I do not own H2O: Just Add Water or any of the characters.
Chapter 28: The Siren Effect (part 1)
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[At the café one afternoon, a karaoke contest was taking place, with Miriam at the mic. She was singing a song to the customers, who were at their tables listening and watching. The girls were in the mix as well as they sat at a table doing the same thing. Lewis and Byron were sitting at a table next to them. Miriam continued singing as she swayed back and forth to the music, smiling until her song was over.]
Miriam: singing. "Angels to your side, to hold and protect you, through the night. Yes, I will send angels to your side," She turned her head slightly and looked at her table, where Tiffany, Nate, and Zane stared at her, fawning over how beautiful she sang. Rikki rolled her head around like she didn't want to hear it while Lewis sighed, wanting it to be over. "to hold and protect you through the night." She ends the song, and the crowd applauds her performance. The girls didn't move a muscle, relieved that she was done.
"Oh great," Cleo whined, putting her hands to her head, remembering this day. At least she was able to remember that day, that night, she wished she could. The only things she knew was the information that the girls told her: like the kiss with Lewis for example, which made her blush at the thought; unbeknownst to her, Lewis was doing the same thing.
"Looks like it's your turn, Cleo," Emma said, crossing her arms with a small smile on her face, also remembering this day. "Her turn for what?" Bev asked curiously. "It's my turn to be own moon-spelled," she sighed, wanting it over with, hoping that her first experience wasn't as embarrassing as Emma's first full moon. She and Don look at each other with slightly worried looks about their daughter. They still didn't quite grasp what it meant to be moon-spelled but at least they had a bit of understanding. She didn't get in any trouble during it, did she? Or hurt? How badly did it affect her?
"You don't look moon-spelled," Kim said, voicing her thoughts as a bit of fear crept up in her. She didn't want her sister to get hurt or anything. But from the way Cleo is reacting, she seemed fine about it. Maybe a little annoyed but that's about it. "I wasn't moon-spelled yet. But I wish I were, so I could forget that nightmare of a day," she sighed.
"She has a good voice," Lisa pointed out, trying to change the subject for the Sertori family. She knew how they were feeling. They felt the same way when Emma first got moon-spelled. They didn't know what was going on or what was going to happen. "Yeah, she does. But it doesn't make it any less annoying," Rikki complained, the other three nodding along in agreement.
Zane sighed, although he can't stand Miriam anymore, he had to reluctantly admit that she can sing, unlike someone he knows as he spared Cleo a glance, who looked aggravated by the praise Miriam was getting from the theater room as they piped in their positive comments about her singing as well.
Emma: to Rikki. "You gotta admit. She can sing." Cleo starts clapping slowly for her as Wilfred stands and holds Miriam's hand up in victory.
"I admitted it once, I will not admit it again. I hate complimenting the brat," Rikki grumbled. "I think it's the first time you ever did," Cleo laughed, though you could hear the annoyance in her tone as she thought of Miriam singing. She wasn't sure what she was more aggravated about: Miriam's singing or the embarrassment of her first full moon. She was glad that Miriam was done though.
"You didn't even admit it," Will said. "Not sure why you would want to compliment her," Zane scoffed.
Wilfred: "Let's hear it for Miriam!"
Tiffany: gets up and stands next to Miriam, who was on the podium by the mic. "You are so amazing."
Miriam: "I am, aren't I?" They go sit back down at their table, where the two guys smile at her in astonishment.
Zane: "Miriam, that was awesome."
"Yeah, amazingly annoying," Kim said, finishing the sentence for them. Cleo chuckled at her sister's comment, making the younger one smile in return.
"Well, she is very confident about herself," Neil said. "Oh, you have no idea," Emma muttered, rolling her eyes. Meanwhile, Zane was trying not to gag out loud for his past self complimenting her.
[Rikki goes up to Wilfred, talking quietly while making a request as she glanced back at her table.]
"What are you doing, Rikki?" Terry asked. "Just making a fool out of me," Cleo said, feeling embarrassed about what everyone was about to hear. "What do you mean?" Bella asked, but gets no response back as Cleo kept her mouth shut.
"I'm sorry Cleo. I should've asked you first," Rikki winced, feeling bad for her friend. "It's alright. You didn't know," Cleo said, giving her a small smile. She didn't mind reliving it again, it's just she didn't know how everyone else was going to react. It was already embarrassing enough how the others reacted at the café, but a whole theater?
Lewis: to Byron. "I hate karaoke. I-it's just a bunch of wannabes searching for their fifteen minutes of fame. I-I think it's quite deluded." Takes a sip of his juice.
"That's not true! Karaoke is about having fun. It doesn't matter who it is and what it's about, it's all about having a great time. Karaoke is meant to be silly, not about fame," Bella said, defending her love for music. She loved karaoke; she wasn't going to let someone belittle it. Elliot nodded in agreement. He didn't sing, but he still loved music.
Wilfred: "And our next contestant, is Cleo Sertori!" Lewis spits his drink back into his cup and completely changes his attitude as he turns to her.
Lewis: "Except for you, Cleo, cause you'll be really, really good."
"Uh, have you ever heard her sing before?" Kim muttered quietly.
"What a way to change it around, Lewis," Emma smirked, making Lewis blush.
"You can sing?" Charlotte asked her. "Absolutely not," Cleo said, shaking her head awkwardly.
Cleo: looks at Wilfred in confusion as she stands up and shakes her head, ignoring the employee's offer. "I didn't put my name down."
Rikki: pushes her towards the stage. Cleo turns around facing her, looking extremely nervous. "I did. You know you want to."
"Why'd you sign her up?" Bev asked, trying to forget her jitters about Cleo's first full moon. She knew they said that the experience was different for each of them every time, so she was hoping that she wasn't in any danger during this upcoming one. But she also knew her daughter wasn't a particularly good singer. Except for one night when it came out of nowhere ... wait a second.
