I do not own H2O: Just Add Water or any of the characters.
Chapter 49: Red Herring (part 1)
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[It was a busy day at the marine park, with lots of people visiting the beautiful and talented dolphins. One couple, in particular, was crouched down by the pool posing with a dolphin that cackled in the water behind them. Emma who kindly agreed to take the photo for them stood a few feet away with a camera and took a great picture of the nice couple.]
Emma: "Smile." Takes the picture then hands it back to them. "There you go."
Couple: stands up and takes the camera back from her. "Thank you."
"Who are they?" Neil asked. "Not sure. But they had asked if I could take a photo of them, so I said yes," Emma answered. "That's sweet of you, Em," Lisa smiled.
"How come every time I ask you to take my photo you always say no," Cleo frowned. "Because every time I do, you always have me retake it. 'The lighting is all wrong, the angle isn't good enough, let me try a different pose.' It's just a photo!" Emma exclaimed.
[Emma turns around where she finds Rikki coming up to her.]
Rikki: "You know, it takes fewer muscles, to just say no."
Emma: "Had to do something, whilst I was waiting." Starts walking down the stone path, with Rikki following her.
"That's our Emma, always willing to help someone out," Neil chuckled.
"She is such a nice girl," Annette nodded before turning to her daughter. "You should try hanging out with her more at school. I think you two will get along just fine." "With us knowing their secret I might just have to," Charlotte chuckled. "But I'll try mom. They have been rather nice to me."
"It might take fewer muscles to say no, but it takes a lot of courage to say yes," Mrs. Chatham said.
Rikki: "Ok, yep. Sorry, I got a little caught up."
"A little caught up perhaps on someone else's lips?" Kim quipped. "Kim!" Bev scolded as both Rikki and Zane's faces flushed red. "You were with Zane, weren't you?" Emma asked. "He wanted to hang out before I met up with you and Cleo," Rikki mumbled. Emma laughed. "Oh, relax. It's fine." Terry raised a suspicious eyebrow at the conversation, wondering what happened while they were hanging out.
Emma: "I'm surprised you even showed up at all."
Rikki: "Alright, okay. Yep, I get it. I've been a little inconsistent, lately."
"It was only by a few minutes," Rikki shrugged it off. "Half an hour is not a few minutes!" Emma exclaimed.
Emma: "It's alright. I'm sure you'll tell me about it when you're ready."
"Did you?" Terry asked. Considering he didn't know about it until moments ago, he assumed that the girls knew since they seemed to have a pretty close friendship. Ya know, with the secret and all. The trio looks at one another, grimacing, and then avoids his gaze. "Um, in a way," Cleo hesitantly answered. "I was going to tell them when the time was right, but they found out beforehand. But they took it surprisingly well, a lot better than I thought at least," Rikki mentioned. Hopefully, they'll take it well this next go around.
"That was surprisingly well to you? Then I hate to see what was the worst," Lewis shook his head. "It was rather surprising," Emma glanced at her.
[Emma and Rikki continue walking down the path until they run into a familiar surfer. Byron spots the two and calls them over.]
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.
Emma: "That's not being predictable. That's just good health sense."
Rikki: "And my role in this conversation ends now." Begins sipping her juice from a straw.
"I think that means yes, Emma. You are predictable," Lewis chuckled.
Cleo: "You know what I think? I think our lives have gotten so nutty lately. It's nice to have a normal person we can rely on."
"But you're not normal. You grow tails from just a drop of water," Denman chuckled shaking her head. "Is anyone normal?" Will questioned. "Everyone's different in many ways," Max commented.
"Nutty is an understatement. It's insane. But in a good way, I think," Kim smiled at her sister.
"Cleo, none of us are considered normal, not even the clean freak," Rikki said, both her and Emma laughing.
Emma: deflates a little. "I'm predictable."
Cleo: "That's not what I meant."
"That's how it sounded," Emma responded.
Rikki: to Emma. "'The sun and Emma.' I know what this is about."
Emma: "This has got nothing to do with Byron."
Rikki: "Mm-hmm."
"If it didn't, you wouldn't have let it get to your head," Bella said. "Or your hair," Cleo added as Emma huffed, trying her best to ignore her and Rikki's giggling. Once again, the Gilbert family looks at the trio in confusion. Why do they keep mentioning hair? Neil thought with a frown.
"Still think it's a compliment," Will shrugged. "Then you're not very good at them either," Bella grinned.
Emma: "You two just confirmed it for me. I'm sick of being dependable Emma. I need a change." She looks out for a moment before a smile graces her face as a bright (red) idea came to her mind. "I'm going to color my hair."
"Emma? The same girl who studies on weekends and cleans her shoes weekly? Hah, yeah right. What are you going to do, dye it red?" Zane laughed. Then again, he did see a red-haired mermaid that same day. Could that have been her? Nah! Emma's not the kind of girl to have a rebellious streak. There's no way she would do it!
Neil and Lisa look at her in shock. "Emma!" "You wanted to dye your hair? Is this some kind of rebellious faze?" Neil asked Lisa who shrugged. "No, dad. I just wanted a change. I wanted to try it and see how I felt about it," Emma replied.
"Em, there's no way you would've done that. I don't believe it. The Emma I know is such a goody-two-shoes. You follow the rules so much you make some of them up yourself," Elliot shook his head. "Well believe it squirt. She's done it," Rikki said, leaning back in her seat. "I know my sister. I'd bet my whole piggy bank that she didn't," Elliot scoffed, arms crossed. But when Emma had a guilty look and Rikki held her hand out, he couldn't help but question his bet. "Hey, I lived through that. I know what happens. Pay up." Elliot huffed.
"Even if it was true, which I still don't believe, where would I keep it? It didn't magically come with me." Rikki sighed. "Fine. You can cough it over when we get out of here," she said as she turned back to the screen. It might not sound like it, but she was only joking around. Elliot was just a kid, and her friend, he needed that money more than she did since he was too young to get a job. He could save it up and spend it wisely instead of buying loving gifts for a way-too-old-for-him crush.
[Mrs. Chatham suddenly comes rushing over, coming from who knows where, and pats Emma on the back as she gets the girl's attention.]
Mrs. Chatham: "Girls, I am so glad I bumped into you."
