getting on you. Not with that many layers," Will said.
Emma: and Cleo go to her bedside. "Do we look like dorks?"
"Yes," all the teenagers answered, including the girls.
"It's not that bad," Sam shook her head. "We look like the kind of person that gets picked last for teams," Emma scoffed. "Now you're just over-exaggerating," Terry chuckled.
"I think you look great," Zane grinned at Rikki. "Let's get one thing straight … I always look great in red," Rikki held a finger up. "You're right about that," Zane mumbled with a smile.
Mrs. Chatham smiled, happy to see the girls wearing their necklaces. She knows they've been wearing them the whole time in this episode, but it was nice to acknowledge it. It seems like they never take them off, even for special occasions.
Cleo and Rikki: shaking their heads. "No, no way."
Rikki: "Not a chance. We're fine."
"No use in denying it," Kim said. "Kim. Be nice," Bev warned. "It's the truth! They look like dorks." "We did look ridiculous," Emma shrugged.
Emma: looks forward, ignoring their comments. "We look like dorks." Cleo and Rikki nod in agreement, forgetting everything they said. Cleo walks back to her desk.
"There you go," Kim nodded. "Totally," Rikki and Cleo agreed.
Rikki: glances at Emma. "So you're definitely coming?"
"No, Rikki, I got all gussied up just to sit at home and do nothing all night," Emma rolled her eyes. "I never did get a yes or no," Rikki teased.
"You should still go, even without a date. Though, maybe it wouldn't hurt to change outfits," Annette mentioned.
Emma: walks around Rikki. "Well, I'm the dance organizer. It's my responsibility."
"You're the reason why everyone has a dance in the first place, I don't see why not," Neil said, proud of his daughter's hard work.
"You might've organized the event, but you're still a student and a teenager. You should get to have some fun too," Lisa reminded. Though she was proud of her daughter's work as well, she worked too hard and sometimes never got to enjoy the fun. She needed to learn to have a good time too.
"And just like with your secret, it's your responsibility to take care of," Mrs. Chatham whispered to herself.
[A knock comes from the closed door, and they turn around to see who was welcoming themself in. The door opens and Lewis steps inside with a bag in his hand. Unlike the girls, he was dressed in his day-to-day attire, completely unaware of the dance that was happening in a few moments.]
Lewis: "You're all here, brilliant!" He closes the door behind him and walks over to the other side of the bed and lays his bag down.
"It would've been quicker for us to meet up at one house to get ready rather than all at our own homes," Emma told him. "Yeah, that's another thing I apparently forgot," Lewis rubbed the back of his neck, hating this episode more and more by the minute.
Cleo: turns around, rolls her eyes, and crosses her arms. "We're all out of navel lint, Lewis."
"Oh, gross. Please tell me that is not what you came there for," Charlotte groaned in disgust along with many others.
"You have such a weird hobby," Ash grimaced. "Actually, I didn't need to gather any more samples," Lewis sighed. "I think you had too many after the ear wax came along," Denman said.
Lewis: "Wha – no, no, I don't need anymore specimens. My research is finally complete." Cleo raises an eyebrow, and the other girls begin to look slightly interested as Lewis scrambles for something in his bag.
"Wait, are you talking about your waterproof spray?" Elliot asked. "Yup." "So, does that mean it's finished? And it works?" Denman raised an eyebrow, still highly skeptical of his experiment. "You're about to find out," Lewis lets his face remain emotionless as he gestures to the screen.
Max leaned forward a little, curious as to whether this will work for the girls or not. If it does, it means they could have a chance at a somewhat normal life. No more fear of hiding from water. If not, then all hope goes out the window and no chance of ever going back to their old lives.
Lewis: pulls out a spray can. "Cleo –."
Cleo: annoyed and steps closer. "We don't need deodorant either, Lewis."
"You were so over this," Kim laughed. "Were you mad about the samples or that he didn't ask you to the dance?" Emma asked her curiously. "Why not both?" Cleo shrugged.
"I don't know, after dancing for a while with all those layers on, it's going to get very hot and damp," Will mentioned. "As gross as that sounds, he's not wrong," Bella admitted. She made a mistake like that before at a school dance, one of very few that she went to due to her constant moving, and it turned into such a mess. She would rather take the risk rather than wear all those clothes again.
