A Wish on a Full Moon
I do now own H2O: Just Add Water or any of the characters.
Chapter 55: In Too Deep (part 1)
[During a nice peaceful stroll through the mall, the couple enjoy their ice cream cones and the scenery. It was a calming moment until Zane ruins it by pulling Rikki closer to him, causing her to accidentally shove the cone full of ice cream into his shirt. The two gasp in surprise and Rikki takes a step back.]
Bits of laughter fill the room. "Epic fail," Ash laughed.
"Well that moment was ruined," Will chuckled. "Actually, this made it even better," Rikki said in a sweet tone that confused Will and Terry. "How so?" But Rikki never answered, only a smile in response.
"Even when you're a teenager, you still figure out ways to make a mess," Harrison shook his head with a laugh.
"You destroyed a perfectly good ice cream," Elliot pouted. "Blame Zane. He's the one who pulled me closer," Rikki jabbed a thumb in his direction.
Rikki: "Oh. You should, um, really watch where you're going."
"What? No apologies? His shirt is dirty now," Max said. "He did it, not me. That's on him," Rikki said. "It was your ice cream," Zane pointed out. "It was your actions that ruined my ice cream," Rikki countered with a smirk.
Zane: "Oh, you want to take me on?"
Rikki: nods. "Mm-hm."
Zane: wipes ice cream onto Rikki's nose with his finger. "Bad move."
"You really shouldn't challenge someone who still has a whole ice cream cone," Emma said, but she couldn't help but laugh at Rikki's response onscreen. "You know me. Do I ever back down from a challenge?" Rikki smirked. "I guess not," Emma smiled and shook her head.
Rikki: gasps and wipes the ice cream off her nose. "Oh!" Zane begins to chase after Rikki, the ice cream still in their hands. Rikki giggles and squeals as they run across the mall until Zane finally catches up to her and cuts her off by zipping around a pillar and grabs her so she couldn't escape.
"At least the mall wasn't busy that day, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to do that," Bev tilted her head. "Yes, but it was still a cute moment," Sam smiled.
"I don't think I ever heard Rikki giggle like that," Emma whispered to Cleo. "I don't think I ever heard her giggle at all," Cleo whispered back.
"Good thing ice cream doesn't change you," Bella grinned. She was really happy when she discovered that. A nine-year-old sugar addiction was saved that day. Unfortunately, her clothes and her parents weren't considering the mess she always made eating them. "Yeah, we tried that out during the testing phase of what could change them. Luckily ice cream doesn't have much liquid in it to change them," Lewis told her. "All I heard was blah blah blah," Kim whispered to Cleo who giggled.
Zane: holds her close so she won't run off again and speaks in a teasing tone. "Say you're sorry."
Rikki: shakes her head, trying to get out of his grip. "No."
"Why should she apologize? It's your fault," Kim said but still laughed at the scene. "Yeah, I heard it the first time," Zane chuckled, happy to relive this moment.
Zane: "Then accept the penalty." Begins to inch the cone closer to her face.
Rikki: shakes her head. "No. No!" Just as he was about to shove the cone into her face, he pulls it back and kisses her instead. The two stay like that for a moment before they finally separate. They begin to chuckle and then smile at each other lovingly before continuing their stroll.
A few in the audience awed making Rikki and Zane blush; others, like Elliot, gagged.
"Wise choice," Terry nodded, though he disapproved of the kissing.
"That's not a punishment that's a reward," Kim commented. "Kim!"
"What made you stop Zane?" Lewis asked. Inside, he was secretly hoping that Rikki would get an ice cream cone to the face. "I'd rather end our date on a good note, instead of me coming home with it shoved somewhere it doesn't belong," Zane shuttered. "I make no promises as to what would have happened to it," Rikki mentioned.
Zane: "What are you doing later on? You want to come out on the boat?"
"Why do you keep asking her to ride on your boat? There's plenty of other things to do besides boat riding," Terry asked. "I, uh, wanted to show her where I saw the mermaid," Zane said quietly, a bit embarrassed. "Wouldn't that have defeated the terms of 'no mermaid talk?'" Bella raised an eyebrow.
Rikki: faces forward. "Maybe another time."
Zane: throws his hands up in frustration. "You always say that. You never know, we might see a mermaid." Bumps into her slightly.
"Well, I couldn't go on your boat. Riding a boat equals lots of water splashing, equals the risk of tails popping up," Rikki answered. "Besides, the last time I rode on your boat, things didn't exactly go as planned." Emma snorted. "That's one way of putting it."
Neil scowled at the return of the mermaid conversation. It was on Zane's mind so much. Why couldn't he let it go and leave Emma alone?
"For someone who's not supposed to talk about it, you're not doing a very good job keeping your mouth shut," Lewis gave him a look. "Kind of hard to when it's on your mind 24/7," Zane replied.
Rikki: "Zane, forget about the mermaid. I'm not coming out on the boat."
Zane: stops walking and Rikki faces him. "Why?"
Rikki: "Why?"
Zane: "Yeah, why? What is it with you? Why are you always so secretive?"
"Because I've always been like that and I had no other choice," Rikki said bluntly, looking down.
"She's allowed to keep some things to herself. You don't have to know everything about her just yet. After all, you two just started dating," Terry reminded him while also hinting at a warning to not push it.
"Don't pressure her. When she's ready to tell you, she will," Bella said. It took her a little over a week to let her parents know about her secret after it finally settled in that this was real, and it wasn't going away anytime soon. She knew she needed the help and knew they would help her. All those powers and responsibilities can be too much for a kid, and a teenager too.
[Rikki looks away for a moment, glancing around at the jewelry shop they were standing by when she spots something in the window. She rushes over to it and focuses all of her attention on the piece of jewelry hanging on the mannequin neck-stand. A locket.]
"Hey! It's a locket just like yours," Kim pointed to each of their lockets. Rikki bit back a grin to not give it away that it was her locket.
"I don't think it's a coincidence that they're identical," Will mumbled, suspicious of the similarities. "That's because it is," Cleo beamed with pride, spoiling the surprise for Rikki. "Cleo!" "This was the day we were finally able to get all three lockets back together." "The missing piece of the set," Emma whispered to them as she looked down at her own locket, the one from Mrs. Chatham, and smiled.
Max's eyes widen in shock. It can't be. But – but there's only three of them. No other jewelry can compare to its design. What's it doing in a showcase window? If Cleo has one and Mrs. Chatham the other … Max looked over at his friend sitting near him, silently asking the question. Mrs. Chatham understood the meaning of his unspoken question and gives him a sad look and nods ever so slightly. Max lets out a shaky breath and slowly leans back in his seat. Another friend, gone. Gracie, gone. And now Julia. It's just him and Louise now. Max could only think of the good times they had, now distant memories, as he reaches for his hat and takes it off his head in honor of his lost friend. Mrs. Chatham reaches over and grabs his hand in support.
