A Wish on a Full Moon
I do not own H2O: Just Add Water or any of the characters.
Chapter 78: In Hot Water (part 1)
[A dolphin show was going on at the Marine Park with surfers, dolphins, and trainers. The crowd claps and awes at the sight. Meanwhile, away from the show, Cleo struggles to push her ice cream cart along the concrete path. Mrs. Geddes stops by her with a raised brow.]
Mrs. Geddes: "Little late this morning, aren't we?"
"Starting off with the bad timing already," Ash winced. "Late? You're never late? Wonder what happened?" Don asked a bit surprised. "I don't know. But it has to be my first time. Maybe she'll let me off with a warning," Cleo said, surprised herself. Bev frowned at the screen. Cleo was never late when she was there. In fact, she was always heading off to work early in case something came up. Did something happen this time? Was it because of her mermaid side? Or could it be because she wasn't there? Things did start to change for all of them when she got out of the picture, she hoped this wasn't part of it either.
"Wish you would've took my offer for help now, huh," Lewis teased lightly, but Cleo gave him a stern glare. "Kidding. I'll stop," Lewis closed his mouth.
"You don't think it was because of us, do you?" Rikki asked, slightly concerned. "No. We know not to interfere with her work schedule. It can't be us," Emma shook her head.
Cleo: pauses, holding tight to the poles. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Geddes. It won't happen again."
Mrs. Geddes: observes her stand, opening the freezer slots. "That's what you said last week."
"Last week?!" Bev gasped, putting a hand up to her mouth in worry, only making her more concerned that it could be from her. "As in more than once?" Zane clarified, surprised himself. Cleo was a bit like Emma. She didn't like going to school, but it didn't stop her from getting there on time unless a storm was brewing of course. "What else would it mean, Zane?" Harrison shook his head.
"If it happened last week, it could be from the dinner disaster," Cleo bit her lip, trying not to stress from it. If everything that's happened – her mom leaving, the breakup, and the rivalry with Charlotte – is affecting her work, could it be affecting her schooling too? She didn't want to find out, and she certainly didn't want to get another tutor. "The timing could be right, but we don't know for sure," Lewis frowned along with her. He was concerned that everything that was happening between them could be affecting her social life, as in her work. He didn't want to mess up her job, she loved working with the dolphins, even if it was from a distance.
"Could it be the cart? You're obviously struggling to push it," Will noted. "It is a little heavy to push, but it does look more than usual," Cleo said. "Maybe the wheels need some maintenance," Terry commented.
Cleo: "This time I mean it?"
Mrs. Geddes: closes the cooler lid. "I hope so." Walks away. Cleo returns to pushing the cart.
"That sounds more like a question than an answer," Lisa said. "You're not very confident in that answer," Max furrowed his brows.
"That's strike one," Emma worried. She hasn't had a strike at her job yet, and she hopes she never does. Wilfred was always more laid back than most managers and owners.
[At the Juicenet Café, Lewis was on his laptop at a table inside with several juices near him when Charlotte walks in, her bag in hand.]
Charlotte: goes through the beaded curtains and sees him. "Hey."
"Why do you have so many juices?" Kim said. "Maybe they're that good," Bella joked. "Needed a power-up," Lewis shrugged.
"How hasn't he ran to the bathroom yet is what I wanna know," Ash commented. "Well, there's several options. One, he could be working hard on his computer and needed lots of energy or he was just really thirsty," Rikki said. "Or you guys were there right before and it didn't show," Lewis added. "That was option number three," the girl waved three fingers.
[Lewis doesn't hear.]
Charlotte: walks closer. "Earth to Lewis." He still doesn't hear so she hovers over his chair and leans an arm against it, finally gaining his attention.
"He's in the zone," Max chuckled. "Looks like it was number one then," Rikki smiled smugly.
"What could you be working on so early then? Another scientific idea pop in that brain of yours?" Denman asked. "Perhaps. Must have gotten another idea in my sleep," Lewis shrugged.
"I don't think you're going to get through to him, dear," Annette laughed lightly. "I'll be surprised if I can," Charlotte joked.
Lewis: turns to her then looks back at his laptop. "Oh, hey." Types at his keyboard.
Charlotte: "What's so riveting?"
Lewis: "I'm just finishing off my latest work of genius."
"Of course," Rikki rolled her eyes. "Will it work this time?" Kim teased but in a serious tone. "I do have some good ideas you know," Lewis remarked. "As long as it doesn't end up with more experiments, I'm all ears," Emma mentioned. "Wonder what bright ideas you came up with this time," Max said in interest.
"Late night idea it was," Lewis beamed, Cleo smiled at him, her arm still wrapped around his.
Charlotte: chuckles as she puts her bag down. "So you're modest as well as smart." Sits down in a chair next to him.
Charlotte sighed. Guess the flirting won't stop in the future either. At least it will in this timeline, she thought, grinning as she saw that Cleo nor Lewis were even fazed by the remark. They knew she could be trusted. They knew the real Charlotte Watsford.
Lewis: looks at her. "Admit it, you're intrigued."
Charlotte: narrows her eyes and crosses her arms on the table. "'Intrigued' might be a little strong." Looks at the laptop. "Curious, maybe."
"There we go! A truthful answer. Finally!" Rikki exclaimed. "They've all been truthful though," Charlotte frowned in confusion. "Not for his work though. This is the first time you were honest about it, unlike your so-called claim to like weather reports and algae collection," Rikki gave her a look. "Okay you have a point there," Charlotte grimaced.
"I am a bit curious as well," Denman admitted. "What sort of madness have you come up with this time?" Mrs. Chatham commented in a light teasing tone. "It's not madness, it's called science," Lewis reminded, pointing a finger up. "It's called boring," Rikki faked a yawn.
Lewis: straightens up and turns his computer to her. "Okay, brace yourself." Charlotte focuses on it.
"You were warned," Emma shook her head, Charlotte laughs in amusement. "What did I get myself into?"
Lewis: "I've designed a program that correlates tidal movements, seasonal thermal water currents, underwater contours –."
Charlotte: cuts him off. "And you want all this because …?"
"Of course it's for them," Kim groaned in annoyance. "To help his three mermaid friends," Will grinned. Four, make that four. Though technically he and I aren't friends yet and he doesn't know but still, Bella thought.
"Lewis, English. Remember?" Rikki gave him a look. "Why does it matter? You aren't going to listen anyways," Lewis shrugged. "You never know. I might surprise you one day," she replied. "Yeah, no. You won't," Lewis deadpanned. "It'll surprise me if she listens to me," Terry laughed.
"Charlotte, let him finish," Annette lightly scolded. "It was a long explanation," Charlotte whined.
Lewis: "Because it'll tell me where the fish are and when they're hungry." Turns it back to him.
"Sure it will," Kim sarcastically said. "It'll tell you where some fish are alright. Just not the kind she thinks," Zane chuckled. "He could be telling the truth. It is the future," Cleo defended her boyfriend. "But we know it's not," Kim argued. "Kim," Cleo hissed, giving her a look.
"It's not a bad idea. Seems like a pretty good setup too," Don rubbed his chin in thought. "Tell you what. If it does work, set me up with one. I'll pay you for it," Harrison offered. "You fish?" Lewis asked in surprise. "Why else would I have boats?" Harrison asked. "Haven't thought of it," Lewis glanced to the side. To show off. "Add me to it as well. It'd be great to have for my business," Don agreed.
"But how can you tell when the fish is hungry by that?" Elliot asked. "Don't get him started, Elliot. We want to go home," Emma whispered.
Charlotte: chuckles. "Wow. Impressive."
Lewis: "Wait till you see it in action." Types in a few codes when suddenly his computer screen glitches and makes a loud beeping noise. Face drops. "Oh, no." Tries to get it back up.
"Oh, no," Lewis repeated but louder. "What's happening?" Kim asked. "My computer's fried," Lewis put a hand over his mouth. "Remember, future. You can stop it this time," Cleo comforted him. "It still hurts to see," Lewis pouted as he rubbed his hair.
"That's a bummer," Ash sighed. He had to admit, he was a little curious to see it work. "Wow. That is impressive," Rikki sarcastically said. "Rikki," Emma and Cleo scolded.
"Another bad timing, isn't it?" Will turned to Ash. "Yup," the boy nodded.
"I'm still waiting," Charlotte joked trying to cheer him up, though she received no response from the hurt nerd.
Charlotte: winces. "Your laptop is a bit run-down."
Lewis: "Yeah, well, I can't afford a new one."
"What else is new?" Lewis scoffed. "It's hard to buy a new one. My parents has four other boys to take care of. I'm on my own getting one," he commented. "What about a used one?" Lisa asked. "It'd be more affordable, but I'd still have to scrounge up the money somehow," Lewis said. "Work with us. I'm sure Wilfred will hire you since he knows you well. But for a more affordable range this time," Emma held up a finger.
Charlotte: grabs her bag, looking at the laptop in concern. "Did you back it up?"
Lewis: turns to her with a raised brow. "I was about to." The beeping grows faster.
"Then you better hurry," Sam warned. "A bit late for that. Why didn't I do that in the first place?" Lewis whined, seeing his work get undone. He might not have started on it yet, but he knew it was going to be a pain if that happens next time.
"What are you doing?" Annette asked her. "Probably grabbing my laptop. I've let him use my computer before," Charlotte mentioned. "Well you need to be careful; you don't need yours crashing either. And if it does, you'll be the one who has to get one yourself. I can't keep buying you one around every corner," Annette said. "Listen to her, Zane. You could learn a thing or two," Harrison grinned as Zane rolled his eyes.
Charlotte: chuckles, a smile on her face. "Some genius you turned out to be." The beeping grows faster. Pulls out a flash-drive connected to a flower keychain. "Here."
"We have got to hang sometime. We can come up with so many witty comebacks," Rikki smiled. "The world is going to burn with those two as friends," Lewis mumbled under his breath, Cleo giggled.
"Where'd you get that flower keychain? That's so cute," Kim pointed out making Elliot perk up. "From one of the shops at the mall. I'll have to show you when we get back," Charlotte smiled at her. "Sweet!" Kim squealed, excited for a round of shopping.
Lewis: grabs the flash-drive, but before he can put it in, the computer lets out a final beep before the screen goes black. "No! My computer's dead?!" Eyes wide, he drops the keychain on the table and slams his laptop shut. Puts his fist to his mouth in anger then lowers them onto the computer. "That's it." Turns to Charlotte. "I've got to find myself a job." Hands her back the flash-drive and she gives him an apologetic smile.
