A Wish on a Full Moon
I do not own H2O: Just Add Water or any of the characters.
Chapter 67: Control (part 2)
[Lewis was typing on his laptop at a table outside of the cafe, grinning as he looks at the records of the storm from the other day on Mako. His computer begins to beep rapidly before the screen goes black.]
Lewis: "No." Shakes his head in disbelief and slaps his laptop keyboard. "No, no, no! I don't believe this!" In the background, Charlotte gets a juice from the counter with her bag over her shoulder. She spots him having his little tantrum, then walks over. "That's cool. That's really cool."
"Why are you looking at a recorded radar of Mako?" Don asked. "I thought I might see a connection between the girls' powers and the storm from the other night," Lewis answered. "Remember, Lewis, science is never the answer for magic," Mrs. Chatham chided gently.
"Ooph, battery fried?" Max winced. "Battery died," Lewis nodded, glum.
"What are you doing there?" Annette asked her curiously. "I heard everybody at school talking about the Juicenet, so I wanted to try it out. It's actually really good, a lovely place to hang out," Charlotte remarked. "That's what we say all the time," Emma grinned as she gestured to her and the other students of the local high school … which was only four of them. Well, five if you include Zane. Even the adults loved Juicenet, though they never get to go much due to their jobs and other responsibilities like their kids. "Huh, might have to check it out some time," Annette hummed.
Charlotte: goes over to his table. "You okay?"
"Never better," Lewis chuckled.
Lewis: leans back. "Yeah, uh, just … my battery died."
"Why didn't you charge it before you left home?" Emma asked. "I did," Lewis said. "You did? But those batteries should last for hours," Denman frowned. "… how long have you been there?" Harrison asked a bit concerned. "Uhhhh," Lewis hesitated, unsure of the answer himself. "Lewis," Cleo groaned in complaint, slapping her forehead. "It was after your shift. So maybe … a couple of hours," Lewis shrugged. "But the program I was using would drain my percentage faster, so there's that." "Still not good. You need to take a break from some stuff when you're stuck," Max told him.
Charlotte: "Well, I've got my computer here." Puts her drink down on the table and starts rummaging through her bag. "Looks like the same model. You can use my battery."
"Charlotte. I bought you that computer," Annette frowned. "What, mom? It's just a battery. It's no big deal," Charlotte blushed, looking away. "But those batteries cost money," Annette sighed, shaking her head.
Cleo frowned. She let him use her battery? That's awful friendly of someone that they just met.
"Well, isn't that lucky," Ash smiled. "Yeah, a real coincidence," Don raised an eyebrow. "It was a popular model," Lewis tilted his head.
Lewis: "Really? Well, that'll be great." Closes his laptop.
"You weren't worried about any viruses?" Will asked. "Nah., I got an anti-virus server on my laptop thanks to the Korean software I have downloaded, so I didn't need to worry about it. The only way it could break through is if it were major," Lewis said. "Clever," Denman nodded.
Charlotte: "So, what are you working on that's so important?"
Lewis: flips his laptop over and pulls the battery out from the back. "Well, I'm actually researching merrrr – raculous natural phenomena." Glances up at her.
Everyone gives Lewis a stern look. "Really, Lewis?" Cleo asked. "Oh, like you haven't had a few slip-ups before, Mrs. Sea Queen Pageant," Lewis shot back with a smug grin. Cleo scowled playfully.
"I would've never known anyway. Since the thought of mermaids didn't even exist then," Charlotte giggled.
"Bout gave it away there, huh mate?" Zane elbowed him, laughing. "Says the one who told a marine biologist about their existence," Lewis smirked. "That's never going away anytime soon," Harrison rubbed his neck sheepishly as Denman sighed. "Nope!" "I thought I said not to mention it," Emma narrowed her eyes at him. "Exactly. You mentioned it. But I'll stop," Lewis grinned. For now.
"Do I even wanna know what that is?" Cleo scrunched up her face. "Probably not. Just scratch it up to science," Lewis grinned.
"Sounds reasonable. A nerdy excuse but it'll do," Ash tilted his head.
"That's something both you and Cleo have in common. You can't keep your mouth shut," Rikki snickered. "Hey, I know how to keep a secret," Cleo pouted. "Yet you almost revealed it to Miriam just to get one up on her because of a pageant," Rikki retorted. Cleo kept quiet after that, lowering herself back into her seat.
Charlotte: glances around with a big smile and giggles. "Oh, I love all that."
"Do you even know what that is?" Annette asked her daughter. "No. I was just trying to make casual conversation," Charlotte blushed some more, trying to wave it off. "Well, it clearly worked," Rikki said in a sarcastic tone. "Very casual," Zane said in a deadpanned tone.
Cleo raised a suspicious eyebrow. Was that flirting? Obviously, it was, since she didn't know what he was talking about. I don't either, but still, at least I'll admit it.
"It's okay Charlotte, when it comes to science, no one ever understands what I say," Lewis laughed. "Did he just call us dumb?" Rikki asked Emma. "I don't know, but just let it go. After this episode, he needs to let out some heat," Emma replied.
Charlotte: "So, where are they?"
Lewis: "Who?"
Charlotte: "Those girls. Cleo and the others. You seem to hang with them a lot."
"How did you even know we hung out with him? You haven't even met me and Emma," Rikki frowned, gesturing to her and the other blonde. "Were you spying on us?" Cleo asked. "We go to school together and have some of the same classes. I saw you guys hanging out several times," Charlotte remarked as if it were obvious. "Very observant," Max mumbled. Like someone else I used to know.
"We don't have to hang out all the time. Even the best of friends needs some space and time to themselves. Right, Lewis?" Emma said, giving him a pointed look. Lewis ignored her last comment and gasped in a dramatic shock. "Did you just say we were the best of friends? Oh, how thoughtful!" "Lewis, It's me, Emma. Not Rikki. We've always been friends," Emma laughed. "I feel like I should be offended but it's true," Rikki said.
"But, yeah, what she said. I decided to have some time alone to work on my theory about Mako and their powers. It helps when I'm by myself," Lewis said. "So, I guess me coming up didn't help at all, huh," Charlotte glanced down. "Oh, no. It's fine. Wouldn't have mattered anyways since my computer decided to give up on me," Lewis remarked.
Lewis: puts the other battery in. "Yeah. Well that's – that's because we're very good friends."
"Awww, he called us his friends," Rikki and Emma decided to mock him, causing themselves and a few others to laugh. "Very good friends with a huge secret," Neil chuckled.
Don and Bev smiled at Lewis's reply. They knew he would always be there for his friends. Even though it shows a little too much this time, he was faithful to them and respected their secrecy. "And girlfriend," Bev mumbled, thinking about Cleo and wondering why she didn't bring it up. Did something happen?
Charlotte: "Sure." Puts her bag on her shoulder, a little deflated. Lewis goes back to putting the battery in.
Rikki leaned over and whispered to Emma low enough so that Cleo wouldn't overhear. She noticed the way Charlotte seemed a little down when he mentioned his friendship with them, and it was a dead giveaway. "She's totally got a crush on him." "Definitely. But I don't know why you're whispering. Cleo already knows after she saw them hanging out when they broke up," Emma whispered back. "Oh." Cleo nodded as Rikki looked back at her, obviously not as quiet as she had hoped.
Charlotte: "Well, I better go." Grabs her wallet.
Lewis: gestures to the laptop. "Well, hey, do you want your battery back?"
Charlotte: smiles. "You keep it. I've got yours." Walks off, sipping at her juice that she retrieved from the table. Lewis watches her go.
"Guess it wouldn't matter anyway. Their just batteries," Denman commented.
"Charlotte, that was yours," Annette let out a breath. "He needed it more," she responded, a blush still on her face.
"Sounds more like a souvenir," Rikki mumbled.
"Thanks for the offer though, Lewis," Charlotte told him. "Hey, thanks for lending me the battery," Lewis responded.
[The next day Elliot's game began. The crowd claps as the whistle blows for them to start. A player on the opposite team – the red team – tosses the game into play as his fellow teammate kicks it, attempting to take it to the other goal while Elliot's team of blues tries to stop them. On the sideline with the other family members and friends of the players stood Emma and Rikki near Nate and the assistant coach. Everyone claps and cheers them on while the two girls focus on the one person they came for: Elliot.]
Nate: claps along with everyone else, trying to get his team to hustle. "Come on, Lachlan, get behind him, mate! He can't take them all by himself."
"Oh, we get to watch the game? That's great!" Lisa cheered along with the crowd on the screen. "Hopefully it'll go better than the practice," Neil muttered, but a smile appeared on his face as he saw Elliot on the field. With the way Nate acted, he wasn't sure if he was going to let him play or not.
"I understand with the practice, but why didn't you go to this game?" Sam asked. "Came down with a nasty cold. I didn't want to spread it to the others and ruin the game for him, but I also didn't want him to miss his game either, so I told him to go," Neil mentioned. "We have gone to all of his games, it just happens to be this one that we unfortunately missed," Lisa informed. And the one where we realize something was wrong. "Their right. Sucks though because this was my favorite game," Elliot beamed, causing a small smile for Emma.
