Emma and I took Lewis to the Moon Pool to have Lewis help us figure out how we became mermaids. After showing Lewis the land entrance Emma I came the underwater entrance. While Lewis mapped out the space and Emma I got water, rock and sand samples. I also helped Lewis measure the width and depth of the Moon Pool itself before we all returned to the mainland.
I decided to hang out with Emma the rest of the day when some unusual things happened. For starters, Cleo's little sister Kim, came over to talk to Elliot; Emma's little brother. Emma and her parents dragged me upstairs while the two talked alone. Until Emma decided that we should get refreshments.
I noticed the two of them giving Emma weird looks as she got out a water bottle and a straw, while I poured myself a glass of milk. After Kim left Emma and I talked some more and even let me stay the night.
While Emma went to take a shower my phone rang, "Hello?"
"Maddie, hey, it's your elder brother."
I smiled, "Oh hey, Daniel, how have you been? Has college been rough?"
"Well, sometimes, but I've been doing alright. What about you? How has my favorite little sister been?"
"Really good, actually, I've made some new friends recently and I'm even sleeping over at her house tonight."
"Oh, that's wonderful! What are their names?"
"Emma Gilbert, Rikki Chadwick, and Cleo Satori."
"Well, I'll have to meet them the next time I come home. Which reminds me, what do you want for your birthday?"
I grinned even more, "A puppy?"
He laughed, "Oh, you're funny Maddie, but seriously what do you want?"
My smiled dropped from my face and I took a deep breath, "I can't think of anything off the top of my head, but I'm sure I'll think of something. Thanks for calling, Daniel."
"No problem, every responsible brother should check up on his little sister. You call me back when you've decided what you want, ok? Bye, Maddie."
"Bye, Dan."
I hung up the phone as Emma came back in from her shower, "Who was that?"
"Oh just my brother calling from college to check up on me."
"Oh, that's nice, but why do you look upset?"
"He asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I told him a puppy, but he thought it was a joke. Neither he nor my mum and sister know how lonely it is living in that house all be myself. I mean yeah, I have you and the girls as friends, but I want to be able to have a companion when I'm at home too."
Emma changed and climbed into bed, pulling me up in it next to her, "Don't worry, how about you and I hang out tomorrow and exercise training our powers. Won't that be fun?"
I nodded, "Thanks Em, I'm glad that I have you as a friend."
"Me too, Maddie, now try and get some sleep."
The next morning we went into the pool and hot tub in Emma's backyard and tested the limits of our powers. Thankfully, Emma's parent went on a run and Elliot went out to hang out with Kimmi.
After that we were sitting in the living room reading, when Elliot came over to Emma with a glass of water, "Hey, whatcha' doin'?"
Elliot responded, but I could tell he was up to something, he and Kim both. "Nothing, what are you doing?"
"Just reading," Emma replied.
I looked up from the magazine I was reading to watch their conversation continue. "Can I offer you some water?" Elliot asked practically shoving the glass in Emma's face, of course she moved back, getting nervous.
"No thanks."
"I'm happy to share."
"I'm not thirsty."
Then I noticed Elliot's demeanor change, "In fact, I share everything with you because you're my sister, and all I get in return is secrets and lies."
I put the magazine down to stand up, "Elliot, what do you mean?"
I readied myself to jump in and save Emma at any moment. As Elliot answered, turning to me, "Did you know that Emma's a mermaid?"
My eyes widened as I turned back to Emma as she asked, "Why would you think that I was a mermaid?"
Elliot then spilled his guts about Kimmi showing him a diary written by Cleo about her, Emma, and Rikki, I having mermaid powers. Once he was finished explaining, I managed to steal the glass from him and dump it in the sink before Emma and I ran out the door and straight to Cleo's.
"Are you crazy! You wrote a diary?"
Emma accused, circling the brunette like a hawk as she answered, "Only a little one."
I decided to fold my arms and say, "With every little detail about our mermaidness?"
Cleo got up and defended, "I'd never let anyone see it." She opened one of her drawers before turning back to us, "It's gone."
I threw my hands up in the air in disappointment, "Of course, a diary that could give someone the tools to expose us is missing. I need a juice."
Emma and I left Cleo's house only to have her and Rikki show up a little later and Cleo said, "Found the diary, it was under Kim's pillow."
We noticed Kim walk in and sit next to Elliot. We conversed with Lewis coming up with a plan to make it seem like Miriam was the mermaid instead of us.
We started following Miriam around and used our powers to make Miriam seem like the leader. I caused a whirlpool to form in the water near her and Rikki caused the water to boil after she walked over it.
Emma, Rikki and I were sitting in the audience watching the Miss SeaQueen pageant at the Marine Park, when all of a sudden water came over the wall and onto the stage. I went to jump up to try and save Cleo, when Rikki gripped my arm whispering, "Chill out, Cleo's using her powers to move the water around her so the it doesn't hit her. We're fine."