"Guess we'll never know now," Max sighed, bummed out that Lewis's work was ruined. Lewis rubbed his face, whining. "Nooooo." "Don't worry. You can stop it this time," Cleo told him. "Doesn't matter. This is more of a warning than a second chance. His computer is going to die either way. The only thing he can do now is back it up when he gets the chance," Denman mentioned. "Oh, I definitely will," Lewis nods his head, stressed out.
Just ask Wilfred. I know he'll hire you," Emma waved to the screen. "Do you really think you can handle Lewis as a coworker?" Rikki asked. "If I can handle you, I can handle anyone," Emma grinned. Rikki tilted her head and nodded, thinking of the last time they worked together. "Point taken." "And if Wilfred doesn't hire you, come by my restaurant. You can work there," Annette informed. "Mom, are you sure you want him cooking, or serving? He's very clumsy," Charlotte whispered. "I didn't say what he would be doing. But we do need someone to clean tables," Annette whispered back.
[At the Marine Park, Cleo leans against her stand bored, waiting for customers who never come as more people walk by without a glance.]
"Another slow day?" Bev asked. "Apparently. My normal customers are just kids and that's it, unless it's a really hot day out," Cleo explained. "And with no hot days or no kids around, that leads to a very bored Cleo," Lewis said, slightly amused. "At least it makes an easy job," Sam mentioned. "Yeah, but I liked it better when I worked with the dolphins, not near them," Cleo said. "Then why did you switch over?" Neil asked curiously. "Because they had an opening for the ice cream stand and figured I would have an easier time not turning into a mermaid with ice cream than splashing water. Thought it would make someone feel better," Cleo gave Emma a look. "Your decision, not mine," Emma held her hands up. Although it did make the blonde feel better about her decision-making.
"Better than no job," Harrison mumbled, sneaking a glance at Zane. "I heard that," Zane rolled his eyes. "Oh good, you got the message."
[In the pond Cleo was by, Ronnie swims up squealing and clicking at her with a smile.]
Cleo: smiles at him. "Hey, Ronnie." Looks around, seeing that no one was looking, she walks over to the pond and bends down close to him. "How you doing?" Ronnie responds with a squeal.
"That's the bright side of this job. That I still get to see the dolphins and not be stuck somewhere I can't like the gift shop," Cleo smiled brightly. "But you see dolphins nearly every time on your swims," Kim said. "But there's no dolphins out there like Ronnie. He's the best," she grinned.
Cleo: gets an idea and grins. "I know what you need." Jumps up and walks away, watching as Ronnie follows her as best he can in the water. Minutes later, Cleo returns with a bucket of squid and gloves on.
"Can you do that still now that you're on ice cream duty?" Bella asked. "Technically no. Mitch only allowed me to do it because Ronnie was the only one letting me feed him. But when Mrs. Geddes found out, she put a stop to it," Cleo answered. "When did she become so strict?" Zane asked, remembering she stopped him from entering the marine library too. "Since the Sea Queen Pageant. She really wasn't a fan of the whole 'water effect' added to the show," Cleo grimaced at the memory. "Sorry," the two suspects remarked. "It's okay. That's in the past," Cleo gave them a small smile.
Cleo: sits the bucket down and kneels down next to the pond with Ronnie right in front of her with a big open smile. Picks up a squid and holds it up, then tosses it into the water. Ronnie swims around and quickly grabs his snack. Watches as Ronnie jumps in the air in delight and chuckles. "You liked that, did you?"
"He sure did," Elliot smiled.
"Just be careful dear. We don't need you getting in trouble again," Don said in concern. "Don't worry, dad. I've done this plenty of times and never got caught," Cleo waved it off. "Doesn't mean it won't happen. Eventually, all wrongs will catch up to you at some point," Mrs. Chatham warned. "In other words, tread carefully," Rikki said.
[Ronnie comes up and squeals, excited. Cleo smiles back, unaware of Mrs. Geddes appearing behind her.]
"But she won't," Kim winced. "Uh oh, Cleo. The marine police is back," Ash worried. "Police? Forget that. She's the warden," Zane nodded at the screen with a frown. "Cleo," Don sighed, worried even more. "Or at least I used to," Cleo winced. "You jinxed yourself," Elliot said. "That's something we're both good at," Lewis chuckled with a shake of his head, thinking of his fried laptop.
"Caught in the act. Mrs. Chatham was right once again," Cleo sighed, a bit worried now. "I don't like it either dear," Mrs. Chatham informed. "She did warn you," Lewis said. "But she can't warn our future selves, Lewis," Cleo reminded.
[Mrs. Geddes clears her throat loudly. Cleo turns around and sees her boss. Ronnie ducks under, hiding from her.]
Cleo: jumps up as Mrs. Geddes moves closer, eyes narrowed. Glances at the water. "I was just … I mean, he looked bored." Glances at the water again. "I thought he needed a treat."
"It's the truth," Cleo worried. "Although it is the truth, it's not going to get you out of trouble, sweetheart," Don sighed. "Ronnie deserves a treat. He always works really hard on his shows. Everyone does," Elliot argued.
"That's strike two," Bella winced. "One more, and she's out of the game," Will frowned.
"Even the dolphins are terrified of her. And that's saying something," Charlotte said. The thing she's scared of most is scared of Cleo's boss. Maybe that's saying they have a common fear. The Marine Park manager was pretty scary. "Dolphins are really intelligent sea critters," Denman commented.
Mrs. Geddes: "You should know the new rules, Cleo. Only handlers are permitted to feed the dolphins now." Gestures to Ronnie.
"Why? That's a dumb rule. There's much more sea life in that park than there are handlers. They can't feed all of them at the same time," Will argued. "Because of their new 'diet'. They only get fed certain times of the day to keep them from gaining weight," Cleo rolled her eyes.
"New rule? That rule's been in effect for months now and it is a dumb one," Cleo complained.
"Personally, Cleo should get a pass on that rule, considering Ronnie and the other dolphins love her," Emma said. "Gasp! The rule maker wants to become the rule breaker now? You rebellious girl," Rikki said playfully. "You know why they love her. Because they can sense what she is," Max chuckled. "Too bad Mrs. Geddes can't get the memo," Kim grumbled.
Cleo: "But squid is his favorite. He'd do anything for it. He adores it." Clasps her hands together. Ronnie swims next to Mrs. Geddes and smiles at Cleo.
"You just gave away that you've done it more than once," Kim sighed as Cleo slaps her forehead. "You're only making things worse for yourself," Ash shook his head. "Cleo. Now is the time to zip it," Rikki made a motion of a zipper against her lips. "Cleo!" Don and Bev hissed. They didn't want their daughter to get in more trouble as it is.
Mrs. Geddes: "Oh and you feed him often enough to know that? Do you?" Nods her head.
Cleo: eyes wide and shakes her head. "No! I mean, yes. I mean, sometimes." Puts a gloved hand to her head.
"Way to go, Cleo," Rikki sighed. "I think I've learned my lesson for next time," Cleo frowned. "To not feed Ronnie anymore?" Lisa asked. "No, to not get caught," Cleo said as if it were obvious. "Cleo, that's not the lesson here," Don rubbed his forehead. "I'm not going to stop feeding Ronnie because she said so. Elliot's right, he deserves it. They all do," Cleo crossed her arms. "There's a time when it becomes personal business and work business. You have to keep the two separate, or otherwise, if they cross over, it can cause some serious trouble for yourself," Harrison warned.
Mrs. Geddes: "Ronnie's our main attraction. We need to monitor his diet very strictly." Ronnie squeals in disagreement.
"He's your main attraction because everyone loves him. He's a happy dolphin. No one wants to look at a sad one," Kim bickered.
"I'm surprised by this point that she hasn't counted how much squid they have and don't have," Emma crossed her arms. "That sounds more like a you thing," Zane chuckled. "Apparently she wasn't doing a very good job at it, or she would've caught on much sooner," Annette shook her head.
Cleo: looks apologetic. "Yes, Mrs. Geddes. I'm sorry." Mrs. Geddes gives her one last stern look before walking away. Gives Ronnie a look before walking back to her stand. Ronnie, not happy with the results, swims over to Mrs. Geddes and splashes water at her.
The room burst into laughter. "She had it coming," Cleo smirked. "She didn't deserve that, and you know it," Lewis shook his head in amusement. "She's just doing her job," Sam couldn't help but laugh too. "Well, her job sucks," Kim smiled mischievously, proud of her sister, and Ronnie. "Cleo!" her mom scolded, but Cleo could see her mom holding back her laughter as well. "What? I didn't tell Ronnie to do that," Cleo giggled, a hand to her mouth. But all laughter stops when they see what happens next.
[People nearby witness the splash and laughs. Cleo turns around and sees Mrs. Geddes wiping water off of her as Ronnie laughs at her. Seeing the funny event, Cleo couldn't help but laugh out loud at Ronnie. Mrs. Geddes hears the laugh and stops, turns around, and glares at her. Cleo stops when she sees the angry look on Mrs. Geddes's face and the Marine Park manager marches over angrily.]
"Uh oh," Cleo's face paled. "Cleo," Don covered his face with his hands. "That's not good," Ash grimaced. "Caught again," Zane sighed. "This isn't going to end well," Emma shook her head. "I don't think there will be a warning for this time," Rikki grimaced. "Strike three," Bella sighed. "And she's out," Will felt bad for the girl. She clearly loves the job.
[After Cleo left the Marine Park, she meets up with the girls at the café to tell them everything that happened. The three of them sat at a booth with their juices, Cleo on one side and Emma and Rikki on the other.]
Rikki: eyes wide in disbelief. "Fired? For that?"
"Fired?!" everyone yelled in shock. "I get fired?!" Cleo's jaw dropped, tears in her eyes. Lewis pulls her in a hug, patting her on the back in comfort. Cleo couldn't believe it. She gets fired in the future? "But I wasn't the only one laughing," Cleo shook her head in the crook of Lewis's shoulder. "No, but you were the only employee laughing," Annette winced. "I couldn't help it. It was funny. Ronnie always knows how to make people feel better," Cleo rubbed her shoulders, sad that she wasn't going to be able to work with Ronnie anymore. "That's no reason to fire her though," Kim frowned in worry. Who was going to help her dad with bills now? She wasn't old enough to work. "But she did have other reasons. She's been late twice now from the sounds of it, she broke a rule and unfortunately laughed at Mrs. Geddes' mishaps. Sorry, Cleo," Same gave her an apologetic look. "I guess it's true," Cleo sighed. "It'll be okay, Cleo," Lewis whispered to her.
