No ordinary girl

Sea turtles and sharks

It was in the middle of the night, sometime soon I'd let myself be known that I'd been here. But for now mom, dad and Kim were all in the living room watching some shark thing on the T.V. and dad was talking about how you don't wanna mess with sharks cause they were dangerous and would sometimes bite through his nets and he would have a hard time catching things. Not good for a fisherman.

Cleo was in the kitchen needing to wash the dishes, and I was up in our room thinking about how I was gonna allow myself to come out of hiding, and the reason I'd been gone for so long, why they could hug me but that I couldn't get water on me so they wouldn't be able to cry. I'd have to come up with an excuse they'd buy enough not to. I also hoped that they wouldn't be mad at me for hiding away while I've been back.

Cleo had been paying Kim to do her chores but now her price range had gone up. Look Cleo, I know you're afraid of the water and have been for like the last 8 years but this is just ridiculous. Kim stated. Fine, but I'll pay you later she told her. She didn't want to watch the shark whatever about them eating fish or whatever since she and I and our friends were all partially fish ourselves and had walked away.

So, when you said you were hoping by tomorrow to tell our parents that you're alive. How are you going to do that? I'll think of something, I said sitting on my bed brushing through my hair. BTW myself, the girls and Jordan are all going on a swim tomorrow morning are you going to join us? She looked over at me with kind of forlorn look, and I looked down at my feet as if they held the answer.

Sorry, sorry shouldn't had asked. But Cleo I don't get it, I'm the one that drowned, and nearly died why are you the one afraid of it? She shrugged at me crawling into bed. I'm glad that you're back but that doesn't change anything. Goodnight she'd told me. And in the morning I'd gone and done exactly that, and Cleo was very missed out in the water she didn't know what she was missing.

After our swim we met up with Lewis at a café outside around time for breakfast. Hey how was your swim? He'd asked us. I know Farrah and Jordan enjoyed themselves I'm sure they could live in the ocean if they really wanted too. Speaking of guess how long we can hold our breath now Rikki and Emma asked him. But before he could answer they said 15 mins, and Emma said they were sure they could hold it longer if they really tried.

Yep, go ahead try all you want you'll never pass Jordan and I. Is that a challenge? Rikki asked me. Hey professional sea creatures here for like the last 8 years, I said pointing between Jordan and I. But you two try all you want, but Rikki I bet you won't pass Emma she's been training her whole life to be a professional swimmer after all. She's right. Hey, you seemed kind of distracted just now is everything alright?

Yeah, I just.... I'm not sure how I'm gonna go about exposing my presence to the rest of my family. They're gonna want to ask me a bunch of questions and try and cry happy tears all over me. That's kind of a problem. Unless they'll be more angry with me about the fact that after not really drowning that I didn't return home. Like what am I even going to tell them? Just tell them what you told the kids at school, that you had amnesia or whatever.

Jordan that is.... A really great idea. Why didn't I think of that? He shrugged picking up his orange juice to turn it into a popsicle. Probably just because it's the same thing I would've done had I been away for 8 years also. Farrah, you're not alone anymore he said resting a hand on my shoulder. Then sliding it down to intertwine our fingers. As we locked eyes. Huh? What? I guess I never noticed just how much your eyes naturally shimmer like you have glitter in them.

I do where? I asked panicking. Get it out. No, no, no. He called taking my hand. Not real glitter they just sparkle like they do. Oh. I *sighed* in relief. Don't you guys see it? Yeah Emma smiled as she watched us, as Jordan began tucking a piece of hair behind my hair. You guys must be jumping out of your skin at this kind of stuff. Well we all are, Emma corrected, some more than others Rikki chuckled at Jordan and I. All except for.... Then Cleo came over, and sat with us, we'd told her how we'd been out swimming and that the reef was basically to die for.

But Cleo didn't seem to care, she just wanted to talk about homework. I wasn't exactly enrolled, I'd just happened to tag along with her and our friends, she talked about the math homework and the history project, but the girls were more concerned why she hadn't been answering her phone and wanted to know why she wouldn't join them. But she didn't want to talk about that.

