I was walking on the beach with the girls and Lewis as he brought up his latest discoveries about our transformation.
"I've been working all day, every day. And I think I'm getting close to figuring out what your transformation's all about," he explained.
"Lewis, we've kind of figured that one out for ourselves," Emma expressed.
"Yeah, for me it was the tails," Rikki nodded, "Was it the tails for you, Cleo, and Zoey, or--?"
"It was more of the first contact with water after the first time in the Moon Pool," I replied recalling the first day the girls and I became mermaids.
"Ease off on Lewis. He's trying to help," Cleo suggested.
"Exactly. Science --Science is the key that unlocks the door to the mysteries of life," he went on, "But you don't much care, do you?"
"No," Rikki responded.
"Look, guys. In the next week or so I am going to have an opportunity to--well, to-- forget it."
"Lewis, speak."
"OK."
All of us turned to him waiting for an explanation.
"There's someone arriving today. She's doing dolphin research at the marine park. Her name's Denman. She did her PhD at 21. Can you believe it?" he answered sounding like he was a huge fan of the woman, like me renting and watching any movie starring Hugh Jackman.
"I'm tingling," Rikki replied sarcastically.
"These days she's like one of the world's leading experts in aquatic mammalian cellulite evolution. If I can tap into her research--"
"And how are you gonna get access to a scientist like her, Lewis?" Emma asked interrupting him.
"If she's that huge, there's bound to be security to keep geeks like you out," I pointed out.
"I have my methods," Lewis replied.
"No way. You're not gonna tell a real scientist about us," Rikki demanded.
"Guys, it's me. I'll be careful," he tried assuring us and turned to her, "What do you mean, real scientist?"
"She can't know about us," Emma replied.
"What if she wants to dissect us?" Rikki asked.
"Or get DNA samples of us?" I added.
"What if she goes public on us?" Cleo wondered.
"She's a marine biologist. And she'll have equipment that makes the stuff at school seem like--like toys," Lewis went on, "If you guys want answers, I need access to it and her research."
"And how are you going to do that without spilling your guts about us?" Rikki inquired.
"I was thinking charm."
All of us resumed walking.
"No, seriously," Cleo shook her head.
"Come on, guys. All I'm asking is that you trust me," Lewis remarked.
"OK," Emma shrugged her shoulders, "We do need to know what's happened to us."
"You'll never get to see her anyway," Rikki sounded doubtful of Lewis' plan.
"Uh, yes, I will. Cleo?" he turned to her.
Cleo just shrugged having no comment.
🌊
Lewis had managed to get his resume to Dr. Denman who had set up a lab in one of the buildings at the dolphin tank. He and Cleo got to meet her who made the latter uncomfortable. I Googled some info on the marine biologist and read that she wrote a report on mutations in aquatic mammals. Plus, I noticed her while meeting up with Cleo for our lunch break.
After my shift at the kiosk, I went home to help Grandma with the garden. Cleo called me informing me Lewis had gotten the research assistant job with Denman and that he added the marine scientist's number to his phone, which bothered her when describing Denman as a pretty woman. Rikki and Emma informed me through a text message to not trust Lewis if he inadvertently told the marine biologist about us.
"Everything alright, sweetheart?" Grandma asked after I hung up and lifted a large sack of soil into a wheel barrel.
"Sorta. Cleo's worried about Lewis who just applied for the research assistant job at the marine park for this famous oceanic biologist who he's a huge fan of," I replied as I pushed the wheel barrel out from the garden shed following Grandma to add fresh soil and fertilizer for the fruit trees.
"Is the scientist attractive?" my grandmother asked.
"She's a blonde, the kind guys go ballistic for. Lewis just wanted to get access to the advanced tech the biologist has instead of the ones at school for a project he's been working on."
"The kind of person considered attractive is never by how they look. It's their personality and how they treat others. And I'm certain Lewis is more focused on his project instead of the biologist herself."
