A Wish on a Full Moon
I do not own H2O: Just Add Water or any of the characters.
Chapter 52: Party of Four
Rikki walks down the hallway heading for her dorm, having just left her dad back at his just moments ago. There was a smile on her face, one that couldn't be helped. The talk with her dad might've been awkward, but it did calm down a few nerves. She was glad to say that her father approves of Zane. For now, at least.
When she walks into her dorm, she stands in the doorway and watches her roommates. Emma laid on the top bunk as usual while Cleo and Kim stood next to the lower bunk. The two sisters were bickering with one another. With what, she had no clue, but if she had to guess it was most likely about mermaid stuff. Bella sat on the edge of her bed, watching the rest of her roommates with a contemplated look as if she were deciding on what to do.
Emma finally looks up and notices Rikki standing in the doorway, then proceeds to ask her how their talk had gone. "It was alright. Very weird, but otherwise it was okay," Rikki nods then leans against the doorframe. Emma smiles. "I knew it would go well. And it might have been weird, but it needed to be done. I'm gonna have to go through the same thing with my dad once I get a boyfriend. And Cleo went through the same thing, right Cleo?" They turn to the brunette, but they never got an answer as she was too focused on the youngest in the room.
"No, Kim. You saw enough mermaid powers in the other room. I'm exhausted from all of this; now will you please back off?" Cleo says in an exasperated voice. Kim whines then crosses her arms. "Please, Cleo. Just one more time!"
Cleo rolls her eyes and looks at her. "Unless you want another water jet up your nose, I suggest you leave me alone." Kim glares at her but quiets down nonetheless. Then she turns to the blonde mermaid sitting on her bed with a sly grin. "Emma, how about you? I'm sure you would like to test out that new power of yours."
"Nice try, Kim, but the answer is no," Emma says firmly, making the other girl pout.
Bella cuts in, leaning forward on her bedside. "Are you talking about that jelly from last night?" She knew her allergies had affected the glass of water that night. She knew the moment since she sneezed. It wasn't the first time it happened after all. And the girls had shown it to her as well, but she denied it ever being connected to her. As if they would've thought she did it anyway.
"Yeah," Emma nods in confirmation. "… What makes you think it's your power?" Bella says carefully.
Rikki glances her way, wondering if she knew the risky game she was about to play. Emma squints at her then shrugs. "What else could it be? It's closer to my power than it is to either Rikki or Cleo's." Cleo turns to the girl, having taken a break from the famous Sertori glaring contest. "It could be from the full moon but that's the only two options." Bella bites her lip in thought, deciding on whether she should go through with this.
The decision she was going to make could go both ways. Either break her or help her. But one thing was for sure, Mrs. Chatham was right. She needs to let them know; she needs to talk with others about her secret. And this was just the group for it. So, she finally made up her mind. She was going to tell them the truth.
"What if there was a third option? Or a fourth?" Bella suggests, and Rikki seems to pick up on the hint. She perks her head up and looks at the youngest Sertori. "Oh, Kim. I almost forgot; your dad wants to talk with you." The mermaid might not know much about the family situation, but she knew she wouldn't listen if she said it was her mom. But she had to get the girl out of here somewhere. This was for their ears only.
"Oh, great. What now?" Kim rolls her eyes, but she reluctantly drops her arms and heads for the door. Once she was out, Rikki shuts the door gently behind her then locks it. Her gaze shifts over to Bella and gives her a questioning look. "Are you sure about this?" Bella nods, crisscrossing her legs. "I'm sure."
"Sure about what?" Cleo asks, taking a small step closer to them. "What's going on?" Emma asks as she steps down the ladder to the bunk.
It was silent for a moment as the two girls try to figure out what to say. Rikki chose to be quiet though, she wasn't going to reveal the secret. Bella needs to do it all on her own.
Eventually, she speaks up. "Do you want to know where that jelly really came from?" Bella asks, raising an eyebrow. The two girls look stunned. How would she know? But they nod slowly in response.
The girl with all the answers looks at Rikki one more time, the blonde giving her a reassuring nod, before turning back to them. She exhales out a deep breath and lets it slip.
