H20 Just Add Water What-ifs

Lewis and Cleo Meetup

The rhythmic crash and hush of the waves hitting the sand acted as a backing soundtrack to Cleo's thoughts. She stretched her legs, letting the warmth of the sun-warmed beach erase the chill of the shade. A gentle breeze carrying the saltiness of the ocean tickled the nape of her neck. Her pen scratched against the paper in slow, arcing movements. Each word flowed from her mind to the page as she wrote about the way the water rushed over her scales. Once she finished the entry, Cleo flipped through the prior pages, glancing over her earlier entries about that night on Mako Island when she became a mermaid.

She closed her diary, running her fingers along the decorated cover. Various painted fish, ranging from clownfish to angelfish, were spread across it. Several swirling lines wove through them, with some bearing heart shapes or stars at their ends. Cleo clicked the lock into place and scrambled the numbers. It was a protective measure to keep her younger sister, Kim, out of it. She also got into the habit of leaving it in her backpack to keep it safe.

A familiar shaggy-haired shadow rose over her. "Hey, Cleo. Emma told me you'd be here."

"Lewis! Hey." Cleo clutched her diary close to her chest. "I thought we weren't going to meet up until later to discuss our biology notes."

"We were, but I wanted to see you." Lewis sat beside her, staring out at the ocean while it lapped at the shoreline.

Cleo studied him for a few seconds, noticing the tension in his shoulder, the distance in his eyes, even the way his hands folded into a tight grip.

Lewis looked at her. "You've been more distant, Cleo. Every time I try to call you or hang out at the JuiceNet cafe, you tell me you're busy. Is something going on?"

"No." The lie was ash on Cleo's tongue.

"You know you can come to me with anything?" Lewis rested his hand on her knee. "Right?"

Cleo returned the gesture, flashing him a reassuring smile as she squeezed his hand. "I do."

Eyes darting to their interlaced fingers, Lewis cleared his throat before retracting his arm from her grip, watching the waves roll over the shoreline.

"Lewis...?"

"I should get going." Lewis stood and dusted the sand from his shorts. "I told Wilfred I'd help him create a digital supply tracker for the cafe. I'll come by later to go over our notes."

Cleo nodded while her grin faded away. Once she was alone on the beach again, she reopened her diary and flipped to an entry on Lewis from a few weeks ago. A pencil sketch of his face covered the bottom half of the page. It was drawn in soft graphite, but one feature stood out in stark contrast: his eyes. She used the best of her pencils to capture the light blue of Lewis' irises, making them almost glow in the afternoon sun. While they'd been friends since they were five years old, it was recently that she began to see him in a different light. Each thought of him, every brush of his hand against hers, made her heart race.

But there was one major problem with pursuing her burgeoning feelings: she was a mermaid. Whenever Cleo entertained the idea of asking Lewis out, she'd inevitably remember that fact. One drop of water and she'd be exposed. The risk of freaking him out or ruining their friendship was high. Yet, her heart was a difficult thing to dissuade, clinging to the possibility of more. Every attempt to convince herself that it was better for them to remain friends hit a brick wall.

Cleo's phone beeped. She pulled it out and saw a text.

Emma: Rikki and I are going for a swim. Want to join us?

Cleo: No. I'd rather be alone for a while.

Emma: Is this about Lewis?

Cleo sighed, her eyes closing as she tilted her head back against the tree. Even through text, her feelings for him were obvious.