Chapter 5: right where you left me

Cleo swam across the reef with the memory card in her hand. While she did not agree with adding more plastic to the ocean, she wanted to put the card somewhere no one would ever find it. The calm of the water around her was relaxing, though she wished there were others around to swim with. A swim alone wasn't quite as nice as swimming with those she loved. The fish surrounded her, bumping into her tail which left her chuckling under the sea. It was the perfect day.

Upon arriving near Mako Island, the brunette mermaid swam into a small underwater cave. It did not connect to the moon pool, but she suspected it was a lava tube of the dormant volcano that had been closed off after a collapse of sorts. She took the memory card and placed it between two rocks at the end of the cave. Hopefully the water would destroy the card, and its location would never be found. Cleo was satisfied with her placement, and she decided it was time to swim back to the mainland.

A few days later, Cleo sat at a table in what used to be Rikki's, the same table where Nate had interrupted her a couple days prior. Before leaving on their trip, Zane had sold the shop to someone who named it, ever so creatively, "The Juice Bar." She opened her laptop and began to work on some homework. Her biology classes were easy enough, but the writing course she had to take for general education hours were torture. They wanted her to write a creative short story of sorts. It was supposed to be the 'fun' assignment of the semester, but Cleo sat there with nothing on her mind except for Nate's question.

That question had been burned into her brain since it had been asked. Rikki had mentioned it once or twice, but each time that… reproduction was brought up, Cleo found herself thinking of literally anything else. It wasn't that she wasn't curious, but instead it was that she was embarrassed to be discussing it. Bella had asked, and Emma had too at least once, but never Cleo. Maybe it made her a prude, but she didn't care what anyone thought of her when it came to that. Still, the question kept popping up in her brain when she didn't expect it to.

Before she closed her laptop, Cleo opened her email to see if Lewis had responded. She smiled when she saw he had responded.

To: cleowater

From: sciencenerd53

Subject: Nate?!

Cleo,

First, I miss and love you too. I'm in Texas right now. There's a category 4 hurricane coming into the Gulf, and Dr. Navarro said it would be safer to ride it out on land. Our cameras, buoys, and other equipment are out there doing most of the recording for us. I'm safe, but I don't know how long I'll have internet access for.

You told Nate? You told him your secret, AND you answered his questions? I know you said he took a video, but did you even look at it before you destroyed it? What if there was nothing meaningful on that video, Cleo? How do you know that he actually has anything on you? You said he just gave it up? Then you emailed back that he still has a video. Did you watch it?

Cleo stopped reading the email and put her head in her hands. No, she didn't watch it. There probably wasn't even anything in the video other than her tail. Sure, he said her name, but do underwater cameras even have a microphone? It was slightly under the water the whole time anyway. She cursed herself under her breath and began to read it again.

You know that I trust you. I don't trust Nate. I don't want anything to happen to you. We both know what will happen if the secret gets out. I don't mean for this email to only be about this.

How are classes going? Tell me about all of them – even the English class you're constantly emailing me that you hate. How's your dad? Kim? Are they still getting on your nerves? I miss them too, even if it feels like I don't have to with how often they're in your emails. I'm kidding. Don't stop telling me about them. It's a taste of home I don't get often.

October break is coming up for my friends at the university. I don't get off the boat until closer to Thanksgiving. I'm getting two weeks off for break, but then we have finals for a week before Christmas break mid-semester. I'm trying to talk Dr. Navarro into letting me finish my semester before Thanksgiving and come home for a month and a half. Maybe Emma can luck out with the same deal? Probably not because she's not doing an internship…

Love you. Miss you.

Lewis.

After finishing the email, Cleo was still beating herself up. She could hear Lewis' voice in her head, but it still hurt for him to ask all of those questions. He said that he trusted her. He knew that would be her first thought, and yet she still wasn't sure she believed it. Maybe she didn't trust herself. Maybe he was right not to trust her, especially since she had not watched the video. If Lewis was there, or if the girls were, they would have watched the video. They could have proved Nate had something on her, but now they had no proof, and he claimed to still have the video.

To: sciencenerd53

From: cleowater

Subject: re: Nate?!

I know, and I'm sorry. I should have watched the video. You're right. I'm stupid for not watching it. He must have something on me though. He wouldn't have tried to lie and say he still had it if he watched it and there was nothing. Do you really think he'd try that? I don't think he'd be that stupid. If I had watched the video, and there was nothing there, I would have laughed in his face.