"Ah, another person we haven't seen in a while. Isn't this quite a reunion?" Harrison chuckled.
"You seem to bump into them quite often," Don commented. Used to, he would be very suspicious about it, but now that he knew why he was okay with it. Only a little bit though.
"When I need to see the girls, I know where to find them," Mrs. Chatham smiled. Magic always has a way.
Cleo: looks up at the older ex-mermaid and smiles, as do Emma and Rikki. "Mrs. Chatham, hi."
Emma: "How are you, Mrs. Chatham?"
Mrs. Chatham: "In all honesty, Emma, I'm very concerned."
"Concerned? About what?" Neil asked, sitting up. "Is something wrong?" Bev asked, her heart beating a little faster in worry. "It's nothing to worry about, Mrs. Bev. I was just concerned about their friendship and the secrets that were being held, Rikki's secret to be exact. But it's okay, as you can see, they managed to work it out," Mrs. Chatham smiled as she gestured to the girls around her.
There were more details to it, that she knew. But she wasn't going to spill it to their families about what really happened. It wasn't her business to tell. The girls will talk to them eventually when the time comes. And she wasn't wrong, either. They managed to get through it just fine ... for now. "It's happened once, and history does not need to repeat itself," Max mumbled to himself, thinking of his old friends.
Mrs. Chatham: walks around the table and sits in the empty chair sitting next to Cleo and Rikki. The latter gives her a suspicious look. "I just wanted to tell you that you must stick together, no matter what. You must be there for one another. Promise me."
"If you knew about Rikki's secret, then how did you find out?" Terry asked her suspiciously. Surely, Rikki wasn't prancing around and telling everyone. That just wasn't Rikki. Then again, he didn't think Rikki would be a mermaid or fall for a rich guy, but hey Rikki was still the same ole Rikki. "Magic has its ways," Mrs. Chatham said mysteriously, annoying a few of the others who didn't know its full extent too well.
The mysteries can be a pain sometimes, but that's just how it is, mysterious. But truth be told, Mrs. Chatham had had a vision the night before she went to visit the girls of Rikki's other secret life and the harm it could bring to their friendship. She might not have magic anymore herself, but when you've been around it for as long as she has, eventually it works its way around you, especially if you were once a part of its gift as well.
Emma: the girls look at each other in confusion before looking back at her. "Mrs. Chatham, I don't know what you're worrying about. But as far as I'm concerned, there's nothing I wouldn't do for Cleo and Rikki."
Cleo: "Absolutely. The three of us are like best friends, no secrets. Right?"
Rikki: shows a guilty look for a split second before covering it up. "Right."
Emma: "Right."
While Rikki looked guilty herself for hiding their secret, even if they knew now it was still something they had gone through that caused trouble, Cleo and Emma had a guilty conscience themselves. They couldn't help but feel guilty as they had fought with Rikki over the secret she kept, they acted immaturely as Rikki knew they would, and in the end, they had made her choose between their friendship or Zane. And although they never told Rikki, Rikki made the right choice for choosing Zane. After all, Zane never made her choose between him or them.
'Friends don't give each other ultimatums,' still rang in their heads. That is what Rikki had told them the day they fought. The day they had made the wrong choice. The three of them had apologized time and time again, but the memory was still there, and it would never go away.
Mrs. Chatham: sits up straight and gives Rikki a warning look. "I'm glad." Rikki looks down, having realized that she knows.
"Why didn't you rat her out? You could've told them then and there," Kim pointed out. "It wasn't my business to tell. It would've only caused more problems that was already to come," Mrs. Chatham informed. At that moment, Rikki couldn't help but feel grateful for the older woman. For if she had, things would've been far worse than predicted.
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[Later at the beach, after their little get-together separated, Rikki walked along the beach, alone. At least, until Zane ran alongside her.]
Zane: "Rikki. Ok, so when?" The two stand side by side on the beach, the pair holding their shoes as to prevent them from getting sandy.
"Didn't you say you had just met up earlier that morning?" Terry asked. "Yes, but she had never answered my question," Zane said. "What was the question?" "Uh, I'm sure you'll find out," Zane said softly, turning away from the odd look Terry was giving him.
Rikki: "When what?"
Zane: they both start walking slowly along the beach. "When are we going to go out?"
Harrison couldn't help but chuckle, he's never seen Zane smile like that with Miriam. It was a good change for him. Terry raised his eyebrows in surprise, not expecting him to ask her so soon. He could've at least given her flowers or something, even if Rikki wasn't a flower kind of girl. And it was just the last episode they had a decent conversation!
"You're out now," Will joked. "Nobody likes a smart aleck," Rikki sighed.
"I kept asking her, but every time she turned me down," Zane shook his head, laughing with a light blush. "Maybe that was a sign, Zane, that she didn't want to," Lewis muttered.
Rikki: "The two of us? Forget it." The smile never left her face, and neither did Zane's.
"That smile says otherwise," Cleo laughed.
Zane: "Oh, you're kidding. We can't disappoint everyone like that."
Rikki: looks at him. "Disappoint who?"
Cleo, Emma, and dad, Rikki thought with an inward sigh. She was right about how her friends would react, they were disappointed at the time, but she was glad it was done and over with for the first round. Now for the second, she had no clue how that would go. It was also part of why it took her so long to answer, because she wanted to talk to them first but couldn't figure out how. That all changed however when the mermaid talk started going around the café, and then panic mode set in. She couldn't let Zane find out it was Emma.
Another part being what Mrs. Chatham had told them, it worried her. But for her dad, she was clueless. He seemed neither upset nor happy, as if he was unsure of it himself. Maybe it was a good sign. Or maybe it was bad. She just knew she didn't want to disappoint her father. Or have the boyfriend talk with him. That would be weird.
Zane: "Your friends. How are they ever going to tell you that I'm no good for you, if you won't go out with me. And what about my mates? They're just waiting for the chance to hassle me about hanging with the freaky, weird chick." Rikki gawked at him and couldn't help but laugh. "Come on. A lot of people have a lot riding on this."
"Oh, they did. They just didn't say it to your face," Rikki laughed. "Aw man, I missed that," Zane said, playfully pouting.