"Well, in all honesty, I got tired of people gawking over Miriam, so I wanted a bit of change. I thought Cleo could out stage her, but, uh ..." she would've continued her sentence, but wasn't exactly sure how to word it as she saw Cleo giving her a look. She winced and went back to looking at the screen.
Cleo: shakes her head nervously. "I can't."
Rikki: "Yes, you can. Go on. Make us proud."
"You should've at least asked her if she wanted to instead of signing her up and not telling her," Terry suggested. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself, Rikki reminded him so much of himself. Always acting before thinking things through. "Yeah, I probably should've," Rikki sighed. "Again, I'm sorry, Cleo." "It's alright. I probably would have done it too, just not in front of everyone else. Maybe at home," Cleo said, laughing to herself.
Miriam: to Zane. "This will be good. I'll look even better." Zane laughs silently as they looked back to the stage, where Cleo was now standing as she walked up to the mic. The music began playing as soon as she got on stage.
"Put a bag over your smug face and get a new personality and just maybe you will," Rikki shouted, causing the room to erupt with laughter. "Rikki!" Terry scolded, or tried to, as he was laughing himself.
Emma: Rikki sits back down and watches Cleo on stage. Emma faces Rikki. "You're gonna regret this."
Rikki: glances at her before back at the stage and nods. "She'll be fine."
Emma: "You haven't heard her sing."
"Oh, come on. It can't be that bad," Ash said, trying to be positive about it. "Don't try to cheer me up," Cleo told him. "I'm not very good."
Cleo: gets herself ready on the stage, listening to the music, but was still getting stage fright as she eyed the crowd with fear. She begins singing as she bobs around, dancing lightly to the song. However, though, she just couldn't match Miriam in the talent of music. "We had a good thing, a very, very good thing. And I thought it'd last forever." Lewis smiled, enjoying hearing his best friend try to sing as he nodded along to the music. Everyone else, however ... Byron's smile fell as he listened in, and Emma rubbed her neck as she looked away.
Everyone awkwardly remained quiet, unsure of how to respond. They knew they couldn't lie about it. But was honesty really the best policy in this matter? "It's okay everybody, I know how it sounds. And I already knew I wasn't very good before this," Cleo sighed, explaining to them that it was alright with her. They hesitantly nodded, remaining quiet as to not say anything that might upset the powerful mermaid.
Zane: interrupts her singing as he yells at her. "Boo! Get off!" Miriam laughs.
And all at once, everyone slowly turned to Zane, anger set in their eyes. Though the one that outstood them all was Harrison as he glared dangerously at his son. Zane shrunk back in his seat, not looking at any of them. "I know, I know. I was a terrible person." He did turn to Cleo though and gave her an apologetic look, "Sorry, Cleo." Cleo looked at him in shock before closing her mouth and correcting herself. "Thanks, Zane."
Cleo: continues singing despite Zane's protest. "Love me for just, uh, one other day. And I'll make sure I make you stay. Steal the secrets from my heart." The audience begins booing at her as Tiffany winces at her effort and Emma steers her head away from Cleo's direction, feeling bad for the poor girl. At this instance, Wilfred gets up and steals the microphone stand away from Cleo, and cuts the music. The crowd laughs at her as Cleo looks down in shame, putting her hand on her shoulder self-consciously.
"Don't worry about them, Cleo. Like I said, karaoke is all about having fun. It shouldn't be about who's the better singer and whatnot. Ignore them. They just turned it into a competition; ruining the fun. Which you looked like you were having for a bit there," Bella encouraged, giving Cleo a reassuring smile. "I thought it was great."
Cleo gave her a small smile in response, glad that someone was able to understand the true nature of karaoke. "Thanks, Bella. Though I'm glad I didn't have to do it anymore. Being in front of a crowd is harsh." "That is true. There can be some like that sometimes. Right, Zane?" Bella responded, turning to Zane with a small glare. "Right," Zane sighed, rubbing his eyes.
Wilfred: gestures to Cleo while holding the mic stand. "Let's, uh, put it together for, um, Cleo." They continue laughing at her but eventually stop as they slowly clapped for her.
Emma: whispers to Rikki. "Nice one."
"Again, Cleo I am so sorry," Rikki said, a worried look on her face. She kept feeling worse and worse about it every time she watched the screen. The guilt piling on. "You don't have to keep apologizing. I already forgave you the first time. And that was when it first happened, not now. And besides, Bella's right. Karaoke is all about fun. I might've been a little nervous at first, but I was beginning to have fun before they took it away," Cleo responded, shaking her head. Rikki gave her a small sympathetic smile in response, glad that her friend wasn't mad at her for what she did.
[Cleo slowly climbs down from the stage, looking around her with a sad look on her face as her eyes landed on Miriam's table while walking by it.]
Miriam: "Loser."
"Is the paper bag thing still an option?" Kim asked Rikki, who snorted in response. Cleo smiled at Kim's comment, happy that her sister had her side on this.
[Cleo sits down at her table, putting her hand up to her head, looking depressed. Lewis leans over from his table, trying to cheer his friend up.]
Lewis: "I thought you were ok, Cleo." Cleo shuffled around in her chair uncomfortably, hiding her face in her hands as she looked at Rikki for a second before casting her eyes down.
"I know you were just trying to make me feel better, but at that moment, I just couldn't. Thank you though, for trying Lewis," Cleo said, giving him a side hug and Lewis returns it. "Anything for a, a friend," he responded, trying not to sound too hopeful in that he might get a second chance at a relationship.
"If you apologize one more time, I will punch you," Cleo jokingly warned, holding up a finger as she noticed Rikki look at her. Rikki holds her hands up as if she were surrendering. "Okay, okay. No need to get all, mad," she laughed lightly.
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[Later that day, at her work, a dolphin show goes on, with the trainers doing tricks on boards and seals playing with balls. The crowd claps for the show. Meanwhile, not too far from the show, Cleo feeds the dolphins in the back area on the piers. She bends down, holding a fish in each hand with an ice chest and tongs beside her. As she bent over, two dolphins came up in front of her and opened their mouths for her to toss them in. She did so, and they accepted them. She stands up straight and starts singing randomly.]