"I'm a mermaid."
Bella expected the silence, the long and tense silence. She expected the shocked looks from the two of them, their jaws slightly open and their eyebrows raised. What she did not expect was for them to burst into fits of laughter, almost falling to the floor from their outbursts.
After a minute, Emma straightens up and looks at her with a grin, wiping a tear out of her eye. "Yeah, right." Bella frowns. "I'm serious." Emma tilts her head as if she were analyzing her, then crosses her arms. "Alright. Prove it."
Cleo turns around and grabs a cup of water that was sitting on their nightstand then holds it out to Bella. The mermaid sighs then stands from the bed and walks over to them with a bit of hesitation in each step. She was nervous, that's for sure. All of them could see it. She was about to reveal to them the longest-kept secret she's ever had. Aside from her parents, Mrs. Chatham, and Rikki, no one else has ever known.
She must've been waiting far too long because Emma lets out a scoff and says she thought so. When Emma starts to turn back toward their bedside and Cleo lowers the cup just a little, all that hesitation cleared. She does the hand motion, curls her hand at the cup, and watches the stunned looks appear on their faces as the water turned to jelly right in front of their eyes.
Cleo drops the cup in surprise, and they watch as the jelly splotches all over the floor by their feet, not a glob of it getting on them, then watch as it turns back to water. Cleo holds her hands up in the air with caution as she takes a step back, the shock still evident in her face. "Did that just happen?" Emma nods in realization, a gasp escapes from her as she looks back at Bella.
Even though she only just met her yesterday, it started to feel like they were slowly becoming friends during their time as roommates. Now it felt like she was looking at a total stranger. "Are you really a mermaid?" Bella nods.
Cleo wasn't sure what to feel, what to say. It was exciting to know that there was another out there, just like them. But they don't know anything about her. Luckily, Emma seems to feel the same way. "Explain," the blonde says in a simple matter.
So, Bella tells her story. About how she became a mermaid at just nine years old. And that there's another moonpool out there aside from Mako, that her parents know, and about her powers. She told them everything. And the whole time, they listen, never once did they interrupt, wanting to get all the information they could from her. When she finished, they remain quiet, trying to process it all before the questions came.
"So, you've been a mermaid, since you were nine?" Emma asks as if she were making sure she understood it right. "Yep," Bella nods. "And there's another moonpool in Ireland, just like Mako's?" Cleo asks. "A little different, but yeah, pretty much," Bella confirms with a nod, biting the inside of her cheek. "And your parents knew, since the beginning," Emma says, sounding a little skeptical. "Well, I was nine, what did you expect? A nine-year-old can't exactly keep a secret like this all by herself. I mean, what else could I do?" Bella shrugs but still nods. "But yeah. They know."
Emma looks at her, the shock still written all over her face, as she sits down on Cleo's bunk. "I don't believe it," she barely whispers. This whole time, there were others out there? She knew of the possibility since Mrs. Chatham and her friends were mermaids long ago before them, but the fact that there were other moonpools too? It was all too much. And to top it all off, she even told her parents long before she was able to. Then again, she was nine years old, and like Bella said, what else was she supposed to do? Heck, she had just gotten on the junior swim team when Bella first got her tail.
"She's telling the truth." The voice was too familiar to her.
She looks up at Rikki with her eyebrows raised. "You knew?!" Rikki says yes. "Why didn't you say anything?" she asks, sounding a little hurt. This was just like when she kept the secret from them about Zane. Rikki shrugs in response. "It wasn't my secret to tell." Bella steps forward to defend Rikki. "It wasn't her fault. She found out by accident, and I begged her not to say anything."
"Who else knows?" Cleo asks curiously. "Mrs. Chatham," Rikki admits. The two girls sigh in slight annoyance. Why were they surprised that Mrs. Chatham knew before them? She always knows everything before them. Well, almost everything.