[A red player has the ball, but when he wasn't looking, Elliot steals the ball from him, kicking it toward the other goal.]
Emma: cheers him on, clapping with a big smile. "Good one, Elliot!" Rikki nods in approval.
"Yeah, go Elliot!" Kim yelled happily as everyone else clapped along, watching the game intensify. "Nice!" Bella smiled. "That was a good play there, kid. You're a natural," Ash smiled at him. "Thanks," Elliot smiled back. "Way to go, son," Neil nodded.
"Looks like this'll be a good game," Ash commented. "Not with that Billy kid in it," Will said.
[Elliot continues to run toward the goal with the ball at his feet until an unwanted foe arrives. Billy bumps Elliot to the side, stealing the ball from him, causing Elliot to slow down in confusion.]
Nate: cheers louder seeing his brother has the ball now. "Yes, yes, yes!"
"No, no, no," Terry complained.
"Did he seriously just steal the ball from you?" Kim gasped in shock, glaring at the screen. "Yeah," Elliot said, a little bummed. "Does he not know what the meaning of teamwork means?" Bella scoffed. "Considering who his brother is, probably not," Rikki said.
"You're his teammate, not his opponent," Sam shouted at the screen. "Not in his eyes," Elliot said. Neil scowled. "That kid better be glad that we weren't there. He would've gotten a stern lecturing from me." Yes, because I'm sure a stern lecture would work on him, Rikki rolled her eyes.
[Billy kicks the ball into the goal only for it to be stopped by the goalie who snatches it up before it could make it into the net. The crowd for the blue team quiets their cheers and 'oohs' at this action, as it was now in the red team's hands – or, well, feet. Nate and several others put their hands to their heads at the shot of a point being missed.]
Nate: takes it out on Elliot and yells at him from the sideline instead of his own brother. "Move it, Elliot. Too slow!" Rikki and Emma look at him in shock as he yells at the wrong person. Elliot goes back to the game, shaking his head.
"It's not his fault your brother stole it from him," Lisa fumed. "Billy just keeps getting in the way," Neil crossed his arms. "Too slow? He was doing great until Billy showed up," Bella huffed. "Seriously? Who let him be the coach? Was the school that desperate?" Charlotte asked.
"Maybe sending you to that boarding school was a good thing," Harrison muttered. "You do realize that me and Nate are still friends, right? We just hung out last week," Zane raised an eyebrow causing his dad to shift in his seat with a sigh of annoyance.
"During the games too? So, it's not just practice," Lisa's anger grew. "At least I got to play," Elliot tried to get them to see the bright side. "Still, he shouldn't be treating you like that."
Emma: stands up for her brother, yelling at Nate. Rikki watches the game in disbelief, not believing what she just witnessed. "Elliot was doing great until Billy crossed in front of him."
"Thanks, Em," Elliot smiled, leaning on his hand for support. "Anything for my little brother," Emma giggled and ruffled his hair.
"I wouldn't say crossed, more like bumped into him. Because that's exactly what happened," Don frowned.
"Is no one in the crowd going to argue with him?" Sam asked. "He's the coach. No one wants to risk getting kicked out from the game," Emma said. "At least you had some guts," Sam sniffed.
Nate: "You just can't see it straight because he's your brother." Gestures to the game. Billy runs past him, the ball once again in his control and probably stolen from either Elliot or another player. Focuses back on his brother and claps as his assistant keeps notes on the game, writing it all down on a clipboard. "Great shot, Billy. Stay focused now, mate!"
"Hah! You're one to talk!" Charlotte barked with laughter. "Hypocrite," Emma narrowed her eyes at him. "He should be eating his own words," Kim crossed her arms, eyes narrowed like Emma's.
"He gets on to the wrong person, then proceeds to encourage his brother who was in the wrong," Annette shook her head.
[Emma crosses her arms, silently fuming. But Rikki sees right through it as her angry expression on her face was a dead giveaway.]
Rikki: turns to her, taunting her. "Careful. You don't want to lose control." Shakes her hands in her face as a reminder of their powers.
"Rikki now is not a good time to taunt her," Terry said, unable to stop his laughter. "She had it coming," Rikki smiled smugly. Emma rolled her eyes.
"Is this some sort of competition now?" Ash watched in amusement. "She was trying to see if she could get me to break," Emma said. "To me it was. Whoever broke first, lost. I just wanted to prove my point that I could handle myself better than she thought," Rikki said. "It worked, ya happy now?" Emma whispered, trying not to grind her teeth. "Very."
Emma: "I am perfectly in control." Looks back at the game and shouts. "Come on! Foul!" Rikki stares at her a little bewildered. Emma snaps at her. "What?" They return to the game, her arms crossed.
"Ooh, this is going to be really interesting indeed," Lewis grinned, rubbing his hands together. "I'm not sure whether to be scared or excited to see how this goes down," Will mentioned. "Why not both?" Zane asked as he was excited to see his girlfriend put her foot down.
[Meanwhile, at the beach, Charlotte stands in the sandy grass with an easel in front of her, painting a beautiful painting of the beach and ocean before her on a canvas. Next to the easel lays her bag, and a paintbrush in her hand as she does careful, gentle strokes along the canvas. Down below her walks Lewis as he climbs the sandy, grassy hill towards her.]
Lewis: walks up to her and sees her painting. "Wow, you're really good. I had no idea."
Charlotte: turns to him and smiles. "Thanks." Goes back to her painting.
The audience gasps and awws at her painting, complimenting her work. "You painted that? That is amazing," Emma said, eyes wide. "Lewis is right. You are good," Cleo smiled at her. "Are you kidding? You don't need art class, you need to be teaching it!" Don exclaimed. "You obviously have an A+ in it. And you just started," Sam joined in. "That is beautiful. Absolutely remarkable," Mrs. Chatham gasped. "One heck of a painter. Reminds me of Gracie's," Max hummed. "Thanks," Charlotte blushed from all the compliments.
"She gets that from her grandmother," Annette beamed at her. Too bad I didn't get some other things from her, Charlotte thought in amusement.
"Can you teach me?" Kim and Elliot begged, causing her to laugh. "Of course."
"How could you know? You just met her," Zane said. "Well, I knew she did art from the art room comment, but I didn't know she was this good," Lewis gestured to the painting.
"If you start selling them, let me know. I would love some for my living room," Lisa awed.
"Is this where you got the idea from?" Emma asked Lewis. "Yeah," Lewis said. "What idea?" Charlotte asked. "If it's showing this, then you'll see soon."
Lewis: "What sort of painting is that?"
Charlotte: "Japanese brush painting."
"Where did you learn that from?" Don asked. "From my old school. They had an advanced art class there that I took, but sadly it got destroyed in a fire that happened at the school last semester," Charlotte sighed.
"Is that why you moved here?" Cleo asked curiously. She was still a little suspicious about the art room mysteriously being burned down among other things, but it was so strange that she had moved to their school after that event had taken place. "Actually, it was because mom was starting another chain of her restaurant there," Charlotte responded. "That's right. This will be my third one. It's located near the hotel where Harrison had his convention," Annette nodded.
Lewis: squints. "Hmm. How do you get so many colors with the – the one brush?" Moves his hand around to show how she was using the brush.
Charlotte: "With the smallest movements." Paints a bird, with many others in the background above the waves. "You have to be precise and exact." She does exactly as she says.
"How long has that taken you?" Bella asked. "Not long. Probably a couple of hours," Charlotte shrugged. "Must be less than that, considering you were painting the scenes on the beach," Max mentioned. "She's been painting like that for so long. She's used to it by now. It's her favorite technique," Annette beamed as she bragged about her daughter. "Mom, stop."
Charlotte: looks back at Lewis with a smile. "Here." She hands the paintbrush to him and guides his hand carefully to the canvas, placing her hand on his to show him what to do and they slowly and carefully paint another bird onto the blue scenery. Slowly nods her head. "Yeah, see? Precise and exact." Lewis smiles at the bird he drew.
"See, you can teach," Don proved.
Cleo became slightly jealous at seeing her hold his hand. It was to teach him how to hold the paintbrush but still. It's alright, they're not together. They're just friends … just like we are.
Charlotte: "It's like the Japanese proverb. 'If you want to fly like a butterfly, don't flap like a crow.'"
"No. Freaking. Way," Rikki said, jaw dropped. "That's where that came from?" Emma gawked. "You're the one that came up with that saying?!" Cleo's eyes widened in surprise, along with the other two girls. "It came from the Japanese proverb, but I did mention it, I guess. Wait, how did you know about it?" Charlotte asked in confusion. "Let's just say you really helped us out," Cleo laughed out a breath, her jaw dropped, still amazed that it turned out to be Charlotte that had ended up fixing their little power problem. "Yeah, let's just say we kept flapping like a crow more than we were like a butterfly," Rikki chuckled with Emma nodding her head eagerly. This only confused Charlotte and the others even more.
Lewis: eyes widen in realization, turns to Charlotte. "Charlotte, you are the best!" Lays a hand on her shoulder.