Cleo: "La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la." With each 'la' reaching a higher pitch. The dolphins dive their heads underwater, snorting in disapproval. "What? I'm not that bad, am I?" One of the dolphins comes up and cackle and turns around.
They couldn't help it. The fact that even a dolphin disapproved of her singing was just too funny to them, as they started snickering out loud, trying to stop but failed to no avail. "I gotta say, it does seem kind of funny," Cleo said, laughing a little. Even if the dolphins were making fun of her, it was still too adorable. She couldn't stop loving them because of one small incident. She wasn't going to let that ruin her job.
Cleo: "Great, even the dolphins hate me." At that instant, the two dolphins jump into the air and do a flip before splashing back into the water, causing the water to splash everywhere; even onto the pier as Cleo had to back up to keep from getting wet.
"I'm no expert, but I don't think they hate you. Just that they didn't, really, like it," Charlotte answered, trying her best to word it without hurting the other girl's feelings. "Yeah, I know. They're always doing something funny or strange," Cleo laughed nervously as she saw how close the water had gotten to her.
"It's a good thing nobody else was there, 'cause if you would've gotten splashed, there would've been nowhere to run," Will pointed out. "She could've dove in the water," Bella pointed out. "It's too close to the sidewalk, what if someone would've seen her?" Will remarked. "Don't worry, I was careful. They do that all the time, so I'm kind of used to it by now. And besides, there was one person around," Cleo told them. "What are you talking about? I don't see anybody," Will squinted his eyes at the screen in confusion. "Oh, you're about to see," Cleo grinned, sneaking a glance at Mrs. Chatham.
[Behind her, a little further up the pier, someone shouts at her.]
Mrs. Chatham: leans against the railing with her hand outstretched towards Cleo, who was still a distance away. "Beware!"
"You again?!" Don shouted, still unhappy with the woman, but she didn't seem like a threat to the girls, yet. He didn't know what it was about this woman, but there was something off about her, and he wanted to know. "Why do you keep appearing so randomly?" "I just do," Mrs. Chatham shrugged. "Dad, it's okay. She just came to warn me about the full moon again," Cleo said, worried that he might get upset about her again.
"And yet you always come at the worst times to give either warnings or some kind of hint," Denman said, narrowing her eyes at the peculiar woman. "Why is that?" Mrs. Chatham's smile grows wider as she looks up and shrugs. "I don't know. But wouldn't it be great to find out for yourself?" Denman scowled in reply, tired of all these guessing games. How could she know so much about them, yet they knew so little about her?
Cleo: turns to her in surprise. "Beware of what?"
Mrs. Chatham: brings her hand back and holds it into a fist. "What do you think?"
Cleo: folds her arms and shakes her head as she walks closer to the other side of the pier towards Mrs. Chatham. "I don't know. You're the one telling me to beware."
"She does have a good point, Louise," Max whispered to her. "They probably weren't able to track the pattern yet." "Perhaps you're right. But I know they'll learn quickly," Mrs. Chatham whispered back, full of hope for those girls. She knew they had a bright future for themselves.
Mrs. Chatham: "Haven't you learnt anything yet? What's today?"
Cleo: "Um, Wednesday."
"I don't think that's what she meant Cleo," Lewis said as the other two girls smacked their forehead.
Mrs. Chatham: eyes widen. "It's the full moon."
Cleo: "Yep. We've remembered. We're getting ready." Her smile falters as worry fills in its place. "But is it gonna be as bad as last time? Are weird things going to happen to Emma again? Or Rikki? Or me, even? I'd hate that."
Don tensed up, worried about his little girl. He didn't want anything bad to happen to her. But as Cleo said, she was already moon-spelled before. And other than showing her irritation towards Miriam's attitude, she seemed fine. Maybe nothing too bad happened after all. Well, maybe nothing physically at least.
Bev shuttered, trying to keep her fears down. She was terrified that her daughter might've gotten hurt or something. But she had this strange feeling that she might know what it was that happened. The karaoke was a sort of hint to her. After all, if she did get moon-spelled, then could it have been that night they had the sleepover?
"Was it as bad as last time?" Cleo asked them. "It's, uh, debatable," Rikki hesitantly answered.
Mrs. Chatham: straightens up as she lets out a sigh and tilts her head. "Forewarned is forearmed, but, only sometimes." She leans forward again as Cleo's phone starts ringing, with a serious look in her eyes. "Remember, do not touch water, when the moon is full."
"Again, how do you know about this?" Harrison asked. "Only time will tell," Mrs. Chatham hummed.
Denman sighed in frustration; she was getting sick of not knowing anything. How does she know so much? Did she know another mermaid or something? Like that Gracie girl she mentioned before. Or has she seen it all happen before? What could it be?
"What does that even mean?" Elliot asked. "I have no idea," Cleo said, shaking her head.
Cleo: nods and gets her phone out of her pocket and answers it, looking away from her for a moment. "Mom? Milk? Sure." Turns and notices that Mrs. Chatham was gone once again and hangs up the phone. "I wish she'd stop doing that."
"I wish she would too," Bella sighed, nodding in agreement. On the inside, she was freaking out a little. It was confirmed by now that she knew their secret. And most likely knew hers too. But how she knows, is what she couldn't understand. And it scared her. How was she supposed to trust this person with her secret? How could they trust her with their secret? Did the three girls know something about Mrs. Chatham that she doesn't? If so, what could it be that could make them trust her so much?
"You didn't tell us that she warned you," Emma frowned. "I forgot," Cleo sighed.
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[That night at the Sertori house, Cleo gets their house prepared for the full moon, when the doorbell rings. When she opens the doors, she finds her two friends on her porch, smiling with their bags, also ready for the night.]
Cleo: "Hey, guys. Come in. Everything's been set up. Heaps to drink. Pizza has been ordered." The two girls walk inside, and Cleo closes the door behind them.