Denman snorted. She thought it was deodorant? Oh, I can't wait to see how this goes.
Lewis: "It's not." Grabs Cleo's arm and starts rolling up her sleeve. The brunette continues to look annoyed. "Look, I've developed an amino acid teflon derivative compound, that when in contact with skin, resists moisture." He sprays the liquid onto her skin. Cleo gives it an odd look.
"And that means?" Lisa frowned, confused as most others were. "Beats me. I didn't understand a word he said," Rikki shrugged. "It means that he found a solution that could create a waterproof liquid," Max said, his eyes wide in shock. That boy was truly a genius.
"If it works," Denman said, leaning forward in her seat with a wary look. She was invested in this now. At first, she didn't believe it would work, only interested in it to see his failed attempts at once again trying to be a scientist. But now, he was proving himself even more by just that simple explanation that even she would have to admit she wouldn't have been able to think of. Then again, she wasn't trying to invent a waterproof skin compound liquid that would protect mermaids.
Bella held her arms close, really hoping this would work. There were so many things that she wished she could do that many other girls that were nine or older have been able to do, but can't due to the whole tail situation. If this worked, it could change their lives for good.
Emma: frowns. "You mean it'll waterproof us?"
"How in the world did you understand what he was saying?" Zane asked. "I didn't. But he's been talking about waterproofing all week that it was the only thing I could think of," Emma answered with a laugh.
Rikki: crosses her arms, a little concerned. "How can you be sure?"
"Did you test this out before you experimented on them?" Don asked. "No," Lewis said, looking away. "So how do you know this won't catch them on fire or make them smell like dead fish for a week?" Don exclaimed, glaring at the teenage scientist. "Well, I know it won't do any of those things. And they were the only ones I could test it on because no one else I knew of turned into mermaids," Lewis explained. "So why are you testing it on them now right before the dance?" Will asked. "Because one, I had just finished it before I got to their house. And two … as I said earlier, I forgot about the dance," Lewis said, a bit of shame in his voice in the last part.
Lewis: "I'm not. But this second bottle, it's full of water." Holds up another spray bottle and sprays it on Cleo's unprotected arm.
"Why couldn't you have just waited until after the dance?" Ash frowned. This would ruin their night and cause them to be late to the party. "Because my goal was to get it ready before the dance," Lewis answered. "So, if that was your goal, then how did you forget about the dance?" Kim asked. "Because I forgot my goal," Lewis mumbled.
"Let's hope this works," Don said, leaning forward in his seat. Though he didn't recall hearing any loud thumping noises that night from someone falling. "It better work for his sake, cause those three look ready to jump on him any second now," Terry said, pointing to the screen. Inside, he was a little relieved that he didn't test it on his daughter instead of the Sertori girl. And knowing Rikki, if he did her instead of Cleo, he would've been hanging upside down on the roof by now, with his help of course.
[Emma and Rikki's eyes widen, and they rush over to Cleo's side, ready to catch her in case she was to fall.]
Cleo: angry, holding out her arm. "Lewis, I already packed my towel in my bag! You better be ready to catch me when this tail appears." Cleo gestures down to her legs, and Rikki nods in agreement who was holding her arm, fully prepared for the outcome. But when the ten seconds were up, and still no transformation, everyone looks down in confusion to see that in fact, there was no tail, but Cleo's same old legs. Cleo looks up in amazement.
The whole crowd gasped in awe and complete shock before bursting into many joyous comments and excited smiles. "No freaking way," Charlotte said, jaw dropped. "There's – There's no tail!" Will exclaimed in shock.
"Looks like one of your inventions finally worked. Well done," Kim grinned brightly, not realizing she just complimented Lewis. And if it was ever brought up again, she would never admit to it.
"I'm sensing a science degree in the future," Ash laughed in amazement.
"It – it – it worked? It actually worked?" Bella said quietly, a small smile beginning to form as she thought of what this meant for them. This means they don't have to avoid water anymore! They don't have to be afraid of being exposed anymore! They could do anything they wanted! They could live a normal life! We could live a normal life with our powers!
"It worked!" Elliot laughed in amazement, hollering along with everyone else. Mostly everyone else.