"I guess now we both lose something we like," Cleo gave him a small smile. Again, he thought with his own smile but chose not to say that aloud. Now was not the right time.
"Cleo," Bev gave her a sad smile, feeling bad for her girl. Things just keep getting worse and worse for her.
Emma: frowns. "Seriously?"
Cleo: waves a hand out. "I can't believe it." Shakes her head then puts her hand back on her head.
"Great, what am I going to do now about work?" Cleo griped. "Wilfred would hire you too. He likes both of you guys, and he knows you're a hard worker just from your record," Emma encouraged. "And if you'd like, there's always a position at my restaurant too. Oh, I can teach you how to cook while you work!" Annette said, getting excited. "Calm down, mom. It's not official yet," Charlotte told her.
"That Mrs. Gum-wad is a jerk," Kim crossed her arms. "It's Mrs. Geddes," Cleo corrected. "I said what I said," Kim hummed. "You're not going to get onto her for name-calling?" Terry glanced at Mr. Sertori. "Nah. On this occasion, she's right," Don glared at the screen. No one messes with my daughter.
Emma: "Look, I'm – I'm sure you'll find another job." A waiter stops by and drops off another drink.
"Thanks, Emma," Cleo gave her a small smile. "Hey, I'm being supportive too," Rikki playfully pouted. "Thanks, Rikki," Cleo rolled her eyes with a smile.
"My boat is always an option too," Don told her. "No offense, dad. But I'm not really a fisherman. And do you really want your daughter on a boat in the middle of the water who gets a tail from every drop of water?" Cleo raised an eyebrow. "Good point," Don grimaced.
Cleo: "Maybe, but where am I gonna find one that I like that much?"
Rikki: "Serving ice cream to snotty little brats?" Shakes her head, confused. "What's to like?"
"You liked serving ice cream that much?" Charlotte asked. "It's not that part of the job I like," Cleo was cut off by Zane. "That's literally your entire job," Zane cut in. "It's the fact that I get to work at the Marine Park alongside the dolphins. It was always the best thing about it that kept me going there with a smile on my face; getting to see them every single day," Cleo smiled at the memory. Why? Charlotte shuttered, the fear rising up once more. Why would she enjoy working with those things? Though she did learn they're not so bad, as Ronnie proved time and time again by being Cleo's friend and defending her earlier, it still didn't get rid of the fear deep within her mind.
"Snotty?" Kim scoffed in offense. "We're not that bad," Elliot pouted. "Oh, not you two. I'm talking about the other snotty little brats," Rikki grinned sheepishly as the two younger ones gave her a look.
Emma: turns to her. "Is a little tact so much to ask for?"
"'Tact' isn't a part of her dictionary," Terry chuckled. "But blunt is," Zane joked. "Thanks, guys, for being so supportive in my life," Rikki said. "So is sarcasm apparently," Lewis grinned.
"While it is a little harsh, she does have a point. It's not a job that you would see yourself having for the rest of your life," Lisa sighed. "No, but I would like to work at the Marine Park for the rest of my life. Just not as an ice cream server. I always figured after high school I could work my way up somehow," Cleo deduced. "Better work on a backup plan then," Denman mumbled.
Rikki: glances at her then turns back to Cleo. "Maybe when Mrs. Geddes calms down, she'll realize she's made a mistake."
"Doubt it," Ash said. "Once employers fire someone, it's very rare that they ever admit to a mistake and hire someone back," Harrison mentioned. "It hardly happens," Neil gave Cleo a sad smile. "Just trying to be supportive," Rikki told them.
Maybe she will once some mermaids get involved, Will thought with a smug grin.
Cleo: raises an eyebrow. "You think?"
Rikki: nods. "Of course."
Emma: nods along. "She's bound to."
"As much as I would love for that to happen, I doubt it will either. Mrs. Geddes is a lot stricter than she used to be. And if I've upset her that much, she'll never hire me again," Cleo glanced down. "Well, as you girls have proved time and time again, I know you'll find a way to fix things," Lewis rubbed her shoulder in comfort. "Yeah. And if we don't, hey, it's the future. I can keep myself from getting fired this time," Cleo said in a light joking tone. "That's the spirit," Lewis smiled. "Yeah, at least it hasn't technically happened," Bella said. "Yet," Emma added, slightly worried.
Rikki: "Plus, where is she gonna find someone else who'll work for a monster like her?" Cleo shrugs, glancing to the side.
"I think monster is a bit of an overstatement," Lisa frowned. "She fired my best friend. Of course she's a monster," Rikki waved to the screen. "Only monsters fire sweet and innocent people," Don huffed, arms crossed. "Don," Bev couldn't help but chuckle for going along with it. "She hurt our baby girl!" he shouted.
"I can think of someone," Kim tilted her head. "Who?" Lewis was clueless. "Well … who's currently looking for a job at the moment?" she asked. "And who would be the most vulnerable?" Emma sighed in realization. "More like gullible," Rikki mumbled. "Oh …. Oh," Lewis's face paled. "Oh, not again," Cleo winced. It's going to be another misunderstanding! "But I wouldn't work for her. There's plenty of other job opportunities out there," Lewis argued. "But you would take the chance to work alongside Cleo, no matter how horrible the boss is," Charlotte shook her head in regret. "And since you didn't know that Cleo was fired …" Emma added with a wince. "Oh gosh," Lewis slouched in his chair, rubbing his face. It was now Cleo's turn to comfort him. "It's alright. It's fine. I promise."
"When people need a job, they'll work anywhere for anyone, no matter what is going on. You do what you can for the ones you love," Neil said.
[Meanwhile, back at the Marine Park, Mrs. Geddes has just done an interview with a certain blonde individual sitting in a chair. Mrs. Geddes walks back into her office and around said person back to her desk.]
Mrs. Geddes: "As luck would have it, a position has just become available." Sits down in her chair just as the scene reveals it was Lewis sitting opposite of her.
"I wonder if she fired me during your interview," Cleo scowled at her. "It's possible. Seems like she just came back from drying off, now that she's not drenched in water," Sam remarked.
"Gee, wonder why?" Kim sarcastically asked, narrowing her eyes at the woman who fired her sister. I wonder if vampires exist too, since she's living proof that witches are in the world. "Unbelievable," Don shook his head. "Wow, she moves on quick," Ash said, a bit surprised. "When an opportunity comes knocking, you answer," Mrs. Chatham said.
Lewis: clasps his hands together. "Great. What sort of position?"
"I think I might have an idea," Kim gave Lewis a look. "I didn't know," Lewis whined, his head leaned back. "Don't blame Lewis. It's not his fault he didn't know," Cleo said. "You're about to find out," Will said.
Mrs. Geddes: leans forward on her desk, hands clasped as well. "A very important one, vital to the health and well-being of our clients." Smiles. Lewis nods slowly, interested.
"It's not that important," Cleo scoffed. "Then why'd you work it?" Emma raised a brow. "You know why," Cleo rolled her eyes. "Well it's certainly no essential," Neil shook his head.
"Ice cream isn't healthy. It's not good for anyone's well-being," Emma frowned. "Says you," Zane snorted. "Not everyone is a health freak like you, Em," Rikki reminded.
"She makes it sound so special," Bella said. "To lure people like Lewis in, duh," Kim said. "She didn't have anyone lined up for the position. She needs it filled in quick. Luckily, it's one that doesn't require any proper training or high level of education," Sam mentioned. "Suddenly my job is sounding lamer and lamer by the second," Cleo pouted.
[Minutes later, Lewis was in a uniform scooping ice cream for a 'client'. He hands it to the kid and her mom with an awkward smile. They wander off as Lewis glances around the park with his hands on his hips.]
"Yeah. Very important," Zane snickered, as did the other guys in the room upon seeing Lewis working.
"I'm surprised he has an actual job. He started immediately," Rikki said in shock. "You're one to talk," Lewis argued. "I had a job. It lasted for a weekend, but I got it done," Rikki countered. "You consider that an actual job?" Zane asked. "Hey!" Cleo frowned. "She's working for her money, unlike you. I consider that a job," Harrison gave him a stern look.
"At least it's an easy shift for your first day," Cleo gave him a small smile. "When isn't it?" Charlotte asked. "Heat waves. Or kids shouting over each other for 'their turn'," Cleo shrugged.
"Wow, they got you in there quick. Fitted clothes, a name tag, and everything," Emma asked surprised. "They usually have extra of any size on standby," Cleo bit her lip.
"She left you alone for your first shift too?" Annette frowned. "Like I said. No proper training," Sam shrugged. "As long as you make sure the lids to the freezer are shut, she's right. You just ask them what they want, give it to them, and take their money," Cleo sighed.
[Later on, Cleo was at the counter paying for her order, digging through her wallet when she realizes she doesn't have enough money to pay for it. Behind her, Lewis walks inside the café, searching through his shirt pocket, now out of his uniform.]
Cleo: looks apologetic at the waiter. "Um, I'm sorry, I seem to be a bit short."
"Gosh this is embarrassing," Cleo's face flushed red. "Already? What would you have spent it on?" Don asked before realizing the answer. Cleo helps him with bills. Now that Bev was gone, it was up to them both to keep up with them. If she's out already, that meant it was time for them. "Probably my phone bill," Cleo hesitantly said. That and the groceries. "I won't get my last paycheck till the end of next week." "Luckily it looks like your hero is on the way," Charlotte grinned.
"If someone does happen to run up short, what does Wilfred do?" Harrison asked curiously. "Well, it's rare. The last couple of times, he just makes them work for it. For Cleo, maybe he'll let her go. Or offer her a job if he knew the circumstances. It would come out of her pay, but she would still have a job at least," Emma shrugged.
Lewis: overhears and rushes to her side, digging in his pocket. "Allow me." Pulls out a couple of dollars.
"Already pulling out of your check, are ya? What you'll do for love," Max chuckled. "Thanks, Lewis," Cleo gave him a small smile. "Anything for you," Lewis smiled back. "Save the lovey-dovey stuff for home," Rikki complained.
Cleo: confused, slightly embarrassed. "Uh, thanks, Lewis, but I can't let you do that." Lewis hands the money to the waiter and the man takes it.
"For once I might have to. Either that or I start serving something else besides ice cream," Cleo crossed her arms. "Hey, at least you have the experience," Emma teased lightly. "Yeah, I can put that on my resume," Cleo sarcastically said.