"Sounds like you girls were ready," Sam commented, as Bev and Don take in a deep breath, worried about what they were soon going to see. "We thought we were," Emma sighed. "If you thought you were, then what caused her to be moon-spelled?" Kim asked impatiently, her heart beating a little faster. "That's what we would like to know," Rikki said. They weren't sure how she saw the moon or how she touched water. They thought they had everything covered.
Bella hid a smile behind her hands. She knew the moon always had its ways, according to what her parents told her, after every time she got moon-spelled. It's hard to avoid it. Especially with a group of mermaids, let alone one.
Rikki: "Cool, what movies did you get?"
Cleo: steps towards them as they wait in the entryway by the stairs, confusion showing on her face. "I thought you were getting the movies." Rikki shook her head.
"You three must not communicate your ideas very well on those nights, do you?" Max chuckled, remembering that his friends used to be the same way when it came to full moon nights. Never knowing who was doing or getting what. "Apparently not," Rikki sighed.
"We really ought to plan it out better, next time. Right?" Emma whispered to them. "Right," the other two whispered back.
"Then how did you spend the whole night?" Annette asked. "We watched some movies and had a little bit of, uh, karaoke," Rikki answered, rubbing her neck skeptically. "Where did the movies come from?" "From our very own sleepover expert," Rikki teased, looking over at Lewis, who rolled his eyes in response.
[The door opens, and Lewis walks in with his backpack and several movies along with a pillow. He walks over to them as the door swings shut behind him.]
Lewis: "Evening, ladies. Now, I wasn't sure what film you'd like. So I thought I'd play it safe. And I got a chick flick." The girls stare at him in a bit of surprise, wondering what he was doing there. "But I did get two horror movies as well."
"What are you doing there?" Charlotte asked suspiciously. "Yeah, why are you at a girl's sleepover?" Zane snickered. "Because I was the only one who knew the secret that couldn't get moon-spelled. Someone needed to help them," Lewis explained.
That someone could have been their families. Don hated to admit it, but Lewis was right, and that he was kind of glad that he was there to try and protect them. But then hated the thought of it as soon as the memories came flooding back to him from that night. He sure didn't look like he was trying to protect his little girl from what he remembered, just admiring her almost the whole night. Why though? He would never know. Maybe he will get his answers this time.
Rikki: "Lewis, what are you doing here?"
Lewis: "What?"
Rikki: they continue giving a strange look. "What are you doing here?"
"Sounds like you need to communicate better too," Max smiled.
Lewis: "Duh, I'm here to help. Remember, I'm the only one who won't be affected by the moon."
"He does make a good point," Ash shrugged.
Lewis: "So if anyone falls asleep, I'll be right beside you." He nods his head as Don comes down the stairs, hearing that last statement as he leans over the railing, looking down at them.
"Until you say that," Ash winced, knowing that was some bad timing for Don to come down to hear that.
"You could've said that a bit better instead of making it sound totally creepy," Bella commented.
Charlotte rubbed her cheeks, trying to make the jealousy go away. She couldn't help it. The thought of him being by their side, while they were asleep! Ugh! Annette laughed silently as she saw her daughter trying to stop from turning red, rubbing her shoulder as she turned back to the screen.
"Well that's comforting to know," Will sarcastically said.
Don: "Will you now?" They look up to see Don leaning over the stair railing. Emma smiles widely as Rikki laughs quietly to herself, the two realize how that sounded to him and thought he was busted. Cleo covers her face with her hand again, finding the floor to be an exceptionally good place to stare at right now. Lewis doesn't seem to be fazed by it at all.
Lewis: "Hello, Mr. Sertori."
Don: gestures two fingers between his eyes and Lewis's, with a serious look on his face. "I got my eye on you."
The crowd laughed at the unfortunate event for Lewis, surprised he didn't understand how creepy that sounded to everyone. "Ah, the overprotective dad. Always a lifesaver," Kim said, teasing Lewis.
"I'm surprised you let him stay after that," Neil laughed. "Only to scare him," Don shrugged.
Don frowned; he remembered this night. But he didn't remember anything going wrong other than every single boy in town showing up at his front doorstep. Other than that, his daughter was safe and sound.
Cleo: "Dad."
Bev: comes down the stairs and stands next to Don, grabbing his arm, while looking down at the teenagers. "Don." They glance between each other and the kids, as she notices Cleo sigh in annoyance, wondering what was wrong.
Bev nodded slowly, finally remembering that day. So she was right about it being that night. But what was it that the full moon did to her? Was it the weird singing thing? Or all the boys fawning over her? Maybe both? They did say that the moon affected them differently each time.
Kim: comes from the living room to save Lewis. "Don't worry, Lewis. You can sit with me." She grabs Lewis by the arm and leads him into the living room. Cleo looks back at the girls, looking frustrated as they walk into the living room, thinking this was going to be a long night. And she wasn't wrong.
"I think you were the real-life saver, Kim," Zane laughed as he saw Lewis being dragged away from the staring contest.
"How did you not hear their conversation about the moon?" Denman asked her. "Maybe because it's rude to pry into people's business. Even if I did that before," Kim spat. She was still mad at the woman for lying to Lewis and trying to experiment on Cleo's DNA, so she didn't want to give her the real reason. The real reason was that they talk about weird stuff all the time. Especially the moon and water. So to her, it was just an ordinary conversation for them that she usually just ignored.
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[A little while later that night, the girls, plus Lewis are watching the movie while Don fell asleep on the couch next to Lewis while keeping an eye out on them (mainly Lewis). They had snacks scattered on the table and Lewis was eating popcorn while blankets were covering him and Don, who had his feet propped up on the table. The three girls were on the other couch, also covered up as Rikki ate some popcorn. The four were watching the horror movie, scared of what was going to happen next as a ghost went through the door on the television screen.]
