I found myself nervous when I received my report card at school. I decided to wait to open it with either Dad, Grandma, or Grandpa when I got home and then let the other girls know what grades I got.
Arriving home, Grandma was in the backyard tending the garden.
"Hi sweetheart," she smiled turning to me when I made an appearance, "Heard you were getting your grade results."
"Yeah," I nodded, "I figured I'd open the report card when I saw you or Dad or Grandpa."
"Don't keep us waiting for the suspense," Grandpa called out from inside, "Just open it."
After Grandma and I got back inside the house, I carefully opened the envelope just as my stomach went into knots. The week prior, there had been a biology test. I had spent an entire weekend studying for it and had either Dad or one of my grandparents quiz me. Whenever I had a test, I'd ask either of them to help me practice so that I wouldn't forget the answers.
On opening the report card, my eyes widened at the sight of all straight A's, including some pluses and minuses on it.
"Whatcha get?" Grandpa wondered.
Grandma looked over my shoulder and smiled, "All A's."
"Though there are some pluses and minuses," I pointed out.
"Nothing wrong with that."
"What's all the excitement?" Dad asked as he arrived in the main room, "Did Zo get her grade results?"
"Yep," I nodded and handed him the report card.
Dad smiled on reading the results, "Looks like someone has earned herself a shopping trip to the mall this weekend."
"You're kidding!" My mouth dropped wide open.
"It's no joke. You've earned it. You work so hard on your schoolwork and helping out Grams with everything."
"Thanks."
"How 'bout we eat out tonight?" Grandpa suggested, "Which restaurant do you recommend, Zo?"
"I've got no preference," I shook my head.
🌊
I met up with Rikki and Emma on the way to the cafe.
"This is a whole new feeling for me," Rikki smiled as she, Emma, and I entered inside, "I could get used to it."
"Get used to what?" Emma asked as the three of us found Cleo seated by herself at one of the tables.
I could tell something was on Cleo's mind when she didn't greet us.
"Academic success," Rikki replied, "C+ for biology. Not too shabby."
"That's great," Emma smiled.
"Yeah, way to go Rikki," I grinned.
"How about you guys?" Rikki wondered.
"A+," Emma answered.
"A plain A ," I responded being careful not to brag about my results.
"Great job, Zoey."
"That's not possible," Rikki remarked.
"You could do it too if you studied," Emma told her.
"Yeah, if I didn't have a life or I was some kind of geek study slave. No offense."
"None taken," I shrugged.
"Is this all you three talk about?" Cleo snapped at us, "You're so competitive. Who cares anyway?" She left at that moment.
Something told me she didn't do well on the biology test. I felt bad about revealing my grade result from it.
"Did I say something wrong?" Rikki wondered.
Just as Cleo was about to exit the cafe, Lewis entered in and greeted her. He asked her about her results from the exam and on figuring that Cleo flunked it, he offered to help her out as a study partner.
🌊
The other girls and I figured Cleo went to the moon pool for some alone time, like she often did. So we headed there. I felt the need to apologize to Cleo even though I wasn't being boastful.
On surfacing in the moon pool, I saw Cleo was out of the water, sitting on a boulder.
"There you are," Emma remarked, "We've been looking for you."
"Sorry guys. I'd really like to be alone," Cleo told us.
"I'm sorry about back there," I apologized to her, "I'm sorry if it sounded like we were bragging."
"You weren't bragging, Zoey."
"Did we say something to upset you?" Rikki asked.
"No," Cleo shook her head.
"Come on, Cleo. Spit it out."
She rose to her feet figuring we weren't going to leave her alone until any of us had a straight answer. I wasn't going to push it.
"I failed biology," Cleo answered.
"I figured," I muttered.
"Hey, I'm sure it's not that bad," Emma assured her.
"It's my worse result ever in anything," Cleo pointed out.
"Everyone has a bad day from time to time. Last year, I got my worst result ever and I lived."