Lewis: grins. "Hey, it's okay. I can afford it. I got a job today." Gestures to himself.
"Don't spend all of it, or else it's going to be a while before you can get that computer," Max warned him. "Be careful what you spend on. There's a big difference between wants and needs," Lisa informed. She might not have a job herself, but she did know what was needed for her family or not. Neil worked hard to provide for their family, and she made sure those ends were met, and the house was kept up for it. They both worked hard for their family.
"How did you get paid already?" Bella asked. "You can choose to have a day's advancement on your first day if you'd like. It comes out of your check at the end of the week, but it is an option," Cleo answered.
"Please stop talking," Lewis knew he was going to regret something.
Cleo: looks at him in disbelief, brows furrowed. "Really?"
Lewis: nods and turns to her. "Yep." Puts on a Marine Park hat that was in his hands as the waiter hands back his change. "In fact, you and I are going to be working together." Cleo looks at the hat in anger. "You better look out, I might do you out of a job."
"What did I just say?" Lewis huffed out in anger, wanting to strangle his screen-self. "It's okay, Lewis. Really," Cleo told him. "Tell that to the you onscreen. You're clearly angry," Lewis gestured to the screen. "I really wish I would've told you first," Cleo shook her head with a sigh. She just knew it wasn't going to go well. "Maybe you might have. It could be possible that you tried to, but I was already in the midst of a job interview," Lewis sighed. "I sure hope so," she muttered.
"You know, it wouldn't have been bad if that was the case. You and I working the stand together," Cleo mentioned. "Yeah. As long as I don't get in your way again," Lewis teased lightly.
"Wise words, Lewis. Wise words," Ash shook his head. "You just love to talk, don't you?" Kim asked. "Love it? It's more like I don't know when to stop," Lewis shook his head. "Think before you speak, Lewis," Charlotte winced. "Too late," Lewis bit his cheek.
"You're digging your own grave and you don't even know it," Terry winced. "Digging it? At this point, he might as well hand it to Cleo and say it's hers," Zane gestured. "Since when did you two become such good buddies?" Rikki asked. "Since the dating episode," Zane said at the same time Terry said, "Since you two started dating." "Be careful, Rikki. Your dad might just steal your boyfriend," Emma teased. "I think he already did," Rikki turned to her.
Cleo: nods at him, eyes narrowed. "You already have." Nods again and turns away to leave.
Lewis: turns around, confused. "What?"
Cleo: stops and whips around with fury, holding up her wallet. "I got fired today, Lewis."
"Now I reveal it. Why didn't I tell him in the first place?" Cleo rolled her eyes. "Like we said, I was probably already in the interview," Lewis sighed. "As in, you did take her job," Ash summed up.
"Still can't believe it," Don wiped away a tear. "I'm going to have a word with Mrs. Geddes after this." "Dad, it's the future. It hasn't happened yet," Cleo reminded him. "I don't care!"
Lewis: eyes wide in shock. "Fired? You're kidding!" Takes his hat off.
Cleo: glances to the side upset then looks back at him. "No, I'm not." Marches out of the café through the beaded curtains.
"Don't think she is, Lewis," Charlotte winced. "She's not. We're witnesses, living proof," Kim stated. "Why would she kid about getting fired?" Rikki asked. "You know he's just saying it more out of shock than disbelief," Emma told her.
"I wish she was," Bev glanced down. "Me too," Cleo sighed.
[Lewis sighs, pouting as he watches her go. Charlotte comes up and leans against the counter next to him.]
Charlotte: "Hey, found a job yet?"
"Guess I didn't get the memo either," Charlotte muttered. "I just yelled it aloud to the entire café," Cleo blushed with embarrassment. "Just walked in," the redhead shrugged.
"He did, in an unexpected turn of events," Will said. "I did, but I might have lost a friend again," Lewis mumbled. "You haven't lost me," Cleo grabbed his hand, having heard the mumble.
"Why would you choose the Marine Park over the café?" Annette asked. "I don't know. I guess because Cleo was there, I at least know I'd have a friend," Lewis shrugged. "What am I, rotten tuna?" Emma crossed her arms, frowning. "No offense, but I was there when everything went down between you and Rikki. I'd rather not go through that again," Lewis pointed out. "That wouldn't be working, that'd be boot camp," Rikki stated.
Lewis: glances at her then back at the café doors in regret. "Yeah. Only, I wish I hadn't." Sighs and looks down as Charlotte looks at the door.
"It's not your fault, Lewis," Cleo repeated. "She's right. You wouldn't know that she got fired while you were being interviewed. You weren't there. The timing just wasn't right as Ash always says," Charlotte agreed. "No I don't," Ash frowned. "Yes, you do," nearly the whole theater said.
"Now I got some explaining to do," Lewis chuckled lightly, glancing at Charlotte. "I'm in for another long run, aren't I?" Charlotte sighed. "You're the one who asked," Annette chuckled at her.
"Either way, whether you got the job or not, it's not going to change Cleo's outcome. She still would've gotten fired," Sam informed. "She's right. It wouldn't change things. The only thing you can do is comfort her," Max added. "Even if she's mad at me?" Lewis scoffed. "Even if. You're her friend no matter what, she just needs to see that too," he said.
"And I thought our past was complicated. Turns out our future is so much worse," Cleo looked at the other girls who nodded in agreement.
[Back at the Marine Park, while Ronnie swims laps around the pond, Mrs. Geddes watches an electrician install security cameras around the perimeter, one being pointed where the ice cream stand usually is.]
"You're kidding," Cleo's jaw-dropped. "She's putting cameras up now? She's gone bananas," Rikki shook her head. "And I thought things couldn't get worse. Now she's going to be watching them?" Bella frowned. "Why would she put cameras on an ice cream stand?" Will asked. "My guess is to make sure people are doing their job, and to make sure the dolphins are getting fed properly," Denman answered. "I was doing my job," Cleo frowned. "Apparently we weren't doing it good enough," Lewis muttered. "Yes, but not the way she wanted it," she informed.
"Lewis, you're about to hate your job even more," Charlotte mentioned. "I am so glad Wilfred isn't like that," Emma said. "Yeah, if he had cameras, you would've been exposed ages ago," Ash laughed. "At least that stuff wasn't around back then. It was already hard enough hiding tails from people, now they have to hide them from security cameras as well," Max commented.
[Laurie then walks up, eyes the cameras with suspicion then looks at her.]
Mrs. Geddes: glances at him then at the camera, still smiling. "It's just a small step to help us keep an eye on the staff." Laurie looks up at the camera, his mouth slightly open.
"She's got some serious trust issues," Rikki frowned. "You kept a secret about your underwater life from your family, you've got nothing to say," Kim retorted.
"She's insane. Cleo, are you sure you still want to work for her?" Don turned to her. "I don't, but I do want to work with the marine life still. I love it there," Cleo answered.
"Keep telling yourself that, stalker," Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "She could've said it was for the dolphins," Ash scoffed. "At least she didn't lie," Emma said. "It's just to make sure they're doing their job," Sam shook her head. "I was doing my job," Cleo repeated with an eye roll, getting annoyed.
"Too bad they didn't get the cameras earlier. It would've been great for the splash incident to have been on camera," Elliot giggled. "Perhaps not the whole thing," Cleo cringed. "Oh, right. Sorry."
Mrs. Geddes: "N-not you, of course."
Laurie: nods along, a small smile on his face. "Oh, of course." Mrs. Geddes looks straight ahead. Shakes his head when she isn't looking and walks away. Mrs. Geddes goes back to looking at the cameras.
"Who's that?" Bev asked, not having seen him before. "Oh, that's Laurie, he's one of the newest dolphin trainers. He's pretty great. He also works at the Marine Park as a marine biologist," Cleo smiled. "He what?!" the room exclaimed. "Another one?" Harrison asked in surprise. "Don't tell me you're going to get all buddy-buddy with him," Denman frowned, believing the girls were being hypocritical again. "Not like a scientist, he's more like a doctor. He takes care of all the marine life in the park, especially rescues," Cleo continued. "Don't scare us like that," Don put a hand to his chest. "Next time just say that," Rikki huffed, a little frightened herself.
"Laurie's not like that. He really cares for all marine life. Especially endangered species," Cleo said. "That's what I said last time," Lewis mumbled. "But I am right, just like I was last time," Cleo grinned playfully.
[Later that evening, the girls meet back up at Cleo's in her bedroom, where the brunette reveals her recent news of Lewis.]
Rikki: "You can't let him get away with this." Closes the bedroom door.
"Why are you closing the door?" Kim frowned. "You know why, Mrs. Snoop," Rikki gave her a look. "It's my job. And it's not like a closed door has stopped me before," Kim mumbled the last part.
"I didn't do anything," Lewis argued. "You took her job," Rikki argued back. "It's not his fault. He didn't know. And it's not my job anymore since I got fired," Cleo sighed, still sad about it.
"There's no need for revenge when he has done no wrong," Mrs. Chatham mentioned. "She's right, Rikki. He didn't steal it from her," Terry added. "Not on purpose," Lewis said quietly, glancing to the side.
Emma: sat on Cleo's bed as said girl walks around the room. "Hang on, let's not jump to conclusions." Rikki climbs onto the bed and looks at Emma. "Maybe he didn't know he was taking her job."
"Yes, that's exactly what happened," Lewis exclaimed. "It's true. I should've told him," Cleo said.
"You mean like how you didn't jump to conclusions about the dinner?" Annette asked in a playful tone. "It looked like a date," Cleo groaned in annoyance.
"I say let someone else have it. I wouldn't want to work for her," Ash held his hands up.
Rikki: "Oh, I forgot. Lewis has been the walking definition of 'loyal' lately." Cleo walks around the bed, pouting before she finally slouches down onto the bed. Looks at the brunette.
"Misunderstanding," Lewis said slowly. "Prove it," Rikki said in the same mocking tone.
"I'm always loyal to my friends. No matter what," Lewis pulls Cleo closer under his arm as she looks up at him with a smile. He looks at all of his friends with a smile, new and old. "That's something we seem to forget ourselves. He is loyal," Emma gave him a small smile. "He's proved that time and time again," Charlotte nodded with a smile. Rikki crossed her arms and didn't say anything, looking up. "Say something nice," Emma nudged her. "… he's sometimes useful," she reluctantly said. Emma nudged her harder. "That was nice!" "I'll take it," Lewis shrugged. "That's the best you'll get from her," Zane snorted and dodged a slap aimed at his head by the feisty mermaid. "Love you!" "Go back to boarding school," she grumbled.