Rikki: shakes her head while eating popcorn. "Don't open the door. Don't – don't open the –." She winced as the person on the tv opened the door and Emma and Cleo cover their eyes with the blankets. "She opened the door."
"Sounds like every commentary ever," Will joked. He loved scary movies; he didn't really see a problem with them.
Kim: "Ah!" Kim jumps up from her spot in the corner from where she was hiding as she screamed from seeing the horror film. Her scream caused Don to wake up as he opened his eyes and looked at her.
Don: "Kim!" Jumps up and takes the blanket off as he tries to cover her view of the tv with his hands. She tries to look around them. "Well, you shouldn't be watching this. This is for adults."
Kim: "I am an adult. Almost."
"You were supposed to be making sure she wouldn't come downstairs," Don whispered to his ex. "And you were supposed to be keeping an eye on them, not sleeping on the job," Bev whispered back, a small frown on her face. They continued silently bickering back and forth until they both shut up and went back to watching the screen angrily. Cleo shook her head, remembering to breathe so she wouldn't cry as she heard some the argument behind her. Please, not here. Not right now. You two were doing so well. Don't start it up again.
Don: walks up to Kim, trying to get her to go back upstairs. "And, i-it's past your bedtime too." The girls continued watching the movie as Don pointed to Lewis while taking Kim upstairs. "You brought the movie, Lewis. Your fault. You should've been supervising." Lewis turned to him as he watched them go up the stairs.
"You shouldn't be blaming him for it. He brought the movies, but you were supposed to be watching her if she came downstairs. She's your daughter, not his!" Bev hissed at him, making Don get angrier. "Well, she's your daughter too. Why don't you start acting like it instead of running off!" he shot back. The Sertori family, plus the rest of the theater, remained quiet as those words were spoken. Bev gasped, as Don let out a breath in anger.
But if one looked closer, like Cleo did, they would've noticed that Kim was trying so hard not to cry as she rested her head against the palm of her hand and looked down. Cleo could see the tears welling up in her eyes, wanting to be released but she tried so hard not to break the dam. Cleo looked hurt, both by her parents arguing and by the way Kim looked so helpless. She couldn't handle that. So, without making things worse, she decided to interfere without causing another problem.
She turned to them and whispered harshly. "Will you two please stop. Now is not the time." They look at her in surprise, seemingly forgetting that they were in a theater with everyone while they were arguing. And forgetting that their kids could hear them. Their faces went pale as they realized that they weren't helping their kid's situation with this. They turned back to the screen and mumbled their apologies to their kids, and choosing to ignore the other for a while. Both girls look at each other, as Kim mouths the words 'thank you,' to Cleo, who nods in response as they turn back to the screen.
Lewis: looks at his watch then back at Cleo. "Your dad hates me."
Cleo: sighs. "My dad hates all boys, Lewis. Don't flatter yourself." She gives him a small smile as they go back to watching the movie, where screaming could be heard coming from the tv. They then notice that a full moon picture was on the screen of the tv, coming from the movie, taking them back to the task at hand.
"She isn't wrong," both Kim and surprisingly Bev said.
"All dads are like that to their daughters," Sam laughed to herself, thinking of when her dad did the same thing when she was younger. But she found it sweet that Don was protective of his little girls.
Emma: thinks about the full moon as she looks over at Lewis. "Hey, what time does the moon rise?" The other two girls on each side of her look at Emma before looking over at Lewis.
Lewis: chews on some popcorn and holds his arm out to look at his watch. Then looks up at them. "About two minutes, ago." The girls look at each other, getting nervous about what it might bring for them tonight.
The room tenses up, preparing themselves for the worst as they watch the scenes unfold of what exactly happened on Cleo's first moon-spelled night. Don leans forward, watching the screen intensely as Bev takes a deep breath, getting ready to comfort her daughter in any way if she needs it, and maybe herself too. She didn't know what was going to happen. But from the way Cleo has been reacting through the whole thing, it must've not been too bad or dangerous.
[At Mako, the moon shines brightly over the big island, as it tries to shine its lights through the curtained windows.]
Emma: "Don't look at the moonlight." She and Rikki quickly pull the blanket over their heads as Lewis pulls the curtains tightly closed. Unfortunately, too tight as an edge of the curtain gets pulled inches away from the window, causing a little bit of moonlight to reflect into a cup of water, right in front of Cleo. Lewis turns around and notices Cleo staring at the water, a small smile trying to form on her face as she slowly reaches for the cup of water that was reflecting the moon's beauty. But, before she could, Lewis grabs her arm and catches her attention.
Ah, so that's how it happened, Emma thought. She always wondered how it got to her when they were so prepared. Or they thought they were.
"Phew. That was a close one. Thank you, Lewis," Bev said, breathing in relief. She knew that Cleo did get moon-spelled, but at least it was delayed for a little bit longer. "Actually, I couldn't do anything. She looked at the moon's reflection. Once it happened, there was nothing we could do. She's already moon-spelled, she just didn't get worse until she touches water," Lewis explained, causing Bev's hope to decrease. "And I still don't understand how she did that too," Rikki said, shaking her head.
Lewis: "Cleo, are you alright?" Emma and Rikki peak from up under the covers and look over at them.
Cleo: "I'm fine, why?"
Lewis: "You just had quite a close call."
Cleo: "Really?" Emma lets out a breath of relief as they continue watching Cleo. Lewis goes to finish fixing the curtains, as he closes them shut completely. "This is really scary, isn't it?"
"She seems perfectly normal to me," Will said. "Like we said before, it's different on all of them, and different each time. Emma acted all goofy before she touched water and turned into a mermaid the whole night. Cleo might seem normal now, but once she touched water, then the effects only grow stronger," Lewis told him. "And just wait, she won't be so normal soon," Rikki joked, as Cleo gave her a look with a small smile. But couldn't help but laugh about it. "They're right. Because I don't even remember this part," Cleo sighed. How she really wished she could remember what happened that night.