"So, that jelly from last night. If you're telling us about it now, then why did you show your powers the night before?" Emma asks, pointing to the glass cup that was still lying on the floor. "That's because I sneezed." When she sees the confused looks on their faces, she continues. "Allergies affect a mermaid's powers. I reacted to the soap smell in there, and it caused my powers to go haywire, thus the jelly," Bella spoke, motioning to the bathroom.
"But wait. I understand you were only nine, but that's still not a good reason to tell your parents. Even at that age, you should know by then how dangerous it is for others to know that mermaids exist. Parents or not, they could've ratted you out," Cleo says in a concerned tone. "But they never did." Cleo crosses her arms and both girls return the look. Bella sighs and shakes her head.
"Look, I was just a kid. I didn't know any better. All I knew back then was that I just made the biggest mistake of my life, and I couldn't change it back. I was scared and alone. I went through that all by myself, I didn't know what was going on or what was going to happen. I needed the help; I couldn't go through that by myself. It's different than your group's situation. You had people that understood, you didn't have to go through it alone. My parents might not have understood the magic, but I at least had some help. I'm sixteen years old, I've been a mermaid for seven years, and I never had a friend who knew my secret or anyone that I could share it with. We move so much, that I never could make friends. I never even met another mermaid before, or even ex-mermaids until now. I had to go through it all by myself."
If Rikki could, she would take the awkward silence from her dad again rather than this miserable silence of guilt. Emma and Cleo seem to finally understand her situation. And she knew they couldn't imagine having to go through the same thing she did. They haven't even been a mermaid for a full year yet, but they at least had someone to share it with. But going through that alone, for seven years … she didn't think none of them could handle it as Bella did. She handled it like a champ.
Rikki walks toward them, stepping away from her spot at the door, and stands next to Bella, hands in her pockets. "Which is why you don't have to go through it alone. Well, not anymore." Rikki looks at her two best friends, where their guilty expressions were replaced with looks of confusion. "I think she should join us."
If Rikki thought the two were shocked before, they were definitely shocked now as their jaws nearly fell to the ground. Even Bella seems surprised to hear such a thing. Of course, Rikki knew her secret and kept it willingly for her, and was nice to her. But she never thought the feisty blonde would accept her as one of them so quickly. And looks like Emma thinks the same thing as she shakes herself out of shock.
"Hold on. Rikki, you want her to be a part of our group?" Emma asked, her voice sounding very unsure at the thought. Rikki shrugs. "Why not? I don't see a problem with it. Do you, Cleo?" Before Cleo could even answer, even though she looks unsure herself, Emma cuts in. "We barely know her! We literally just met her yesterday!" Emma spat out. "She's one of us, Em," Rikki said, nodding her head towards Bella, who had her head lowered a little.
"Just because she's a mermaid doesn't mean we should automatically trust her and become friends. Clearly, she's not very good at keeping secrets since she told her parents from the start," Emma crosses her arms.
Bella remains silent, not wanting to influence either side. She really did want to be a part of their secret, she wanted to be their friends, with people who understood her. But she also understood where Emma was coming from. It would be difficult to trust someone they just met with the biggest secret of their lives, literally.
"And our secret is blasted out on a giant screen for everyone to see. She already explained herself," Rikki shot back. "You trusted Mrs. Chatham right off the bat when you first met her. What's so different than now?" Rikki raises an eyebrow, also crossing her arms. Emma hesitates with her response, finding it difficult to be able to argue with that. "She does have a point," Cleo mumbles to herself, though Emma could hear it.
"Mrs. Chatham did want me to tell you guys. She said it would be better for me to be able to talk to people who understand the situation I'm in," Bella admits, and they go quiet. It was something Mrs. Chatham would say. For someone who keeps secrets herself, she wouldn't want secrets to be kept from friends.
"But it was always just the three of us. Together," Emma says, her voice sounding a little hurt. Rikki softens her glare. "And we'll always be together. It's been the three of us since the very beginning, and it will never be any less at the end of the line. But we always knew there was a chance of other mermaids being out there besides us. And now there is. One that's been a mermaid longer than any of us." She takes a step closer to Emma and glances back at Bella. "This isn't going to change things. Not between the three of us, we'll always be best friends. We'll just, be adding in an extra friend to the club," Rikki smiles, and Cleo chuckles at the mention of it being thought of as a club. Even Emma couldn't help the small smile.