"Wow, Zane. You really know how to get a girl to change her mind," Lewis scoffed.
"The freaky, weird chick, huh?" Terry questioned, his eyes narrowing on him, and Zane couldn't help but flinch back. "Dad, relax. It was a compliment," Rikki smiled widely. "Calling you freaky and weird is a compliment to you?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "Yes."
"Does anyone know what a compliment is nowadays?" Max asked Mrs. Chatham. "It's called flirting," Kim said.
"Aside from you and her, no one else really has a lot riding on it," Cleo told him.
"Yes, because I'm sure Miriam is going to enjoy hearing about this news too," Emma rolled her eyes but couldn't help the grin growing. Hey, if it upset her nemesis, then what was the harm?
"We really need to work on your socializing skills. Could've learned that from the seminar," Harrison shook his head.
Rikki: stops, turns to him, and points. "Wow! You have friends?"
The crowd couldn't help but laugh. "I know, it surprised me too," Harrison joked.
"That's one way to avoid the question," Lewis laughed. "He had me in an awkward position, we were in public on the beach, and I told him time and time again to give me time. I wasn't ready to give him an answer yet," Rikki sighed. Another part of why she kept denying him, was because she wasn't sure if she was ready either. She was always afraid things would end the same just like it was for her mom and dad, she didn't want that to happen to herself too.
"I've been asking for a week!" Zane exclaimed. "It was three days, Zane," Rikki corrected him, rolling her eyes. Terry's eyes widened. Three days?! "Be patient, Zane. You have to give her more time than that. She can take as long as she needs so she can sort things out," Harrison told him, surprising Zane and the Chadwick's.
Zane: "Rikki, what –."
Rikki: "Zane, we can't. Forget it."
Zane: both start walking down the beach again. "You might be saying no today. But the other day, when we kissed, your lips, they were saying yes."
"That's something I definitely wanted to hear," Terry sarcastically said as the other girls in the room started giggling. Rikki and Zane's faces turned a deep shade of red in embarrassment. "Well, if I had known our lives would be onscreen like this, I never would've said it," Zane sighed. But if it increased his chances with her, he would say it over and over again.
"Again, socializing skills, they need work," Harrison chuckled and patted his son on the back.
Rikki: "Zane, the list of reasons why we should never, ever go out is endless. On top of it is the fact that, until a few days ago, the thought of you made me want to hurl."
"And yet you still said yes," Cleo said, leaning forward to give her friend of knowing smile. There was only one thing on her list as to why Rikki should say yes: he made her happy.
"That kiss said otherwise," Kim smirked.
Zane: nods. "And now?"
"Still want to hurl," Emma finished. "I was asking Rikki," Zane gestured to the screen. "I know."
Rikki: hesitates and stops in her walk once more. "I ... I find you less repulsive."
"Now that, is a compliment," Will pointed out. "It's somewhat of one, but wouldn't work back in my day," Max chuckled.
Zane: smiles. "Progress." They begin to walk, but Rikki looks up and spots Mrs. Chatham standing on the boardwalk in the sand dunes, watching them.
"That's not creepy at all," Ash remarked.
Rikki grinned. Having been around Mrs. Chatham for so long, you eventually learn to pick up the signs of the magic as well. Mrs. Chatham might have been old and was no longer a mermaid, but the moon's magic still radiated from her a little. Something she eventually learned to notice. And that's exactly what she noticed that day, along with the feeling of being watched.
Zane: looks up to where she was looking. "What's up?"
Rikki: "Mrs. Chatham."
Zane: "What's she looking at?"
Rikki: "Us."
"She's staring right at you two. Shouldn't it be that obvious?" Charlotte asked.
Zane: "Is she hassling you?"
This time it was Mrs. Chatham who barked out in laughter, surprising most of the others as they jumped in their seats. "Oh, please. I'm a sixty-five-year-old woman. Who am I going to hassle?" Mrs. Chatham quieted her fit of laughter down and waved it off.
Terry laughed to himself. It was ridiculous for Zane to stand up for Rikki against an elderly woman, someone who was clearly harmless, but the thought was appreciated.
Rikki: "No, she's harmless."
Zane: "You're sure?"
Rikki: "I'm sure." They continue to stare at each other, until finally Mrs. Chatham walks away, giving Rikki one last glance. Another warning.
"Why would I be scared of Mrs. Chatham? She might be mysterious and creepy at first, but she's a nice lady once you get to know her," Rikki said, defending the older woman.
Zane: watches her go, shaking his head. "She's weird. There's something about her –."
Rikki: nods. "I'm sure."
"Why'd you cut him off?" Bella asked. There was something about her, and she was glad she knew what it was now. It was exciting to know there were other mermaids out there. And an ex-one that could show her the ropes, teach her a few things she didn't know in her 7 years of being a mermaid. "I didn't want him to start talking about her. As strange as it is for me to say it, I like Mrs. Chatham," Rikki answered, putting a smile on Mrs. Chatham and the other girl's faces.
Zane: looks back at her. "So, about my offer?"
"You're never going to stop asking, are you?" Lewis asked. "If he did, they wouldn't be together now, would they?" Cleo said, rolling her eyes. Rikki grinned. That's not how we got together.
Rikki: "Let me think about it."
Zane: "Really?"
Rikki: "No." Shakes her head and walks off. Zane watches her go then lets out a breath.
"Way to get a boy's hopes up," Terry chuckled, but was relieved that Rikki was taking her time to think this through. Right now, he had no problem with the boy, but he wanted Rikki to take this seriously before jumping into things. Especially with the whole sea creature hunt.
"Why does that not surprise me?" Zane laughed. "I've been telling you the same thing all week, why would you expect anything different?" Rikki laughed along.
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[Meanwhile, at Emma's house, she and Cleo are setting the bathroom up to prepare for the dye as Emma finally makes her decision to go through with it. Cleo reads the directions on the box, which has a picture of red hair on it.]
Emma: "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
"There's no way that you actually went through with it," Elliot shook his head, still determined that his sister wouldn't be such a rebel. "I say she backs out of it," Kim crossed her arms, but wondered why Rikki was holding out a hand her way.