Emma: tilts her head at Rikki. "Remember that thing I said about tact?"
"Maybe I should take her to a doctor. She seems to be having memory problems," Terry shook his head in amusement. "Even in the future, her bluntness never goes away," Emma sighs. "Come on, if I don't put it straight, then who will?" Rikki asked. Kim raised her hand. "Not you," the trio says simultaneously. "Why not?" she whined. "Because you're my sister. I already get bluntness from you," Cleo argued. "Because you're annoying," Rikki added. "Because you don't know the secret still in the future," Emma reasoned. "I've learned tact doesn't exist in her world," Harrison chuckled. "So have we," Lisa giggled along with her husband.
Rikki: glances at her then back at Cleo. "Look on the bright side." Gestures around. Cleo crosses her arms and looks at her, still moping. "It's Lewis we're talking about. He'll probably drop a butterscotch triple on some kid's head and end up getting fired." Cleo smiles a little in amusement. "When he does, you can get your job back." Gestures to her.
"I'm not that clumsy," Lewis scoffed. "Yes, you are," Charlotte nodded. "See? Even the new girl agrees," Rikki jabbed a thumb at her. "I've been here for a month," Charlotte frowned in confusion. "I was there for several weeks and was still labeled as the new girl," Rikki shrugged. "I might as well get a tattoo with that on my forehead," Bella sighed. She always hated being called the new girl; it was like no one ever bothered to learn her name. She didn't blame them; it's like they knew she wouldn't be there the following year.
"That sounds good," Elliot rubbed his stomach. "You just had dessert," Neil said. "I'm a growing boy," Elliot shrugged.
"I would love to see that happen," Zane laughed. "I hope it does. Good thing there's cameras now," Kim said a bit eagerly. "Oh, can we place bets?" Rikki said, getting an idea. "On what he does to get fired or how long it takes for him to get fired?" Sam asked. "Why not both?" "No betting Rikki," Terry warned.
"It's highly unlikely she can get her job back if he were to get fired. Mrs. Geddes doesn't seem like one to change her mind," Denman said. "Then start kissing up, Cleo, because it's going to take a lot of it," Kim said. "It's going to take a miracle to change her mind," Sam mentioned.
Cleo: shrugs. "I doubt it. It's practically the easiest job on the planet. That's why I like it so much." She hops up and walks into the bathroom with a frown.
"I thought it was for the dolphins," Annette frowned. "There can be more than one reason," Cleo blushed in embarrassment. "Not to mention the most boring job. You practically do nothing all day," Kim said. "Hence the easiest," Lewis grinned, looking at Cleo who was still blushing. "Hence it's my daughter's job," Don scowled.
"If someone can find difficulties with that job, it's sure to be Lewis," Charlotte giggled.
Emma: they watch her go. To Rikki. "She's right. It's not like serving ice cream is the hardest job in the world."
"It might be easier for most people, but it can be difficult for us," Emma corrected herself. "Doesn't ice cream make you turn?" Elliot asked. "When it melts, yes, since it's a type of liquid. Pretty much the only thing that doesn't turn us is oil since it's not technically a liquid. Like the first experiments Lewis did on us," Emma explained. "That was still gross," Rikki said a bit disgruntled.
Rikki: turns to her with a grin, her eyes lit up with an idea. "But it could be." Emma furrows her brow with a small grin as Rikki continues to smile mischievously.
"And another one of Rikki's 'brilliant' ideas has returned," Ash commented. "My ideas are always the best," Rikki gestured to herself. "Don't flatter yourself," Emma scoffed. "I smell trouble," Zane grinned.
"I don't know whether I'm for this idea or not," Lewis tilted his head. "Why would you be?" Charlotte asked. "Because if it's a way for Cleo to get her job back, then I'm all for it," he shrugged. "But if it means you're involved and getting the effects to it, then you're out," Sam concluded. "Right-eo," he said.
"Can you let someone else take the reign next time on ideas?" Terry complained, not wanting to see his daughter get up to some more mischief again. "If someone comes up with another plan. Gladly," Rikki waved around. "No," Terry said. "If it's to support a friend, would you agree to it?" Rikki asked, pleading. "Not if it's going to affect your other friends," Terry nodded his head at Lewis. "He'll be fine. I'm sure he'll live," Rikki waved it off. "Will I?" Emma asked. "Let's hope so," Rikki said. "I'm not liking this already," Neil mumbled to Lisa.
"Can we go one episode without you girls seeking revenge or miscommunicating?" Neil asked, rubbing his face. "No," Cleo shook her head. "Not possible," Rikki said. "Sorry, dad," Emma winced. "Please don't drag me into another one of your schemes," Emma whined. "Your future, your problem," Rikki wagged a finger at her.
[The next day at the Marine Park, during one of Lewis's shifts, Rikki and Emma swim near the ocean floor, slowly making their way toward one of the underwater gates of the park.]
"Girls! What are you doing?!" Terry yelled, eyes wide. "This is a terrible idea," Lisa shook her head. "What even is the idea?" Sam asked. "I dunno. Sabotage?" Rikki guessed. "Great. I'm about to have a lot of heck on my second day of the job," Lewis huffed. "Don't steal her job then," Rikki quipped. "Don't blame him," Cleo said in the same tone.
"What are those gates for?" Annette asked curiously. "It's to the pools at the Marine Park. All marine life sanctuaries are required to have one," Denman informed. "Right. It's mostly used for rescues. Whenever they're reported of a rescue, they take them in, heal them up then set them free through those gates or raise them at the park," Cleo explained. "Think Lewis might need rescuing soon. He's got two underwater bogies heading his way," Will joked.
[Rikki and Emma grab ahold of the gate and look around on how to open it. Rikki turns around and finds an underwater lever on the wall. She pulls it down and slowly, the gate comes down with it. The girls swim low to the ground through it.]
"Please put the gate back up. Some of the dolphins in there aren't just rescues, they were raised from captivity like Ronnie. They wouldn't know how to survive on their own," Cleo begged, worried for her friend. "Don't worry, we know how much they mean to you and would never cause him any harm," Emma told her. "What about me?" Lewis asked. "You? You're a special case," Rikki stated.
"If you're not wanting to get caught, then why are you doing this at all?" Harrison asked. "For Cleo, obviously," Bella said. "While I do appreciate it, yours and the dolphins safety is not worth it," Cleo shook her head. "Would the dolphins really escape if they got the chance?" Kim asked. "If you were locked in a room forever, wouldn't you?" Charlotte asked. "Point taken," she nodded. "They have freedom there, there's plenty of room for them to travel in there and be safe. That's not promised to them in the wild," Cleo informed.
"This is the worst plan you could possibly think of," Ash shook his head.
[Ronnie swims nearby chattering, noticing his new friends swimming through the gate. He watches as they swim to the surface, the gate still open.]
"He's curious," Sam said. "What dolphin wouldn't be?" Bev asked. "Please Ronnie, please don't do it," Cleo pleaded at the screen, extremely worried.
"Are you girls heading to the surface of the Marine Park?" Lisa leaned forward in her seat, eyes wide. "That is way too dangerous. There are too many eyes around," Neil warned them. "What about the cameras? They don't know about them either," Zane said, worried for Rikki. They didn't need another marine biologist on their hands. "Mrs. Geddes mentioned that they were for the staff, so there's probably very few pointed at the ponds," Lewis said a bit hopeful. "It's still a possibility though. And very risky," Max said in concern.
[Emma and Rikki poke their heads around the concrete wall, looking ahead at the ice cream booth where Lewis happened to be serving a kid and his father.]
Rikki: "There he is."
"How did you know I would be working then?" Lewis asked. "Probably asked," Emma said. "Or spied. Stalker. Like Mrs. Geddes is," Charlotte teased.
"Must be a heatwave day if he's got customers this early," Cleo commented, trying to distract herself.
Rikki: grins at Emma. "After you." Emma winces and looks back up at Rikki. "Okay, if you insist."
"I don't. I really don't," Emma shook her head. "The you onscreen says otherwise," Rikki smiled smugly. "Even my future self knows it's a bad idea," Emma sighed. "Yet you're still going along with it," Neil gave her a stern look.
[Rikki raises her hand over the concrete wall, aiming it at the ice cream stand, slowly curling her fingers with a smirk.]
Lewis: at the stand, places the ice cream cone in the holder. "Here you go, little buddy." Takes the money from the dad. The little boy smiles at the ice cream. But when Rikki heats it up a little more, the ice cream melts rapidly.
"Well instead of ice cream on a cone, it's now a milkshake," Annette tried to be optimistic. "It's a sticky mess is what it is," Lisa shook her head. "What did that ice cream do to you?" Will joked. "It's not the ice cream, it's the server," Rikki remarked. "I didn't do anything," Lewis complained. "No, but you do get on my nerves a lot, so this is payback," Rikki stared at the screen.
Little Boy: smile drops at the melted ice cream. The dad puts a hand against the stand. "Daddy!"
"That poor kid," Annette cooed. "He's so cute. Kind of looks like Lewis," Sam squinted her eyes. "Yeah, he looks similar to my nephew. Remember, the one in the boots video? But he's a little bit younger than that," Lewis said.
"What did that kid do to you?" Will asked, now more serious. "He didn't do anything, it's Lewis. My guess is that I'm trying to get him in trouble with Mrs. Geddes so he'll get fired," Rikki explained. "I think it's going to take more than melted ice cream to do the trick," Terry mentioned.
Lewis: holds his hands out to the boy. "It's okay. It's okay, don't cry. I'll – I'll get you a new one." Lewis grabs a cone and the scoop and begins making him a new treat.
"That's sweet of you, and without charge," Sam smiled. "Well, the kid didn't deserve it, it's not his fault, and didn't need to cry over a loss treat," Lewis gave Rikki a look. "If Mrs. Geddes were there, she would say that would come out of your paycheck," Cleo noted. "Has Mrs. Geddes ever done that before?" Bev frowned. "Once. There was a time when the freezer box wasn't working in the stand and some of the ice cream was extra melted. A couple of the ice cream cones came out of my check because she didn't believe me that the box was messed up. But luckily Emma saved the day and froze everything back for me," Cleo gave Emma a grateful smile.
"I hope they've never done that to you when you worked the stand," Don frowned. "Please, we would never do that to Cleo," Rikki scoffed. "Nope. Just to me," Lewis said flatly.
[Rikki looks to Emma and smiles, egging her on to do it. Emma watches as Lewis hands the little boy a freshly made ice cream cone.]