"How is it you two somehow always find something cool in a window. First the dress, now this?" Cleo complained, though she knew what the locket was it still bugged her they were able to find things so easily. "Because you spend hours searching for something that suits you, Cleo," Bev sighed, reminded of all the times she took Cleo school shopping. Even though she enjoyed the peaceful time at home while they were at school, taking the girls' school shopping was always so dreadful. It always took hours, sometimes days for Cleo to find the perfect outfit.
"We didn't really shop, only if we found something that caught out attention. I just wish we got that when we had the chance," Rikki said, whispering the last part.
Zane: comes up behind her, looking at the locket. "Rikki, what's up?"
Rikki: ignores his question and heads inside the store. Inside the store stood the owner of the business behind the counter. Gestures to the window with the cone still in hand while talking to him. "Where did you get that locket in the window?"
"Way to leave me hanging," Zane chuckled to himself. "Not the time, Zane," Lewis muttered to him. He knew how serious the situation would be for the older folks in the room. He didn't want to ruin the moment for them with bad jokes.
Jeweler (Store Owner): walks around the counter and grabs a garbage can. "That's just come in from a deceased estate. We don't have too many details on the history of the item." Holds the garbage can up to Rikki and the blonde dumps the cone into the trash can. Zane walks into the store.
"No! The ice cream!" Elliot screamed, and his parents and sister laughs at his antics. "That man just unknowingly crushed a child's dream," Ash shook his head in amusement.
"If it's yours, does that also mean it came from one of the previous mermaids – I mean, your friends?" Denman looked over at the older lady with a hopeful look. Mrs. Chatham nods with her head leaning against the palm of her hand. "Yes. It was. It was, Julia's," she breathed out, looking at the screen with a forlorn look. "Deceased. Then that means …," Lisa said in a concerned tone as she looked over at her elderly friend. "– gone," Max choked out. Mrs. Chatham nods slightly in agreement, her hand still gripping Max's. The other's faces, except for the ones who knew, turn into regret and without speaking, hang their heads down in respect.
Rikki: walks to the other counter closer to the window, looking at the locket. "Can I see it?" The owner gives her a look before he sets the trash can down, pulls out his keys and walks over to the window, and unlocks it.
Zane: cone still in his hand, watches the owners and Rikki's actions with a confused look. "What's the big deal?"
"How come he made me throw away my cone, but you got to keep yours?" Rikki asked him, the mood from earlier now gone, mostly. "I don't know. How about after this is all over, you go ask him?" Zane said in a duh tone as if he were somehow supposed to know.
"The big deal is that those three lockets are a set. They are one of a kind, just like them. They're made to be together, to stick together," Max frowned, still upset about the loss of his friend.
Rikki: "It's exactly like Cleo's."
"It's about time you answered," Zane shook his head. "And it's about time you learned to zip it," Lewis said locking his lips with his hands like a key.
Zane: "So?"
"Zane, and I mean this in a nice way, stop talking," Harrison sighed. "Trust me, dude. This is not the time to mess around like you did with the ice cream earlier," Lewis grimaced.
[The owner gently grabs the necklace off the mannequin neck and walks back to Rikki with it laying in his hand. He shows it to Rikki over the counter for her to get a better look. The locket is exactly like the others. Except for the jewel above the locket piece is red.]
"Wow," Charlotte whispered. "It's beautiful," Bella breathed, wishing she had one as well.
"At least he's handling it with care," Max said a bit sadly.
Rikki: "How much is it?"
Jeweler (Store Owner): "It's an antique, very unusual. $250." Sees Rikki wince and knows what that means. When he begins to put it away once more, Rikki calls back out to him.
Though Mrs. Chatham knew of Rikki's situation she was at least glad she tried her best to get it back for her. It meant she did care. Deep down, somewhere. She knew she made the right choice to give the locket to Rikki.
"Yikes. That's a bit too much for something so small, isn't it?" Ash winced. "For an antique, it's not that bad, especially for something as rare as that. But since I'm assuming the jewel isn't real that it decreases the value of the locket," Harrison explained.
"There's a lot more jewelry that's expensive than that," Neil said, a few others agreeing.
Rikki: "Uh, wait. Um." She reaches for her phone in her pocket and pulls it out. When she holds it up to take a photo of the locket, the owner gives her a questionable look.
Jeweler (Store Owner): "Uh …"
Rikki: looks up at him. "You don't charge for photos as well, do you?" The owner gives in and holds it out to her with a sigh. Rikki takes the photo and smiles.
"Who charges for a photo?" Kim squinted. "You'd be surprised. They do at the marine park for the pictures taken on the rides and with dolphins," Cleo responded. "I'm glad she did though. It saved us a trip of searching for it ourselves," Emma shrugged.
[Rikki rushes out of the store with the phone in her hand, Zane in toe.]
Rikki: "Sorry, I have to go. I'll catch you later." Zane stops in front of the store window.
"Where were you off to in such a rush?" Terry asked. "I had to show this to them in person. It couldn't wait," Rikki said as she pointed at the three of them. "It's considered as one of our mermaid emergencies," Emma said with a small smile.
[Before Zane could get a word out, she was gone, running to find her friends. Zane throws his hands down in a huff. Unfortunately, Rikki never noticed another menacing presence nearby.]
Miriam: walks up to Zane with a jealous look. A few shopping bags in her hands. "What were you doing with her?"
"It's called a date. Something you never experienced before with someone you love," Zane said flatly, Lewis snorted.
Rikki scowled at the sight of the she-devil. So, this is when he spoke with her. At least now I know it wasn't intentional … was she spying on us? Stalk much? "Kinda strange that she popped out of nowhere don't you think?" Emma frowned. "It's like you read my mind," Rikki deepened her scowl.
Zane: looks at her then back at Rikki's diminishing form. "Miriam. Nothing." Looks back at the necklace, now sitting back in its place in the window. "Hey, listen, girls like getting jewelry, right? Like, as a gift?"
"Were you thinking about getting it for her?" Sam asked. "Yeah, but I didn't have enough money on me right then. I was planning to ask my dad for an early start on my next allowance," Zane answered. "But you didn't ask. I would've given it to you," Harrison frowned as he didn't recall Zane ever asking about a heads up on his allowance. "That's because Miriam had me thinking about my decision," Zane sighed. "Since when does the blonde barbie ever make someone think?" Emma scoffed; Zane pointed to the screen.