But they kept bugging her about her coming out to join us, and had really wanted her to come out, that the water is amazing and that we all wished that she would join us but she didn't want to hear another word on the topic that it just wasn't going to happen, that she never asked for it to happen and wanted them to drop the matter. On her way into the school Byron had caught up to her telling her she should come down to the beach.

Why? Why does everyone want me to come down to the beach?! She apologized for snapping at him telling him she's just been really tense. I was just glad it wasn't Zayn or Nate messing with her. That would've caused trouble. And she was already in a bad mood this morning. He was telling her about how the seat turtles were laying their eggs down at the beach and she thought that was wonderful but then it was sad the next news she heard was that one had been caught recently in a fishing net, which was actually illegal.

When he left Lewis came up to her to ask her to go to the mall later. How she's been pretty tense about her recent mermaid development. But Cleo was in denial, that she wasn't one of those things and that since the incident if even I was back now she was never too crazy about the water to begin with mostly she would come out cause I wanted to, and we had to stick together but now for the last 8 years she'd been afraid of it, and it hadn't made things better for her since the other day when Zayn and Nate and their friends tried to drown the 3 of us at the pool party.

But she'd have to face it at some point it's not like she could hide from water the rest of her life. That was kind of impossible. Later that morning in the hall we'd all regrouped together and Lewis had said she'd bummed out, and was pretty sure that she didn't want to talk about it. Which I knew and understood that she wouldn't. We saw her on the stairs as she was coming down.

BTW you're not enrolled what on Earth are you doing on campus? He'd asked me. You're all here I shrugged, besides this campus is beautiful. I could be out in the water all day everyday, but been there done that. I've been alone for too long. They pushed Lewis away and pulled Jordan and I with them so that we could talk about this mermaid to mermaid. But Cleo told us.... There's more to life than seeing how long we can hold our breath underwater, or frolicking with the dolphins.

Ok, first of all we don't frolic we glide, and it's a lot of fun. Second of all how can you say that? This is the most amazing thing to happen to us or to anyone ever. Well what about the turtles? Cleo asked us. We had no idea what she was talking about. There are sea turtles that have been getting caught in fishermen nets lately, and that's important. Rikki thought she was being a hypocrite cause our dad is a fishermen so the turtles were probably getting caught in his nets. Cleo took offense to this. She was sure it wasn't true.

Later that night dad had called her down for coffee, and that's when she asked him about it. He was shocked she'd even ask such a question. But she wanted an honest answer. He said he was just doing what's right that he does everything by the book and that their nets had grids in them that if a turtle had gotten caught in their net they'd let them go. And he said they don't fish by the nests but she said that some were still getting caught, and he told her that not by him or anyone whose doing it right.

I guess I don't really have much sense of time, and hadn't even gone home that evening. I'd swam out to my HQ at Mako and stayed there during the night didn't even realize the sun had set and that evening had came and gone. I'd gone back out towards the beach in the morning as I swam out from one way and saw a net with a turtle in it, and saw Jordan coming from one way, and zooming around from the corner were Emma and Rikki they all saw what I had seen a turtle caught in a fishing net.

That wasn't good, and in order to release the poor thing we had to grab the knife that was on the edge of the boat and cut it free. The knife was back in place and the net was cut and the turtle was free just in time when the fishermen pulled the net up back onto the boat from the water and everyone had been safe and sound. Too bad after that and we'd met up at the surfing café place that our dad was on T.V. and he was saying that the only thing that could've done that was a shark. This was just great.

And to top it all off. Poor dad, Cleo complained. We're sorry to have to tell you this Cleo but your dad didn't catch a shark it was a turtle. We all saw it Cleo we cut the net and set it free. You too Farrah? This is dad we're talking about. Dad wouldn't catch turtles. It's true Cleo we're sorry. Emma told her as I reached my hand out for her taking it. She was upset she went down to the dock and talked to dad about it.