"She is? Why?" Kim squinted her eyes. "She is. She definitely is," the girls grinned. "I think we need more intel," Terry frowned, confused as well. "Just keep watching," Lewis grinned along with the girls as he noticed the audience's confused expressions.
Charlotte: "I am? Why?"
Lewis: points at her frantically. "I've gotta go. I'll talk to you later." Hands the brush back to her and runs off in a rush. Charlotte watches him go.
"Oh, come on, quit messing with us!" Kim whined. "If I knew I'd be messing with you from the past where we are watching this, then I'd try to give you a hint on the screen," Lewis chuckled. "You practically have already," Rikki joined.
"I kept wondering where you got this crazy idea from. Now I know why," Cleo laughed. "It's not crazy, it's genius," Lewis said. "I know it's genius. Crazy, but genius. And I guess we owe it all to you, Charlotte," Cleo turned to her. "Yeah, thanks for making Lewis's scientific ego grow even more," Rikki joked. "I don't know how art is supposed to do that to him, but thanks I guess," she laughed with them, yet still clueless as to what they were talking about.
[A little while later, Lewis returns to the Sertori residence, this time with an idea that he was sure to work. Cleo stood in her bedroom with an easel and paper set in front of her. She had old clothes on that she wasn't afraid of getting messy and a paintbrush in hand.]
Cleo: raises an eyebrow at her boyfriend. "And why am I doing this?"
Lewis: standing by her desk. "Trust me. It just takes practice. 'If you want to fly like a butterfly, don't flap like a crow.'" Walks over to her bed.
"Oh, so this is what you were planning. You were going to teach them Charlotte's method," Annette smiled, proud that her daughter helped them out … sort of. It might have been unintentional, and she wasn't aware of it, but nonetheless, she was still proud of her.
Charlotte blushed at the fact that Lewis was using her favorite phrase she was taught, passing it on to his friends who needed help desperately. But also, because she somehow helped the girls with their powers, which is something that made her feel pretty happy about. They might not even be close friends or friends of the sort, but this felt like a closer step to being at that level.
"That's actually pretty smart," Max nodded in approval. "Genius," Ash grinned. "Good idea, Lewis," Don said, giving him a thumbs up.
"Why didn't we think of this?" Rikki asked. "Probably because you were too focused on getting me to crack," Emma chuckled. "Hey, it worked, didn't it?"
Bella tilted her head to the side, wondering if she ever got a new power one day that she would need to learn this method for help. Though she had already mastered her powers, it felt like there was something new and unexpected happening every day in her life as a mermaid. Being magically stuck in a room full of what used to be strangers watching other mermaids' lives onscreen was a major example. Honestly, she couldn't wait to tell her parents all about this.
In fact, she wondered if they knew where she was at right now, or if time had stopped on the 'other side'. Right now, she was going to assume the second option and that they'll return back to their normal day-to-day lives once they get back, this time maybe with even more information about their friends and family than they ever thought. Bella shook her head, her mind wandering off, and looked back to the screen.
Cleo: becomes even more confused. "What?"
"I think you're going to have to be more specific, Lewis," Denman laughed.
"Why didn't you tell me it was Charlotte who came up with this?" Cleo elbowed him gently. "I – I never got the chance," Lewis glanced down, avoiding her gaze. "Oh. Oh," Cleo too glanced down in realization. That's right, she broke up with him before he could ever explain the rest of it.
Lewis: goes through some stuff he has laying on her bed. "This can teach you to be precise, you know, with your powers." Cleo goes back to staring at the paper, letting out a breath, looking a little annoyed. Grabs a picture of a butterfly and clips it on to the paper where she had already drawn two connecting circles. "Okay. Here, copy this." Steps back.
"I get that you were trying to teach us the method, but wouldn't it have been better to just tell us it instead of having us paint?" Rikki asked. "No, you needed to learn the method by doing the exact strokes and be precise instead of learning vocally," Lewis remarked. "Actions speak louder than words," Mrs. Chatham realized with a grin. "Precisely," Lewis said, unintentionally adding in a pun.
"Let's hope this works," Don said, his grip on his arms tightening, hoping that Cleo and the others will be able to figure out how to control it.
"What's with the two circles on the paper?" Charlotte asked her curiously. "I got bored while he was still setting up and explaining and tried to draw something, but someone stopped me," Cleo gave him a pointed look. "Sorry," Lewis grimaced.
Cleo: "Fine." Paints a curved line on the paper, trying to copy the picture but Lewis interrupts her.
Lewis: "Remember, precise and exact." Cleo widens her eyes for a moment, trying to ignore her emotions, and goes back to painting a butterfly's wing.
"It's tracing, Lewis. I'm not going to be perfect like Charlotte's painting was, which by the way was way better than this," Cleo gestured to the screen. "The wings aren't exactly like the picture, but it's the way I wanted it to be. And besides, I'm no good with art." "It's your first time doing something like this. It's not going to be perfect the first time, which seems to be part of the lesson here," Charlotte replied, also giving Lewis a pointed look. "Alright, alright, I get it. Nothing's going to be perfect the first time go around. I shouldn't have tried to make it that way," Lewis groaned, rolling his head back. "I think it's finally starting to settle in," Rikki smiled smugly.
"Just let her do it the way she wants. Let her control it," Sam said.
"Let her be in control then," Max told him.
Lewis: "See? You're in control." Cleo has a small smile as she paints.
"I gotta admit, it felt peaceful to be able to paint," Cleo said with a similar expression she has on the screen. "It was very calming." Now if only there weren't someone talking over my shoulder constantly as I was trying to do so, she thought. "I do find it to be very relaxing. It's my happy place, like I'm in my own world," Charlotte sighed a happy sigh. "Doing something you love will always do that to you," Lisa smiled at them.
Kim has a small smile. That's exactly what she wants. Just not the way you're trying to do it, by controlling her. And with that, Kim couldn't help but wonder if that was why Cleo had broken up with him. Part of it being the stress, but also because of Lewis trying to control every action that she took. She couldn't do anything without him looming over her shoulder. She already had a lot of stress doing that for her, she didn't need another set of eyes doing it for her as well. She couldn't control what she was doing with her powers. She couldn't control how Lewis was constantly trying to help her when she didn't want it. And she couldn't control her mother to prevent her from leaving. It was all too much for the brunette, and it was finally starting to get to her.
Lewis: "Now, put down the brush, and do the same with your powers."
"Doesn't it seem a little early to be trying it?" Rikki frowned. "Yeah, I think it's too soon. She just started," Emma agreed. "She needs to keep going until she feels confident enough to be able to try it herself. Otherwise, she'll feel less in control with both her powers and what she is trying to paint. It's the exact same as art," Charlotte tried to explain to him. "Shouldn't she finish the painting first? She barely has the wings done," Kim said, wanting to see the finishing touches. Which is what Cleo needs so she can do the 'finishing touches' to master her new power.
"Patience, Lewis. You need to be patient," Mrs. Chatham warned. "Yeah, I kind of found that out for myself," Lewis winced.
"Well, this is going to end well," Zane sarcastically said.
Cleo: looks unsure. "Are you sure?"
Lewis: nods. "Sure, I'm sure." Cleo lets out a breath then sets the paintbrush down on the small table next to a glass cup of foggy water full of mixed paint colors from the paintbrushes and steps back, Lewis steps back with her.
Everyone leans forward in their seat, hoping this will work. Especially Charlotte since it was technically her idea. Everyone that was, except for the girls and Lewis who already knew the outcome, and Mrs. Chatham and Max who had a feeling that it didn't work since they seemed to be skipping a few steps ahead before Cleo was even ready.
[Cleo thrusts her hand out toward the cup, curling her hand. Immediately the wind starts to pick up in the room all around them, whipping their hair around. The glass on the table full of mucky water and paintbrushes begins to shake.]
Lewis: "Gently. Easy." Her paintbrush rolls off the table as the shaking increases. "Easy." Gets nervous, glances at Cleo who herself seems to be struggling.
"I was trying Lewis. But obviously, I couldn't control it," Cleo looked at him annoyed as he squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. "Considering that the wind picked up immediately, I don't think she had it under control," Zane grimaced.
"You were right, it isn't going to end well," Harrison shook his head.
"Come on, Cleo, come on," Don muttered, still having faith in his daughter. "You can do it. Come on, Cleo," Kim chanted along with her dad.
[All of a sudden, the blast of wind increases and hits them in the face. The blast tips her glass cup over, shattering it, and makes her table totter. Along with it, pictures fly off Cleo's desk, and several other things go flying. Cleo pulls back her hand with a gasp, ending her power streak. As the winds come to a halt, the easel falls over from the unbalance with a thud. Cleo's open palm turns into a fist and she glares at Lewis, his hair blown back from the accidental outburst. Lewis tilts his head once again.]
"Did it work?" Zane joked; no one laughed. "No, no it did not," Lewis glared back. "Well, wasn't that a blast?" Will joked, this time getting a round of laughter from the others. "Oh, come on, that got some laughs but mine didn't?" Zane whined. "Because his was actually funny," Rikki teased.