"You wanted red hair?" Bella asked. "What's wrong with red?" Charlotte frowned as she grabbed some strands of her hair. "Oh, nothing's wrong with yours. But the one on the box, it's just such a strong color. It would definitely stand out," Bella said, and Charlotte surprisingly agreed. She liked her red hair, but even she had to agree that was a little wild for Emma's taste.
"Why would you pick red? Why would you pick any color? Your hair is beautiful as it is. Why would you want to dye your hair?" Lisa asked worriedly. "Calm down, sweetheart. We never saw it, I'm sure she changed her mind about it," Neil reassured her, but even he had to admit he was a bit nervous. "I wanted a more natural look of red, I didn't think it would be that bad," Emma winced as she noticed her father's hope deflate.
Zane frowned as he noticed the picture on the dye box. It was red; very similar to the red he has seen of the red-haired mermaid. Could it have been Emma? Could she have done it? She does like Mrs. Chatham and would do anything for the older woman. Then he shook the thought away. Emma wouldn't do it. She's too much of a goody-two-shoes. He had seen Emma that day, right before he went to go look at her boat. Her hair was as blonde as ever, not a single change to it then. There was no time to dye it between the time of him leaving her house and going to Mrs. Chatham's boat. It wasn't possible.
Cleo: "It's easy. I've done this a thousand times."
"Yeah, right. And I'm a fairy," Kim scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I have too," Cleo shot back. "If you take out the 999 times you didn't," Rikki muttered.
"I don't recall you ever dying any hair," Bev frowned; what else did she not know about her daughter? "Me neither," Don admitted. "But we didn't know she was a mermaid either. Nothing could surprise me more than that."
Emma: shuts the bathroom door and walks over to the tub. "Really?"
Cleo: looks up from the box. "No, but I've seen it being done before. Let's go." Walks over to the salon chair set out in the middle of the bathroom.
"That's what I thought," Kim smirked as Cleo rolled her eyes.
"Just because you had seen it done before doesn't mean you automatically know how to do it. It's like riding a bike. You can watch people do it, but you don't know how to do it yourself until you experience it," Sam said.
Emma: sits down on the edge of the tub, the hesitation showing in her face. "Let's wait for Rikki. You know how she is, always feeling like the odd one out."
"Hey, don't bring me into this. You're the one who made that decision, not me," Rikki laughed, even though Emma's words were a little true. She always did feel like the odd one out sometimes. No matter where she was, who she was, it was always the same. It wasn't until she was stuck on that rooftop with Zane, that she felt like she belonged in a sense as if she had a connection with someone other than through magic.
Lisa sighed in relief. It was good to see that Emma was hesitant about this. Maybe she didn't want to go through with it. No wonder they've never seen her with dyed hair, she must've talked herself out of it.
Cleo: points the box at her. "You're backing out, aren't you? Because it sounds like you're wavering here."
"Don't talk her into it!" Neil exclaimed, slapping his forehead. Cleo winced.
Emma: stands up. "I'm not backing out. Let's do this." She jumps into the chair and Cleo spins it around to face the mirror.
Lisa exhaled in defeat, realizing that her thoughts from earlier had failed miserably. But what she couldn't figure out was how they never saw the dyed hair. It would've been very obvious. Even if there was a slight shade difference, they would've noticed. Maybe she quickly changed it back? No, we would've noticed that too. And it would've taken much too long to get it back to normal without us finding out. So, what gives?
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[At the Juicenet café, Lewis walks in through the beaded curtains and walks over to the bar, where Wilfred was cleaning up. After taking a quick glance at the menu, he decides to order.]
Lewis: "Wilfred, give me a wheatgrass, carrot, and papaya juice."
"Ugh, that sounds disgusting. Why the carrots?" Kim gagged. Carrots, the least favorite of all vegetables. Far worse than broccoli. Even Charlotte and Annette shuttered at the combination. Annette worked in the restaurant business for so long now, she knew what would be a good combo or not. And carrots are not one of them. "I like to play this game with Wilfred to see if I could find the worst combination of juices that would be so disgusting that it would even shock Wilfred that someone would order it. To this day, I still haven't figured it out yet," Lewis shook his head.
"What about bananas, carrots, and broccoli?" Ash suggested as Kim gagged once more at the combo. Cleo laughed as she saw Lewis's face light up. "I think you just gave him an idea."
"Wheatgrass, huh? I thought you weren't going to drink it anymore," Rikki raised an eyebrow, even if she knew it was false now, her past self didn't. "You weren't there. I could get away with it that one time," Lewis shrugged.
Wilfred: nods. "Coming up."
Lewis: "Ooh, one day, Wilfred, I am going to create a combination so gross, it is going to stop you in your tracks."
Wilfred: "Better men have tried, Lewis." Wilfred walks away just as Lewis looks around and spots Zane typing away at one of the computers and makes his way towards him.
"Guess you weren't the first," Sam laughed lightly along with the others. "And he certainly won't be the last. Nate's tried several times already," Zane shook his head.
Zane: looks over his shoulder to find Lewis walking over to him. "What do you know about that old Chatham woman?"
"No, hi? How do you do? How's the weather? How's your morning so far? Nope. You decide to cut to the chase," Harrison sighed. "To be fair, I'd rather have him cut to the chase than to play nice," Lewis shrugged. He was more used to it that way with the Bennett.
Mrs. Chatham seemed a little surprised at that, she wasn't expecting that to come up so quickly. Though she should have since he found her so mysterious earlier.
Lewis: "Nothing. No one does. Why, why are you googling her name?"
Mrs. Chatham stiffened upon that. The internet might've not been around during her time, but she knew some ways of how it worked. And one thing she knew is that it held much knowledge inside. One such knowledge, was the video from long ago, that she had seen once before. He couldn't have found that video, could he? Is that why he had confronted me that day? I always thought it was because of him being with Rikki, but if it was for something more ... She should've had that recording taken down years ago. It was too risky.
Max frowned, both at Zane onscreen and Mrs. Chatham. Looking up Mrs. Chatham was odd, but some people do it nowadays to be able to find where they live, phone numbers, and so forth. Why would Mrs. Chatham be worried about that?
Zane: "Lewis, the day I tell you my business is the day I care what you think." Turns back to the computer screen.