I couldn't help, but snicker under my breath as Kimmi came out and made a complete fool of herself, while Rikki said, putting her feet up, "Finally, something interesting."
I chuckled, "Yep, I agree. You know we should all go for a celebratory swim after this at the Moon Pool. Who's in?"
Emma touched my shoulder, "That sound like a great idea, I'll text Lewis and Rikki can tell Cleo."
At the Moon Pool, Lewis was sitting in a inner tube while the four of us were floating near the wall as he gave us his finding about the samples we took the other day. "Story is, I've tested everything; the water, the rocks, the soil, the lichen, even the dust."
"And what did yo find?" I asked
Lewi took a sip out of the coconut he had in his hand, "Nothing, everything's normal?"
I looked at the others before asking, "So, that's it? You're done?"
"Hey I am putting in 100%."
I sighed, "Great, guess I'll never know why my tail is different than yours." I pushed off the wall, see ya tomorrow guys and thanks for trying Lewis."
I swam out of the Moon Pool and made my way to my little rocky relaxation spot. Emma came around a few minutes later, "Hey, nice little spot you have here."
"Yeah, it's nice."
Emma sighed coming closer, crossing her forearms, and laying them on the rock, "Look, I know you are upset about being the odd one out, but you know the rest of us aren't going to judge you for that. You have nothing to be ashamed of."
"I know, its just that I want some sort of explanation. I'm not unhappy as a mermaid, in fact, I'm actually better off now then I was before with my condition, but I hate having questions and no way to find out the answers."
Emma nodded, placing a hand on my forearm, "I know, but your not alone in this. Whenever you're ready to talk, we'll be here and ready to listen, ok?"
I nodded as she left, laying down and turning on my back. I watched the sun set over the horizon and the stars come out before finally heading home.
The next few weeks I smirked, watching Elliot try and charm Rikki after she saved him from drowning. One day before school I was passing by the office when the principal called out, "Madeleine can you come here."
I stopped and walked into the office, "Yes?"
"I was wondering if you could go the the front of the school and pick up our newest from outside and bring him here for me, can you do that?"
"Yeah, sure, as long as I won't be counted absent for my first class." I walked out to the front to watch a limousine pull up and a nice guy, about my age, with light brown hair and beautiful hazel eyes step out of the back. I watched star-struck for a moment before whispering to myself, "Get a grip Hawkins, not only is a guy like that never going to go for you, but you're a freaking mermaid. You have bigger things to deal with."
I shook off my nervousness as the guy approached me asking, "Hi, do you happen to know where the office is?"
I nodded, "Yes, as a matter of fact I do, I was sent here to pick you up and take you there. Please follow me."
We didn't talk much on the way to the office, but I did manage to get his name; Matthew Baker. After dropping him off I was about to head off to class when he asked, "Wait, can I get your name?"
I smiled sadly, "Trust me, you don't want to make me your friend. I'm not exactly liked at this school very much, but I will say good luck on your first day. See ya!"
Over the next few days I kept seeing Matthew around, but making sure to keep my distance and just watch contently from afar. One night I was preparing dinner with Sonja and Mr. and Mrs. Emese, when the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," Mrs. Emese said, "you finish stirring the sauce, little miss."
I smiled, "Alright."
After she left the room, a few moments later she called, "Miss Madeleine! It's a friend from school!"
I perked up thinking it was Rikki and sped walked over to the door only to find Matthew standing just beyond the threshold. I kept my eyes on him, speaking to my housekeeper, "Can you give us a minute, Mrs. Emese? I'll be back in, in a moment."
She nodded, "Of course."
As soon as she was back in the kitchen area I turned to Matthew, "Followed me home one day, didn't you?"
"Well it was the only way to find out who you were by looking up who lived at this address. Who was that by the way?"
"My caretaker, Mrs. Emese and her husband come around a couple times a week to check on me for my mum and tonight we decided to have dinner together with their daughter Sonja. So, if you don't mind can we speed this along? What do you want?"
"I just want to know your name and ask if we could hang out sometime."
I smiled, "Look that sounds great, but if you want to be popular hanging out with me is not the way to go and you very well could be popular since a bunch of people saw you get out of a limo."
He scoffed, "I don't care about being popular and to be honest, I've heard what people say about you and I honestly don't get it. You've got a great sense of style and individuality, and can't help that you were born with a condition that makes water painful to you. I'm not going to judge you for being yourself and I hope you don't judge me either, so," He held out his hand, "friends?"
I thought about it before shaking the outstretched hand, "Friends. I'll see you at school."
"See ya, Madeleine," he said back as I closed the door and went back inside to eat dinner.