But Cleo reminded him that he didn't really know what gets caught in his nets, but he had promised her that he used the right nets and fished in the right spot that it was the law and that he doesn't break it but Cleo was really disappointed in him. She thought he was lying. After she left a crew member of his that was in charge while he was away came down to talk to him they both thought that a shark had been the one to cut through the net.

He asked Eddie where the net was, but he told dad that he dumped the net cause it was shredded and there was no reason to keep it around. And when we (outfit 36) met back up at the café and she told us that he had denied everything which she was really disappointed in, but it was a tricky thing considering she couldn't just tell him.... I know you're lying dad because my mermaid friends saw you do it. And to top it all off we told her that he'd been using illegal nets too.

But Cleo still couldn't believe it. You know Rikki confessed we never actually saw your dad. But it was his boat? She asked them. Yeah it was. I confirmed. Rikki, Emma, Jordan and I took a walk down the peer and happened to mention the shark when we were near one of dad's fishing buddies who was shinning up a hook of his, telling us that we didn't need to be afraid of the shark cause they were gonna kill it and it would be sushi soon.

Not that I was afraid of that, for whatever reason sharks had left me alone. They'd gone swimming the other way when they'd seen me. But for now there was no way we could go swimming since everyone was after the shark. And like usual Cleo had stayed behind and Lewis was with her he tried to comfort her but it just had made her feel worse. He was trying to cheer her up but it wasn't helping after she'd gone and asked him what he would do which was change his name and move to the country.

But after what I had done she certainty didn't want to be up and leaving. She had just got me back. You're no help she'd complained to him. At least it takes your mind off the whole mermaid thing. If scared of it ok? Is that what you wanted to hear? Cleo, everyone's afraid of something but you're amazing.... She told him that just because she had these powers didn't mean that she was amazing, but I'm sure even without her powers that Lewis had always thought Cleo was amazing.

At dinner that night they were having fish for dinner, and Cleo had helped set the table for 5 instead of 4. Uh Cleo sweetie are you excepting someone? Mom had asked her. This was kind of my idea, yesterday I'd panned on it but the whole shark and turtle thing happened, and I was at Mako last night and it just hadn't seemed like the right time. So, dad Kim had asked him.... Are you gonna catch that shark tomorrow?

When dinner was fish Cleo said she wasn't hungry. Dad said he had caught it using the Esmerelda and Cleo was confused she thought he'd been on his own boat. But he said when he owned 3.5 boats he had to be flexible. 3.5? Yeah my 3 boats and the then the one boat we named after Farrah the boat she used when she disappeared, and that no one uses. Yeah, about that.... Cleo had started.

Then she trailed back after what he said and she told him since he wasn't on his own boat that he doesn't really know what it's been catching or where it's been going. However, he as under the impression that his team would never do anything wrong. We'd set this whole plan up but it hadn't happened because the argument about the turtles was brought back up again. And the following morning Eddie and Jake had wanted to go out and get a new catch, and Eddie was manning the boat, and John wasn't so sure they should be doing what they were doing.

He was starting to feel guilty he knew that where Eddie told him to go was a bad idea and that they shouldn't be going out there. But Cleo had gone down to the peer and overheard this from Eddie and Jake and knew that she wanted to do whatever it took to stop them. When Lewis showed up she told him what she'd heard.

I'd already been out in the water with Jordan that morning, we'd been racing around and she wanted Lewis to go and get Emma and Rikki and tell them what she'd told him and she'd dived right into the water with a big slash I guess that meant she wasn't afraid of it anymore. But whatever it took for the turtles. After struggling for a bit she smiled, now maybe she understood just what everyone was talking about.

