Chapter 1: Three Daughters
Chapter Text
“Thought I’d find you here,” Lewis said to his daughter, who sat with her knees to her chest looking out over the ocean. The grey waves hit against the rocks closing in on the bay; a familiar sound to that of the waves slapping the side of his boat as he and his daughter went out to sea to dive, but the sound neglected to provide the reassurance and comfort it often did to them both.
Ronnie gave no response to acknowledge his presence. She simply watched the tide ebb and flow under the gloomy sky. It was almost as if the sea knew that she would be leaving and it felt just as sad as she did.
Lewis sat down next to her, looking at her then out to the bay. Most of his world sat in front of him; his daughter and the ocean, and neither looked happy.
After a long while of the gentle crashing of water, Lewis spoke up, “I’m gonna miss it, too.”
“Then why leave it?” Ronnie finally spoke, a slight whimper compromising her voice.
Lewis sighed and lifted his fingers to push Ronnie’s golden brown hair away from her face. “This job… I cannot pass this opportunity.”
Ronnie turned to face him. “Why not?” Her voice was now laced with anger and frustration.
“Ronnie—“
“I don’t want to leave Monterrey. Let alone the country.” Ronnie stood up and stormed off. She didn’t understand what possible research her parents could conduct in Australia that he couldn’t conduct here in California. It all seemed so unfair to her that she would leave behind everything she knew.
Lewis watched her gain distance from him, wanting to follow her, but he decided she deserved some space. After all, that’s what she came out here for. He felt guilty for ruining her goodbye to his spot— one of a lot of memories he shared with his daughter— and before his daughter, his wife. It was in this bay he proposed to Cleo. She lay in the sand, the water stroking her tail, as he got down on his knee. The secret was simpler to keep in those times when it didn’t have to be kept from Ronnie.
It was hard for Lewis to say goodbye to Monterrey just as it was for Ronnie, but he knew it was time for them to return to the Gold Coast.
Ronnie stormed into the house as Cleo packed the last cardboard box. The house was nearly entirely barren with only cardboard boxes and decade-old dust furnishing it.
“Ronnie! I was so worried. Where have you been?” Cleo ran over to hug her daughter.
“Dad found me at the beach.” Ronnie returned the hug with little enthusiasm and spoke with an absence of emotion.
Cleo glanced up expecting to see Lewis at the door. “Where is he?”
Ronnie shrugged her shoulders, avoiding eye contact with her mum.
Cleo released her from the embrace and noticed her gloom. “Oh, I know it’s difficult, honey, but you’re going to love the Gold Coast.”
“Sure.” Ronnie walked off to seal herself off in her bedroom. She had no desire to talk about the move as she knew she had no way of preventing it.
Shortly after, Lewis arrived at the house. “Is Ronnie here?”
“She just went to her bedroom. I’ll go talk to her.” Cleo took a step in the direction of Ronnie’s room before Lewis stopped her.
“No, I’ll do it.” Lewis walked off in the same pathway as Ronnie just had.
Cleo couldn’t understand how it was so much easier for him to connect with her. She could never seem to get through to her daughter, but she knew it would be of no use to dwell on it, especially in a time like this, so she decided it best to continue packing.
“Dad, I don’t want to talk about it,” Ronnie said as Lewis opened her bedroom door. She sat on the floor by her window where a chair used to be, holding open a book that she wasn’t actually reading.
Lewis sat on her mostly bare mattress that now lived on the floor, hoping this time to avoid her running off. “I think we should.”
“Dad—“
“Did you know just before I graduated High School, I got offered the opportunity to study at a research centre here in California?” Lewis began.
“I didn’t realise you hadn’t graduated yet.”
Lewis nodded his head. “I wasn’t sure whether I should accept or not. I didn’t want to leave your mum behind. But it was her who convinced me.”
“Really?” Ronnie said in disbelief.
“Yeah. Best decision I ever made.”
Ronnie closed her book. “But you made that decision for yourself. I had no choice in this decision.”
“Well, what I’m saying is that you don’t know how things are gonna turn out, but you should still take risks,” Lewis explained.
“I’m moving across the world.”
Lewis shrugged with a slight smile at his lips. “What’s the worst that could happen?”
Ronnie began counting on her fingers. “Everyone at my new school will hate me, they’ll be no good Mexican food restaurants, the ocean will suck—“
“You realise it will be the same ocean, right?”
Ronnie stopped in her tracks. “It will?”
“Yeah, where we’re going. You’ll still be on the Pacific.”
This new knowledge provided some comfort to Ronnie. The Pacific Ocean was her home; it never failed to provide her comfort in the most difficult times, until the thought of leaving it tainted that notion earlier today.