Grandma knew how to give good advice. It helped Dad and Ebony survive their teen years. I always felt better talking with her. Even Cleo, Emma, and Rikki appreciated her advice.
🌊
The next evening, I was over at the Sertori house for a pizza night with the girls and Lewis. It turned out he had started his first day on the job. I wondered if he was able to access the lab equipment as he desired to do.
"You mopped floors?" Cleo questioned Lewis as Rikki pulled out the pizzas from the oven while Emma and I brought out the drinks.
"And that helps us exactly?" Rikki asked as she placed the pizzas on the table.
"Guys, I know what I'm doing," Lewis assured us, "I have access to her lab."
"I take it you weren't able to use the tech today," I said as Emma and I placed the drinks on the table.
"All I need now is a fresh DNA sample. Say, a toenail clipping?"
He picked up a pair of toenail clippers.
Not getting it from me! I thought feeling uneasy about the fact of one of us giving him our DNA sample and potentially risking getting ourselves exposed.
"OK, OK," Cleo sighed and held a hand out and Lewis handed her the clippers.
I could tell she was not a fan of the idea, but Lewis was determined to find out what changed the girls and me.
🌊
The next evening, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, and I went out to Brisbane for a family night out. It had been a while since we did something like that. We all decided on dinner and a movie. I had no preference deciding to treat the event like it was my grandparent's special evening.
We were at a restaurant having dinner when the notification tune went off. I realized I was getting a text, getting the feeling that it was from one of the girls or Lewis. I knew it could be important, but I didn't want to look rude in front of my family. So I excused myself to head for the restroom.
"Is everything ok, Zo?" Dad asked as I got up.
"Yep," I nodded and carefully avoided any of the tables or staff who handled anything liquid or water.
I stood near the door to the restroom to make it appear I was in line and opened my phone. I saw that it was from Emma alerting me that Dr. Denman saw the sample of Cleo's toenail and told me to not trust Lewis, even though he was our friend, but would need to keep an eye on him.
A couple of minutes later, I returned to the table.
"It was occupied," I replied as I sat down in my chair.
"Perhaps some bloke had something that didn't agree with him," Grandpa nodded.
"Yeah."
Throughout the evening, I made an effort to enjoy the time with my dad and grandparents, though the thought of getting found out by the marine biologist still bothered me, and the fact I couldn't trust Lewis because of a little screw-up.
🌊
Early the next morning, I met up with the girls at the marina and found Denman's boat. Lewis had met up with her as they were loading some equipment into the boat. The girls and I hid as we overheard Denman tell Lewis of plans to head to Mako Island. Lewis tried to talk her out of going due to the shark population there but failed. I recalled hearing that there was a shark breeding ground just north of the island. The girls and I knew to avoid swimming in that part.
"He's nuts! He's completely nuts," Rikki remarked, "How can he take her there?"
"We've gotta get there before them," Emma suggested.
The girls and I managed to get to Mako before Denman and Lewis. They dove in with the use of scuba gear. Cleo, Emma, Rikki, and I hid among the reefs, watching them. I noticed Lewis holding an underwater camera. Something told me he wouldn't give our presence away. He liked Cleo a lot since having been best friends for a long time.
Later, Lewis confronted the girls and me about our spying on him. I didn't say anything not wanting to escalate the problem. Emma and Rikki were still ticked off at Lewis about the sample falling into Denman's possession. Cleo felt he had gone too far. As for me, I was on neutral ground.
🌊
During our break, Cleo and I snuck into the lab making it appear we were searching for Lewis. She had told me about Lewis getting invited by Denman to join her team, which would mean leaving the Gold Coast. I could tell Cleo would miss him. Looking around the table in front of us, I noticed evidence that Denman was still examining the sample.
Both of us came upon a laptop. Cleo opened it while I looked over her shoulder. The first thing we saw was a title article that read: Just Add Water: The Phenomenon of Spontaneous Cellular Mutation.
"Oh no," Cleo shook her head after reading the title out loud.
"That can't be good," I said nervously.