"I tried to warn you that I wasn't ready," Cleo shrugged with a know-it-all look. "I got that," Lewis huffed.
[Back at Elliot's game, the score is tied 0 to 0. One of his fellow teammates kicks it to Elliot, the ball back in his control, and begins to kick it toward the other goal. The crowd cheers and claps for their home team.]
Emma: claps and cheers loudly. "Good one, Elliot!"
"Alright round 2, let's try this again," Ash nodded. "Billy better not try anything this time," Neil gritted his teeth. "If he knows what's good for him," Kim narrowed her eyes. "Unfortunately for him, he shares the same brain cells as his brother … none," Rikki quipped. That's okay, though. There are two mermaids out there watching, Emma smirked.
[Elliot continues to kick the ball toward the goal, but Billy once again runs up and shoves him, stealing the ball away from Elliot who stopped in his tracks to watch Billy with a pain expression. Emma's clapping comes to a halt as she frowns at Billy stealing the spotlight. Billy kicks it at the goal and once again, the goalie grabs it before it could land in the net. Elliot turns around and resumes back onto the field.]
The audience groans in complaint. "Oh, come on! Again?!" Bella fussed. "Every time," Elliot sighed. "This isn't right," Lisa shook her head. "Of course it isn't right. Our son is being bullied and the coach won't help him," Neil huffed. "It's okay, dad," Elliot said, glancing at his sister. I have a feeling someone already did.
Nate: "Oh! Come on, Elliot! That was pathetic! The idea is to kick the ball!" Motions with his leg.
"That's not fair! It's not his fault your brother is a complete imbecile," Kim complained. "No name-calling, Kim," Bev sighed. Kim rolled her eyes.
"Says the one yelling at little kids," Sam spat.
"I think he needs to relearn the definition of pathetic," Harrison said. "Please. We're looking at an example of one," Don scowled at Nate onscreen.
"The one game we miss," Neil fumed, Lisa agreeing wholeheartedly with her husband. "I know where he can kick it," Charlotte glared.
"That's exactly what I did. Why don't you give your brother that advice?" Elliot yelled. "Way to go, kid," Ash nodded and high-fived him for his comment.
Emma: stomps over to him. "Billy shoved him."
Nate: points to the field. "Yeah, only because Elliot was in his way." Turns and claps for his brother. "Good thinking, Billy." Yells again. "Stop dragging your feet, Elliot!"
"I'm about to drag him across the floor," Neil said in a low tone. "I'll help you," Don said.
"How could anyone think he would be a good coach to kids?" Annette asked. "How did you not realize, Em?" Cleo asked. "Well, like Zane said. He is surprisingly good at soccer. And I was too hopeful that he would share with them his techniques, not bully them into what they are now," Emma shifted uncomfortably. "Sorry, El." "It's okay, Em. It turns out alright in the end," Elliot smiled.
Emma: turns back around and stomps over to Rikki. "I can't believe this." Gestures to the field. "Every time Elliot gets the ball, he's fouled by his teammates. It's so unfair."
"I wouldn't consider Billy as a teammate, more like a bump in the road," Elliot rubbed his neck. "An annoying fly," Kim rolled her eyes. "A pain in the neck," Zane chuckled, having had to deal with the little devil whenever he hung out at Nate's house.
"Teammates work together, he's no teammate. He's the opponent," Max stated.
"Ah, correction. It was team-mate. Just Billy. The others were okay," Elliot corrected his sister.
Rikki: "There, there." Pats her arm, looking back at the game. "Don't lose your cool. Remember, control." Smirks.
"Were you even the least bit concerned about Elliot?" Emma frowned. "I was. He's my buddy after all. But it was so much fun to see you steaming," Rikki giggled. "It is a little funny," Elliot giggled as well, even Kim couldn't help but smile.
Emma: crosses her arms. "Relax. I'm in control." Rikki smiles and shakes her head.
"Not for long," Rikki smirked as she sang. Emma rolled her eyes, but still a smile was left on her face.
[The goalie rolls the ball back into play, this time into the red team's hands – er, feet. They kick it closer and closer to the blue team's goal, but just before they can, Elliot cuts them off, stealing the ball without having to be unsportsmanlike, and leads it back to the other goal. It felt like time was slowing down, as everyone watched him, clapping and eyes set on him as he got closer and closer, Emma cheering him on like always with a proud smile.]
"Go, Elliot!" nearly everyone cheered. "You got this!" Kim clapped, hooting and hollering. "Show that Billy who's better!" "She's going a little overboard, don't you think?" Rikki whispered to Cleo. "I guess she really likes soccer," Cleo shrugged.
[But before Elliot can score a goal, Billy runs up and knocks him down to the ground, stealing the ball from him once more.]
"Elliot!" Lisa gasped along with the others. "I'm fine, mom. Just a little bruised that's all," Elliot said. "No, it's not fine. It's very unsportsmanlike and he should've been pulled from the field," Lisa fumed. "And yet no one was doing anything about it," Neil glared, hands clenching into fist. "Not yet," Rikki muttered, her and Emma sharing a smirk.
Billy: runs with the ball ahead of him. "Too slow."
Nate: groans in frustration. "Stay on your feet, Elliot. Hopeless!"
"Don't worry, things speed up pretty quick," Rikki grinned.
"You say that, yet he's not the one who constantly keeps missing the goal," Kim remarked snottily. "The only thing that's hopeless is you two!" Don argued.
Emma: "Can't you see what he's doing?" Rikki looks at the field where Elliot lies in shock and concern. Nate glances at her but ignores her.
"Nope," Lewis said. "Absolutely not," Will shook his head. "Oh, he sees it, he just doesn't care. He ignores it, kind of like what he's doing with you right now," Zane explained.
[Emma glances around while everyone was still focused on the game, and holds her hand to her side, palm flat, using it on the field to get even. On the field, ice forms into a path on the grass, heading in a line right toward Billy. Emma stops herself from going any further and crosses her arms with a smirk. Rikki looks at the field in bewilderment, amazed that Emma finally snapped.]
The crowd gasped in shock. Not out of fear or shock, but surprised that Emma finally broke. "You did it. Huh, you actually got her to break," Lewis said in surprise. "Told you she could do it," Terry chuckled.
"Now that's what I call genius!" Ash clapped and pointed at the screen. "No. That's what I call control," Cleo looked at her blonde friend with a proud beaming smile.
"Looks like the red carpet has turned into an icy one," Will chuckled.
"And hey, you didn't make anything explode with ice this time. See, you can do it," Bella grinned. "Nope. Just frosted a field and made a kid have a sweet taste of karma," Emma remarked, pointing to the screen.
Billy: slips on the ice, tossing his hands up in the air. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Falls down face forward and slides down the ice path screaming, going past the goal. "Whoa, help!" He screams some more, before crashing at the end into a pile of shaved ice. All the onlookers watch in shock, even Nate as his brother face plants into the ice.
"Is no one questioning this?" Denman asked as everyone busted into laughter. "Oh, they did. But everyone was so happy about the end of the game that it wasn't brought back up again," Emma chuckled, enjoying watching that again.
"I knew it had to be you," Elliot grinned, hugging Emma. "Thanks, Emma. You're the best big sister ever." "Aw, thanks, El," Emma hugged him back.
"That's going to leave a mark," Harrison hissed. "Eh, he deserved it," Zane shrugged. "Of course, he deserved it, after everything he did to Elliot," Bella said. "Please tell me Nate is next, please tell me he's next," Lewis pleaded, fingers crossed. "Nope, sorry," Emma grinned. "Bummer," both he and Kim said.
"Normally I wouldn't condone this kind of behavior. But since you were helping your brother, I say go right on ahead," Neil smiled smugly. "I say do it again," Lisa nodded a little too eagerly. "Our parents are agreeing to vengeance," Elliot whispered to Emma. "Who are you and what have you done to our real parents?" Emma chuckled.
"Gah! Why isn't there a replay button on this stupid remote?!" Rikki pouted as she snatched the remote from Charlotte and hit the side of the remote. "Because if there was, you'd never want to leave and we'd be forced to watch it over and over again, and we would never get to leave," Zane said. "And your point is?" she asked.
"Finally, some comeuppance," Lisa breathed out.
[Elliot takes advantage of everyone being distracted by the odd incident, including the red team who all stare at the little snow Billy. He runs toward the ball and kicks it straight into the goal, right past the goalie, scoring a goal and a point for the team, winning the game for them.]
"Yes!" everyone clapped, glad that Elliot finally got his goal, and Billy got what he deserved. "Way to go, kid!" Don said. "Well done," Annette smiled. "You deserve it, I think," Max said, thinking it over since he was technically assisted by his older sister even if he didn't know it. "After everything he went through with Billy, he totally does," Emma said.
"Now that's how you score a winning goal," Lewis said. "By making your opponent's go down an ice-made slippy slide?" Emma joked. "Exactly!"