Lewis spoke again, “Your mum said that’s what made us being separated easier; the fact that we would be looking at the same ocean. That made it easier for me as well. Everything else is new but the ocean is the one thing I can count on.”
Ronnie stared down at the floor. She still didn’t want to leave her life behind, but it eased her mind hearing what her dad said.
Lewis placed a hand on his daughter’s knee, “It will turn out alright tomorrow.”
Ronnie really hoped so, and so did Lewis. Returning to the Gold Coast would mean returning to an island of a lot of secrets and memories, and he could only hope that all the dangers he and Cleo had experienced in the past would be long behind them for the sake of their daughter.
***
“Holly! Holly, it’s time for school!” Rikki called from her large, open kitchen hoping to get her daughter out of the house before she got marked down tardy again. Rikki, with gloved hands, wiped down the white marble island attempting to clear away the bright red and orange hair dye stains left from the night before. “Holly!”
“I’m right here, Mum,” Holly said as she walked into the kitchen in dark grey overalls and a black off the shoulder top.
Rikki turned to see her freshly touched up hair colour. Holly’s hair resembled the light curls she had at her age, only red and orange rather than her blonde. “Did you dye your hair in the sink again?”
“Yeah.”
“Just try to be more careful to not get it on the counter. It stains.” Rikki continued scrubbing.
Holly turned away toward the door, her bag slung over her shoulder. “Sorry. I’ll clean it when I get back.”
“You got everything for your test?”
Holly turned on her heel slowly toward Rikki again. “Yes, Mum.”
“Studied?”
“Mhm.” A lie. She didn’t need to study. “I’ve got to go now.” She ran over to Rikki, giving her a soft peck on the cheek. “Love you.”
“Love you.” As she watched Holly leave, Rikki thought to herself, Was I this cheeky when I was younger? And when did I become so much like Emma? She smiled at the recollection of her friend from so many years ago, but winced at the pain of their departure.
Holly hated everything about school. She found it impossible to sit still learning about things she already knew. She only found sanctuary in her art class where she could draw out her built up energy.
As the teacher handed out packets for the biology test, Holly twirled her pencil impatiently, wishing to get this class period over with. The thick stack of papers slid across her desk as if over ice; Holly sighed and opened to the first question.
The students filed out of the classroom at the end of the period beginning to converse with their friends.
“Thank goodness I studied,” one said.
“I can’t believe how hard that was,” went another.
Holly came out behind them, clutching her bag at her hip, trying not to release any of her feelings to her face. She quickly ducked away from the crowd wishing to not dwell on the test. She already knew— despite her wishes— she had passed with flying colours. It was embarrassing to look like someone who cared so much about school and high marks when she didn’t.
Sun Coast High School was filled with all sorts of students, none of which Holly had any desire to know beyond their name and face. The school year had only begun a few months ago; a brand new start after her mum decided to move back to where she had grown up— before all the diving and books that made them well off. Holly didn’t mind the move; she never minded changing locations as it was all she had done growing up. When her mum still dove for artefacts when she was younger, they would go all around the world. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder why her mum quit and why she never taught Holly how to swim.
Holly was used to being alone with her thoughts. Her company was all she needed to be content with herself. She could paint or draw whenever she chose— her mum often got her new paints and sketchbooks when she travelled for book signings— without worrying what anyone else thought of her.
As Holly passed through the halls, a snooty brunette, Karina Lovell, nearly bumped into her shoulder. “Goodness, Holly! Did you light your head on fire to get that colour?” Her identical friends laughed with her like hyenas.
“Yeah, I could do the same to you if you want,” Holly shot back with a fake smile.
“No thanks…” Karina and her friends went on her way. Holly heard loud whispers following. “She’s so weird.”
Holly ignored them. She was used to the remarks of those sorts of people.
She found it best to sit on the grass next to the fountain, where she could observe and not interact. Holly opened her bag to retrieve her leather bound sketchbook that her mum had gotten her on her latest trip, just before they moved to the Gold Coast. The front was filled with all sorts of designs from the sea— corals, turtles, fish— and a beautiful mermaid in the centre. She flipped through her filled pages and began to sketch out the school’s architecture and various students’ clothing. The flow of fabric channelled itself into her pencil and onto the thick yellowed paper of her book. Holly always enjoyed watching things from afar and observing people as they went about their day.
When Karina passed in front of her, Holly moved onto another drawing with a smirk. She captured her silhouette— long, straight brunette hair with a mini skirt and tank top— and added a few more features that Holly had creatively interpreted. A dark moustache and uni brow matched her unruly hair with horns peeking from it. Holly laughed at herself as she scribbled more and more features that would make smoke come from Karina’s ears. In fact, she drew that as well.