Miriam: smiles slightly before she realizes he meant for Rikki. Walks over to the window where Zane kept looking and spots the locket. "Yeah, but not that. I mean, it looks like something my nana would wear." Miriam continues staring at the locket, an idea forming in that small brain of hers.
"Well, it was made fifty years ago, so yeah," Don shrugged.
"You took fashion advice from her?" Emma said in a disgusted tone. "Miriam might be lots of things, but she does have good fashion sense," Zane said, surprising himself that he was defending her. "Hate to say it but she does," Cleo shrugged. "She might know a thing or two about fashion, but she doesn't know anything about my style," Rikki crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at Miriam onscreen. This was when she began to form her plan. And she wasn't going to win.
[Rikki finds Cleo and Emma at the marine park on the walkway, a training pool nearby, where Cleo was in her uniform. Emma stood next to them. She holds up her phone which has the picture of the locket next to Cleo's locket which was around her neck.]
Rikki: "They're identical."
"They're supposed to be. Identical, yet the jewels set them apart," Max said. That's why he made them that way to the similarities of the girls. Their tails made them identical, together. Yet, they were so different in many different ways.
Cleo: looks up at her in shock. "Wow. Where'd you find it?"
Rikki: "At the mall. Me and Zane were just hanging out and –."
Emma: cuts her off. "You didn't tell him anything about the locket, did you?"
"Why does it matter? As long as she doesn't mention anything about the tails, everything should be fine," Don said. "Sorry. I was still anxious about the whole mermaid thing," Emma winced, fiddling with her fingers. "Well, you don't have to worry. Nothing she said gave you away," Zane chuckled, Neil looked over at him with a glare.
Rikki: the two blondes walk around Cleo, slowly making their way down the walkway by the dolphin pools. "Well, I told him that it was the same as Cleo's and that I wanted it … and that we're mermaids." Emma and Cleo, who was walking behind them, looks at her in disbelief. "Kidding!"
Emma: "That's not funny. You shouldn't have said anything about it at all."
"Everything she said was true, except for that last part. If she had said that, it would've been a dead giveaway," Zane joked.
"Not the time for jokes, Rikki," Terry sighed but laughed with the rest of the crowd.
"Seriously Em, you should know when I'm being sarcastic by now," Rikki laughed.
Rikki: "Secrets and more secrets. It's a pain in the neck."
"You're telling me," Lewis mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. He could still remember the bruises from the last full moon.
Terry looked over at Rikki in concern. Was this her way of telling the girls that she was tired of the secrets? That it was becoming too overwhelming? Were they starting to see the signs of her starting to crack under the pressure?
Emma: "Look, maybe we should just concentrate on finding out more about the locket." Just as she was leading the way up the stairs to the bridge, they run into a familiar face: Mrs. Chatham.
Mrs. Chatham: looks at them in confusion. "What locket?" Emma looks back at the girls.
"You have got to show me how you do that," Ash exclaimed, shocked that once again she was able to pop up out of nowhere.
"The answers always appear right in front of you," Mrs. Chatham sighed. She wasn't happy to find out about her friend that way, but at least she was able to tell them their story, their adventures. She was able to let her memory live on. She was able to tell them everything she knew about that locket; from the beginning to the end.
[A minute later, the girls plus Mrs. Chatham sat on a nearby bench as the older woman stared at the picture of the red-jeweled locket. Emma sat next to her while Rikki sat on the other side of Mrs. Chatham. Cleo sat beside Rikki.]
Mrs. Chatham: looks at the picture in slight shock. "Julia."
Cleo: "Julia?"
Mrs. Chatham: sighs, realization coming over her. "She's gone?"
"Which makes you the last," Max said with a bit of guilt. "Which makes us the last," Mrs. Chatham reminded him, patting his shoulder.
Rikki: "They said it was from a deceased estate. Deceased, is …"
Mrs. Chatham: looks down at the picture once more in sadness. "She's gone." Looks at the picture closer.
The crowd once more grew silent, unsure of what to say. The girls glance at one another. If it came down to it, would they be the same way? Taken one by one, until it was just one left?
Cleo: "It's alright. Julia was your friend, right?"
Really, Cleo? How else would she know whose locket it was? Kim wanted to say but kept her mouth shut due to the tense atmosphere.
Mrs. Chatham: lowers the phone. "A very special friend." Looks at Emma. "Yes. Like you three are to each other." Grabs her locket and looks over at Cleo who does the same. "Yours, belonged to Gracie. This is mine." Let's go of her locket and looks back at the phone. "And the last one, it was Julia's."
"Three of a kind," Neil whispered, beginning to realize that these necklaces were made specifically for them.
Rikki: looks determined. "We'll get it back, Mrs. Chatham. I'll make sure of it." Reaches for her phone and Mrs. Chatham slowly hands it to her. Gets up and rushes off, Emma and Cleo follow behind. Mrs. Chatham watches them go.
"That's a promise. Rikki never gives up," Terry nodded. Mrs. Chatham chuckled in response. "She's proven that to me plenty of times."
"No wonder you were so determined to get that locket," Zane said, finally understanding her reasons. He never would have thought it belonged to a friend of Mrs. Chatham's.
[Later, after Cleo's shift, Emma and Cleo take Mrs. Chatham with them to Emma's house. They sat in the living room while Rikki was out in search to figure out how to get that necklace back.]
Emma: "Don't worry, Mrs. Chatham. Rikki will get the locket back." Emma sits a plate of cookies down on the coffee table and sits down on the couch. Mrs. Chatham sat on another couch with Cleo, sipping tea.
"We got it back alright, just not the way I planned," Rikki mumbled, thinking of how Miriam practically snatched it from her.
Mrs. Chatham: "I'm sorry. I don't want to be a bother."
"You're never a bother, Mrs. Chatham. You're always welcomed to our home," Lisa smiled. "Ours too," Don nodded. "You can count ours in as well," Terry raised his hand slightly, along with Annette, Sam, and surprisingly even Harrison.
Emma: leans forward. "It's fine if you don't want to talk about it."
Mrs. Chatham: looks down at her teacup and lowers it into her lap. "Oh, yes. Talking's very good. It's healthy." Chuckles then sets the teacup next to the cookies. "That and digestive biscuits. You can never get enough bran. Remember that, girls."
"Was that a joke?" Ash questioned. "I needed to lighten the mood. Besides, it was the truth. Emma was still on her swim team diet, she needed some form of bread," Mrs. Chatham implied. The Gilberts family laughs, except for Emma who blushed in embarrassment.