Elliot: cheers. "Yeah!" Runs around the field with his teammates jumping up and down in excitement as the crowd goes wild for them. "Yeah!" Someone nearby changes the scoreboard to 1 for the blue team, and 0 remains for the red team. Emma grins at his happiness as Rikki glances around.
Nate: squeals in delight, and yanks the clipboard out of his assistant's hand, picking him up with joy. "Yeah! Whoo-hoo!" He then drops him and spins his arms in the air in a victory roar.
"Was that supposed to be a victory dance?" Ash laughed. "I think so? Still not sure," Emma shrugged, the others laughing. "Yeah, yeah it is," Zane shook his head in disbelief. "I told him to change it." "Hmm. Elliot's is better, even if he is just jumping up and down," Kim shrugged. "Better than laying in a pile of ice," Cleo said.
"Well, it looks like you made more than one person's day, Em," Lisa grinned. "She made almost the whole school's week. Everyone wouldn't stop talking about it. It was great," Elliot grinned.
"Why does his assistant look like he's used to that?" Bella laughed. "Probably because he is. He just got won a game, it won't be the last," Emma laughed along with her.
Rikki: points to the field while everyone continues to celebrate. "Now, that is control." Nods and walks away. Emma continues to grin.
Nate: continues to clap with pure joy. "You're the man! He's the man!" Looks at his brother and his smile falters. "Get up, Billy!" Looks at his team who was celebrating with Elliot, all of them slapping him on the back and shoulders.
Elliot and the other players: "Yeah! Oh Yeah! Yeah!" Emma's smile brightens at their excitement, his happiness.
"Definitely," Cleo laughed. "Absolutely," Bella nodded. "To the control thing, or Nate saying that Elliot was the man?" Emma asked curiously. "Sure."
Neil and Lisa smile at Elliot's victory and Nate giving him credit instead of Billy. "Guess that meeting isn't needed after all." "Oh no, I'd still like a word. But maybe Nate can keep his position. As long as he gives credit where credit's due." "That's my line," Zane fake pouted.
[After the game, the team plus Emma and Rikki meet up at the Juicenet to celebrate their victory. While the rest of the players enjoy their cheerful atmosphere, near the computer table Nate scolds Billy about his lousy defeat, and for making himself look like a fool.]
Billy: slams his hand on the chair. "I don't know what happened!"
Nate: scoffs, waving his hands in frustration. "I don't care, Billy. You almost lost us the game."
"Cruel even to his own brother," Sam shook her head. "Eh, he deserves it," Rikki shrugged. "Rikki, he's still a kid," Emma scolded her. "Uh, excuse me? I used my words. Meanwhile, you let him go body-sledding into a pile of ice," Rikki shot back.
"Reminds me of someone I know," Kim teased as she looked over at her sister." "Oh, go look in a mirror," Cleo scoffed playfully.
"I could tell you, but it would take all of the fun out of it," Elliot laughed. "As long as it's not something that's done at every game," Neil warned his daughter who nodded in agreement. "Unless someone decides to play rough again," Lisa glared. No one messes with the Gilbert's.
"Seems to care more about the game than his own brother," Harrison commented. "That's Nate for ya," Zane chuckled.
"How could they have lost the game if it was tied zero to zero? It's a tie for a reason, no one wins, and no one loses," Will asked. "That's the problem. He believes that even a tie is considered a loss," Zane explained.
Elliot: talks to his teammates at the table, enjoying their drinks while he rolls the ball around in his hand in excitement. Emma stands behind him, arms crossed as she listens to his happiness, a bit worried about what she has done. Rikki stands not too far at the counter getting her and Emma's drinks. "That was a sweet goal. Perfect. Arced through the air and straight past the goalie. So awesome."
"It was cool," Ash nodded. "Impressive kicks," Bella complimented. "You did good, kid," Rikki gave him a thumbs up. "You showed Billy," Kim giggled. "Thanks," Elliot smiled from all the compliments he was receiving.
"And it was much better to see it this way than over a film," Neil added.
Emma: "You were lucky, Elliot." Rikki walks up to them and hands Emma her bottled juice and walks away.
"Oh, let him have his spotlight, Emma dear. He's enjoying it," Lisa beamed at her youngest.
"You just helped him out with one of the biggest games of his eleven-year-old life, and now you want to ruin it for him?" Lewis asked, putting a hand over his heart in a dramatic hurt. "I needed to set a balance between imagination and expectations," Emma reasoned. "Says the mermaid," Will scoffed. "He's eleven," Lewis deadpanned. "Yeah, let me enjoy my fun, Em," Elliot said, giving her the puppy eyes.
Elliot: turns to her. "That wasn't lucky. That was skill. And I could play in the World Cup if I wanted to."
"Okay, I see your point," Lewis grimaced, Emma smirked in her own victory. "Might be going a little too far there, kid," Ash pinched his fingers. "Oh, but he's eleven," Emma mocked. "Alright, alright," Lewis rolled his eyes. Elliot giggled.
"Just keep listening to your heart, son," Neil patted his son on the back. "We're so proud of you," Lisa hugged him.
Nate: comes over to their table and bends down, leaning against the table. To Elliot. "So how about it, Elliot? Want to be captain?"
Elliot: nods. "I'll think about it." Nate eats one of the fries from one of the trays. Emma walks over to Rikki with a sigh.
"Alright. Don't get too cocky. Might get taken away from ya," Max chuckled. "From past experiences, I'd say take an opportunity when you see it," Denman joked. Everyone stared at her. "Too soon?"
"At least he finally sees some talent," Annette said, brushing off her clothes. "Please, he only saw a winner," Zane scoffed. "Which is a good thing," Emma corrected him.
Rikki: "Great. Sounds like you've created a monster." They walk off, heading out of the café and letting the team continue to celebrate their win. Or in this case, Elliot's win.
"I wouldn't say that. More like she got his spirits back up," Terry tilted his head. "There is no difference whatsoever," Rikki said before looking over at Elliot with a smile. "Ah, relax, I'm just messing with ya kid. You're alright," she continued as she ruffled his hair. "Why does everyone keep doing that?" he asked, fixing his hair back into place. "Cause you're too cute not to mess with," Cleo giggled as she too joined in on ruffling his hair. "Ack!"
[Back at the Sertori household, Lewis sets the easel back up with some more blank paper. Cleo stands by his side, though not by choice as it seems. Lewis holds the brush out in front of her, pointing with it at the paper.]
Lewis: "There. Remember, small, decisive strokes."
Cleo: gets herself ready, but with Lewis over her shoulder helping her every step of the way and holding Cleo's hand to control her how to do it, it was too bothersome for her. Grits her teeth. "I can't do it."
"Yes, you can, Cleo. Just try," Don pleaded.
I couldn't do us, Cleo sighed. It wasn't that she couldn't do it. She knew that she could if she set her mind to it. The problem was she couldn't do it when someone else was controlling her. She needed to do it on her own. Luckily Lewis has finally gotten the memo because of this episode.
Bev looked up in hope and concern. Concerned about her daughter's well-being. From everything going on, she is clearly stressed, and she was no help. And hope that she would somehow find a way to be able to control this new power. But in order to do so, she needed to venture out on her own. But how was she going to tell Lewis?
Lewis: "Yes, you can. I'm here to help you."
Kim sighed, shaking her head. That's not what she meant, Lewis. She could see her sister's dismay, her fighting conflict, her struggling emotions. Her weakness. And her loss of control. She couldn't take it anymore; she couldn't do it anymore … them. Lewis was taking every bit of that away from her without even trying to. And that's exactly what her problem was. And that's exactly why Cleo could find only one solution. Whether it was the right one? Even Cleo didn't know the answer to that. All she knew was that she needed time to herself to figure things out and find her control again. That's what Cleo needed, and Lewis needs to respect that.
Cleo: raises her eyebrows in frustration and gives in to it. "That's it. I give up." Tosses the paintbrush down and walks away to the other side of the room. Lewis bends down to pick it up but Cleo catches him and points at him sternly. "Lewis, leave the brush." Lewis drops the brush back down to the floor.
"Oh, this isn't good," Ash mumbled in concern. Something was about to happen; it always does when one of the girls snaps.
"No, Cleo. Don't," Bev said, urging her daughter to continue, not realizing that this isn't what Cleo meant. It means so much more than she realizes. And she's about to find out why.
Lewis glanced down once more, finally seeing his turning point for everything about why she finally cracked. And it was all his fault. Frankly, he couldn't blame Cleo either. With the way he was acting: overprotective, a scientist, teacher, and doing every single thing for her instead of being a friend/boyfriend. It was all too much, too … controlling. And he knew that Cleo didn't like that, he should've known from the very beginning that something was wrong. But he was too stuck in his own world trying to fix their problems, trying to get them back to the way they were because of his mistake for them being moonspelled on that last full moon in the first place. But Cleo was right, there was no way for him to fix them. He couldn't fix magic.
Charlotte frowned at the screen in concern. Is this when her turning point was? Her final breaking point? This is when Cleo had the last straw?
Cleo: shakes her head. "This is too weird." Sits down on the bed.
Lewis: "What is?"