"You asked him what he knew about Mrs. Chatham. That counts as you caring of what he thinks," Elliot pointed out. "Kid's got a point," Lewis grinned as Zane rolled his eyes.
Lewis: "Zane, right now people just think you're an obnoxious, thoughtless, spoiled little rich kid. Let us not add stalker to the list." Counts off from his fingers then pats Zane on the back. Zane gives him a strange look.
"Don't forget sea monster hunter," Denman added. Soon to be mermaid hunter, Zane thought with a guilty conscience. "Yeah, let's not get us started on the list we have for you," Lewis said, giving the scientist a look.
"Everybody but Rikki thinks that," Cleo teased. "Not everyone," Terry mumbled. Zane was like that at first, and Terry wasn't going to trust him completely, not with the whole sea monster thing going on right now, but even he could tell that Zane was making an effort and that there was more to him than he let on. It was clear during the whole last episode, and he knew everyone could see it. But it also takes more than one episode to see the full picture as well, to know it's not just a one-time thing.
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[Cleo scrubs the dye into Emma's wet hair which unfortunately due to the water had caused Emma's tail to sprout. Emma wears a salon cape wrapped around her which luckily covers most of herself up aside from the tail draping onto the floor. Cleo wore gloves to prevent herself from being in the same situation Emma was in; also, to not get the dye on her hands. A knock comes from the door and the two girls look toward the door.]
Cleo and Emma: "Who is it?"
Lisa and Neil gasp as they see the dye set into Emma's hair. It wasn't done completely, and you couldn't see the color of it yet, but they knew full well the process of it. It won't be long before their beautiful blonde daughter would become a redhead. There's nothing wrong with red hair, but it wasn't Emma.
Elliot was stunned, his jaw dropped. Then he let out a groan as he saw Rikki with a smug grin. "I'll pay you back later," he mumbled. "Eh, it's alright. I'll let this be a lesson for you instead, don't underestimate me," Rikki shrugged it off which made Elliot smile at the meaning that he gets to keep his money.
"That must've sucked, having to do that with a tail," Bella said. Though she had to admit she was genuinely curious as to wonder how she would look if she had her hair dyed. Just not that shade of red. She knew it would be wrong, it's never the same color as it is on the box. "It was uncomfortable, but I knew water would be involved," Emma sighed. I just didn't know it would be a waste of time in the end.
[The door opens, and Rikki walks inside.]
Rikki: looks at Emma up and down, spotting her tail. "If you're going to bother to ask, you should probably lock the door, especially looking like that." Closes the door behind her and locks it shut.
"You didn't lock the door?" Kim said, slapping her forehead. "We didn't think about it," Cleo shrugged. "You've been mermaids for what, over three months by that point and you two didn't think about locking a door when you knew water was going to be involved?" Lewis shook his head in disappointment. "At least Rikki had the courtesy to acknowledge your mistake. What if someone else would have walked in?"
"Then we probably would have stopped Emma from doing this," Neil muttered to himself, not liking that Emma was changing for someone else. You should never change for anyone but yourself if you want to. "I think it was too late by that point," Lisa sighed as she realized the dye would have already been set in by that point.
Cleo: "Sorry about the tail. I forgot water was involved. You want to keep going?"
"How can you forget that water is involved? Apart from the dye, that's the main ingredients," Rikki said. "Because I've never done it before, Rikki," Cleo shot back. "At least she admits it," Kim smiled.
Max had to admit he was curious as to what the outcome would be. Sometimes his friend's hair would change when they transformed from their human form to their mermaid counterpart. The hair accessories would disappear, and their hair would fall down their back. But none of the girls had ever dyed their hair before. He was genuinely curious as to whether it would change things or not, since this was being done in the reverse version, sort of, of their transformation.
Emma: "Of course, I'm not stopping now."
"There's no point in stopping now, it's already set in by the looks of it," Annette said. "Yeah, no kidding," Emma grumbled.
"A little late for that," Kim added.
Rikki: picks up the empty box and reads the label. Her eyes widen in surprise. "Whoa, are you really going this red, Scarlet Fever?"
"Were you there to help out?" Terry asked. "No, I wanted to see if Emma would actually go through with it. I knew she said she wanted to go red, but I didn't think it would be that red," Rikki laughed.
Charlotte gasped in shock. She didn't know how red that would be, but she knew it would be much brighter than hers if it were to be scarlet.
"Emma!" Lisa scolded, obviously shocked she would go for such a color. "I didn't know it was going to be that color! I wanted it to be a more natural red," Emma whined. "How could you not know? You picked the box out!" Neil exclaimed.
"Actually, she didn't. I did," Cleo winced as she half-heartedly raised her hand. "Cleo!" Don, Neil, Lisa, and Bev shouted. "She had asked me to get it since she needed someone who knew the secret to do her hair, so I volunteered. I couldn't find the color she originally wanted so I thought this could come a close second ... turns out I was wrong," Cleo grimaced over the shouting. "You should've picked it out. And you also should've looked at the box before you started this whole mess," Lisa shook her head at Emma.
Emma: "What?" Turns to Cleo with a raised eyebrow. "I thought you said it was Indian Sunrise."
Cleo: "Don't worry. It'll look great." Emma sighs and looks down, beginning to regret her decisions. Rikki bites her lip, trying not to laugh at her misfortune.
"That is not reassuring coming from a newbie," Bella mentioned.
"And that is the face of someone with instant regret," Will said.
"Cleo, you should've told her about the color before she went through with this. You knew she was nervous as it was," Bev scolded her. "That's why I didn't tell her. I knew if she realized it wasn't the exact color, she would back out immediately. She wanted the change, I was going to support her through and through," Cleo said, smiling at her friend. "Thanks. If only I didn't come out looking like a life-sized Ariel action figure!" Emma said, whispering that last part in a harsh tone.
"I knew it was going to be a mistake," Rikki laughed. "You and me both," Emma sighed.
"Oh, this is going to go horribly," Lisa sighed. "I think we knew that from the beginning," Neil remarked.
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[An old black and white video played on the screen of the computer. A fisherman was being interviewed for something dangerous that happened to him previously. Zane watches the video play as Lewis looks over his shoulder.]