Kim crossed her arms, getting nervous about these next few minutes. Now she knows Cleo is definitely moon-spelled. But she seems fine from the look in her eyes, for now. She remembered that night. Cleo acted a little goofy later, but mainly starstruck as she kept singing so much and the guys kept swooning over her. If she had to guess, the full moon had something to do with that.
[When Lewis gets done, he turns around and looks at her, as she shifts uncomfortably.]
Cleo: "I have to go to the bathroom."
"I don't think that's a good idea," Don said. "Well I would've had to go eventually," Cleo stated as if it were obvious.
Lewis: "Well, someone should go with you."
Cleo: stands up, looking at him. "Lewis, it's the bathroom. I think I'll be fine." She leaves to go to the bathroom upstairs as Lewis sighs.
"I don't think she needs a chaperone to go to the bathroom," Annette said. "You're right, she doesn't. But with it being a full moon, it's just too risky," Max mentioned, making Denman wonder once again how he knows so much. "That, and we forgot to cover the window in the bathroom," Lewis sighed, as he realized how the situation deteriorated even further downhill.
Rikki: picks up a movie box on the head of the couch and smiles as she reads the label. "Karaoke DVD. You guys up for a few laughs?" Turns to him and sees Lewis's extremely worried look. "What, you'd prefer to sit here and be morbid?" Emma turns around towards her.
"You brought that as a little joke, didn't you?" Bella grinned. "Maybe a little. But it also would be a good distraction. Besides, I figured Cleo would have wanted to do it with a smaller crowd instead," Lewis said with a small smile. "You're right. I would have. Thanks," Cleo smiled. She wasn't just thanking him for the karaoke, but also for caring about her. She saw the look on his face. He was really worried about her, and what was going to happen. She was glad that he cared so much for her, back then at least. Did he still care for her now?
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[Upstairs, Cleo walks into the bathroom and looks in the mirror adjusting her makeup when she hears the faucet dripping. As she looks down into the nearly full sink, she sees a smudge of the moon's reflection as the water ripples from every drop of water coming from the faucet. Suddenly, the moon shines brighter over Mako, and the room grows darker, with the only light left shining, coming from the reflecting full moon water. It shines a pale glimmering blue light.]
Of course that's where it happened, Lewis sighed, blaming himself for not covering the bathroom windows.
"And we learned our lesson that night to make sure to cover all the windows," Rikki told everyone.
Don sighed, shaking his head in worry as he began to fidget with his fingers nervously. He was worried about his daughter. He might know some things now: their secret, some of the stuff they tell them during these little episodes, and some forewarned knowledge. But he didn't know all of it, and with what was all going to happen to her and her friends. And the worst part. Is that this is all in the past, there was nothing he could do now. Only watch in anticipation and hope that his daughter will stay safe. Unsurprisingly, Bev was thinking the same thing, as she shifted back and forth in her seat, terrified about what this past night will hold for them.
[Cleo stares at it in awe, slowly reaching her hand forward, and dipping her fingers in it where the full moon is once shown as she swayed her fingers around in the water, still gazing into the water. When the darkness surrounding her fades, she looks up into the mirror, and stares at her own reflection.]
"No, Cleo!" Kim shrieked as she covered her eyes with her hands. She didn't want to watch her sister go completely moonstruck. "It's alright, Kim. I'm fine. Just, in a trance of some sort," Cleo said, trying to reassure her sister that everything was okay.
"Oh great, so how did you end up getting a moonstruck mermaid out of the bathroom. Without her family seeing her? Surely you would've heard her fall," Will assumed. "Actually, we didn't," Rikki sighed as Emma nodded. "How come?" Will asked in confusion, along with everyone else giving her a strange look. He didn't get a response as Rikki pointed to the screen.
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[Back downstairs, the group changed their mood as they jumped into a fun time of karaoke. Rikki was currently at the mic, singing terribly and jumping around, having a blast.]
Rikki: singing and pointing to the crowd (Emma and Lewis) as Lewis points back at her, making a face. "I'm not making it easy for you, because you know you're not making it easy for me." Emma slowly facepalmed, lowering her head into her lap as she stayed covered up by the blanket. A look of annoyance stretched across her face, wanting to scream out loud over Rikki's painful song. "I'm head over heels. Over heels because I've been over heels in love with youuuuuu!" She screeches the last part as Emma rubs her ear from the painful shriek.
"Yikes. And I thought Cleo was bad," Zane teased as he also rubbed his ear as Emma did on screen. Rikki sent him a glare, along with Cleo, and Zane winced, secretly terrified of the mermaids' powerful glares.
"So, you couldn't hear her fall because you were doing karaoke and were too loud?" Will slowly said, thinking he was right. Rikki looked over at him, glaring, but not as bad as she did towards Zane though. "Hey! I didn't say it was terrible, just that it was too loud," Will exclaimed. Even though it was awful. "You were loud," Emma mumbled to Rikki, who ignored her comment. "Like Bella said, it's meant to be fun. Doesn't matter if I sucked at singing. And for the record, no. That's not why we didn't hear her fall," Rikki said, smiling smugly. "Then how?" Will asked, completely clueless at this point as to how they didn't hear her fall from that loud racket. Rikki once again waved to the screen, as all eyes turn from her to it.
Bella smiled, glad that someone was actually having fun with karaoke instead of doing it for the 'fame and fortune' crap. She stood by her word. Karaoke will always be for fun, not for some silly competitions.
Lewis: "Yeah!" He lightly pumped his fist in the air and began clapping for her. Rikki smiled ecstatically and extended her hands out away from her body, the mic still in her hand.
Emma: "Could we possibly do something that's not from 1985?" Rikki threw a pillow at her, then held the mic out for her as she saw Emma stand up. "Let me have a go."
Lewis: "I liked it."
"You enjoyed all that shrieking and hollering?" Charlotte said, wincing from the pain in her ears after the song ended. "I was having fun," Lewis shrugged shamelessly, not ashamed to admit that he enjoyed a girl's sleepover.