Cleo: "So, tell us about Julia."
Most of the theater leans forward, eager to hear more about the last person of the former trio.
Max sighed, unsure whether he was happy to hear the story of his friend once more, or sad upon being reminded that once again, she was gone.
Bella hid her excitement to find out about other mermaids.
Rikki straightened up. Although the girls did tell her about their story, she would like to hear it from Mrs. Chatham herself.
Mrs. Chatham: sighs and sniffles. Glances over at the girls before looking forward, and finally speaks. "I was fifteen." A flashback appears from fifty years ago. It was a young Louise in a blue swimsuit, Julia in red, and Gracie in yellow and wearing sunglasses that she began to take off. All three girls as teenagers. They were looking around the cone of the volcano for the first time in amazement. "Julia, Gracie and I … we were just like you."
"They were," Max whispered with a small smile as everyone else was shocked at how the three looked.
"Wow, Mrs. Chatham. You look great," Lewis complimented. "Are you saying I haven't before?" Mrs. Chatham raised an eyebrow. "I, uhm. I – I don't –." Lewis's stammering was cut short by laughter coming from the older lady. "I'm just messing with you, dear," making Lewis sigh in relief.
Annette and Charlotte grabbed ahold of each other, seeing their lost family member moving around onscreen was so much different than from the pictures from earlier. They were finally going to learn more about Gracie and her secret past. The two Watsford women stay silent, the screen taking their whole focus. Annette couldn't help but smile. Even back then, her mother still loved the color yellow. That was pretty much what her whole closet was filled with growing up. Even the house was decorated yellow.
[The trio walk around the sandy cave, staring at the beautiful blue pool of water below them. Louise looks at the two, smiling, before walking to the ledge and purposefully falling in. She laughs as she comes up and the other two follow her lead.]
Charlotte smiled at the sight, a tear escaping. Her grandmother always talked about the magnificent blue water, but she never said it was the ocean. Now she knows what she was really talking about. It was the moonpool.
[Julia looks up, just as the full moon comes over, shining brightly into the cone of the volcano. The transformation begins. The water bubbles and glows, sparkling water rises in the sky, and the girls look around in shock.]
Mrs. Chatham: "It was exciting. Unbelievable. Magical."
"She wasn't kidding. It really was just like you guys," Bella said, glancing at them.
"At the right place, at the right time, magic happens," Max whispered, Mrs. Chatham smiled.
"The three always did remind me of us. The powers, friendship, personalities. It sometimes felt like I was reliving the past just by looking at them. Emma reminded me of me, Rikki of Julia, and Cleo of Gracie." Annette looked over at Cleo and studied both her and the recent events. Although it did sound a bit ridiculous, she did see a little bit of her mother's personality in Cleo. They both were always a tad bit shy yet friendly and a little self-conscious, but Gracie toughed it out by becoming a model and soon overcame that side of her. Cleo overcame hers by accepting her mermaid side.
[It then shows the three hanging out in the moonpool near the ledge, with tails. Smiling and laughing.]
Mrs. Chatham: "We shared the secret. We shared the adventure." The three zoom out of the moonpool and into the open blue.
Annette and Charlotte looked at each other in confusion. They were happy to see her mother happy about her secret life, enjoying the time with her friends and the adventures they had. They were happy to find out more about her and her story and how it all began, but something was off. When her grandmother always told her those mermaid stories, she never once mentioned that she was one, but she always talked about it in the past tense, as if it were old times. And they see her get wet plenty of times and a tail never popped out. Did they discover a way to control it? Or, did she somehow lose it all? The story wasn't complete, so where did it all go wrong? They wished they knew more, but she had a feeling she won't get anything else anytime soon. Maybe they could ask Mrs. Chatham about it later.
[The flashback ends, and Mrs. Chatham looks down at her own locket, which was now in her hand. She opens the locket and looks down at the picture of the three of them in their mermaid form.]
Mrs. Chatham: sighs. "I don't have to tell you how special that is." Mrs. Chatham lets out a breath and closes the locket. The three of them smile at each other.
"No, you don't," Emma said as the three, including Rikki and Bella, look at each other once more with a bright smile.
[At the Juicenet Café, Rikki talks to Lewis at the counter to try and convince him to help out.]
Rikki: "She was Mrs. Chatham's friend, and now she's gone. This locket means a lot to her." Nods then holds a hand out, palm up to Lewis. "Any donations will be gratefully accepted."
"You were getting money from Lewis so you could get the locket?" Cleo gave her a skeptical look. "Well, I didn't have any other plan. It was all I could think of to get as much money as fast as I can to get it," Rikki grimaced. "She had clever ways of convincing too," Lewis grumbled. "Why didn't you just ask your old pal Barry if he could get you a quick job for the cash," Ash joked around; Terry scowled at the reminder of the crook. "Because I'd rather get the money the right way and not end up in jail," Rikki said in a deadpanned tone. "I'm not exactly sure getting money from your friends is considered 'the right way,'" Sam frowned in thought.
"Why didn't you just ask me instead?" Zane asked. "Well, you already bought me the dress. It just wouldn't feel right if you bought that for me too, especially when you didn't know what it was really for," Rikki said a bit glumly. "Rikki, if it meant something to you, I would've gotten it as quick as I could for you. I only had to go to my dad for help," Zane shrugged and gestured to his dad who nodded. "And I would've approved of it."
Lewis: pulls his wallet out of his shirt pocket. "Well, Rikki, I really don't have much money. And what I do have, I was planning on spending on something special. Lunch, maybe." Opens his wallet up and Rikki snatches the last of his money. "Hey, no, no, no." Gives up as Rikki holds it in her hand and smiles.
"Lunch was special to you?" Kim asked eyebrow raised. "Any meal of the day is special to me," Lewis patted his belly. He wasn't going to say it aloud, but the truth was that he was planning on saving up for a suit for the dance that was coming up later on. But after the whole locket incident and focusing on the experiments, it slipped his mind. Luckily Mrs. Chatham helped him find the way again.
"Rikki, you shouldn't take it from his wallet. You should've waited until he was going to give it to you. If he would've," Terry motioned.
"Money doesn't pop out of thin air, though I wish it did," Lewis sighed, seeing the last of his money go.
Rikki: "Thanks. Great. This nearly gets us a deposit. And then we only need $200 after that. Any ideas?"
"How about, get a job?" Will said. "I needed something quick, it couldn't wait till the end of the week to get paid, otherwise someone else might get the locket," Rikki said with a sad look. Like a devilish blonde we know. It still angers Rikki to this day that Miriam tried to take it from her.