Suddenly the door opened. Cleo quickly shut the laptop as one of the park security guards entered.
"Cleo, Zoey, what are you two doing here?" he asked.
"Just looking for a friend," Cleo replied.
"Sorry, this is off-limits. Dr. Denman's orders. They're moving a lot of expensive equipment out of here today."
"Oh, right."
"I forgot that was happening today," I nodded as Cleo and I walked out of the lab.
"And girls? Don't let me catch either of you back here," he suggested.
"No worries," I replied and left.
🌊
Later, Cleo and I met up with Rikki, Emma, and Lewis at the juice bar informing them about our findings.
"It looked like an article for a scientific journal or something," Cleo explained.
"The kind you'd read in a National Geographic magazine," I added.
"It's the same stuff as you keep blabbing about, Lewis. It proves she's still got the DNA sample. It was in a little white slide box."
"Well, Lewis?" Emma asked him.
"She wouldn't," he tried to deny it.
"It looked like she'd been studying it, doing tests," Cleo added.
"She's not like that."
"I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Lewis, what Cleo and I saw in the lab is all true," I stated.
"Time to face facts, Romeo," Rikki frowned.
"Facts? You don't have any facts," Lewis remarked, "Cleo, you read a bit of an article you don't understand."
"I understand enough to know it's the same stuff you say," Cleo stated.
"So? Maybe I've influenced her thinking. I have a very forceful personality."
"Ha," Rikki didn't agree with him.
"Why do you think she wants me on her research trip? Did it ever occur to you that there might be a reason like-- like she values my opinion," Lewis expressed.
"And your mopping."
Lewis got up and left the cafe.
"He's lost it, totally," Rikki pointed out.
"We've gotta find a way to get into that lab," Emma suggested.
"Uh, correction, you guys have to," Cleo stated, "Zoey and I will lose our jobs if we get caught in that place again."
On the plus side, if I lost my job, I wouldn't have to worry about Mrs. Geddes acting like a high school girl around Dad whenever he came into the marine park.
🌊
Cleo and I found out that Emma and Rikki failed to get the DNA sample back. We all met at the marina early the next morning bracing ourselves for the fact Lewis may leave the Gold Coast with Denman, and our secret was threatened with publicity.
I could tell Cleo still believed in Lewis would never sell us out, though Rikki and Emma still felt he would end up doing so. I too trusted Lewis. So far, he had kept our secret concealed.
I followed Cleo to the dock to talk with him potentially for the last time.
On getting to the dock, we saw that Denman's boat had left and was heading out of the marina.
"That's her boat," Emma pointed it out.
"Come on. If anybody can catch her, we can," Cleo was determined to get to the boat.
"Wait, I think that might defeat the purpose of all the secrecy, don't you?" Rikki asked.
"Besides, oceanic researchers like her will have equipment that could trace us while we're in the water," I nodded.
"Oh, you're both right. Sorry," Cleo apologized to Rikki and me and looked out at the departing boat, "But are we just gonna let him go like this?"
"Like what?" Lewis asked.
Emma, Rikki, and I turned and saw him arrive at the dock while Cleo looked over the horizon not even noticing.
"Well, you're just sailing away without saying--," Cleo paused on seeing him, "Lewis. You didn't go."
"Keen observation, Cleo. Very, very good," he smiled and held out the slide.
"You got the slide back," Emma grinned.
"And she didn't suck you in?" Rikki asked.
"What, are you serious? You think I'd buy that stuff about being a good scientist? Please," Lewis replied.
"What about her records? All the stuff Zoey and I saw?" Cleo asked.
"When she opens the file, I think she'll find it's recently been erased. Oops!"
"Good on ya!" I smiled at him knowing that any trace of our existence was wiped clean.
"No, I don't think the good doctor and I are a team anymore, guys," Lewis added.
"It's good to have you back, Lewis," Cleo grinned.
They almost hugged each other, but instead gave one another high fives. All of us then left the dock together.