Lewis: "There you go." Just as the kid went to lick it, Emma holds her palm up flat and froze the ice cream to his tongue.
"It's not even Lewis getting the effects from your prank, it's the little boy," Ash frowned. "Shouldn't it be more toward Lewis instead of others? Why not make him sweat or something?" Bella asked. "Because we've done that one before. Lewis would know it was us," Rikki shrugged. "I'm surprised I didn't figure it out the first time with the melted ice cream. It must have been a heatwave," Lewis said.
"At least it's not me," Elliot said a bit relieved. "Not to you, El. Never … well, not on purpose at least," Emma winced, remembering the shower incident.
Little Boy: "Ah!" Still stuck to his tongue. "Ah!"
Dad: walks over to his son and bends down to look at it. Look at Lewis. "Is this supposed to be some kind of joke?"
"It's a mean one if it is. Girls, you shouldn't do that to the poor kid. It's not his fault," Bev looks at them. "Whatever is going on is between you and Lewis, not strangers," Neil scolded. "Don't worry, we'll be sure not to do it this time," Emma assured. "Or not get caught," Rikki mumbled. Emma slapped her arm having heard the mumble.
"Wouldn't it be better for you girls to do that on land instead of the water? You're more at risk of being seen there than a few simple hand gestures on land," Lisa mentioned. "Why are you encouraging them?" Neil frowned. "I'm not, I'm just saying," Lisa stated.
"It's no different than the business dinner," Annette grinned.
Lewis: "No, absolutely not." Emma and Rikki laugh quietly at each other. "I have no idea what's going on here." They look back at the scene.
"Faulty freezer?" Zane shrugged. "Again," Cleo sighed. "I bet I'll figure it out soon," Lewis gave them a look. "Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't figure it out sooner. Melted ice cream, sure. But frozen ice cream is a dead giveaway," Bella grinned. "Me too. The heatwave must be getting to my brain," Lewis shook his head.
Dad: stands up, takes his son by the shoulder, and holds the ice cream cone for him that was still stuck. "I'll be seeing your manager about this." Gently leads his son away.
"That's the results we wanted," Rikki beamed proudly. "But not the solution we needed," Emma felt a bit guilty about her future. "If you're wanting him fired, I still don't think that will cause it. The most that will do is either give him a warning or taken out of his pay," Harrison mentioned. "Might be both," Terry remarked.
Lewis: points at the dad as they leave. "There's no need for that. Sir, y – you don't …" Stops when they continue to go and leans against the stand and bites his lip in frustration.
"Pleads aren't going to stop him. Not a father protecting his son," Neil shook his head, glancing at his own son. "Or their daughters," Don grumbled, still wanting to have a word with Mrs. Geddes.
"On my second day too," Lewis pouted as Cleo patted his arm.
[Lewis glances around when he notices two familiar blonde heads poking out of the underwater gate, the two quickly try to hide behind it. Lewis puts two and two together, gets angry and slams his hat down on the stand, and marches over.]
"It's about time you figure it out," Rikki smiled smugly. "Yeah, only costed me a few bucks and a possible lecture from my boss but I got it," Lewis sarcastically said. "Don't worry, Lewis. It won't happen this time," Cleo told him. "You're right. I won't accidentally get your job and therefore won't have to worry about Rikki's wrath," Lewis remarked. "Lewis, whether I get fired or not, if you work there or not, it won't happen. Because I'm not going to let it," Cleo kissed him on the cheek. "No PDA," Don shouted, holding a finger up. "Dad, it was just a –," Cleo complained. "Ah bah, bah, bah. Not here," Don pointed two fingers between him and them.
Lewis: glances around as he walks over to the bridge, and with the coast now clear – so he thinks – he crouches down next to the bridge where the girls are and speaks to them. "Come on. Show yourselves." The two girls slowly inch out into the open, facing their furious friend.
"Oh, now you're in for it," Zane chuckled. "You're supposed to be on my side," Rikki frowned. "You teased me some. Now it's your turn," Zane nodded at her.
"Cowards. Acted all big and strong before, now that Lewis knows what's up you hide in the shadows," Cleo gave them a look with her arms crossed. "I wouldn't call us cowards. It could be that somebody nearby was close to seeing us," Rikki excused. "That didn't stop you when Lewis had customers," Neil gave them a stern stare.
Lewis: "I cannot believe you two. Anyone could have seen you."
"He's right. It's risky, and very dangerous. It's not worth your safety for revenge that isn't even worth it," Lisa mentioned. "Oh, so now you scold them for it?" Neil turned to them. "I wasn't agreeing to what they were doing," Lisa argued. "No but it did sound like a suggestion," Neil countered.
"Lewis, the ice cream customers, the other park guests, the cameras," Bella reminded, nervous for them. Would this really be how they get caught? Because of some measly cameras? Last time it was from a marine biologist. What would a Marine Park manager do? "They could pretend they're a new park attraction," Sam suggested. "Yeah, kids would love to see that," Elliot agreed. "Yeah, and once Mrs. Geddes hears of it, forces them out of the water, finds out it's not costumes and are in fact real mermaids, then she'll have a new real attraction for the park," Lewis sarcastically explained.
"They could do it for a few minutes. But it would buy them enough time to figure out a plan on how to get out of there," Max figured. "It's not worth the risk. None of it is," Mrs. Chatham mentioned, giving the girls a warning glance.
[Ronnie swims closer, eyeing the open gate and the hidden mermaid tails even more.]
"Ronnie, please don't. That gate stays closed for a reason. It's for your own good," Cleo's worries increased. "And it's going to stay closed because we're not gonna do it. Right, Rikki?" Emma turned to her. "But swimming in the dolphin pools with the dolphins would be so –," Rikki was cut off by Emma. "Right, Rikki?" she said a little louder, this time Mr. Chadwick leans forward in his seat so she could see his stern glare as well. Rikki sighed with a pout. "Fine."
[In Mrs. Geddes's office, the woman herself was typing away at her computer when she steals a glance at the security monitor. She pauses in her typing when she glances again. Narrowing her eyes, she hops out of her seat and walks closer over to the monitor, squints her eyes, and watches the live video footage of Lewis kneeling next to the bridge. It zooms in to watch him glancing around before holding onto the lever and speaking to something below. Mrs. Geddes grabs her clipboard and rushes out of the office.]
"Oh great. More trouble," Lewis groaned in complaint. "The water police is on the way," Kim hummed. "More like the fun police," Will scoffed. "Now would be a good time for you to leave," Lisa said a bit concerned.
"Ignore him. Go back to whatever you're doing," Charlotte swatted at the screen. "Perhaps she was typing an email," Annette mentioned. "She might have been writing a report on the incident with the little boy at the ice cream stand," Denman said. "It doesn't matter. As long as she stays away from them," Charlotte said.
"At least the camera doesn't see us," Emma furrowed her brows. "Doesn't matter. Her suspicions are up and she's on her way," Sam shook her head with a frown. "I wonder if you knew about the cameras," Ash asked curiously. "Doubt it. I would've warned them by now," Lewis said. "Mrs. Geddes probably wants it to be a special surprise for her employees," Cleo scowled. "Except for Laurie. Can you tell who's her favorite? Obviously the one who keeps the business going," Harrison shook his head.
"Can we change her nickname from Mrs. Gumwad to Hawkeye?" Kim asked. "No, Hawkeye's too cool for his name to be ruined," Elliot said.
[Back at the bridge, Lewis continues to argue with the girls.]
Rikki: "I can't believe you'd hurt Cleo like this."
"Girls you need to get out of there now!" Neil yelled. "Rikki, scram!" Terry shouted. "Listen to them, please," Bev worried. They weren't hers biologically, but they might as well have been. They were Cleo's best friends, her mermaid sisters. They stuck through everything. And if they got dragged through the mud because of this, Cleo would go down with them. If one of them was Cleo, she'd want them out of the water the minute they arrived. "Guys, leave. Mrs. Geddes will be there any second! Her office is right around the corner," Cleo said eyes wide.
"For the last time, I didn't do anything," Lewis huffed. "You steal Cleo's job. Friends don't do that to each other," Rikki exclaimed. "And you're hiding Zane from us. Friends don't do that," Cleo shot back, defending her boyfriend. "She's got you on that one," Lewis grinned in victory. "Pipe down," Rikki scoffed in annoyance.
Lewis: "She got fired. It was out of my hands."
"Exactly. He can't help it. It was my fault, not his. End of discussion," Cleo huffed. "But –," Rikki tried to argue but was cut off again by Cleo's yell. "I said end of discussion!" she said, glaring. "She gets that from you," Bev whispered to Don. "Do you not see me smiling?" Don grinned. "No, it was all Mrs. Geddes's fault," Charlotte scowled at the screen. It was her fault for Cleo getting fired, it was her fault for Lewis getting hired in her place, and it was her fault Lewis was getting the shots from it. And it was about to be Lewis's fault they blame him if they get caught.
"It went out of your hands and into the melted and frozen ice cream cones instead," Ash joked, trying to lighten the mood.
Mrs. Geddes: walks out of her office heading toward Lewis. "What are you doing down there?" Emma and Rikki quickly hide behind the concrete wall.
"Good luck explaining that one. You're gonna need it," Ash muttered the last part. "Oh, just you know, talking to my best mermaid friends. Having a friendly chat with them out in a public area. No biggie," Lewis shrugged, sarcasm in his tone.
"Guess we didn't think about the big-bad there, Mrs. Geddes," Emma winced. "Yeah, you left that part out of your successful plan," Cleo glared at them.
Lewis: whips around and climbs back up to the sidewalk and runs toward Mrs. Geddes. "Um … I was just, um … I was taking a break." Points around the water, his hands on his hips.
"Not bad, not bad," Ash nodded. "Why would you take a break below the bridge?" Will asked. "Why wouldn't I?" Lewis raised an eyebrow. Will was confused then shrugged it off.
Mrs. Geddes: "Well, you don't have breaks. We discussed that."
"No breaks?!" Cleo's parents and friends yelled. "You don't get breaks?" Lewis asked her. "Well, it's not exactly a tiring job," Cleo blushed slightly. "It doesn't matter. You're required to have breaks," Don frowned. "I think I might have a word with her now," Bev narrowed her eyes at the screen. "He's right. Both of you are under eighteen. You're supposed to have a break depending on the amount of hours you work," Sam informed. No matter how slow the job is, she thought. "Why do you even want to go back if there are no breaks?" Rikki asked. "I told you, the dolphins. They're the best part of the job, just getting to see them," Cleo replied. "Still not a good reason to me," Charlotte mumbled.