Lewis: "Yes. Uh, window cleaning, bikini car washing."
"Yes, Lewis, mention all the jobs that we can't do," Emma gave him a look. "Sorry," Lewis grinned sheepishly.
"Bikini car washing?" Neil frowned. "It would raise a lot of money," Lewis shrugged, not ashamed to admit it along with a few other guys in the room.
Rikki: points a finger at him. "Oh, you are funny. You are hysterical." Lewis nods in appreciation before Rikki gets serious again. "No, I'm serious. This is really important." Lewis looks back to the computer, staying quiet.
Mrs. Chatham smiled at Rikki. Though it didn't seem like she wasn't trying her hardest, she was doing her best to get the money as quick as she could. She was just doing it her way. Rikki's efforts to help the older woman out really meant a lot to her.
Rikki: glances around, an idea forming. "You know, this means a lot to Cleo, too."
"Really, Rikki?" Cleo groaned in annoyance. "Well, it did," Rikki shrugged.
"Of course, she would use you to get him to tag along," Emma whispered, shaking her head while laughing.
"Ah, using his crush against him, smart," Ash nodded in approval. Cleo gave him a small death glare to which he quickly shook his head in disapproval. "I mean so wrong, that's – that's very wrong."
Lewis: looks over at her. "Cleo?"
Rikki: "She'll be really cut if we don't get this. I think … in fact, I know she would really, really appreciate your help."
"I didn't even know you went to him for help," Cleo huffed.
"I think you appreciated it more than her," Will chuckled.
Lewis: takes a deep breath of determination and stands up. "Leave it to me." Walks towards the exit when he turns around and points at her. "I am on it. I am going to raise that money." Just as he walks towards the beaded curtains, Miriam walks in and past him towards her 'friend' Tiffany by the pool table.
"Oh, well you look at that, the pink soul-sucker has entered the establishment," Kim commented, noticing Miriam. "Kim!" Bev scolded. "She's not wrong. She takes the life out of everyone she talks to," Cleo shrugged. "Especially mine," Rikki glared at the screen.
"Lewis, that's sweet of you but you didn't have to do that," Cleo gave him a small smile. "I'll do anything for my friends," Lewis shrugged nonchalantly. And if it makes you happy, then it's worth every penny.
Tiffany: "Miriam."
Miriam: points at 'her locket' around her neck and makes sure Rikki has a good view of it. "Do you like it, my new locket?" Rikki stares at the locket wrapped around the buzzard's neck.
"Oh, no," some gasped. "That's so cruel," Charlotte shook her head.
"And in front of Rikki too!" Bella scoffed.
Rikki's glare intensified upon seeing the locket around her neck once more. It didn't belong to her, it never should've been placed into her hands. She didn't deserve it, she didn't understand its true meaning. It meant nothing but revenge to her, while it meant everything to Rikki.
Max and Mrs. Chatham's smiles slowly fade upon seeing who got the locket before them. And Max could only hope that she didn't discover the picture inside if it were still there.
Neil and Lisa look at each other in shock. This girl definitely wasn't who she used to be. She wasn't the sweet little girl everyone thought she was, who they thought she was back then. This manipulative revenge act proves it even more. First, she tried to steal Emma's locket, now she flaunts it in front of Rikki.
Tiffany: "Ooh, it's beautiful."
Miriam: "It is, isn't it?"
"It is, just not on you," Zane narrowed his eyes at her. He didn't blame Rikki for what she did to Miriam. In fact, if he had seen the whole scene in the first place, she would've had his full support.
"You thought it was hideous and old fashion not too long ago. Why would you wear it then?" Annette asked, a bit upset that she would do that to one of her mother's old friends' lockets. "Just to get back at me. All because I took 'her man,'" Rikki fumed. "I was never hers in the first place," Zane answered disgusted by the thought.
[Rikki stands up and marches over to the blonde devil, looking very angry.]
Miriam: looks at her and gives a sly smirk. "Do you like it, Rikki?" Rikki keeps quiet. "Oh, now I remember. I think Zane told me about how much you admired it. Maybe that's why I was so quick to buy it."
"So, she admitted she was jealous," Kim hummed. "Pretty much," Cleo scowled.
"No need to taunt her, you already won that round, no need to add on," Neil scolded, giving the onscreen girl a look of disapproval. "She didn't win anything," Rikki said, her face showing no emotion as she crossed her arms. She didn't care what Zane said, she didn't once regret attacking Miriam. She got what was coming to her for a long time now.
Terry narrowed his eyes at the girl. You can do a lot of things to him, but bullying his little girl is not one of them. However, he opted to keep his mouth shut, believing that Rikki will be able to stand up for herself. He just never realized how she would do it.
Rikki: "Give it to me." Reaches for Miriam's neck and tries to snatch the locket but Miriam shoves her arm back.
Miriam: "What are you doing?" The two begin to fuss and tussle over the necklace still hanging from Miriam's neck until Miriam falls to the floor, the fight still going on.
"Oh, man. I missed this?!" Lewis whined before hushing after seeing the looks he received. Rikki glanced over at him then snuck a hand in the air for a high five which he gladly returned.
"Two chicks fighting over jewelry. Just another day in a teenage life," Ash chuckled.
"Ten bucks Miriam gives it to her," Elliot said to Kim. "Twenty says Rikki rips her head off before Miriam gives in," Kim remarked. "Sorry guys, but neither one of you is winning today," Rikki laughed at the shocked expression on the two mothers' faces for their kids betting. "And neither is she," Zane said, having wished he had seen what led up to this in the first place.
Terry raised an amused eyebrow. "She had that coming." "You're supporting this?" Lisa asked, gesturing to the fight on the screen. "She messed with Rikki first and antagonized it. She started it, only fair for Rikki to finish it," Terry shrugged.
"You get what you paid for," Charlotte grinned.
Cleo and Emma looked at each other wide-eyed. Neither one knew about this fight. Sure, Rikki told them that Miriam bought it just to spite Rikki, but she never mentioned what Rikki intended to do to get it back.
Rikki: "Give it to me! Give it to me!" Just then Zane walks into the café and finds Rikki standing over Miriam and trying to force her to give the necklace back. The other customers around the café look on in shock. Zane grabs Rikki and pulls her off of Miriam. To Zane. "Get off me!"
"Why are you stopping her?" Kim complained. "I've been asking that question for a long time now," Zane said. "Why wouldn't he stop her? She's about to rip her head off!" Bev exclaimed. "Good maybe she'll shut up then," Kim shrugged, ignoring her mother's look.
