A Wish on a Full Moon

Red Herring (Part 1)

Byron: "Emma."

Emma: "Byron, hey."

"Hey, Beach-Boy is back," Bella grinned. "Beach Boy?" Emma raised an eyebrow. "You know because he's a boy, and really enjoys the beach, and uh, and uh I'll just shut up now," Bella tried to explain before she looked down and gave up. "Why not Beach Babe?" Charlotte asked. "Because 'babe' was already taken by Dr. Baywatch Babe over there," Bella jabbed a thumb in Denman's direction. The scientist pouted and crossed her arms, not liking the returning nickname.

Byron: "Knew it was you. Saw you from back there. And I thought, Emma." Turns to Rikki. "Hey, Rikki."

Rikki: nods in return. "Hi, Byron."

Emma: looks down a bit shy. "So, I stand out, do I?"

Byron: "Of course you do. You're dependable, always the same look, the same vibe. It's like, you can count on the sun and Emma." Emma frowns in confusion at that but before she could question him about it, Byron walks off in a rush. "Anyway, later."

"Was that supposed to be a compliment?" Charlotte asked in confusion. "I'm still not entirely sure myself. I ended up taking it as one," Emma sighed, shaking her head with a small smile. "You took it the other way," Rikki corrected. "Well, it doesn't sound too bad, but it still sounds, strange," Lisa said, trying to come up with the right words to not upset her daughter.

"I think he's had a little too much sun," Kim crossed her arms.

"Surprisingly, not the weirdest 'compliment' I've had in my life. Nate has come up with far worse," Emma laughed.

"Maybe it's a compliment to your blonde hair. It looks nice," Ash commented, making Emma blush a little.

Emma: turns to Rikki with a questioning look. "Was that a compliment or an insult?"

Rikki: tilts her head. "It's a toss-up." Rikki continues walking down the path. Emma watches her before tagging along.

"How was I supposed to know. I've never heard anything like that one before," Rikki shrugged. "It was weird," Emma admitted.

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[As the day rolled on at the marine park, Emma and Rikki finally meet up with Cleo after her shift. They head under the gazebo that looks out over one of the many pools and sits down at a table.]

Emma: "Do you think I'm predictable?"

"Oh, don't let him get under your skin. I'm sure he meant it in a good way," Lisa comforted her. "Yeah, don't let him get in your hair either," Rikki grinned smugly as Emma elbowed her. The Gilbert parents looked at them, confusion written on their faces.

"Sometimes it can be a good thing. For instance, we never would've predicted you three being mermaids, even if you showed a few signs of such stuff, no one would've guessed it," Ash said, giving the blonde girl a genuine smile which she returned. "Unless you were a mermaid before too," Denman said, glancing over at Mrs. Chatham who smiled. "Unless you read someone's diary," Cleo said, giving her sister a look as said sister rolled her eyes.

Rikki: "Let me answer your question with a question." They all sit their stuff down on the table and she faces Emma. "Do you count how many times you chew each mouth full?"

"Please tell me you don't do that," Kim grimaced. "I can answer that for you. Yes, she does," Elliot said with a hint of annoyance. Hey, he had to live with her. Sometimes other people's habits can be a pain to others. Especially to their siblings. "Who does that?" Ash squinted. "It was part of my dieting for the swim team. It kind of stuck even after all of the changes," Emma shrugged sheepishly.