Underwater Jordan and I could communicate with each other, and could breathe and talk under water. I'd sensed something off and just floated there. "What's wrong?" "My twin powers are tingling, something's not right we need to go find Cleo!" I guess right now in this moment we hadn't wanted to use those talking underwater or mind reading powers like we'd been practicing or whatever with each other and the other fish and other sea creatures we just didn't have the time and energy for that this morning so we'd used sign and he was right behind me as I zoomed off to go look for her.

The guys cast the fishing net out, and they were on the hunt. And soon a little turtle had appeared in their sights. But when Eddie saw Cleo on the radar he knew it wasn't a turtle and decided to change course and go after her instead. The fishing net had came down, down, down until Cleo found herself tangled up in it, and couldn't get out of it.

When Lewis came to tell the girls that Cleo was in the water they were thrilled at first but he was freaking out because this time it wasn't a good thing, this was bad news. They chased after him, they wondered where Jordan and I were he thought in the water as well, but that they needed to come after her. Cleo was caught with no way out. The net was beginning to get pulled up, and that was not good, not good at all.

They thought they had finally caught a shark, but they would be surprised to see it wasn't if they ever saw her in it. The net began going up, up, up, it was almost too late for Cleo they almost had her. But zooming like a rocket we all approached at the same time to the boat to Cleo to help rescue her. I'd had no idea she was in the water, but I'd known that something wasn't right.

In the net Cleo's eyes were closed, and Rikki and Emma were trying to get her out of the net. But luckily thanks to Emma, Jordan and I were froze the different parts of the net and of the boat to make the net stop, to make it stop long enough that we'd come up with a plan to get her out and safe. The girls helped me get the net open, Jordan pulled it to the side so that there was no way I'd get caught in it too, as I reached in to grab Cleo myself. Once she was free, Jordan came to give me assistance.

And once she was she was fine. She was surprised that she could do that, and had held her breath for about 6.5 mins we'd loved to had celebrated but not right now. The 5 of us swam away, and became human again. So, that didn't go as planed. No it didn't. Not the trap, I mean last night we almost had it, but the shark and the turtle business. It's not safe yet. I agree with you it's too dangerous to return back at this time.

At the peer Cleo was still upset, dad was on one of his boats when he'd asked her what was wrong and he wasn't gonna like what she had to tell him. After telling him Eddie was in trouble and John had came clean about everything. When they had dinner that night he told the family he fired Eddie, and Cleo said the turtles would be grateful, she said she knew cause she'd heard the whispers, after all a little mystery never hurt anyone.

BTW Cleo sweetie? Yeah? Why'd you set up a 5th plate last night? Must've been my mistake. No worries. Then she got a phone call. It was Lewis she said she wanted to show him something tomorrow morning. At the beach the next morning (outfit 6) Lewis and Jordan met us at the beach to show us girls the sea turtle eggs they'd found. The other girls were in bathing suits including Cleo, but of course I hadn't bothered it wouldn't matter in my opinion.

However, that didn't stop me from participating in our groups little show. Jordan are you joining us? Are you kidding all of us in the water at once together? This is a chance of a lifetime I'm not about to miss this. We all began running towards the water while Lewis watched us enjoy ourselves, we all dove in and made a big splash in sync. Lewis thought it was so cool as we all began to swim off.

When we got back, we dried off. So, you haven't reappeared yet? He asked me. No, doesn't seem like a good idea right now, after the shark and sea turtles. We tried, it didn't work, it almost did, but now I fear they're getting suspicious. How Cleo is always talking to someone claiming she's on the phone or that she'd set an extra plate at the table the other night. I mean it was my idea, but it didn't work out. I'm sorry. Lewis told me. It is what it is. I shrug. Just know that whatever happens, I've got your back Cleo reminded me. I love you too Cleo. I smiled at her.

Hey your eyes sparkle like they've got.... All: Glitter in them. Yeah Jordan already pointed that out. They shimmer more when you look into each others eyes, she teased. I ignored her rolling my eyes. But I guess this means you're not afraid of the water anymore. Are you Cleo? I'd nudged her. No, I guess not. Good. I smiled leaning my head on her shoulder.