Classes are going exactly how they were in my email from the other day. I'm still struggling to write this creative writing assignment. My dissection lab went well, but formaldehyde smells terrible. I'm sure you already knew that. I want to know more about your internship.

I'll pass along the message to them. I'm sure Kim will ask me who cares, and Dad will just grunt because he doesn't want to show he likes his daughter's boyfriend. Or maybe he'll just be happy that I brought you up and not Nate.

I haven't been sure how to bring this up. When I told Nate I would answer any question, well he took that to mean… any question. He asked about…

Cleo thought long and hard about how to word the next part of her email. She worried that Lewis would get so angry that he would be on the next red eye flight out of Texas. She pursed her lips and typed it in the simplest way she could.

He asked about how mermaids reproduce, or moreso how the act happens. I told him to ask Zane, and he asked why he couldn't just ask you, and I think he thinks, well I know he thinks… or I know he knows we haven't. He made another stupid Nate comment after that about being the first. He hasn't talked to me since, and I am not going to talk to him if he does approach me. I am disgusted and uncomfortable.

I love and miss you so much. I hope Dr. Navarro lets you come home early. I'll even prepare an American Thanksgiving dinner. I'm sure I can search what all needs to be made. I see a turkey in old movies. How hard could it be?

Love,

Cleo

Cleo didn't add that she was also curious in her email. She could tell Lewis that in person. Besides, she could always ask Rikki or Bella if she wanted more of an answer. Both of them acted as though it was exactly the same as if they were both human, so why should she believe anything different. She closed her computer and sighed. Her writing assignment wasn't going to get done that day. Another week before her midterms, and another day had gone by without finishing her midterm assignment for creative writing.

Upon finishing her juice, Cleo watched Nate walk into the restaurant. She put her laptop in her bag and attempted to sneak out the back door before he could see her. She definitely should have known that she wouldn't be so unlucky, because just before she got out the door, Nate stopped her with one arm and pushed her back into the building. She gripped onto her bag with both hands, fuming.

"Where are you going, Cleo Baby?" He asked, and it took everything in her not to stomp on his foot as hard as she could with her heel. She gave him the world's most uncomfortable smile as she tilted her head up to him.

"Home." Cleo stated as plainly as she could. The more she looked at him, the more she wanted to kill him. He had been in her every thought since their conversation days earlier. That was bad enough, and now he was in her sights and personal space.

"Not before I get you an apology juice." Nate held up two fingers towards the barista, and Cleo turned to go back to her table. Maybe she could get out of the conversation after one juice. She didn't have to believe his apology, but she would take the free juice. Whatever was put in front of her by the barista was sure to be fine.

Cleo waited for a few minutes before Nate came back holding the juices. She looked at the juice then back at Nate. She wasn't about to drink something he handed her. She pushed the glass away and crossed her arms. He didn't seem to notice she wasn't drinking it, instead he started drinking his own. She watched him sip the drink. Her eyes stopped on his lips as his tongue darted out and licked a stray droplet from falling from his plush pink lips.

Immediately, Cleo cringed and looked away. Her face was surely red. The fact that the thought of his lips crossed her mind made her sick to her stomach. She missed Lewis. She missed having him around for many reasons, but the physical comfort of her boyfriend was one thing she missed the most. She brought the glass closer to her and stirred it with her straw.

"You're blushing, Cleo." Nate's voice was much too close. She turned to look at him, and he was inches from her face. If he wanted to make her uncomfortable, he was on the right track.

"More like I'm angry and annoyed." She stated, allowing herself one taste of the juice to cool her down. She hoped that the redness was beginning to fade.

"So you're not imagining what it would be like to—"

Before Nate could even finish his sentence, Cleo slammed the drink down on the table and pushed him away from her. Some juice had splashed out onto her hand. She stared at her hand with wide eyes and she jumped out of the booth, over Nate in a flash. She went into the bathroom, the first door she could open. Within seconds she was on the ground, transformed. Tears welled up in her eyes as she moved to lock the door.

Nate pushed his way in and turned the lock. He knelt down before her and looked at her tail in the light from the windows high on the wall.

"Beautiful. Just… beautiful."