"He did it, he actually created a waterproof liquid," Denman said, her eyes wide yet her face frozen in shock. She was wrong. She was wrong about him. He was able to prove her logic wrong and did something even she couldn't do. He created something that no one else has been able to do. He truly is a scientist. When everyone made fun of him, claiming that he wasn't, he was able to prove them all wrong and kept on fighting for his title: a scientist. If she hadn't already tricked him into being her assistant the first time and pulled that stunt with the girls, maybe they could've actually worked together, and been able to do so much more in building the scientific world.
"Yeah, he did," Max said with a bright smile. Lewis was a genius, he was brilliant. He was far more intelligent than Max ever was. He was able to do something no one else could, not even he could for his friends. Sure, the technology was far more advanced and that could help in this little predicament, but he was still able to do it. Lewis really did change their lives, he helped them for the better. But when he glanced over at his friend, Mrs. Chatham, to tell her that she owed the boy an apology, his smile slowly fell as he knew something was wrong by the look on her face.
Mrs. Chatham sighed, her arm supporting her head and her gaze on the ground. She was happy for the boy, she really was. He was able to achieve something no one else could, but she knew from the beginning that it wouldn't work. After everything she and her friends tried, nothing could beat the magic. Sure, it worked for a little while, but eventually, the magic fought against the formula, trying to break it apart, which in time only affected the girls, as rashes spread across their bodies and made their skin bright red, humiliating the girls in the end. It didn't hurt the girls one bit, but it did crush their dreams.
Lewis, despite all the praise he was getting from the crowd, all the compliments, the clapping and cheering, the looks of disbelief and approval, proving something to them that they thought wasn't possible for a second time. Despite all the positive feedback he was receiving from everyone, could only look down at the floor in shame. Shame for ruining the girls' night, shame for not getting it finished sooner. Shame for not experimenting first before using it on the girls. There was so much he could've done to fix things, but instead, he screwed up their night even more. Just when he intended to try to make things better, he made things so much worse.
A gentle hand resting on his arm jolted him out of his thoughts. He looked over and finds that the hand belonged to none other than Cleo, his best friend who was giving him a very grateful smile. Because even though the dance didn't go as planned, it was still the best night ever to her. At least one good thing came out of it, Lewis thought with a small smile to her.
Lewis: "Do you see a tail?"
"Nope! No tail, just a pair of human legs!" Kim said in excitement. Though she loved her sister's powers, it was awesome to see that they now had a way to control it. That's what she thinks. "Though I do have to admit, I miss the tails," Will pouted.
Emma: "We don't have to worry about getting wet anymore." The girls and Lewis look around in with big smiles. Cleo continues to stare at her wet arm in bewilderment. "That means we can wear what we want to the dance." Emma cheers and heads for the bathroom.
Cleo and Rikki: jumps for joy and runs into the bathroom after her. "Yes!"
As the room continued to be cheerful about the fantastic news, Lisa couldn't help but frown at that. Something didn't add up to her. If the waterproof spray works, and they no longer have to fear a drop of water, then how come Emma still refused to go on their annual vacation swim. Unbeknownst to them at the time, they had to change their tradition due to this, believing that Emma was afraid of something else instead of the truth. But if all of this had happened, then how come Emma still had to avoid water later on? Could it be because it can only block out a certain amount of water? Could it stop working on them after a while, fading out eventually? Or did something else happen, and ended up destroying the waterproofing? What went wrong?
"Guess no more looking like a dork, huh?" Bella chuckled, though she was very happy for the girls now that they got to live their dream like normal girls for a night. "Bummer," Kim teased.
"Wait, you guys had backup outfits?" Zane asked confused. "Well, we brought the clothes we were going to originally wear that night before Emma thought of us using the clothes we were wearing in case we were to get splashed," Rikki explained. "So, we decided to keep our original outfits as backups in case anything were to happen to the others," Emma finished. "Sometimes you are way too over-prepared," Elliot shook his head. "Sometimes it's a good thing," Emma smiled.
[As the three of them run into the bathroom to change, closing the door behind them, Lewis nods in agreement, before what they said sinks in.]
Lewis: brows furrow in confusion and brushes his hair behind his ear. "The dance?"
"So, it finally dawned on you," Zane shook his head. "That took a while," Kim giggled. "I guess since my goal was complete, my brain was finally free to notice my surroundings," Lewis shrugged, still mad at himself for it.