Old Fisherman: "The boat lurched. And I thought I hit something under the water, something big. The boat tilted, and I go in the water. I'm telling ya, I thought I was a goner. I am a rotten swimmer." Lewis glances at Zane, noticing the interview sounds similar to his drowning experience.
Mrs. Chatham let out a small gasp, surprised that he was able to find that video. If he's able to find that, then what else could he discover? Max patted her back, knowing what the video was. He had seen it for himself long ago. It was a big risk with it being on television at the time, but they managed to get through it without any suspicions. But with it being brought back up, who knows what could happen if he connected the dots.
The girls frowned at the video playing. Lewis had told them about the video before, but they had never seen it for themselves. They hoped that it wouldn't hurt Mrs. Chatham with her having to see it again, they knew she struggled sometimes with having to remember the past.
"You searched up old fishing interviews?" Don asked for the confused crowd. "Sort of. It's what I found from my, uh, previous research," Zane answered, feeling bad for Mrs. Chatham having to relive this. He shouldn't have searched her life up, it was wrong.
Old Fisherman: "But then, something grabbed me. I passed out." The fisherman throws his hands down then points behind him towards the beach. "Next thing I know, I'm on the beach."
"Sounds similar to Zane's," Ash said as everyone looked toward him. "Well, I'm not the only one who had near-death experiences," Zane rolled his eyes and huffed.
Denman raised an eyebrow, having noticed he said something grabbed him. Could it have been the same way as Zane? The girls wouldn't have been around at the time, with this being nearly fifty years ago from the looks of it, but someone else was, as she looked over at the older woman, who seemed a little nervous.
Lewis: "I uh, thought you were looking up Mrs. Chatham."
Zane: "I am. This came up, a newsreel, from the fifties."
"How did that even get on there?" Kim asked. "Well back then they had those recorded on old films. So, when the internet came along, the reels that were still good was, were transferred into the system," Don informed.
"Note to self, figure out a way to take that down," Lewis mumbled.
"Why would that come up under you, Mrs. Chatham?" Bella asked curiously. "I, uhm, was in the interview as well," she admitted a little quietly. "You were on the news?! So cool!" Elliot exclaimed but made her laugh a little.
Lewis: "Oh, any excuse to get back to your monster hunting. This is a hoax."
"It didn't have nothing to do with monster hunting. At first, it was just about her, I didn't realize there were any 'monsters' involved until the video played," Zane explained.
Zane: "For your information, there were other witnesses to this guy's story."
Lewis: shakes his head. "Zane, it was the fifties, reds under the beds, people imagining there were communist subs everywhere, all kinds of stuff."
"He isn't wrong. It was pretty wild back then," Max chuckled. "Mother used to say the same thing, how life was back then," Annette whispered to Charlotte who nodded.
Zane: "Back off. Ok?"
Lewis: crosses his arms. "Alright."
[Miriam comes up, trying to get Zane's attention.]
Miriam: "Hey, Zane. What you doing?"
"Ugh, her again?" Kim complained. "Be nice, Kim," Bev said. "Why? She's not here." "And let's not jinx it either, it's bad enough we have to see her on there," Rikki shook her head.
Zane: keeps his focus on the screen. "Busy."
Miriam: looks stunned. "Too busy for me? Uh, look um – I'm going shopping for some belly button rings. And I wanted a guys opinion."
"I'd rather do schoolwork than go shopping with her again. It takes her hours just to pick out one thing," Zane groaned in annoyance. "Then I suggest never go shopping with Cleo," Rikki joked. "I'm not that bad. I have my limits when it comes to shopping," Cleo defended. "No, you're pretty bad. There's a reason why mom only took us back to school shopping," Kim giggled.
[Their attention was brought back to the video playing and Lewis's face falters slightly.]
Newscaster: "The fisherman was dragged ashore by a local girl, sixteen-year-old Louise Chatham."
Zane: slightly shocked. "What?"
"You saved a man's life?" Bella asked as the crowd gasped, except for the ones who knew. "Yes. That's why I was in the news," Mrs. Chatham told them. "But, at sixteen, weren't you – weren't you a uh –?" Lisa asked, trying to find the right words for it. She couldn't believe there were others, beside her daughter and friends, who saved someone's life before. Hers was plastered on the wall, but in the news? But it also meant a huge risk for the then young teenager, as that would mean there was a tail involved.
"... yes. I didn't like it being in the news, but I couldn't let that poor man drown when I knew there was something I could do. I was out on a swim when I found him struggling," Mrs. Chatham admitted, shaking her head at the memory. "I was lucky he only saw my tail, like Zane," she added as she looked over at the aforementioned boy.
Newscaster: "How does it feel to be a hero, Louise?" On the screen, a teenage version of Mrs. Chatham pops up with a microphone being held nearby.
Young Mrs. Chatham: "I don't feel like that. I just saw him in the surf and dragged him ashore."
Mrs. Chatham sighed. It wasn't the full story clearly. She did drag him to shore, just not the usual way. It's not easy dragging someone else along with a tail. But she was glad Emma was able to do it herself as well. It was probably easier though that the blonde had a boat nearby.
Newscaster: "Mr. Hancock told us something big, a monster, saved him. But his boat sank about twenty miles offshore. How did you make it back?"
Young Mrs. Chatham: "I'm not sure. But I didn't see any sea monsters out there."
"That guy became the laughing stock of the year. Everyone thought he was delusional, that he saw stuff due to the lack of oxygen," Max informed. "I know how that feels," Zane muttered.
"I guess history does repeat itself sometimes," Bella mumbled.
"I had said that he was near the beach, and I was able to see him from there. He was twenty miles out, but who would've believed I was out that far? It was far more believable that I found him there than miles offshore," Mrs. Chatham explained, still a little quiet.
She didn't see a sea monster, she was the sea monster, Emma thought, holding her necklace.
Newscaster: "The fisherman, Mr. Hancock, provided me with a drawing of what he saw." The video shows the fisherman holding a picture of a tail, an exact replica of Zane's. "For the time being, anyway, this reporter is keeping an open mind." Zane takes out a folded piece of paper from his pocket. He unfolds the paper and holds it up to the screen, revealing it as the same drawing from fifty years ago.