"It's not because I had a bad day. It's because I didn't have Lewis around. We always used to study together."
That confirmed to me Cleo did well on her grades before when she and Lewis were together. Since they broke up, everything had been awkward for her.
"Why don't you give him a call?" Emma suggested.
"That'd just confuse everything," Cleo expressed, "We're friends now and it just has to stay that way."
"True friends don't avoid one another like a plague, Cleo," I pointed out, "Even if you guys aren't a couple, it can't hurt to hang out every now and then like before."
"That would mean having to accept Charlotte into our group."
I could tell Cleo was protective of our mermaid identities and feared Charlotte would be one step close to finding out about us.
🌊
Later that evening, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, and I went out for dinner at one of the restaurants by the waterfront. I still felt bad for Cleo and tried my hardest to be happy since we hardly ate out.
"Are you feeling ok, Zo?" Grandma asked in concern.
"Yeah," I nodded and sipped my drink with a straw.
"So how did the other girls do on that exam?" Grandpa wondered.
"Pretty swell. Cleo flunked it since she didn't have Lewis to help her study up for it. Since they broke up, things have been kinda strained for her."
"I'm certain things will work out for them both soon," Dad assured me, "One of these days, they'd have to get themselves back together."
"That's the power of love," Grandpa agreed.
I smiled at them and was able to enjoy the rest of the evening out.
🌊
The next day was a Saturday. Emma and Rikki came over to the house since they were also coming to the mall.
"Did you wanna come with us, Grandma?" I extended the invitation to her.
"No thanks, Zoey," she shook her head, "My back and knees can't do well with walking around the mall. You girls go and have fun. Call if anything comes up."
"Will do."
On the way, we swung by the Sertori house to see if Cleo was up for going along with us. It turned out she had to study and retake the biology exam. Mr. Sertori had asked us to keep the visit brief for Cleo to focus on studying. The three of us were surprised to find out Charlotte was tutoring her instead of Lewis.
The mall trip was awesome, but it wasn't the same without Cleo. I figured when she succeeded in getting an excellent grade on the exam, the four of us would head out and celebrate. Rikki, Emma, and I did a ton of shopping. Though I was being cautious of my spending, wanting to save money. The other girls and I pitched in together and got something for Cleo at one of the shops.
🌊
The following day, Cleo texted each of us on high alert. We met up at the moon pool. I could tell Cleo was worn out from spending the entire prior day studying. Charlotte must've given her a truck load of assignments!
"She's been doing all this on purpose!" Cleo exclaimed, "Giving me heaps of homework, keeping me out of action while she moves in on Lewis.
"Hang on. What's she doing exactly?" Rikki wondered as if she didn't catch the last statement.
"She's been sketching him. I'm serious."
"Cleo, don't you think you might be overreacting just a little?" Emma asked.
"Some aspiring artists draw people," I pointed out, "She probably asked Lewis to pose while she sketched him for an art project at school."
"Hello? I even caught her wearing my locket," Cleo crossed her arms, "She wanted to know why we all wear them."
"Why would she want to know that?" Emma interjected.
"I don't know."
"Maybe we'd better find Lewis."
🌊
On getting back to the mainland, the four of us found Lewis at the cafe. When Cleo told him what had happened, he didn't think it was all that serious. Lewis had no idea that Charlotte sketched him. Cleo was convinced Charlotte was trying to get close to us. When Lewis told us he was taking Charlotte over to Mako Island so she could sketch the beach, the other girls thought he was out of his mind to take her there. I didn't say anything trusting that Lewis wouldn't reveal much to her.
I hated the idea of following Lewis and Charlotte. It made me feel like I was stalking them. I'd only say that the other girls forced me to go along! Though I understood how important guarding our secret was.