Miriam: Tiffany helps her up and holds her back from going after Rikki. Looks insane, the necklace still dangling from her neck. "What's wrong with her? Get away, you're crazy."
"Says the one who bought a $250 necklace just to get back at an ex's girlfriend," Bella scoffed. "Ex? Please, you're giving her too much credit. We never dated in the first place. We only hanged out," Zane said. "If you say so," Lewis sighed, rolling his eyes.
"You wanted payback and you upset her, accept the consequences and get back on the floor so you can continue to get your tail kicked!" Kim shouted. "Rikki would've totally won," Elliot nodded, much to their mother's horror.
"Careful Rikki, you'll ruin her makeup," Ash mocked.
Rikki: "Get off me!" Shoves Zane off of her and then looks between Zane and Miriam. "Whose side are you on, anyway?!" Rikki marches through the beaded curtains as Zane watches her in surprise.
"I'm on the side that doesn't involve getting blood on your hands," Zane commented. "So, neither side then?" Lewis thought. "I prefer Rikki's side, but then again I didn't know the whole story and just walked in to see Rikki close to having Miriam in a body bag," Zane shrugged.
"Sorry, Rikki," Zane winced. "It's fine. It did look pretty bad when you walked in," Rikki grinned, just happy that Zane would've taken her side.
Zane: follows her outside as they walk across the patio. "Rikki. Rikki!"
Rikki: continues walking and goes into the yard near the docks. "Leave me alone."
Zane: jogs up and grabs Rikki's arm. "Please."
"I get the feeling that she doesn't want to talk to you," Will said. "Gee, whatever gave you that idea?" Zane sarcastically said.
Emma flinched. She hasn't seen Rikki that upset with Zane in a while.
Rikki: yanks her arm away, still angry. "Don't! Did you tell Miriam that I wanted that locket?"
Zane: "No." Thinks about what he told Miriam before. "Maybe. I saw her at the mall. I asked her if girls like getting jewelry. That's all."
"Which is a dead giveaway that Rikki wanted it," Charlotte said as if it were obvious. "Thanks. I'll remember that for the next I ever want to talk to Miriam again," Zane said in another sarcastic tone.
Rikki: begins to walk off. "Thanks a lot."
Zane: calls out to her. "I was thinking of buying it for you."
"I just had to get the money first," Zane finished. "Which you could've gotten," Harrison reminded.
Rikki: turns around. "Well, it's too late now, isn't it? You told her I liked it. She went out and got it just to get at me. You should have kept quiet." Zane stays quiet, watching her.
"Where did she get the money anyway?" Sam asked curiously. "She asked her mommy and daddy," Zane said in a mocking tone. "Sounds like someone I know," Rikki said with a smug grin. "At least he doesn't beg it off of his friends," Lewis gave her a look.
"She's right. If you stayed quiet, she would've never known and Rikki would've gotten her locket," Ash said. "Wow, why didn't I think of that?" Zane said, acting as if his mind was blown. "I didn't realize it until it was too late!" "Is the sarcasm really necessary?" Ash raised an eyebrow. "Are your comments really necessary?" Zane shot back. "Touché."
Rikki: looks away in the distance before looking back at him. "Do you still have feelings for that whining airhead?"
"Ooh, can I use that one?" Kim asked eagerly. "No," both Don and Bev say, making Kim simmer down. "Rikki does come up with some unique names," Annette chuckled. "Please, I would have to require feelings for her in the first place," Zane scoffed.
Zane: "No! You know that."
"You better not," Terry grumbled. Rikki already had enough with that whining airhead as she called it. She didn't need him having feelings for another girl still to add on to it. She's tough but everyone has a breaking point.
Rikki's heart beats a little faster for a second before calming down. For this part of the scene, she was reminded of the kiss. But after everything Zane has done for her, he's proven enough that he loves her more than he does Miriam.
Zane: walks closer, throwing his arms down to his side. "Look, if it matters that much, I'll buy you another one."
"That's the problem, there isn't. There's only three made, that's why it's such an antique," Max explained, the others becoming confused about how he knew that.
Rikki: "There isn't another one." Looks away. "Well, there is, but it's part of a set."
Zane: looks at her confused. "Okay. So, why's it so important?"
"That's another problem. Because she couldn't tell you the reason why," Mrs. Chatham sighed. It was another trouble when it came to the secret. Not telling others about it was just as bad as trying to avoid water. It was always a struggle to not tell the truth and to have to always lie, to skip out on things other people can do that they couldn't. It was part of the problems when it came to the mermaid life of a teenager.
Rikki: looks back and hesitantly shakes her head. "It doesn't matter. Forget about it."
Zane: gestures back to the café. "Forget about it? You almost tore Miriam apart! What is going on?"
"How could I forget after what I just saw?" Zane sighed.
"Eh, she would've lived," Kim shrugged. "How would you know?" Rikki raised an eyebrow. "Because deep down you wouldn't want Miriam to be badly hurt. No matter how much a pain she is," Emma said with a small smile. "Hmm, keep searching and let me know when you find it," Rikki nodded to a laughing Emma.
[Rikki looks at him then glances around, staying quiet.]
Zane: holds his hands up, clearly frustrated. "You know what? I'm getting pretty sick of these secrets."
Rikki: "So am I." Turns around and walks off, looking depressed.
"You were dating her for what? A couple weeks? You can't expect to know everything about her right away. It takes time for her to tell you everything about her, including secrets," Terry huffed. "I'm sure you had secrets you kept from her too." Zane looked down, feeling a bit regretful. He hated that he fought with Rikki, but he hated even more that Mr. Chadwick was right. He did have secrets from Rikki, just like everyone does, including her.
Emma and Cleo look at the blonde girl with a slight frown. They were seeing once again the cracks forming in Rikki's walls. The secrets were once again becoming too overbearing. It seems the relationship was a lot more work than it seemed. And secrets made it only a lot more, distracting. The two girls hug their best friend who hugs them back and lets out a sigh.
[Back inside, after all the commotion from earlier has calmed down, Tiffany brings her and Miriam a drink from the counter to soothe her. The supportive friend places the drinks down on the table and sits down next to her.]
Tiffany: sighs. "Is there anything else I can do?"
"You could leave her. She's a terrible person!" Kim argued. "Yeah, she's worse than you," Cleo said with a teasing smile. Kim narrowed her eyes at her before shrugging. "Eh, I'll consider that a compliment."
"She doesn't deserve a friend like Tiffany. She's so much nicer and friendlier," Cleo sighed. "Yeah, well good thing Miriam moved away this school year, Tiffany can make better friends," Emma reminded them of Miriam's sudden disappearance.