Lewis: gestures around. "There's no one around."
"Never mattered to her. You're supposed to stay in your spot or near the stand at all times," Cleo informed. "What about bathroom breaks?" Don asked. "Dad!" Cleo's blush grew. "It's a reasonable question, Cleo," he argued. "We get those. It's the only time we're allowed to leave the stand unattended," Cleo rolled her eyes, trying to ignore Zane and Elliot's snickers.
Mrs. Geddes: points at the bridge where Lewis had just been. "So, who were you talking to?"
Lewis: his smile falters. "No one." In the background, Ronnie could be heard clacking which gives Lewis an idea.
"Your lips were moving on the camera," Bella grimaced. "At least there's no sound to them," Max said a bit hopeful. "Not yet," Mrs. Chatham mumbled quietly.
"Ronnie's still there," Cleo said, slightly relieved.
Lewis: gestures to Ronnie who splashes some water around. "Well, I might have said a quick, you know, hi to the dolphin, but other than that …" Puts his hands back on his hips, smiling nervously.
"'The dolphin'? You didn't even know his name?" Cleo looked at him in shock. "In my defense, I can't tell who is who," Lewis grimaced, the girls gasping in shock. "That's Ronnie, that's obviously Ronnie," Cleo gestured to the screen, starting to get upset. "Okay, okay. I – I'll try to learn," Lewis held his hands up in defense. But in his defense, he really couldn't tell. He still believed it might have been a magical connection between the dolphins and mermaids, like how Cleo had a connection with her pet fish. Somehow, they were able to tell more about the marine life around them. A personal connection as Mrs. Chatham would say, more than any marine scientist would ever understand.
Mrs. Geddes: "This is your first day, Lewis. I'd advise you to keep your mind on your job." Turns and starts to walk away.
Lewis: "Yes, Mrs. Geddes. I'm sorry." Waves a hand at her and watches her walk away.
"Also known as strike one," Terry said. "Might be strike two, actually. If that dad did report the ice cream incident," Lewis rubbed his neck.
"First day? Wouldn't it be your second?" Charlotte asked. "Perhaps? I have no idea," Lewis shrugged. This future stuff was really confusing the timeline he figured up. "She probably meant first actual day, since she would count the actual first day as training," Cleo explained. "That was totally not confusing at all," Bella sarcastically said.
"At least you didn't get fired," Cleo gave him a small smile. "I'm not even going to get hired. It's your job, not mine," Lewis returned the smile.
[Lewis looks at the bridge, then at Mrs. Geddes' shrinking form then hastily jogs back to the bridge and climbs down to where the girls still are as they come out of hiding once again.]
Lewis: bends down to look at them, still angry. "You guys are nuts! You –." Clenches his fist and stops, climbs back up to the sidewalk to get back to his stand.
"You'd think the idea that she knew you were talking would be a hint to the cameras," Denman furrowed her brows. "I guess I thought she might've heard or saw me. In a way she did, just not how I expected," Lewis sighed.
"You're still fighting?" Bev sighed. "Round two," Kim grinned.
"You girls are crazy for being there," Harrison shook his head as he chuckled.
"You're still there?" Lisa exclaimed. "You need to get out of there after that," Neil warned. "This is a very dangerous game you girls are playing," Mrs. Chatham said.
"Why'd you stop?" Charlotte asked. "Guess I didn't want to get in trouble again. Or let Mrs. Geddes see them. Definitely don't need that," Lewis said.
Rikki: shouts at him, pulling herself up some over the concrete wall. Emma narrows her eyes at him. "Yeah? Well, you're a traitor, but we're above name-calling." Lewis glances at them as he walks back but keeps going.
"You're still mad at him? He just protected you from getting caught," Zane frowned at his girlfriend like she was crazy. He's done a lot of stupid stuff in his lifetime, but Rikki took it much further just by going into the Marine Park as a mermaid. "Took the blame for it too," Lewis agreed. "It's not going to stop my anger," Rikki shrugged.
"You just did," Lewis grinned. "You just did," she mocked.
"He's right, Rikki. You're nuts. Climbing up the concrete wall as a mermaid. Hollering at him when others could be nearby and see you?!" Terry said, eyes wide. "Anything for my friends?" she said with a sheepish smile. "It's dumb and you know it," Emma said. "I know," Rikki rolled her eyes.
"I think I'm going to call you, Risky Rikki. Or how about Risky Rik?" Elliot thought aloud. "How about neither?" Rikki said but still had a smile on her face.
Rikki: lowers herself back into the water next to Emma. "Come on, Em." They look at him one last time with a glare before going back underwater. Within seconds, the girls were speed-swimming out of the Marine Park.
"About time," Neil breathed out in relief, his worry now gone from his daughter's risky exposure. "That was close," Don wiped his forehead. "Too close," Sam agreed. "Not close enough," Cleo's eyes slowly grow wider, straightening up in her seat. "What do you mean?" Sam asked. "The gate," Cleo said. "What?" Lewis asked, confused as to why his girlfriend was getting so worked up. "Full sentences, Cleo," Rikki said, trying to get her to spit it out. "Look!" She pointed to the screen where they saw that the girls had accidentally forgotten to close the gate. "The gate's open. You didn't close the gate! You forgot to close the gate!" Cleo yelled at them. The girls gasped. "Oh no," Emma's face paled. "I can't believe it!" Cleo covered her face with her hands. "It's an accident!" Rikki exclaimed.
"Don't worry, Cleo. It's the future," Bella said. "Yeah. It's not gonna happen, because we're not gonna do it," Rikki nodded, hoping to see a smile appear on her best friend's face again. She hated seeing her in pain. She's already been through so much. Ronnie was like a family member to her. If anything were to happen to him … "I know. But still, seeing this. It hurts so much," Cleo worried as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. "It'll get better. I'm sure it will," Lewis told her, getting the girl to lower herself back into her seat.
[Nearby, Ronnie watches the two mermaids disappear into the deep blue, the gate still left open far behind them.]
"No, Ronnie. Don't do it!" Cleo said, her voice becoming croaky, watching her mammal best friend fall for a tempting danger. Charlotte frowned. What is this dolphin thinking? Does it not know the dangers it's going to face? she thought. Because if she thought dolphins were scary, there were much more terrifying things in the world that she has learned about, and they weren't mermaids.
Bella worried for the dolphin. In a way, she kind of understood what it was feeling. Trapped in one place, and when the opportunity opens for a chance of exploration, it wanted to take it. Sure, traveling the world felt like a big opportunity of freedom, but really, when it was for jobs and having a secret, there were still limits. Limits she couldn't get around. Until now she discovered. Maybe there was an opportunity for her in the Gold Coast, no limits, only friends. But what other dangers could they face? That was what she was looking out for the entire time here. They all were.
[The dolphin swims through the open gate cheerfully, clattering away in excitement and swimming further and further away from its home.]
"No!" Cleo turned and cried into Lewis's shoulder, the blonde hugging her and patting her back, trying to comfort her as best he can. "It'll get better. It'll get better. He'll come back," Lewis kept repeating. But even he had to wonder. How were they going to find one Ronnie in an entire ocean of dolphins? "Yeah, we'll make it right. We'll find him," Emma agreed. "He'll return. He has to," Rikki nodded.
"How? It's a ginormous ocean out there, filled with hundreds or thousands of dolphins," Denman asked in disbelief. "The possibility of finding him is impossible," Sam shook her head, thinking it over with a sad expression. About as impossible as a mermaid's existence, Will thought. He believed they could do it; he believed they could find Ronnie. Why else would it be showing them this? Besides to stop it of course. "Because they're the only ones with the abilities to find him. As long as you stay determined, you'll track him down," Mrs. Chatham stated. "You'll find a way to find him dear. I know you will," Don told her, rubbing his daughter's shoulder. "Yeah. That clever little brain of yours will think something up," Bev gave her an encouraging smile, joining Don. "I hope so," Cleo finally came out and wiped at her tears, though they continued to flow.
"That dolphin is about to swim into a whole lot of trouble," Ash frowned with worry. "His name is Ronnie!" Cleo snapped, still crying. "Don't worry. She's just upset," Bella said sadly. "No kidding," he muttered.
"That might do it; getting Lewis fired," Terry winced. "Bout to be more trouble than melted ice cream and frozen tongues for him," Max frowned, worried.
"I think round two goes to the girls," Elliot told Kim. "No. Round two goes to Ronnie," Kim pouted. She knew how much that dolphin meant to Cleo. She spoke of him all the time. She didn't blame her, he was her favorite too. He was always the star of the show. Everyone adored him, the 'main attraction' as Mrs. Gumwad would say. Everyone was worried for him, even Charlotte, who although was still afraid of dolphins, did not want to see him get hurt. Cleo cared so much for him, she'd hate for anything to happen to him.
[After his first official shift, Lewis goes to the Juicenet café, to unwind, where he meets up with Charlotte. Lewis sat at a mini-counter laying his head in his crossed arms pouting while Charlotte stands on the other side reading from a computer brochure.]
Charlotte: "Or you could upgrade to get an extra hundred gig."
"What's the other option?" Max asked. "Probably the same one I have now, except newer. But I think I'd rather get an upgrade like Charlotte said. It could last me longer and it might even save me some money," Lewis gave the redhead a thankful smile. "It's always better to try an upgrade instead of going with the same model every time," Charlotte said. "Yeah, it'd be like trying to get the exact same year model of car you have," Ash chuckled.
Charlotte: looks at Lewis and sees he's not listening again. "Lewis?"
Lewis: rolls his head around in his crossed arms before looking up at her. "Hmm? Mm. Sounds great." Raises his head slightly and nods.
"Does it? Because it seems like you're not even listening," Annette raised a brow. "He's not," Charlotte said as if it were obvious.
"Why so down?" Sam asked. "Why do you think? My friends tried to sabotage my job and believes it's my fault Cleo got fired," Lewis exclaimed. "You'll be 'down' even more once you find out what happened," Cleo lays her head on his shoulder, down herself.
Charlotte: drops the brochure onto the counter and walks around to Lewis's side. "Lewis, you've got to stop beating yourself up." Sits down on the stool next to him. Lewis glances at her then stares at his fiddling fingers. "Cleo got fired before you got the job."
"It's true. It's not his fault," Cleo sighed. "No, but I still feel guilty. Here and there," Lewis gestured to the screen. "The little stunt with Emma and Rikki didn't help either," Ash grimaced.