"Woah, they look exactly alike!" Elliot exclaimed along with the rest of the shocked crowd. "Well, our tails are the same," Emma shrugged.
What is with everyone being able to draw something just from seeing it for a split second? Charlotte thought, a little agitated that someone else was able to do it. She really needs to practice!
Zane: "It's her, isn't it?"
Lewis: and Miriam frown at him. "What?"
Zane: "Mrs. Chatham."
"You were able to figure that out pretty quick," Max said a little surprised. "Eh, not exactly. I knew she had to know something about the sea monster, but I wasn't sure what," Zane grimaced.
Lewis: "Uh, no."
"Yeah, it was her and I knew that. But I couldn't tell him that," Lewis explained.
Zane: "That's her." Points to the screen then backs out of his seat and grins. "I'm on to something, Lewis. This is big." Zane walks off as Lewis continues to stare at the screen, concern slipping in.
"And for once, he was right," Emma sighed.
"I like how you just ignored Miriam pretty much the whole time. It was nice seeing the she-demon so defeated. It was like it's never happened to her before," Rikki chuckled, which caused Zane to laugh as well.
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[After finally getting done with the coloring, Emma's hair was wrapped completely in a towel for it to set. With the time up, Cleo gently removes the towel from Emma's hair. The towel drops to the floor and Cleo immediately covers her mouth, trying to keep from laughing. Rikki's jaw drops but she quickly closes her mouth and the two girls' gazes fall to the ground to keep from staring at Emma's new hairdo.]
Emma: "Well?"
Cleo: "Well ..." The two look back up at her, their eyes nearly bulging out of their head.
"This doesn't sound good," Elliot winced.
Rikki: "You're a red clown nose away from selling burgers." Emma frowns then snatches the handheld mirror from Rikki's hand and stares at her hair. What was once blonde hair was now turned into a very scarlet color red. Her new bright red hair fell down her back, and she was still stuck in her tail.
The crowd gasps before turning into a mix of reactions. Some laughed in shock and surprise like Bella, Kim, Will, and Lewis. Especially Lewis. Others looked at her in horror, as if they weren't expecting it to be that bad like Ash, Charlotte, the other adults, and her parents. Especially her family. Lisa covered her mouth in shock and Neil leans his elbow against the armrest and rubbed his hand through his hair. Elliot couldn't keep his mouth from gaping. Ash couldn't consider whether he liked it or not. And Emma covered her face in embarrassment as her friends continued to tease her for it. The pain and humiliation of having to see this again.
"Oh my gosh," Elliot finally let out. "I'm a bad mother, aren't I? To let me own child do such a rebellious act?" Lisa breathed faintly. "What are you talking about mom? You're a great mother. It was my fault, not yours. I was the one to let Byron's words get to me. And you didn't even know I did it until now," Emma remarked.
"And I thought your hair was red," Annette playfully said to her daughter as Charlotte blushed in annoyance.
"Was that a McDonald's reference?" Terry laughed.
"It's like I'm watching a live-action of the Little Mermaid," Kim whispered to Elliot. "The tail, the hair, are you sure you're not Ariel?" Ash grinned as Emma blushed even more. "Please, don't," she whined as she covered her face once again. "Emma, please don't go near the forks. I prefer mine to be hairless," Elliot told her as the room burst into laughter, except for the still frozen in shock parents. All except for one, that is.
Zane frowned as that bright red hair stuck out. He had only seen it once, but just like the tail, it was something he couldn't forget. His eyes widened in shock and realization, and he shot up from his seat and pointed at her. "It was you!" "It's me," Emma said in a deadpanned tone, knowing what he was saying. "But how – when did – what?" Zane stuttered out as everyone else looked at them clueless. "Just keep watching," Emma said, shaking her hand at the screen. "But I saw you with blonde hair!" Zane exclaimed.
"Yeah, we all did before," Harrison said, confused as to where his son was going with this. "That's not what I meant –," Zane tried to say but Emma cut him off. "Yeah, as I said. Keep watching." Zane huffed and sat back down, still not believing that this whole time that Emma was the red-haired mermaid.
"The color might look horrible, but that's not bad for your first try, Cleo. No stains on the skin or clothes. That's impressive," Sam noted.
Emma: lets out a horrified breath upon seeing her new reflection and glares at Cleo in shock. Yells. "I look awful. What have you done to me?" Rikki puts her hands to her lips, trying to keep herself from saying anything further.
"I think we're all thinking the same thing," Sam nodded as Emma's parents still looked mortified.
"Don't worry, it'll look great," Emma mimicked then turned to Cleo. "I'm never taking hair advice from you again!"
Cleo: grabs her necklace. "Look, we have to dry your hair and get you back to normal, as soon as possible." Emma takes small breaths as she slowly reaches a shaky hand toward a wet strand of her hair. Cleo steps forward and looks at Rikki. "It was supposed to dry lighter."
"I don't think you want it any lighter than that," Bella winced.
"Remind me to never get you to do my hair ever again," Kim said to her sister.
Emma: "It better. I want a change. But this is –." Looks at her reflection again in horror.
"Relax, princess. I'm sure you'll figure out a way to fix it," Ash grinned. "Don't call me that!" Emma shouted as her cheeks turned red, not as red as her hair.
"You get what you ask for," Denman muttered with a small smirk.
"Absolutely horrendous, like you bathed in tiger's blood, became Ronald McDonald's wife?" Lewis chuckled. He unfortunately never got to see it in person, and they had never shown him a picture, so finally getting to see it for himself was a dream come true.
Rikki: "I know." Emma looks up at her. "You should think of this, next time you feel like an impulsive act." Takes the mirror back from her.
Emma: "Why me?"
"You asked for it," Cleo answered. "And bad things always happen to us. Why didn't I think this through more thoroughly?" Emma complained.
"You're not the one who should give lessons on impulsiveness," Terry chuckled.
Cleo: hands the blow-dryer to Rikki. "I'm running late for work. Here." Walks around Rikki and to the door.
Rikki: looks at the blow-dryer. "What do I do with this? Cleo." She hands the mirror and blow-dryer to Emma then runs after Cleo.
Emma: still stuck in a towel and tail, left behind as her friend's runoff. "Hey!" Emma sighs then continues looking at her reflection.