"I don't know much by myself, just what I learned over the years, similar to you guys; but I do know enough, that without another fellow mermaid, it gets pretty lonely," Bella admits in a quiet tone. The girls look over at her downcast gaze. "Though I can talk to my parents about it and get their help, they don't understand the true feeling of it, the magic. I bet it's the same way with you guys and Lewis," she adds and looks back up at them. "It's true. Lewis might know a lot, but he doesn't know the experience of it all," Cleo nods along. Emma bites her lip, listening to the conversation.
"My family moves a lot," Bella continues. "Never know where we'll end up next or how long we'll stay there. And because of this, I never got to make any friends. Not any long-lasting ones at least, or any I could share secrets with. I never had a Lewis."
Cleo feels her heart drop slightly. She didn't know how she would feel if she didn't have a Lewis in her life. She hasn't even been a mermaid for a year yet. Bella's been one for about seven years and has never had a lasting friendship in her lifetime.
"I don't even know if we're going to Australia or not. I'm not saying that we have to be friends or best buddies. Maybe just a text or a phone call or something, we could exchange phone numbers at the end of the viewing if you'd like. That way you could have some time to think it over and can decide about me. All I'm asking for is a chance, please." Bella's begging was strong, it was meaningful. The pleading look in her eyes, almost on the verge of tears, her hands folded together in a begging matter.
She was serious. Anyone could tell, especially Emma. One look at Cleo, and she could tell she was on board with it. Cleo has a soft spot for new friends after all. She was willing to give her a chance. Heck, even Rikki was giving her one before her. If that wasn't a clear sign that she should, then what else would be?
It was quiet for several moments, the time seeming to tick by for so long, until Emma finally speaks up, speaking so slow. "I'll admit that I don't like Rikki keeping this from us, and I'm not normally a big fan of change –,"
"Yeah, no kidding. I'm still surprised that you accepted the transformation quicker than Cleo," Rikki snorts, causing the three of them to glare at her lightly, before facing one another again.
"But, I do understand. If I were in your position, I would probably be the same way."
Bella smiles. She was so happy to hear that from her. To hear that she could understand. That she knows what she was going through. She never thought she would hear those words from another mer-person.
"I know we probably won't be friends right away, but we could at least try. I'm willing to give you a chance," Emma returns the smile. Cleo smiles along with her and Rikki. "Welcome to the club." The brunette nods and shakes hands with a giggling Bella.
"We can all be friends at some point, I'm sure of it. You just need to give them some time," Rikki turns to Bella. The latter nods in acceptance.
Cleo grins and looks at Bella. "It'll be nice to finally talk to another mermaid about this. We could give each other tips and such." "We do have a lot of catching up to do. I would like to hear about your mermaid adventures," Emma says as she starts walking back toward her bed. "Well, we do have a long night ahead of us," Bella chuckles.
Before she could even begin, a loud banging noise comes from the other side of the door. Rikki sighs and rolls her eyes. "Looks like we'll have to save the gossip for another night," she says as she walks over to the door and unlocks it.
When Rikki opens the door, she finds an annoyed-looking Kim glaring up at her. "If you wanted me out to talk, you could've said so." Rikki wears a smug smile on her face. "Would you have listened?" "No," Kim says in a deadpan tone. "That's what I thought," she replies as Kim marches past her and back into their dorm. Cleo covers her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing at her pouting sister.
Kim walks back over to Cleo's bed and sits down. "So, how did your secret meeting go?" The party of four looks at one another, each giving a knowing look. Not a word. Only Bella was the one who could think of the perfect answer. "It went, swimmingly," Bella smirks. The group bursts into laughter, leaving a confused Kim looking around the room as if she were missing out on an inside joke. Which, of course, she is.
As the laughter dies down and they all settle into their beds for the night, Emma couldn't help but be glad that there was someone new. Well, new to the group at least. It was going to change things. But sometimes, change was good.