Waterworks (H2O Just Add Water) 🌊

47. And Then There Were Five

Ever since Charlotte found out about Gracie and Ida being close friends, she had been contacting me non-stop, even at school. It got Cleo, Emma, and Rikki concerned that I might've told Charlotte the deep details. I kept assuring them that I didn't say a word to her about Gracie and Ida being mermaids or of us for that matter. 

Right after finding some old footage of Gracie in her mermaid form, Charlotte texted me asking if Ida knew anything about her. I didn't have a straight answer for that. I just left it blank knowing the other girls would get at me for communicating with her.

The four of us sat side by side each other on the bench waiting for Lewis.

"There he is," Rikki pointed him out as he made an appearance.

"Hey, guys. What's up?" Lewis asked as Cleo opened her locker and pulled out the leather messenger bag that contained Max's research on Mako Island.

"You need to get rid of this," Cleo told him.

"That's all of Max's research. I'm not gonna rid of it," Lewis stated.

"Yes, you are," Rikki frowned at him, "Thanks to you, Charlotte's already seen a mermaid. We don't want her finding out anything else." She shoved the bag into Lewis' arms.

I could understand Charlotte wanting to gain some closure after learning a shocking secret about Gracie. Though I understood the other girls' worries about Charlotte potentially finding out about us. Yet again, I was stuck in the middle of it all: A girl wanting to learn more about her late grandmother after stumbling across some photos and footage of her. And my friends and I trying to keep our secret from getting out into the open.

"It wasn't my fault she found it," Lewis remarked.

"No. You're right. You know what? Why don't we just burn it?" Rikki suggested sarcastically and turned around, "Em?"

"I'm okay with that," Emma nodded sarcastically.

"Cleo? Zo?" Rikki turned to the rest of us.

Cleo shook her head while I didn't say anything.

"Guys, guys, guys, guys. I'm only halfway through it," Lewis explained, "They're highly valuable, detailed documents."

"About mermaids," Cleo whispered and glared at him, "Lewis, she can't find out about us."

"There's still so much to learn."

I could tell Lewis was itching to dig deeper into all of Max's notes and other documents. 

"It's too dangerous. It has to go," Emma suggested.

"Maybe just hand it back to Max," I spoke up, "Tell him someone else got too curious and stole some footage from it."

Lewis nodded at me and turned to the others, "OK. Ok. Why don't I just give it all back to Max, as Zoey suggested? It will be safe with him that way. OK?"

The girls and I left leaving Lewis on his own.

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Charlotte had managed to catch me when I wasn't with the other girls. Like in her text, she asked me if Ida knew anything about Gracie being a mermaid. I only told her that the film was part of a filming thesis for future filmmakers after she showed me some of the printed photos from it.

After being reminded that it was a full moon, I recalled it was a school night and the other girls were planning a sleepover to watch over each other. I knew how vital it was to stick together on those nights, but I couldn't do it. I assured them that I had blackout shades that filled my room with advanced darkness when shut. Plus, Grandma would help make sure I wasn't in any room where the moonlight easily got in. And second, Lewis or one of the girls would call me to make sure I was alright.