"You dry her off, duh!" Cleo said as if it were obvious. "I couldn't read your mind, Cleo. Although it'd be cool if I could," Rikki said.
"Double shift?" Don asked. "Double shift," Cleo replied.
"You know, if we were home, we could've just walked into that bathroom then since you didn't lock the door back," Elliot told them. Rikki and Cleo look at each other then facepalm, not having thought that through.
"Why didn't you just use your powers to dry her off?" Will asked. "Because I didn't know what to do and I didn't know how the chemicals would respond to my powers. I've never dyed hair before," Rikki responded. "Me neither, but you still saw me do it," Cleo mentioned.
"Thanks for leaving me behind with nowhere to go guys," Emma sighed. "You had a blow-dryer. A few minutes and you would've been free to go," Cleo said. "And another minute and I would've been exposed," Emma muttered, confusing Cleo. She wasn't there for the aftermath.
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[Cleo runs down the stairs of Emma's home with Rikki not too far behind.]
Rikki: "Wait, what do I do? What if it – what if it doesn't dry lighter?"
Cleo: "How should I know, just tell her it looks ok."
"Rikki might be a good liar, but even I would be able to tell that. It. Looked. Awful," Emma remarked.
Rikki: "But it doesn't."
"Gee, thanks for the honesty," Emma grumbled. "You said it yourself that it was horrible," Rikki said.
[Cleo opens the door and finds Zane standing on the other side, having his hand raised to where he was about to knock on the door. Cleo and Rikki both look at him.]
Cleo: does a half-wave at him then runs past him and out the door. "Hi, Zane. Bye, Zane."
"Wow, you must've really been running late," Bev laughed lightly at her daughter's action. "About fifteen minutes and I still had to change into my uniform too," Cleo winced. Luckily, they let her off with a warning since she hardly ever missed work or was late. That was her first time.
Zane: watches her go with a confused look then looks at Rikki. They both smile awkwardly at each other then he glances upstairs. "Um, I'm actually here to see Emma. I need to see her, urgently."
"Good, otherwise it would be really weird for you to know where Rikki was without her telling you," Terry said, giving Zane a warning look. "I wasn't stalking her, I swear," Zane held his hands up. "Dad," Rikki complained.
"Yeah, trust me. You don't want to see her right now," Elliot winced.
Rikki: shakes her head. "Um, you can't."
Zane: "She's not home?"
Rikki: "Well yeah, she is. But you can't –." Zane rushes past her and begins walking up the stairs. "Zane. Wait, Zane." She follows him up the stairs, trying to get him to stop, but he doesn't listen. "You can't go up there."
"Not listening to your girlfriend, Zane. Hmm, not off to a good start," Lewis hissed. "She wasn't my girlfriend yet," Zane reminded him, feeling a little annoyed.
"You can't just barge into someone's house when you weren't invited in," Neil said. "But Zane is a family friend," Lisa told him. "He might be, but if this sea monster hunting puts Emma in danger, then we can't risk him being near her, especially if she's currently stuck in her tail!" Neil whispered to her.
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[Upstairs, Zane zooms down the hall with Rikki right behind him. The sound of a blow dryer coming from the bathroom could be heard.]
Zane: "Emma, where are you? I need to talk to you."
Rikki: "Zane, no."
Zane: points to the bathroom door. "Is she in the bathroom?"
"You better not try going in there," Neil glared at him. Zane shrinks down into his seat, feeling a little nervous.
"A bathroom is meant for privacy. You can't just go in there just for some answers. You can wait till she's done," Sam huffed. "Your obsession with this may be going a little too far," Harrison told him.
Rikki: stands in front of the door to block him from entering. "Yes, she is. And you can't go in there. It's private."
[Inside the bathroom, the towels were now on the floor as Emma continues to dry her hair. Over the noise of the blow-dryer, Emma could hear the commotion outside, which includes Zane's voice. She tries to hurry drying her hair and hoping that her tail will disappear soon.]
Zane: on the other side of the door. "Emma, Emma, I just need to talk to you for two seconds. Emma, Emma, come on. Come out." Emma starts combing her hand through her hair, trying to get it done faster, but her tail remained. Rikki and Zane continue to stay in the hall, Zane getting impatient more and more the longer he has to wait. Finally, Emma turns the blow-dryer off and sets it down on the sink. She looks down at her legs, where she sees the changes finally coming. It starts from her legs, the bubbles rising up to her head and just for a split second, she transforms into water. Then once the water disappears and the bubbles fade, Emma reverts back into her normal self, including her blonde hair. Emma lets out a breath and quickly makes sure she was calm before standing up to go to the door.
"Oh, thank goodness," Lisa breathed out, holding a hand to her heart. Neil patted her back to get her to calm down, relieved to find that his daughter was okay. The rest of the crowd watched in shocked silence before someone finally decided to break it.
"Where did your red hair go?" Charlotte asked. "It disappeared along with my tail. Since I was in my mermaid form when it happened, it goes along with it," Emma answered. "So, does that mean that when you become a mermaid again, you'll still have red hair?" Ash asked. "Yup," Emma sighed, making Lisa and Neil's stress come back, not as bad as it once was. "Then when you're human, you remain the same," Denman theorized, finding this to be very interesting. The scientist figured she must've changed it back to normal eventually since she didn't have the red hair in the underwater pictures. "That's right," Rikki said.
"Magic is weird," Kim said. "Weird but amazing," Will corrected her.
"So that was a big waste of money then. You did it all for Byron, and no one would've ever been able to see it," Charlotte chuckled. "It was, but you have no idea how happy I was to see it back," Emma smiled. "A waste of money and a waste of my time too," Cleo huffed.
"Huh, at least none of you three dyed your hair. Would've been for nothing," Max laughed to Mrs. Chatham. "Well, at least we learned something new out of it."
[The door opens behind Rikki, who was still staring into Zane's eyes, and she turns around to find a normal-looking Emma, with no red hair.]
Zane: notices no changes. "There you are." Rikki looks at her, completely dumbfounded and mind blown.
"That was probably the best magic trick I've ever seen," Rikki pointed to the screen. "I've never seen you so lost," Terry laughed.
"You knew she was in there. Where else would she have been?" Lewis asked.