Miriam: pats down her hair. "No, I'm perfectly alright. Thanks."
"I think insanely jealous is more of a better term," Lewis implied. "Couldn't agree more," Rikki and Zane said at the same time.
"I think that's the first time she's ever said thank you to someone," Emma said in shock. Serious shock. She's known the brat since she was a kid, she wasn't joking. "And all it took was for her makeup to nearly get ruined," Rikki rolled her eyes.
Miriam: the locket gets caught in her hair and she untangles it. "Ah. This thing is so annoying."
"It's like the locket has a mind of its own; like it knows it doesn't belong to you," Max scowled.
"Then maybe you shouldn't have bought it in the first place," Charlotte said.
"A waste of money then if you're just going to complain about it," Don shook his head.
"Suddenly I'm liking that locket even more," Lewis grinned.
"Funny. It never does that to me," Rikki laughed. "Me either," Emma and Cleo both say, Mrs. Chatham nods in agreement.
"If it's so annoying, then why'd you buy it?" Bella frowned.
[Zane storms back inside, after finishing his heated conversation with Rikki, and marches over to Miriam's table and stares her down.]
Zane: "How much do you want for it?"
Terry couldn't help but be impressed. Even after arguing with his daughter, which he wasn't happy about, he was still trying to get that locket back for Rikki. Even after their fight, he still cared for her, still loved her.
Rikki glanced at Zane in surprise. He tried to get that locket before the kiss too? He tried so many possible ways to get that locket back from her, that he thought he only had one option left: to take the deal. Now she understood how he felt when he saw the full scene of her and Miriam's fight, she was getting the full picture of his struggles as well. Just as he walked in on her towering over Miriam, she walked in on the two kissing, but neither one knew it was about the locket. They didn't know the full stories, and that's what made the pain that day even worse.
Miriam: "Hi to you, too."
Zane: shakes his head. "Don't play games. I know you only bought it to have your little laugh. So, how much do you want for it?"
Miriam: fiddles with the necklace while looking up at him. "I bought it, Zane, because I liked it. And I'm keeping it." Zane looks away and sighs.
"Liar, liar, pants on fire," Elliot shouted. "I wish I could've set them on fire," Rikki grumbled.
"That's not what you said before. You thought it was something your nana would wear," Zane huffed, wishing he would've said that back then.
"No, you bought it out of spite," Will said through gritted teeth. He hated the way Miriam was treating her. For some reason, he hates to admit it, but in some ways, she kind of reminds him of Sophie.
Miriam: "What happened to us, Zane? We never broke up."
"I thought you said you two never dated," Harrison frowned. "We didn't. It was just all in her head," Zane shrugged. "Yup. She's definitely crazy," Sam nodded.
"That's because you were never together in the first place," Rikki shot back.
Zane: leans against the table to get to her level and smirks. "Miriam, we were never together." Storms off and leaves a speechless Miriam to be comforted by her friend Tiffany once again.
"Ooh, now she's definitely going to need an ice pack for that burn," Ash hissed.
"Ah, you hear that? That's the sound of a silent Miriam. Take it in everyone, it's very rare to enjoy," Rikki inhaled deeply, waving the air towards her nose, everyone around her began to laugh.
"Silence can be deadly, too bad it isn't right now," Lewis pouted.
"Round one to Zane and Rikki," Elliot cheered.
[The other two mermaids continue discussing the tales of the earlier mermaids' adventures with Mrs. Chatham. The three remain in Emma's living room.]
Cleo: "That must have been really hard on you, dealing with all that when you were so young."
"Cleo, you're the same age as she was when they were mermaids," Lewis pointed out. Some of us younger than that, Bella hid a smirk.
"That's why you have friends to help you deal with it all," Mrs. Chatham smiled fondly. "And friends that can protect you," Max whispered in agreement.
Mrs. Chatham: chuckles and lays a hand on Cleo's arm. "Oh. No younger than you."
"Lewis agrees with Mrs. Chatham. Now that's scary," Rikki muttered. "Says the one who agreed with me once," Cleo shot back.
[The group of three hear the front door open and close. As they turn their heads, they see Rikki walk in, looking a little gloomy.]
Emma: "Rikki, did you get it?"
Rikki: walks into the living room where the others are. "It's being held. I'll tell you about it later." Sits down in the chair across from them.
"You didn't have to lie to us. We would've understood," Emma told her. "Two things: one, I was still a bit peeved about the whole Miriam thing. And two, I didn't want to let Mrs. Chatham down," Rikki said holding two fingers up while admitting the last part shamefully. "Rikki dear, you wouldn't have let me down. I was a teenager once too you know, I know there can be challenges when getting something you want," Mrs. Chatham gave her a reassuring smile. "Technically she wasn't lying. It was being held, just in the wrong hands," Ash rubbed his chin in thought. "No need to be a smarty-pants," Emma retorted.
Cleo: "Mrs. Chatham was just telling us about her friends. They sounded great."
Mrs. Chatham: "Oh, well, we didn't always get along. Sometimes we argued. Sometimes we lied to each other. Even best friends will do that. Right, Rikki?" Gives Rikki a look.
"All friends argue. Not all the time but it's never perfect. There's always going to be a disagreement," Sam mentioned. "Friends, siblings," Kim listed off, glancing at her sister. "Parents …" Cleo barely whispered.
"Why did you call her out? Is it because she kept her relationship from them? Spoilers, they already know," Bella argued. "It wasn't because of what she did in the past, but more of what she did in the present. I knew she was lying about the locket being held, and her mood was radiating anger that was ready to be released. I didn't want her to release it on the wrong person," Mrs. Chatham answered.
Mrs. Chatham: "My friends and I were all very different."
"You ain't kidding there," Max snorted.
[Another flashback begins, this time a young Mrs. Chatham and her friends were entering the land entrance of the moonpool. Julia led the way while Louise and Gracie followed behind her, the three of them shouting over each other.]
Young Louise: "Please, try to understand."
Julia: "I understand fine."
Gracie: "It wasn't even about you."
Julia: "You're jealous."
Gracie: "It's about us."
"What are you guys arguing about – if you don't mind me asking?" Annette asked, worried that it might be one of the reasons it broke her mother's friendship apart. "It's alright. But thank you for asking," Mrs. Chatham nodded and smiled before it faltered into a sigh. "It was about Julia's boyfriend. Karl," she added in a low voice. "Why were you arguing over him?" "Let's just say, as the girls reminded me of our younger selves, Karl reminded me of what Zane used to be," Mrs. Chatham added with a small glare. The rest of the audience winced at the thought, including the Bennett's.