Cleo: gives him a stern glare. Lewis sits down on the other side of the bed. "Doing everything for me, being with me every minute of the day."
"Oh," Bev frowned, now understanding what her daughter was talking about. Was this really getting to her that much?
"Like a parental figure or a guardian," Will said.
"Like Cleo said before, you can't protect them forever," Bella commented. "That was when I was first moonspelled," Cleo frowned. "Yeah, and directed toward me," Don jabbed a thumb at himself. "It still seems fitting for this time though."
Lewis: "I'm just trying to help."
"That's the problem," Cleo muttered.
You can't help them this time, Lewis, Max sighed. This was magic that was the problem now; science can't fix this.
Cleo: "Well, it's making me feel worse." Lewis stays silent, watching her as she turns away. "I'm really … confused right now. First, mom and dad split up, and then I turn into some power freak."
"You're not a power freak, Cleo. It's just a new side of you that you need to find out more of," Don told her, putting a hand on her shoulder and ignoring the comment of them. It didn't need to be brought up right now.
Bev, however, instead of comforting her daughter, only looked away from the screen, shutting her eyes. For she knew that if she did after that remark, it would only make things that much harder for her. And she didn't need that right now. This was already a tough episode for Cleo, and for some reason she hasn't figured it out yet; it sounds like it's about to get a whole lot tougher. What she needed right now was someone she knew would comfort her. And that was her ex-husband and youngest daughter who was currently giving her sister a side hug, people she would accept.
"You weren't the only one, Cleo. You aren't alone," Emma told her. Yeah, but I'm the only one who had mommy problems at the time, Cleo bit back her bitter remark.
Lewis: waves his hands to the side. "Hey. You still have me."
"That's the other problem," Zane mumbled.
"Yes, you were trying to be there for me. But you were also there for me when I needed some time alone," Cleo said. "It felt like everything was being taken away from me. Even my own personal space." "I realize that now, and I'm so, so, so sorry, Cleo," Lewis said with pleading eyes. "I know. It's just … going to take some time," Cleo let out a breath, hesitantly nodding her head.
Cleo: nods. "I know. And if things were halfway normal, that would be great." Has a pained expression on her face and shakes her head. "But you can't help me right now, Lewis."
"For you three, though, for as long as you guys have been mermaids, it pretty much is a halfway normal thing for you all," Harrison mentioned.
Bella sighed, knowing how she felt. She's been a mermaid far longer than they have, and she still didn't feel normal sometimes, even when she was used to it by now.
Lewis: "Yes, I can. I can fix it." Points to the painting.
"No, you can't. You can't fix us, Lewis," Emma told him. "Not this time," Rikki shook her head. "There's nothing to be fixed anyways. They just have new powers, that's all. They're not broken," Kim remarked. "I know that. I was just trying to help them get it under control," Lewis responded. "Well, you can't. How can you possibly help them with something that you have no idea how to use?" Terry said, a little too cold. Hopefully by an old Japanese proverb he's been spreading, Charlotte said with a hopeful smile. Not for the upcoming breakup, but because it might help the girls with their powers.
Cleo: snaps. "Why are you always having to fix everyone? You can't fix us this time. This is up to Emma and Rikki and me." Shakes her head. "You're not one of us, Lewis."
Lewis: shrugs. "I almost am."
Cleo: "No, you're not."
"She's right, Lewis. This isn't something you can help them with this time. Science won't be able to fix this. This is something they must work out on their own," Mrs. Chatham reminded him. "The only thing you can do is to be there for them while giving them space."
"Just because you know of the secret and some of the things they can do, doesn't mean you are one of them," Bella shook her head. It was the same way with her parents. They knew the secret, they knew how to help her some, but it does not mean they are one of her own. She's their daughter, but she was still and always will be physically different from them. "You have no tail, no powers, no magic. So, tell me, how exactly are you like us?" Rikki scoffed.
"Lewis as a mermaid? Not something I want to imagine," Zane shuttered. "He'd be a merman. But even that image is terrifying," Rikki shuttered as well.
Cleo: looks away. "I don't know how to say this, Lewis …" Gulps. "but I think it would be better … if I were alone for a while."
Bev's eyes widen, now understanding everything Cleo was saying. What? She's breaking up with Lewis? Is that what they've been arguing about this whole time? She knew something had to have been going on, but for Cleo to break up with the guy she loves and knows full and well she still does … she had thought they were still together this whole time. But now that she knows the truth? Why didn't she tell me? This had happen a little less than a month ago, and she was just now finding out about it. She was hurt for Cleo that she had broken up with him, knowing it would hurt her too, but she was also hurt by Cleo for not telling her this; something that every mother should be told, no matter the circumstances. What else did I miss?
"Wait, does this mean what I think it means?" Sam asked, gesturing to the screen. Cleo and Lewis both nodded, neither looking at the other. "Exactly what she meant," Lewis answered for her. It's been almost a month and it still hurts to think about. His best friend, his girlfriend, was tired of him.
Charlotte stared at him in concern. She might have liked Lewis a lot at the time, and she was relieved to find out he was single again, but she saw how much it hurt him and it was hurting him again, and she did not like seeing him upset. Cleo and Lewis were meant to be together, but everything that was happening was tearing them apart.
"What other way is there to say it?" Emma asked, sad for her friends. She wasn't expecting a reply. There was no other way to say it. Not as gentle as Cleo was trying to be.
Lewis: nods his head. "That's a good idea."
"You don't get it, do you?" Zane asked him. "It … took a moment," Lewis said, a little quiet.
Rikki cringed. It's a bad time, but how could he not have realized what she meant? That geeky brain of his. Always trying to be scientific.
Cleo: looks back at him. "I mean really alone. As in by myself. Without a boyfriend." Avoids his gaze. Lewis grows sad yet remains silent, now understanding what she meant. She was breaking up with him.
Bella tried her hardest not to cry. They were her favorite couple throughout this whole thing. That and Rikki and Zane, but those were the only two and that ship had ended a while back. And now the other one was sinking.
She had to spell it out for him, Will winced, shifting uncomfortably. He wanted to speak up but knew this was not a good time to do so.
Huh, so that's how it went, Kim thought. She always wondered how Cleo had broken up with him. But this is what they both needed. Lewis needed time to reflect on his actions and Cleo needed to look after her self-care. Especially her mental state; it was a little conflicting due to her mother's absence and now because of the new powers. If this breakup – this distraction – can help Cleo get back on her own feet, then it is what needs to be done.
Don sighed; he knew it hurt his daughter. But it was what she wanted and therefore he was going to support her. And he was going to be there for her while also giving her some space. Exactly what she wanted.
[Moments later, Rikki and Emma barge into the house where Cleo was on the couch scrubbing her shoes.]
Rikki: "Cleo, you just missed the funniest thing ever."
"Now's not the time, Rikki," Terry winced. "I didn't know," Rikki sighed.
"Although it was funny, maybe it's best to tell her later," Ash suggested.
"Why do both you and Emma clean your shoes when you're upset?" Rikki asked, trying to change the subject. "I dunno. I guess it's comforting and keeps my mind occupied," Cleo shrugged.
Emma: walks into the living room, passing Rikki who was still standing in the entryway. "It wasn't that bad."
Rikki: "Nate's little brother was about to take the kick of his life when suddenly Captain Control here –." Walks into the living room and stands by the kitchen entrance while Emma sits next to Cleo, grabbing a magazine from the table, both unaware of her upset emotions.
"It was, but it was really funny," Elliot said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Ooh, Captain Control, I like that one. Can I use it?" Kim asked giddily. "No, I'm staking claim to it," Rikki grinned at both her and Elliot's pouts. At least it made them feel better.
Cleo: Rikki was about to continue but Cleo cut her off, wanting to get it off her chest as quick as she can. "I broke up with Lewis." The two stare at her in shock. "I told him I needed to be alone. But I don't feel any better."
"Breakups never do," Annette sighed.
Zane glanced at Rikki for a quick moment. Even when him and Rikki were separated on good terms, he still didn't feel right without her by his side. He missed the feisty blonde while he was at boarding school. And he was so happy when they got back together. This might not be the same for them, but he understood that empty feeling.
Lewis glanced back up in hope. So, she wasn't happy leaving me? He understood why she needed to do it, but if she wasn't happy about it, then why did she stick with it? He missed his best friend. He missed all the good memories he had, and now he knows she felt the same way. It gave him a little hope that things might go back to normal one day for them.
Rikki: and Emma move closer, the latter scooting closer to the brunette to comfort her. "You seriously broke up with him? For real?" Sits down on the armrest next to Emma.
"For real," Lewis sighed, avoiding everyone's gazes full of pity. He didn't want it.
Emma: looks at Rikki accusingly. "See what you've done?"
Rikki: shrugs in shock disbelief. "I was joking. I didn't think you'd actually do it."
"Yeah, well, she did," Lewis bit back a bark of laughter, no humor in his tone at all. "Again, I'm sorry, Lewis. I didn't know," Rikki felt bad. She still felt like she was the cause of this, no matter how many times Cleo told her it wasn't. 'It needed to be done,' she had said. But did it?