"What's wrong with that music? We listen to it all the time back at home," Terry said. "Now I know where she got her taste in music," Emma sighed, chuckling slightly.
[Cleo appears from out of the kitchen and walks over to Rikki, snatching the mic from her before Emma could take it. She took Rikki's place as the two girls watched her. Cleo held the mic up and began to sing, eyeing the two girls like she was in a daze.]
"What the?!" Will yelled in shock, jumping in his seat. Everyone, except the ones who knew the truth that night, leaned forward in their seats, murmuring to their selves on how in the world she didn't have a tail right now.
"How the heck do you have legs? Where's your tail?!" Kim exclaimed, fear shining in her eyes. "Did you dry yourself off or something?" Ash said, trying to understand how she got downstairs so quickly. "No, I think this was right after I touched the water. Right?" Cleo said, looking over at her friends for confirmation. "Yeah. Your hands were still wet," Emma told her.
"Then wha – why – how?" Will stuttered. "Magic," all three girls shrugged. "The moon works in mysterious ways," Mrs. Chatham reminded them, causing a shiver to run up Bella's spine. She just knows how to scare people, doesn't she?
"So did it take away your tail temporarily that night?" Denman asked, narrowing her eyes. The girls glared at her, and Lewis gulped nervously. "No. She's still a mermaid, just uh, the full moon changed her abilities a bit. She still had a tail, the moon spell just prevented her from using it," Lewis said, avoiding giving any answers on the fact that they still were mermaids. Denman frowned.
So the full moon didn't let her turn into a mermaid. And from the sounds of it, it was only temporary. Considering they still had one when they were, uh, soon to be experimented on. It's a shame that the moon had to take it away forever that night.
Cleo: siren singing, beautifully. "Ooh, ooh, ooh. Ooh, ooh, ah."
The murmuring ceased and turns into a deafening silence, as they watch in both confusement, and amazement of what Cleo was doing. Even though there was no tail, she somehow was able to gain the ability to sing amazingly in just a short span of a few minutes. Bella was the first to break the silence. "What's, going on?" she asked slowly. "The full moon has turned her into a siren," Lewis said.
A siren? She doesn't sound very loud," Elliot said, squinting his eyes as he sounded even more confused. Emma laughed as she turned to her brother to explain what Lewis meant. "No, Elliot. A siren is basically a mermaid. Except for these mermaids had the ability to sing. In stories, they used their singing to lure men that were on their boats to their death." "Oh," Elliot said, shivering at the thought of being lured to his death.
Kim's eyes widen, finally remembering this night. Two thoughts ran through her mind. The first was that if Cleo was a siren, did she lure all those boys to her home to kill them? She shuttered at the thought, but the second thing that crossed her mind haunted her.
She was at home when Cleo was moon-spelled. She could've stopped her, but she didn't. She could've saved her from the power of the full moon, but she didn't. She tried to think of the fact that she didn't know about the secret back then, but it still didn't help the matter. Gosh, how terrible of a sister was she in order to not protect her from danger? Kim continued moping at the thought, not even noticing the hand reaching for her.
Cleo gently grabbed Kim's hand, causing the other girl to slightly flinch as she now noticed her sister right next to her. Cleo gave her a genuine small smile, knowing what she was thinking. "Don't worry, Kim. Emma and Rikki explained some things to me about what happened that night. I don't know everything, but I do know that I wasn't in any danger. And besides, as you saw with Emma's first full moon, there's nothing you can do to help a moon-spelled mermaid. The only thing you can do is wait it out till the full moon is gone." Cleo's smile grew wider as she hugged her sister. "So don't worry about trying to help. I was fine." Kim smiled as she returned the hug, glad to have some reassurance that her sister was fine as Cleo returned to her seat and they turned back to the screen.
[Rikki and Emma look at each other in shock, not expecting their friend to be able to sing so wonderfully like that.]
Emma: takes a step back in surprise. "What happened? She can sing." Lewis watched her in a daze of his own as Emma and Rikki took a seat back on the couch.
Cleo: "Oooh, oooh."
"That's what you were worried about? Her singing instead of her seeing the moon?" Charlotte asked sarcastically. "Well, the two were connected but we didn't realize she actually saw the moon at the time. It just seemed like a miracle that came out of nowhere," Emma sighed, shaking her head.
"Why are you guys sitting on the couch, listening to her?" Ash questioned. "What else could we do? Cover her mouth?" Rikki shrugged. "We didn't know what was going on. Besides, we didn't think there was any harm in her singing at the time," Emma said. "We should've known better than that," Rikki chuckled. "What do you mean?" Annette asked. "Just keep watching," Cleo sighed, wanting to know more of what happened that night.
Bev: comes downstairs, looking into the living room, Don and Kim following from behind. "Who's that singing?"
"The one and only," Cleo joked. "Oh, please. You're fame only lasted for about twelve hours. Enjoy it while it lasts," Rikki scoffed, as Cleo playfully pouts.
Bev nodded slowly. She was right. Right about it being that night, and right about it having something to do with Cleo's miracle singing. So, this is what the moon did to her. It turned her into a siren. And made her the talk of the town that whole week, well mostly for the boys at least. She let out a breath of relief, glad to see that Cleo wasn't in danger, but still felt a little bad that she had to go through all that and experience her first full moon spell.
Emma: to Rikki. "Something's not right."
Cleo: "Ooh, ooh, ooh. Ooh, ooh." The rest of the Sertori family stand still in the living room, Bev's hands on Kim's shoulders as Don walks closer to them.
"Considering she went from singing like a sick parrot to singing like a star, I'd say so," Zane commented, then rubbed his forehead after receiving a flick to it from Lewis.
Rikki: notices Cleo's hands and nods towards them, whispering to Emma. "Look, wet hands, but no tail." She shook her head, her and Emma turned to each other.
"Yeah, that's still surprising. I have kind of gotten used to the whole, one drop equals a tail thing," Will sighed. "Well good, that means you can shut up this episode. No tails for you," Rikki chimed in. "Rikki!" Emma hissed quietly. "It's okay. I guess talking about it a lot can be annoying," Will chuckled, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "Sorry, by the way. Guess I was too excited about the whole thing."