Max looked on in shock. It was the first time in a long time that he got to hear their voices. It was great to hear their voices again after fifty years.
Young Louise: "We can't let you leave."
Julia: stands next to the moonpool ledge. "I don't care. I'm going."
"Why couldn't you?" Don frowned. "Because she wanted to tell Karl about our secret. And we couldn't let her do that," Mrs. Chatham told them, and the others gasped. "Why not? Maybe he would have kept the secret," Zane thought hopefully. "Karl might have been many things, but he was no secret keeper. He was rich, arrogant, spoiled, and very greedy. As I said, he reminded me of you before the change, except ten times worse. We were only trying to protect her," Mrs. Chatham warned, making Zane's hope die.
"But Zane isn't him. Not everything will be the same from fifty years ago," Rikki pointed out. "You're right, Rikki. He's not. I was just saying that the old him reminded me of him," Mrs. Chatham smiled in acknowledgment.
Mrs. Chatham: voice-over. "Julia … was very headstrong."
"You could say that again," Max snorted under his mumble.
"Ah, yeah. I could see what you mean by Rikki and her being alike. Headstrong describes her really well," Lewis nodded, Rikki glared at him.
Julia: "You're underestimating Karl. And I'm not discussing this at this time." The flashback ends.
Mrs. Chatham: "Like you, Rikki."
"The fight was very similar to yours from earlier when you guys found out about them dating. Even some of the phrasing is the same," Will thought.
"Even fifty years apart, they still argued over boys," Bev chuckled and shook her head.
Emma: "So, she could be a pain." Emma and Cleo raise an amusing eyebrow at Rikki who bites back a smile.
"Likewise, Emma. Likewise," Rikki grinned.
"Is now really the time to joke?" Ash asked. "Somebody had to lighten the mood," Emma shrugged. "Yet it's never you," Lewis quipped.
Mrs. Chatham: chuckles, leaning forward. "Oh, we were all so close. Until … well, we found out that she had a boyfriend." Another flashback begins, and this time it's at the beach, an angry Julia sat down in the grassy sand, having just returned from her fight with her friends. She stayed there fuming, until another person, Karl, comes up behind her and kneels down next to her. He held a heart-shaped card in his hand as he places his other hand gently on her shoulder. The look on his face and the instant touch immediately changes her sour mood. She reaches for his hand, and he hands her the love letter, and she smiles.
"She kept it from you too," Terry said in surprise. The similarities were shocking. It was almost as if history were repeating itself. Hopefully, it won't. "Yes, she did. But then we found out about it, and not in a good way either," Mrs. Chatham said a bit sadly.
Mrs. Chatham: voice-over. "She wanted to tell him everything. We tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen. It was our secret too."
"But Rikki wasn't going to tell him," Kim defended. "Not yet at least," Rikki mumbled. Not till I could trust him more and Emma and Cleo agreed to it. "I knew Rikki wasn't. I just didn't want her to make the same mistakes. That's why I told her our story," Mrs. Chatham explained.
"Well can you blame her? She was in love," Harrison said. "There's a fine line between a relationship and friendship. You have to be careful as to not tip the scale, or it could destroy them both," Max informed.
[Julia returns to the moonpool where Grace and Louise were. Louise holds the love letter in her hand, reading it. Gracie reads over her shoulder as Julia watches patiently.]
Young Louise: to Julia. "Karl's going to keep looking for his mermaid."
"His mermaid? What do you mean?" Denman asked. "The man that I saved, was Karl's father. When he heard what happened and saw his father's drawing, Karl somehow believed it to be a mermaid, and he went on this wild hunt to find it and expose it just for a taste of fame," Mrs. Chatham explained, causing Harrison and Denman to hide their guilty looks. "But Julia believed that their love was so strong, that if she explained to him that she was one, he would forget about the mermaid hunt and keep her secret," she continued. "Sadly, not all things work out as one would think."
Julia: marches up to them and snatches back her letter. "Thanks. Good friends don't give each other ultimatums."
Emma and Cleo flinch at the wording. It reminded them so much of their fight from earlier. Will was right, there were similarities. But at least they were able to change their fate and forgive one another. They would always be there for each other. They wouldn't make any more mistakes like them, would they?
Young Louise: "No. Please, Julia. We all have to make sacrifices."
Julia: gets in Louise's face. "I don't interfere in your life so stay out of mine." Gracie glares at her but remains silent. Julia glares back.
Annette notices how Gracie chose to remain quiet. From the looks of it, she hated the fighting but didn't want to back down. For she knew that Julia wouldn't and that the secret was in danger. Yet it almost seemed like Gracie was silently agreeing with her. She couldn't help but wonder, is this how their friendship ended? Is this why they never spoke to each other again? What caused them to lose their powers?
Mrs. Chatham: flashback ends. "She, uh, threatened us … she was too powerful. There was nothing we could do." Emma and Cleo give her a look of pity.
"Did she have the same power as Rikki?" Elliot asked. "Yes, she did," Mrs. Chatham nodded.
"But you guys have powers too. If you and Gracie worked together, you could've stopped her," Will pointed out. "That would mean we would have fought our best friend physically. We couldn't do it. And even if we did fight each other, one could not overcome the other. For our powers our at equal strength. As I said, there's nothing we could do," Mrs. Chatham sighed.
Rikki: "I don't see what the problem is. Secrets are what make this whole mermaid thing a pain. At least, she had someone she could trust." Emma and Cleo give each other a look.
"You could trust us," Emma and Cleo look at her. "I meant someone outside of the group, someone besides Lewis. Someone I could trust," Rikki pointed to herself.
"Secrets can be a pain but it's worth it if it means we could protect the ones we love," Cleo said as she glanced around the room at her friends, new friends, and family.
"She had someone she thought she could trust," Mrs. Chatham corrected sadly.
Mrs. Chatham: "I think, uh … we need some exercise. Let's go." Rikki's face falters in confusion as Mrs. Chatham stands up from the sudden mood change. Pats Emma's shoulder as she passes by. "Come on." Leans over next to Rikki and gives her a pointed look. "You, too. Move it."
"Why the sudden change in subject?" Lisa asked in confusion. "I didn't change it. I just figured we needed a change in scenery. We were sitting down for quite a while. Besides, there was something I wanted to show them," Mrs. Chatham said with a small smile.
"Exercise?" Max raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Hey, we could use some for our age," Mrs. Chatham laughed with him.
Terry couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips. The way Mrs. Chatham treated Rikki like a child there for a moment, was something he hasn't seen in a long while.