"Imagine if I took your job right after you got fired. Which is highly unlikely since you work with your mom," Lewis mentioned. "But if my mom was someone else, I'd probably feel the same way Cleo did. Or the same way if I were in your shoes," Charlotte replied.
Lewis: "I know, it's silly. I just feel guilty." Shakes his head and shrugs.
Charlotte: "Well, don't."
Lewis: glances at her then down at his hands again. "Easier said than done."
"Kind of like survivors guilt. You survived something when others didn't. You'll feel guilty even though it wasn't your fault. Nothing you could've done would've changed things," Max said, thinking of Gracie once again. He always wondered if things would've changed if he would've just tried harder, or maybe let her figure things out on her own. But it didn't matter. No matter what, Gracie stuck to her own decision, and there was no changing it.
Harrison glanced to the side. For years he always had an inner guilt for never thanking or even speaking to Lisa after she had saved his life. Every time he thought of it, embarrassment would build up just from being saved by a girl, a girl younger than him as well. Still, the guilt stuck with him for years, until a couple of days ago.
Charlotte: "Cleo's a big girl. She can look after herself."
Figured that out several episodes ago, Lewis thought, not wanting to say it aloud. Cleo was already hurting enough, he didn't need to add more to the boiling pot. "Something no father wants to hear," Don grumbled. "Nor a mother," Bev sighed, glancing down.
Lewis: "I know that. It's just she loved her job, and there's this one dolphin she has a real bond with."
"Ronnie," Cleo reminded, silent tears still streaming. Everyone knew what that dolphin meant to her. He is one of her best friends, and to know that he was missing somewhere out in the ocean was a terrible thought to her. The brunette was extremely worried for her friend, fearing the worst, just wanting him back home safe and sound.
"You knew what it meant to me," Cleo gave him a sad smile. "Of course. I pay attention to the things that are important to you," Lewis said.
Charlotte: scrunches her face up in confusion. "What sort of bond?"
"The number of times you've probably swam with him," Lewis chuckled to himself. "How many times have you swam in the Marine Park?" Don asked warily. "Once, only once. It was the one time," Cleo huffed. "And that bond has stuck ever since," Bella smiled.
"Still don't understand how you can like those things," Charlotte shuttered. Though even she had to admit her fear of them has gotten slightly better. Used to, she couldn't even be around one much less look at one. Now though, at least she could look at one without flinching.
"Keep talking, Lewis, keep talking," Rikki narrowed her eyes. "She already knows the secret," Lewis reminded her, brows furrowed. "This Charlotte does, but not that one."
Lewis: glances at her then straight ahead again. "Forget it. Look, I've got to go." Slaps his hand slightly on the counter then stands up. "Catch you later."
"Where are you going off to in such a hurry?" Annette asked. "Hopefully to fix things," Lewis said. "Or to another shift," Sam suggested.
"Either way it's a lose-lose situation with Ronnie missing," Will mentioned as Cleo cried some more. "Will you stop using the r-word?" Lewis hissed.
Charlotte: tries to stop him, grabs the brochures. "No, wait. Don't you want to go through these brochures?" But Lewis was already at the door before she could finish. Sighs and puts the brochures down as she hears the sound of the beaded curtains from Lewis leaving.
"Don't think that will help," Kim said. "No, but it could get it off his mind," Charlotte remarked.
"Just pick one for me. I know you'll make a good choice," Lewis shrugged.
[That night at the Sertori house, Don walks to the door and opens it, surprised to find someone there.]
Don: jumps back in surprise. "Lewis!"
"Why are you so surprised? You should know by now when he comes over," Kim rolls her eyes. "Maybe because he didn't knock," Don gave him a stern look. "It was urgent," Lewis remarked. "It could've waited till tomorrow. It was fine, Lewis," Cleo said.
"Were you planning to go outside?" Bev asked. "I guess," Don shrugged. "At night? Why?" Lisa asked. "I don't know. Sit on the porch. Get something out of my truck. The mail. Or I might go night fishing. There are tons of things I was probably gonna do, but I don't know," Don said, getting a little annoyed with the questioning.
Lewis: "Hi!" Walks in and shuts the door. Don puts his hands on his hips and looks at him. Looks up and sees Cleo coming down the steps. "Cleo, can we talk?"
"Good luck with that," Max chuckled.
"Something tells me you know the situation," Neil turned to him. "From that look, yeah I say so," Lewis nodded. "Must've told him. Whoops," Cleo grimaced. "Oh, so you'll tell me everything else but the most important part of your life? Got it," Don nodded along. "Dad, I thought we were over this," Cleo groaned. "Nope. And it's never going away," Don crossed his arms, but there was a grin on his face because at least it got her distracted enough to temporarily stop thinking of Ronnie
Cleo: doesn't look at either one of them, still angry, holding her mail as she walks into the living room. "Dad, if that person I'm not speaking to comes by, can you tell him I'm not speaking to him right now?" Don looks at Lewis then at Cleo and crosses his arms. Lewis frowns in disbelief and puts his hands on his hips. Opens her mail.
"The silent treatment and ignoring him? You're not winning this battle, bud," Zane shook his head, amused. "I've learned the Sertori girls are a stubborn bunch. It's going to be a tough battle," Lewis teased Cleo. "Hey," Kim and Bev hollered. "So we're playing that game now?" Lewis scoffed with a laugh. "Very mature, Cleo," Emma grinned. "Go freeze another ice cream," Cleo scowled. "How old are you?" Ash snickered. "I'm a sophomore, I'm sixteen, so therefore I'm still a teenager," Cleo huffed.
"Tell him yourself. He's right there," Neil gestured to the screen. "She's not gonna budge. She's going to stay mad for a while," Don said.
Don: turns to Lewis. "I get the feeling she doesn't want to talk to you right now."
"Why am I missing this? I should be enjoying the show," Kim pouted. "Maybe you are. Or at one of your friends?" Elliot mentioned.
"Really? What gave it away?" Lewis asked in a deadpan tone. "I'm getting that feeling too," Charlotte chuckled.
Lewis: sighs. "Come on, Cleo. I honestly didn't know you lost your job." Don looks at Cleo.
"You've thought about it this entire time?" Cleo thought it was sweet. "I don't like it when you're upset knowing that it was my fault," Lewis said. "But it wasn't yours. It's mine," Cleo told him. "Quit acting so sweet!" Rikki put her hands over her ears. "You were earlier with Zane, so shut it," Cleo argued. "Meanwhile, still single," Emma lazily waved her hand.
"It's true, he didn't know," Sam said. "We've heard. Several times," Kim said in an annoyed tone.
Cleo: rolls her eyes, still opening her mail. "It's weird, I can hear a strange, whining sound." Shakes her head and walks over to the couch. Don silently snickers.
"It is strange. I'm hearing it from both of you," Rikki pointed a finger at them. "Really, the one who's whining is Cleo. She's the one playing this game," Will pointed out. "Thanks," Cleo glared. "Just remember, Cleo. Two can play that game," Lewis grinned.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Lisa asked. "Who wouldn't?" Don snickered aloud.
"Hopefully one of those is an envelope with one of my last checks instead of more bills," Cleo cringed.
Lewis: went to speak directly at her, but closed his mouth and turns to Don. "Mr. S, can you tell Cleo that I feel really bad about taking her job?" Pleads with his hands.
"Guess I'm playing mediator," Don griped. "That's what you get for getting stuck in the middle," Bev joked. "Better than your meddling," Don shot back with a grin.
"Can't you just forgive him? He's clearly sorry," Bella asked. "I might when the anger goes away," Cleo sighed. "Stubborn," Lewis sang.
Don: nods and puts his hands behind his back and turns to Cleo. "Lewis says –." Lewis turns to Cleo with puppy eyes.
Cleo: cuts him off. "I heard him! And can you tell him that's not the point?"
"Then what is? I thought that's what this whole thing was about?" Lewis asked, confused. "Oh, is it jealousy again? Or do you just feel betrayed?" Annette asked. "Probably betrayed. The Cleo there might feel that way because even though he now knows what happened, he still chose to work there. That and I'm probably angry at myself for getting fired and just taking it out on him instead," Cleo admitted. "Sounds like jealousy," Kim teased. "Zip it, Kim," Cleo shot her a glare.
Don: turns to Lewis. "Cleo says –."
Lewis: holds a finger up, cutting him off, and gets annoyed. "I heard her, and I disagree." Walks into the living room, pointing his finger at her.
"You suck at this whole mediating thing," Terry chuckled. "I'm a dad and a fisherman, not a group therapist," Don shook his head.
"You disagree?" Cleo asked with a raised eyebrow. "I agree with him. That's what it seems like this whole thing is about," Ash said, as many others nodded along with him. "It's better to open up about your feelings than to hold it all in," Mrs. Chatham told her. "Otherwise, you'll turn down a path you don't want to take," Max added. And make choices that Gracie felt like she had to make.
Cleo: slams some mail onto the nearby table and glares at Lewis. "How can you possibly disagree?" Don crosses his arms in the background and watches this go down.
"Oh, so we're speaking directly to each other now?" Lewis smiled smugly. "Guess I'm getting better at fighting against your stubbornness." "Don't make it happen here," she gave him a look as she crossed her arms. "Noted," Lewis closed his mouth.
"Now I'm a spectator," Don chuckled. "At least you get to see it in person," Kim grumbled.
Lewis: "You got fired, Cleo!"
"Oop, that done it," Max winced. "You should know not to use the f-word," Ash whispered. "Shouldn't have gone there," Harrison shook his head. "But that's exactly what we were talking about," Lewis frowned. "No, you were talking around it, but not directly about it. There's a difference," Sam informed. "Never go straight for the punch," Terry shook his head. He learned that with Rikki's mother. "But isn't it better for us to get to the point?" Lewis asked. "Not when she's this angry," Neil said.
Cleo: opens her mouth in shock, her anger grows, and slams the rest of the mail onto the table. Points the mail opener at him. "Well, why don't you rub it in some more, Lewis?" Hops up and rushes past him back up the stairs to her room. Lewis glances down, feeling more guilty. Don grins in amusement.
"That talk didn't help," Lewis sighed. "No, but at least it won't ever happen," Cleo gave him a small smile. "Yeah, true."
"He's not rubbing it in, he's just trying to get you to face your feelings," Bev said. "That's the thing. That's exactly what I don't want to face," Cleo glanced down. "It won't get you anywhere if you don't. You're just going to keep harming yourself," Max said.