"It's alright. And I'm sorry too. I could've been a little nicer than that," Rikki hesitantly said, after Emma gave her a look. Zane felt a tad bit of jealousy trying to rise, but flushed it down, knowing that Rikki wouldn't try to hurt him. Emotionally at least. He knew she wasn't falling for some other guy. After all, she said she loved him. That's all the proof he needed.
Cleo: "Ooh, ooh, ooh. Ah, ah, ooh, ooh, ooh." The Sertori family watches her in astonishment, proud of her newfound talent. Emma nudges Rikki, noticing the way Lewis was looking at her. He wasn't looking at her with his usual dumbfounded love-struck look. This was somehow even ten times stronger than that, as his mouth hanged wide open, his eyes never leaving her face, and listening to every single tune she hit.
"What is that look, Lewis?" Max chuckled. He knew he really liked Gracie, but he never looked that obvious. "Remember, when Emma was talking about the whole sirens luring men to their death's thing?" Lewis slowly explained as the others nodded along. "Yeah, that's what that was there," Lewis winced.
"You tried to kill, Lewis?" Charlotte said in shock. "What? No!" Cleo said quickly, her heart pounding rapidly. Her mind immediately went to the last full moon from when they got their new powers. She really hoped her moon-spelled self then didn't try to kill him. "She wasn't trying to kill us, she just seemed to love the attention she was getting from it," Lewis said, defending her in some way. "Us?" Harrison asked. "Watch," was all that Lewis said as he pointed to the screen.
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[Down at the beach, Byron was walking up the sandy beachside with his surfboard in hand and a towel draped over his shoulder. He stopped suddenly when he heard Cleo's siren singing. He closed his eyes and took in the sound of the graceful spell that sung its way into his heart. Tossing his towel to the side and dropping his board, he marched his way up the stairs and to the Sertori house.]
"How did he hear it that far? There's no way the karaoke machine could be that loud," Denman argued. "Magic," the three girls once again said simultaneously. "I think she was able to amplify it, to make it for anyone to hear," Lewis answered for them.
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[Back at the Sertori house, Cleo continued her little private concert. Lewis got up from the couch and sat on the coffee table, wanting to hear even more, watching her sing.]
Cleo: "Ooh, ooh, ooh."
Lewis: not even blinking. "Wow, she's amazing." Behind him, Kim looks over to her parents. Bev and Don share a look, him draping his arm around her shoulder, as she nodded in approval.
"She sure is," Will admitted, relieved that the siren song wasn't affecting them at the moment. He guessed it had to do with the full moon. I wonder if that's how we got here. Could it really be that powerful? Is it strong enough to control more than one mermaid? Is it strong enough to take an entire group of people from their daily lives and bring them to some random place, exploiting its secrets to us? What exactly happened to us?
Rikki: they continue watching her, both her and Emma with a look of confusion and worry on their face. They shake their heads. "This isn't Cleo. It's gotta be the full moon."
"It sure isn't me," Cleo huffed, surprised that she was able to sing that good, and a little jealous that she couldn't do that no more.
"It took you long enough to figure that out," Bella chuckled.
[Emma looks over at the door when she hears a knock coming from it. Bev goes to open the door. When she does, Byron walks in.]
Byron: "Who's that singing? She's incredible." He walks past her and sees that it was Cleo the whole time and watches her sing along with everyone else. "Cleo?"
Cleo smiled, glad that someone else enjoyed it. Even though, you know, it was the full moon controlling her. But it still left a smile on her face.
"He walked all the way to your house to find out? That's some dedication," Sam commented.
"How did he know where to go?" Annette asked. "Magic," the girls once again said, getting a little tired of having to sum it up for them. "I think it might have been another part of the siren ability. To direct them where to go," Lewis explained for them.
Bev: closes the door and stands next to him. "She must have had singing lessons, I guess."
Byron: they walk further into the living room. He smiles, the same daze in his eyes as Lewis. "They really worked."
"Hey!" Cleo pouted. Emma and Rikki laugh to themselves. They couldn't deny that fact though. Cleo can't sing.
"No mom, no singing lessons," Cleo joked, making Bev giggle.
Cleo: finishes up her song. "Ooh, ooh, ah!" She puts the mic down and smiles, hopping up and down in excitement. "How did I do?" Lewis closes his mouth, seemingly getting out of his little trance-like state now.
"You were pretty good, I'll admit that," Ash said. "Don't feed her ego," Rikki teased.
"Well at least no other boys showed up," Harrison said. "Not yet," Emma mumbled, loud enough for Cleo to hear, making her blush from embarrassment. Just how many people did she lure to her house?
Don: gestures his hands at her in excitement. "You were good!" Bev nodded as Byron smiled.
Cleo: "I can sing. I can really sing." She nodded in approval, as Don wrapped an arm around her shoulder, proud of his little girl. "I mean, it sounded good to me. But sometimes it's hard to tell."
"You were really proud of yourself," Bella frowned, thinking the tragic karaoke event from earlier must've gone to her head some, along with the moon spell. "That's just the moonstruck me talking," Cleo said, waving it off. She really didn't like talking about herself like that. She never complimented herself so much like that. It almost made her sound like the nice version of Miriam. Gosh. Even the nice version of a Miriam made her want to shiver.
[Emma and Rikki glance at each other, both getting the idea, as Emma stands up and walks over to Cleo, with Rikki following her lead.]
Emma: "Cleo, we need to talk." Rikki hands the microphone to Don and both girls shove their friend away.
"Talking won't help. It's best to just wait it out till morning," Max mentioned. The girls look at each other, a little worried about how he knows so much about the full moon stuff and mermaid information. He seems to know as much as Mrs. Chatham does. And that's quite a bit. Is he dangerous? Or willing to keep the secret safe? To keep them safe?