I lagged behind the girls as we followed Lewis' boat heading for Mako Island. I tried convincing them that he wouldn't take Charlotte deeper into the island nor into the cavern leading to the moon pool. Though I was reminded that Anahita and Uiscue had taken up residence on the island, mainly in the waters. I had a feeling Charlotte would freak out if she ever came across the bunyip himself.
The four of us got to Mako before Lewis and Charlotte and hid behind a couple of boulders. It surprised me when I noticed Charlotte possessed a series of sketches of the island itself and was eager to explore it in person instead of sketching. When Lewis and Charlotte headed into the jungle, the girls and I discreetly followed them.
I could overhear Lewis trying to convince Charlotte that exploring the island wasn't a good idea. That was him trying to help protect it's secret and ours. He warned her of caves and bugs that were around. The only bug in my mind was the bird eating spider, which always gave me the heebie jeebies! When I first saw one on the documentary of Australian fauna, I shuddered at the thought of running into one, especially when the girls and I were first stranded on Mako. Charlotte assured Lewis that she wasn't scared of bugs. Guess she learned to not fear them from an early age, like every kid growing up in Australia!
We climbed up a series of boulders while keeping out of sight. Emma stubbed her knee against the giant rock letting out a soft 'ow'. I ducked my head, as Charlotte looked at her and Lewis' surroundings wondering what made the noise and feeling that someone was watching them. Little do they know that the four of us were close by. I wanted to head back to mainland knowing Lewis would figure out a way to keep Charlotte from investigating Mako Island any further.
As Cleo tried to get a closer look at them, she slipped on a smooth surface of the boulder and fell into the water. I shuddered at the thought of getting caught. Glancing down, I saw Lewis and Charlotte head down towards the water, in the spot where Cleo fell. I saw an orange tail swimming behind another boulder. On seeing Cleo's tail, Lewis got Charlotte's attention saying that he needed to tell her something. She smiled and leaned in and kissed him. Rikki, Emma, and I gaped in shock. Cleo peeked from behind the boulder and was stunned at the sight and gave Lewis a disappointed expression before submerging herself into the water.
🌊
After school the next day, I met up with Emma and Rikki at the cafe just as Cleo arrived at the same time as Lewis. Ever since seeing him and Charlotte kiss, Cleo looked like she didn't want anything to do with the latter.
"Cleo," Lewis approached her, "I wanted to see you. I figured maybe we needed to talk."
"Talk?" she shrugged not looking at him, "Talk about what?"
"Well, you know, about stuff. About Mako Island, actually. Um, when I was out there with Charlotte, it probably looked different from how it really was."
"You don't have to explain. I understand."
"You do?"
"Yeah. There's nothing going on between us. You can do what you want."
"Right. Ok. That's good to know."
I could tell Cleo was letting Lewis go and assuring him that they were just friends. Though I could sense she was struggling with her feelings.
That second, Charlotte arrived just as Cleo was about to sit at our table.
"Cleo," Charlotte smiled, "Heard you did really well on your supplementary exam."
"Yeah, great actually," Cleo nodded trying to keep a positive attitude, "My best mark ever."
"Aren't you going to thank me?"
That was the question a self-centered person would ask. It sounded like Charlotte was expecting something in return for tutoring Cleo over the weekend.
"Thanks," Cleo answered reluctantly, "For everything." She turned and joined Rikki, Emma, and me at the table.
As she took her seat, Charlotte pulled Lewis towards the exit. I could see he wasn't satisfied. I placed a hand on Cleo's hand assuring her that things would soon turn out alright.
"He's not happy," Emma spoke up, "Anyone can see that."
"Even if he is, it's not gonna last," Rikki added.
"My dad and grandparents are hopeful that you two will get back together soon," I assured Cleo.
"It doesn't matter," Cleo shook her head, "It's his life. Anyway, I just passed an exam." She started smiling, relieved that the weekend of studying hard was over and done, "Who wants a juice? I'm buying." She got up and headed for the counter to put in the orders.
The other girls and I smiled at her.