Cleo: shakes her head dismissively. "It's alright. It was my decision." Shrugs. "Until we work out these powers … we shouldn't have any distractions." The girls stay silent, sending her sorry glances as Emma puts a comforting hand on her shoulder. Cleo looks away as a song begins to play in the background.
Max sighed. No matter what the situation, she was just like Gracie. Both positive and negative.
"And once you do, what about after?" Elliot asked. Cleo hesitated, then finally shrugged, tears in her eyes. "I don't know."
"Wait, where's the music coming from?" Will asked. "I don't know. I think it was in my head?" Cleo said, unsure herself as she wiped the tears away from her eyes, not without Lewis noticing.
Song: 'Was only just the other day, when all this felt so real. Like nothing could go wrong.' At the beach, Lewis sat in the sand, looking down at his hands, clearly upset about the breakup as he listens to the waves rolling by. 'Was like a never-ending dream, nothing ever changed. For so long.' It then shows the rocky beach, close to where his secret – or not-so-secret – fishing spot was.
"Man, this song really hits deep," Ash hissed. "Yeah, no kidding," Lewis said, arms crossed.
Cleo felt a pang in her chest, it hurt to see Lewis so heartbroken. But she was the exact same way, even though she was the one who caused this for the both of them. She thought if she did break up with him, the pain would go away. But oh, she was so, so terribly wrong.
Rikki frowned in concern. She never meant this for either of her friends. Despite what she says about Lewis, she still cares for him. Seeing the both of them in pain because of her stupid comment only made her hurt along with them. Happiness isn't the only thing that's contagious. So is pain.
Song: it goes back to the Sertori residence, scanning over the empty living room where the girls once was. 'But now yooooouuuu've gone away. And I've triiiiiied turning the page.' In the background of the dining area, it shows Cleo leaning back on the window seat, staring out the window. 'And it's juuuuust not the same.' Cleo stares out the window in deep thought, upset just as Lewis is.
Bev watched her daughter in concern. She had no idea how much pain Cleo was going through, and now it was being revealed to all of them. And it made her wonder, if she had stayed, would this all still have happened? Would Cleo still be with Lewis? Would Kim and Cleo still be angry at her? Would she have been happy, or would she still have to pretend?
Kim sighed. This was the exact reason she tried not to give too much trouble to Cleo that week. She came home seeing Cleo like that later, and she knew immediately what happened. Well, after reading her other diary she did – the one without any details of her big secret. She might cause a lot of problems for her sister, but it didn't mean she liked seeing her sister depressed.
Song: 'But I'm breeeeathing in.' It switches back to Lewis at the beach, his head bowed down. 'And I'm breeeeathing out.' It reverts back to Cleo who still sat by the window, looking around in thought. 'I'm wide awake, but I can't hear a sound.'
Don patted Cleo's back. He wishes he would've been with her at that time, but he was at work, Kim was with her friends, and she probably wanted to be alone anyways. That's part of the thing she's been wanting all throughout this episode. Some peace. She's alone, but is she at peace? Will she ever be? It took her a while to finally talk things through to him about her mother. They had just spoken about it before they came here, so that's at least one thing off her mind. But being here, watching all this, and seeing that her mother was back not by choice, he wondered if it could set her off again. He just wanted his daughter to be happy, both of them. But now he wasn't so sure if she was with everything that's been shown.
Song: shows Lewis again, but this time a view from further back. 'Though I'm breeeeathing in, I can't thiiiink about. Another you, another me, another now.' A few yards away from Lewis, sat Charlotte in the sandy grass, sketching Lewis with a pencil and his facial features, matching the exact same pout that was on his face now. She closes her sketchpad and leaves.
"Whoever the singer is, they're good," Ash commented. "Yeah. They are. It's one of my favorite songs," Cleo admitted. A little depressing, but it fits for this situation.
"Whoever the artist is was very good," Lewis chuckled weakly as he glanced at Charlotte with a small smile. "With the talent we've seen so far, it's a dead giveaway on who it is," Annette smiled at her daughter.
"Wow. That's a lot of details. You even got his moppy hair right," Kim said, wide-eyed. "Well, that's the main thing for art. Getting the smallest details," Charlotte said with a small smile, trying not to blush.
"How long did it take you to do that?" Harrison asked curiously. "About thirty minutes? He was there before I got there and still after I left," Charlotte shrugged, glancing at Lewis. "The waves always sound calming to me," Lewis shrugged.
[After a while, Charlotte enters through the beaded curtains of the Juicenet café, she looks around in search of the moppy blonde-headed boy. She smiles as she spots him and walks over to the lone booth he was at.]
Charlotte: "Mind if I sit?" Sits down anyways and sets her bag down. Lewis watches her, his juice left untouched.
"What's the point of asking if you were going to sit down anyways?" Rikki asked. "I don't know. Being polite I guess," Charlotte shrugged.
Charlotte: looks at his somber mood, and she turns serious. "Is everything alright?"
Lewis: slightly nods, speaks quietly. "Yes." Shakes his head. "No. Does it matter?"
"Yes, your feelings always matter," Mrs. Chatham said.
"Were you not sure of your answer?" Max asked. "Sort of. I was down about it, yeah. But I knew I would bounce back from it," Lewis answered.
"I wouldn't have asked if it didn't matter," Charlotte commented.
Charlotte: "Down in the dumps, aren't you?"
Lewis: "I guess."
"You could figure me out well," Lewis chuckled uneasily. "What can I say, I guess I'm good at reading people," Charlotte said with a small smile.
Charlotte: "Well, whoever she is, she's got to be an idiot."
"I beg your pardon?" Don asked, straightening up. "Did you just call my daughter an idiot?" Bev scoffed. "Okay, before some of you get mad," Charlotte held a finger up as the Sertori's – except Cleo – Emma, and Rikki shoot her a glare. "I was just trying to make him feel better. I know Cleo's not an idiot, she's pretty clever as she has proven plenty of times, and I understand her reason why she broke up with him. But to see him so down, I was trying to make him smile. He was so nice to me every time we spoke, and it was rough seeing him like that," she exclaimed. "I don't mean to call Cleo an idiot."
"It's okay. I don't blame her. I was being one," Cleo admitted with a sigh. "Sorry, Cleo," Charlotte grimaced. "No, it's alright. You were right, I was," Cleo chuckled weakly, arms crossed. Lewis looked at Cleo in slight surprise at her admittance. Normally it takes her a while to confess something … then again, this was a month ago. The Sertori's settle back down as they begin to realize Charlotte's meaning and the fact that Cleo was okay with it. Even Kim had to admit she was an idiot for doing it out of the blue, but she understood why.
"Now where's my pep talk," Cleo joked. "You already had one," Rikki waved it off, but was glad to see the redhead trying to cheer him up.
Charlotte: rummages through her bag and slides a paper across the table. "This is for you." Gets out of the booth and walks away. Lewis scrunches his face up in confusion before holding the paper up and sees an exact replica of him sketched onto the paper from the beach earlier. He looks back at the exit where Charlotte had just left and has a small smile on his face as he stares back at the drawing.
Cleo let out a breath, glad to see that Lewis was starting to do better thanks to Charlotte. At least someone was, she thought. Annette smiled at her daughter, glad to see she was trying to cheer him up. Hopefully that drawing will lift his spirits.
"Seriously, all I'm saying is an art class during the summer, and you'd be set for life," Ash complimented, making Charlotte laugh. "Well, it is what I want to do after I graduate," she mentioned.
"It'll be okay, bud," Zane patted him on the back.
[Meanwhile, back at the Sertori residence, Cleo has the three of them back in her bedroom, each of them with their own easel, paintbrush, blank paper, and a small table next to her with a half-full glass cup of mucky paint water.]
Rikki: paints a red and square-shaped butterfly. Pauses and squints in confusion at Cleo, sitting on the edge of her bed. "I don't get it."
"It took me a while too, Rikki," Cleo laughed, feeling a little better herself at seeing this scene. "I know, I saw your first painting," Rikki remarked. "First painting? What's the second one look like?" Bella asked curiously. "You're about to see. And it's the best one yet," Emma smiled. "She's not exaggerating either," Rikki agreed. "Do I ever?" Emma scoffed. "A little," Rikki pinched her fingers.
"Why is your butterfly square?" Kim asked with a frown. "Because I didn't care," Rikki stated bluntly.
Cleo: near her desk with her own easel set and cup. Points a paintbrush at the feisty blonde. "Concentrate." Then points it at Emma and turns to her. "The smallest strokes create the best effects." Cleo turns back to her painting as Emma focuses on painting at her own easel. A pointed-winged butterfly with green wings. "'If you want to fly like a butterfly, don't flap like a crow.'"
"Ah, I see. The student has become the master," Lewis folds his hands together and grins, his mood from before now gone as he got to watch his friends practice for their powers.
"See, I knew you would get it," Charlotte brightened.
