Chapter Text
Cleo’s hair was damp as she snuck back into the house. Her eyes are still full of moonlight as she tries to quietly close the creaky front door. The full moon sets far off in the distance. As she moves towards the stairs, her eyes catch the clock. 5:12 am, August 15, 2009.
Just as her foot hits the first step up to safety, the living room light clicks on. A wave of dread washes over her- nothing like the waves she was just basking in with her friends only a few minutes ago.
“Cleo.” Her dad’s voice is measured and calm, almost deceivingly so. “Where ya’ been, kid?”
She looks towards the living room, her neck turning slower than the minute hand on a clock. Her mind rushes for something to say, before she comes up with something.
“Emma invited Rikki and I over for a late night swim in her pool.”
“You hate water,” he responds skeptically, his brow raising a fraction.
She freezes again. What now?
“Yeah, well, I didn’t swim, I just sat by the pool and chatted with them.”
“… then why are you wet?” He asked, getting more skeptical of her by the second.
“I uhm… I used Emma’s shower. Yeah. I was sweating, so I needed to wash up before coming home.”
He stares at her for a long moment. After an agonizingly long amount of time, he speaks. “Why didn’t you tell me where you were going?”
“I thought you were asleep. I didn’t want to bother you after a long day.”
“You could’ve left a note.”
“Yeah, but… I didn’t think you’d be awake by the time I was back.”
He just stares at her again.
“Cleo.”
“Yes?”
“Are you lying to me?”
Cleo stammers like he offended her. “No! No, I’d never!”
“Were you with a boy?”
“No! No, no, no, nothing like that. It was just Emma, Rikki, and I. Promise.”
“At Emma’s house.”
“Yes.”
He picks up his mobile phone. Cleo’s eyes widen.
“So you won’t mind if I call Emma’s parents to check?”
Cleo panics a bit. Why is he so controlling? She’s 19, for gods sake, she can go over to a friends house!
“Well- well her parents are probably asleep, so they won’t even pick up.”
“Might as well try.”
He dials Emma’s dad’s number. The ringtone feels like it’s carving into her skull. Eventually, he picks up.
“Hello?” Emma’s dad speaks into the phone.
“Hi, Neil. It’s Don. Sorry for the sudden call, but was Cleo over at your place tonight?”
Cleo fidgets nervously, biting her lip.
“No? Emma told me she and the girls were going to the beach. They’ve been gone since around 8 or so. Why do you ask?”
Don looks Cleo dead in the eyes as he responds to Mr. Gilbert.
“No reason. Just wanted to make sure Cleo was where she said she was. Have a good day, Neil.”
He hangs up the phone. He sets it down on the coffee table with a quiet thud, and crosses one leg over the other. He wordlessly motions for Cleo to take a seat.
Cleo sits down on the edge of the couch, still chewing her lip.
“Emma’s house, huh?” Mr. Sertori says to Cleo.
“Well… you see- uhm… We were there for a bit, but then we went to the beach.”
“Beach’s closed past 9, Cleo. You know that.”
In her panic to come up with an excuse, she spits something out she really wishes she didn’t say.
“We went out to Mako! We weren’t at the beach past 9.”
Cleo’s dad stands up abruptly.
“MAKO?! As in Mako Island?! You know how dangerous that place is! Sharks in the water, and snakes on the land. You could die on that island, Cleo!”
“No, no, no, no, no, dad! It’s safe for me. Yeah.”
He cocks an eyebrow. “How’s that?”
She freezes. Oh god, what now? Why did she say anything? She should’ve just taken the grounding, and saved herself…
“Well… uhm… Mako isn’t even really that dangerous. So, it’s not just safe for me, it’s just… safe?”
Don stares at his daughter blankly for a moment before speaking up. “Are you crazy?”
“Dad-“
“No, really, Cleo. This isn’t like you. Sneaking out, lying to me, running off to dangerous islands… This isn’t how I raised you.”
Anger boils in Cleo’s chest. How can he speak to her like this? She’s 19, not 4! She can do whatever she wants!
“You’re so overprotective!”
“Don’t raise your voice at me!” He shouts.
“Don’t treat me like a child!” She yells right back at him.
“Don’t lie to me!” He’s going red in the face by now.
In the heat of the moment, she says something she doesn’t mean to.
“Well, too bad, I’ve been lying to you for years!”
That makes him pause.
“About what?”
She freezes. She shouldn’t’ve said anything. She’s so dumb, oh my god. What is wrong with her?!
“About what, Cleo?” He repeats firmly.
“… Nothing, dad. I was just angry.”
She stands up, turning towards the stairs. She just wants to leave.
“No, no, sit down.”
She moves towards the staircase. He slams his fist on the coffee table.
“Sit down!” He shouts. “Cleo Amanda Sertori, I WILL call your mother!”
She wheels around, her face flushed with anger.
“Do it! See if she cares! She already left, I doubt she’ll come back just ‘cause you can’t handle giving up control over your grown-up daughter!”
He angrily dials Bev’s number. She picks up in a groggy voice on the very last ring.
“Don? What do you need?”
“Sorry to bother you, Bev, but Cleo is acting up. I think you need to be here.”
“Oh… okay. Yeah. I’m on my way.”
Cleo scoffs, plopping down on the sofa and crossing her arms over her chest. Only a few minutes later, her mom arrives at the door. She rings the doorbell.
“It’s open, Bev!” Don calls out.
Cleo’s mom enters the house nervously, looking around the living room at the scene.
“Hi, everyone… What’s going on?” She asks.
“Cleo here snuck out of the house. But that’s not the issue right now.”
Bev sits down on the edge of a chair. “Oh?”
“Yeah. She admitted that she’s been lying to us about something for years, too, but she won’t spit it out.”
Cleo huffs, staying silent as her parents' heads turn towards her.
“Oh, really?” Her mother asks in an accusatory tone.
They stare into her soul, and she shifts uncomfortably in her seat.
“… I wanted to tell you, but you’d never believe me. You still won’t.”
“Try us,” Mr. Sertori responds.
Cleo swallows hard. Is she really about to do this? She’s been hiding this secret since she was 15. How could she tell them now? This is never how she’d envisioned this moment. She always wanted to tell them, but the more time passed, the more pointless it felt. Especially after she started giving into her mermaid nature more. Unlike when she was younger, she goes out on full moons now. Mako Island feels like the only safe place for her with the moon is out and full. Her friends go with her, of course. They chat, and braid each other’s hair, and swim all night, until the sun comes up. Tonight was one of those nights. She was having so much fun. What a way to ruin a great night…
Her dad’s voice snaps her out of her thoughts. “Cleo!”
She jolts, blinking her thoughts away. “Oh! Uhm… what?”
“You were about to tell us your secret?” Her mom replies expectantly, but in a soft tone.
She stiffens. “Right…” She takes a deep breath, and finally spits it out.