Your Secret's Safe With Me: A HSMTMTS AU

Chapter 9: Ricky's Return To Mako

*February 14*

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Ricky's POV:

Yesterday was a disaster first date with EJ at Salt Lake Slices.

I didn't know that a drop of lemonade would make my tail appear.

When I'm in Miss Jenn's basement/cove area I'm cautious around water and don't turn into a mermaid. And in school, I am safer because I'm on land and know where to avoid water and have Gina and Nini to protect me. But when it's just me, myself, and I, I don't know where to hide on dry land to avoid water.

Even at the aquarium field trip, I was so cautious not to go into any of the exhibits or step in any puddles. Hence why I was at the food court with Stephy and Ezra or waiting for Kourtney to fix her makeup in the bathroom.

The whole not getting water oon me thing is a trial and error thing.

I wish I had a moon ring from my mentor, Marty.

I wish I had a healthy and happy family like Nini and Gina.

They may not swim near their parents but their parents care about them and don't fight all the time like mine did.

Yesterday was also a disaster because I had to tell Big Red about my tail and he almost fainted in the Slices' bathroom when he saw me on the floor.

I told him that if he tells anyone about it, he could be in big trouble with King Triton from The Little Mermaid and he believed my lie since I know about the movie from seeing it from a Disney Cruise.

I'm not super close with Big Red yet but I guess now I am since my secret is safe with him.

I'm closer to E.J but he doesn't know my secret yet.

I had to lie to him and tell him that I had a panic attack in the bathroom but in reality, I actually do get panic attacks and have PTSD so I guess I didn't lie to him.

Thank the lord, nobody else was in the restroom at the time I transformed though.

"So, why are you back at Mako when you left with Nixie and Gi? You are the one who specifically told me that you felt safer with them than in your pod with your parents." I float with my tail that I'm slowly getting used to having again and admire my mentor's facial hair.

I swam all the way back to Mako Island in Maui, HI from Utah last night. I had to leave Utah and I decided not to attend the Valentine's day dance which is in a few hours tonight.

I'm a really fast swimmer even though I told EJ that I don't like water.

I'm not ready to face EJ and I don't want to embarrass myself or expose my tail again in front of any other humans.

I need a moon ring to have legs for longer and protect me from transformations and lastly to heighten my powers.

"I want my moon ring now. I found the two people that found Mako and endangered The East High Pod." I lie to him about Maddox and Jet who still haven;t told me anything about their time at Mako.

Nini and Gina are sure that they are the ones who found our cove hiding place but I haven't gotten any information yet from Jet in Chemistry class besides the water fountain incident.

"What do you know about the two humans that found Mako?" I stare blankly at my mentor while feeling how scaly and rough my tail is underwater.

"They go to a school called East High and a Disney Movie was filmed there. This boy named Jet used powers to make a water fountain work but I don;t know much about his sister Maddox yet. Oh, and there's a really cute boy that goes there that is friend's with them. He's been friends with them longer than I have. I promise you, I'll ask him about the two humans that found Mako when I get back. Can I please have a moon ring? I feel weaker without more powers and Gi and Nixie's are so strong on land." I swim a bit closer to him and notice that his tail is shining underwater.

Damn it, I rambled too much and talked about EJ.

Marty is definitely more powerful and stronger than I am.

I need a moon ring for powers.

I'm not going to expose myself on land in front of EJ.

Hopefully, he forgives me for ditching him at the dance tonight.

I can't dance and I can't get there in time if I'm currently at Mako.

"Ah, so you want the moon ring to protect your secret from this boy you like. No, Moon Ring for you yet then. You need to earn it Ricky. I need information on this Jet and Maddox that you know. You didn't complete the mission. You don't know how powerful they can be. I need to be able to zap their powers away but I can't do that if we don't know what they know about Mako or have proof of them turning into merman and mermaid. Find out more then come find me." I sigh and listen to Marty speak as he swims away into the ocean before I can respond to tell him that I missed EJ's valentine's day dance date for this and I'm swimming back to Utah with nothing.

"I guess I got used to this," I say to no one in particular and swim around with a group of fish for a while feeling defeated.

This neglect and feeling of failure.

I ditched EJ to swim to Mako Island.

It's my fault.

I ruined our Valentine's day date after he got me a card and chocolate's which were delicious.

I sacrificed my love for him to be in Hawaii.

I might just have to quit the musical to avoid him now.

He probably already thinks I'm weird and a loser because of my lie about having a panic attack in Slice's bathroom and locking myself in.

"Hey, what are you doing in Mako, Ryn? Wait, OMG aren't you the one who left the East High pod because of an exposure?" I look up from the piece of coral I rested my tail on and see a really old frenemy of mine, Liliah Rose with he bright red tail.

We were friends when we were 10-13 but then when I found Nixie and Gi I kinda abandoned her.

I never liked Liliah as a friend though.

She was more of just a mermaid in my life who just so happened to be there to play with me underwater.

Like find the fish species or who can swim the fastest.

Our falling out didn't mean anything to me at all.

I never really cared to see her again after age 13.

"Leave me alone Lily. I don't want to talk right now." I call her by her old nickname and wipe my tears in the ocean.

I should've just stayed at Miss Jenn's place to let my friend's do my hair and makeup for tonight.

I left my phone in my room so I don't know what time it is but the dance must be happening because of the time change in Hawaii vs Utah.

It may be over now.

EJ probably left me a billion texts and voicemails that is if he doesn't hate me.

"Did you join another pod or did they abandon you too?" I listen to her call to me but instantly swim away from her as fast I can towards the waves of the Central Pacific Ocean back towards California and the rest of the States.

I'm going to need a lot of rest and food after this long swim from Hawaii to Utah.

And I am going to have to think of a lie to tell Gi and Nixie because I didn't even tell them that I was swimming to Mako.

I sorta just found a beach in Utah and swam as fast as I could until I got to Hawaii.

It was a very long and confusing swim for me but I think that it was a better time than humiliating myself in front of EJ at the East High Valentine's day dance.

I need to swim more often because my land legs are going to hurt when my tail dries off back in Utah.