"You can do it, Cleo," Kim encouraged along with her parents. Mainly her dad. As much as she likes her sister's powers, she would like for her to hurry up and control them so that way she doesn't get any more accidental wind blasts at her. They were almost as bad as the water jets.
"Told you, you help us out," Cleo grinned at Charlotte. "Yeah, I guess so," she chuckled.
"That's been said a lot this episode," Denman laughed.
"Where did you get all of these art supplies?" Sam asked. "From my mom actually. There were still a few things she had left behind," Cleo stuttered out, glancing away from her mother's stare. At least we didn't throw them out. They were very useful.
Rikki: "Who wants to fly like a butterfly?" Cleo gives her a look.
"Yeah, can you explain this to me? Cause this was very confusing," Rikki turned to Charlotte. "Well, according to the proverb, the butterfly means to be perfect, slow, careful, and to be pretty much majestic with the most absolute details. A crow just flies off without even thinking, it's furious, sloppy, disgusting, and loud. Not a good combo for your powers," Charlotte explained. "Still weird, but that's better," she shrugged.
"Just do it, Rikki. It's worth a shot," Terry shook his head at his daughter.
Cleo: "Now, let's try with our powers." Sets her brush down on the plate sitting on the table and looks at Emma who was near the end of the bed.
"Guess we'll find out if it's worth it or not," Neil muttered. "Here we go," Sam said, tensing up with the rest.
"Isn't this too soon?" Bev asked, a bit worried. "I don't think so. From the looks of it, they have been working on their paintings for a while, so they should be good to go," Charlotte shook her head, she too leaned forward in her seat. "Come on, Emma," Lisa urged, hoping with all hope that it works.
[Emma looks down at her cup and takes a deep breath, readying herself. Rikki bends down and tries to hide behind her painting. Emma holds her hand up over the cup and has her palm flat. The cup along with the mucky paint water immediately freezes over without freezing anything else around it.]
Emma: grins as she jumps slightly up and down, releasing her power use and dropping her hand. "It worked!"
"Yes!" the crowd cheered. Lisa jumped up and down in her seat in excitement while Neil leaned back, letting out a deep breath of relief, a huge smile on both of their faces. "I knew you could do it!" Elliot cheered his sister on, just like she did for him that day of the game. "And nothing else froze, that's great! My kitchen is saved," Lisa joked. "And nothing exploded this time. Impressive," Ash gave her a thumbs up.
Charlotte squealed with glee, nearly jumping out of her seat in excitement. She was so happy to see her little art experiment worked for them, even if it was unintentional and she wasn't aware of it until today. But she was so happy to be able to help them out. She was always happy to be able to help someone out with art.
"Finally getting back to normal," Max grinned.
Lewis smiled, happy for his friends. He never got to see their progress due to the breakup, but Emma had told him all about it the next day at the café. He was happy for them but bummed that he still missed out on it. Thanks to this viewing, he was able to see everything that he missed during it.
"I was not going to freeze you, you know," Emma rolled her eyes playfully. "We couldn't control them. We didn't know what was going to happen. There was no way I was going to be like Miriam," Rikki retorted.
"How is that easel going to protect you?" Zane laughed. "Better than nothing. I didn't want to become a fish popsicle," Rikki laughed with him.
Cleo: gestures to her with a bright smile. "Hey, you did it!" Turns to Rikki and gives her an encouraging nod.
"Come on, Rikki," Terry breathed, nervous. He loves his daughter, but he didn't want her accidentally popping lightning or fires everywhere she went. Not that that wasn't cool, but it might possibly get them kicked out of their place for either setting things on fire or hurting someone.
"Your turn to burn," Bella rhymed. "Don't do that," Rikki cringed.
[Rikki sets her paintbrush down and holds her hand out to the cup of paint water next to her. She slowly curls her fingers. As soon as she does, the water steams and bubbles.]
Rikki: looks up, impressed as she releases her power grip and lowers her hand. "Me too!" Emma bites back a smile in excitement that things were starting to work out for them.
"Aye, no backfire!" Terry shouted with glee, giving his daughter a side hug. "Not this time," Zane laughed at his own joke.
"Wooh! Two down, one more to go!" Ash cheered a little too much, causing the girls to laugh. "This is going splendid," Lisa clasped her hands together.
"Now it all comes down to one more," Don glanced at his daughter and leaned forward in his seat in anticipation.
[Cleo looks at her glass of orange water nervously, remembering what happened the past few times that she tried to manipulate the water. She takes a deep breath then holds her hand up, focusing on the water only. With a twist of her hand, a blob of orange water floats up and out of the glass, and spins around in circles above the cup. The other girls watch her intensely.]
"Yes!" everyone cheered, standing up and jumping around in celebration. The men doing fistbumps in the air as the women laughed at them. They start high-fiving one another, as now all three girls have complete control over their powers once again. "Good job, sweetie," Bev smiled at her. "Way to go, Cleo. I knew you could do it," Don hugged her. "I wouldn't celebrate too early, dad," Cleo winced. "Huh?" Don asked in confusion before she pointed back at the screen for everyone to see.
[This time she tries to move it around some more and thrusts her hand out at the easel. With the flow of her hand, the water bubble follows and splashes onto the paper. Rikki flinches back from the outburst as water splatters everywhere, narrowly missing them.]
"Gah! Come on!" everyone began to groan in complaint, their burst of celebration quickly put to an end, and settle back into their seats, still grumbling about the supposed failure. "So close," Kim whined. "You almost had it," Elliot tried to cheer her up.
"Just try one more time. I'm sure you'll get it the next time," Lisa nodded. "Don't give up now, Cleo. You can do it," Don kept encouraging her. "They are almost there, just a few more steps to complete," Annette said. "That's the first water manipulation you were able to do in what, days? That's a major improvement," Ash said. "Yeah, and there was no wind this time either," Will added. "Keep going. You can do it," Harrison urged.
Cleo bit back a laugh. She wanted to give in to her laughter, but she had to fight it. This is too good. "Did you really have to mess with them like this? They're fixing to find out, you know," Rikki whispered to her. "I know. But why can't I have some fun with it?" Cleo smirked. Rikki smirked back. "I've taught you well." "Please stop teaching her, it's going to make things so much worse," Emma whispered with a grin.
Emma: and Rikki winces. "Don't worry."
Rikki: "Just keep trying. You'll get it."
Cleo: turns to them and smiles. "I already have."
"Huh?" Now this confused everyone. "Okay, now I'm even more confused," Don held his hands up and shook them.
"What are you talking about? It popped," Bella frowned. "Exactly," Cleo grinned brightly. Exactly what I wanted it to do. "So, what did you do?" Kim asked in frustration. "Watch."
[Cleo steps to the side to reveal her artwork. On the paper, it shows the water marks where the orange blob splattered onto the paper, making a perfect outline of a mermaid looking up to the side. Emma smiles at her handiwork, Rikki too breaks into a grin. Cleo smiles back at them, happy that they finally achieved what they all wanted back: control.]
The audience gasped in shock and amazement. "No. Way!" Kim said jaw dropped. "That was absolutely amazing," Bella smiled wide. "A beautiful piece of work," Sam blew a kiss at it.
"That's where that artwork came from? I thought you had bought it from the Marine Park gift shop," Don awed. "Nope. It was my own. Since we were painting anyways, I figured why not give it a try with my powers," Cleo replied.
"You think you could do me one like that?" Lisa asked her. "Maybe. I've only done it one time, but I'm no good at art," Cleo shrugged. "No good at art? No good at art?! Cleo! That looks amazing! It's a spectacular piece of water-art," Charlotte squealed, absolutely gobsmacked at the amazing water-art Cleo did with just one splash. Literally. "Oh, you have got to teach me how to do that." "Maybe with a paintbrush. I used my powers for this," Cleo blushed from all the praise she was getting.
I wonder if I could do that, Bella thought with a smile, already thinking of ways she could use her gelatin powers to create something similar.
"Now that is what I call control," Ash said, jaw dropped in amazement. "I've never seen anything like it," Mrs. Chatham praised her, admiring her beautiful painting. "Guess there is a little bit of magic in everything," Max smiled.
"That's pretty good. Bet you could make a good amount of money off of that," Harrison informed. "Thanks. But I rather stick with my job at the Marine Park. I enjoy it too much to leave it behind," Cleo smiled.
"Not bad, Cleo, not bad," Zane gave her a thumbs up. "A compliment from the Zane Bennett? That's rare," Cleo said in a dramatic shock. "Better write it down, because it'll never happen again," he chuckled.
Lewis watched with a big smile on his face, admiring both the facts that the girls were able to do it without him and that Cleo was happy. That's all that mattered to him. If she needed to find her happiness again without him being in the picture, then – then he'll be okay with it. Just as long as she was happy.
"That's some masterpiece," Annette smiled then turned to Charlotte. "I think you've got some competition now." "Oh, you bet I do," Charlotte giggled.
"Don't play around with us like that," Don put a hand to his heart.
"Alright, well that's the end of that one. Should we continue?" Charlotte announced. "Why not? We're almost caught up to the present. Might as well get it over with," Lewis took the remote from Charlotte and pressed play.