“Hiya.” A voice pulled Holly from her creative state, forcing her to slam her sketchbook closed. “Whatcha doing?”
Holly looked up to see the origin of the voice. A girl stood over her, her blonde wavy bob falling over her blushing cheekbones. Holly scurried to put her sketchbook away and stand up to meet the girl’s deep brown eyes. “Just some homework.”
The girl raised an eyebrow. “Your homework is drawing Karina Lovell with a moustache and horns?”
“Fine. She’s right over there. Go tell her,” Holly said with annoyance as she packed away her sketchbook.
Just as she swung her bag over her shoulder and began to walk away, the girl said, “What? No. Why would I tell her?”
“You’re one of her spies aren’t you?” Holly walked away.
The girl chased after her. “Spies? Are you kidding? As if I would ever be friends with her, she’s a plastic baby doll with a personality she stole from some kid’s television show.” The girl was walking side by side with Holly now. “I just saw you drawing and was curious.”
“Well, you’ve got your answer. I have class.” Holly sped up her pace to leave behind the girl. She still had a few minutes until she had to be in a desk again, but she had no interest in speaking to anyone, let alone this random girl who approached her. However, Holly found herself thinking about the way the girl spoke about Karina. It almost sounded like something she would say herself. Even if this girl hated Karina as she did, she was better off a loner.
The girl stopped in her tracks as Holly walked away. All she wanted to tell her is that she liked her hair colour. She watched her continue up the stairs before turning back herself to go to a different class.
***
Louisa watched the sun dip behind the roof of the house on the ranch from her beautiful cinnamon horse, Lorelei. The golden rays framed the wooden structure so beautifully in March, just as autumn began to find its way to the hemisphere. The clouds were glowing pink and purple, juxtaposing to the greens and browns of her family’s ranch. Louisa took Lorelei out nearly every evening to see the sunset; she could always get a better view from being high up on her horse. A gentle breeze combed through her long, straight ebony hair, providing a gentle chill through her bones that calmed her senses.
“Louisa!” Emma called from the doorway of the house. “Time to eat!”
“Coming, Mum!” Louisa called before clicking her tongue to gesture Lorelei to the stables.
The smell of the stables was not necessarily pleasant to most who visited for riding lessons, but it was potent of nostalgia for Louisa. She had many great memories of riding with her mum and dad and learning how to care for the horses. It was the happiest day of her life when they brought Lorelei home and declared her to be for Louisa when she was eight years old.
Louisa hopped down from Lorelei’s back, took off the gear, and gave her a quick brush before returning her to the stable. Louisa rubbed Lorelei’s face. “Good girl. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Lorelei whinnied in response.
When Louisa arrived back into the house, she stopped by the bathroom to wash up. As much as she loved Lorelei and the other horses, she couldn’t deny their lack of cleanliness. As she washed, she called to her mum, “What’s for dinner?”
Emma responded, “Your dad went into town to pick up some fresh tuna.”
Louisa walked out, wondering where her dad was. “Where is he?”
Emma paused and looked around. “Um… he was somewhere around here.”
“Hi, girls,” Ash said as he walked through the doorway. He passed Louisa, giving her a quick kiss on her hair and made his way to his wife. “Hi, honey.” Emma turned her head for a kiss from her husband.
Louisa furrowed her brow and teased her parents, “Ew, gross.”
Her parents laughed. “That looks lovely, considering it was your turn to cook,” Ash joked to Emma.
“Ha ha.” Emma smiled as she picked up the dish to move to the table. The family took their usual seats that had been unofficially assigned years ago. Once everyone was settled and began serving themselves, Emma spoke up. “How’d the test go?”
“Fine. Super easy.” Louisa hated lying to her parents, but she knew how disappointed they would be if they knew she hadn’t done well.
Emma was sceptical that her daughter was holding out the truth, but she didn’t want to push further. She understood it was a sensitive topic for Louisa.
Ash began, “Good sunset today?”
“Yes, beautiful,” Louisa responded.
“I caught a glimpse of it while I was checking the basins in the stable.” Ash remembered taking Louisa on sunset rides when she was younger, but now she preferred to do them on her own. They would still go together occasionally, but he trusted Louisa on her own with Lorelei. “We’ve got a new rider tomorrow that I’ll be teaching. Maybe I can pull you from school early to help.”
Emma chimed in, “I don’t think that’s so good of an idea, Ash. She needs to focus on her schoolwork.”
“One short day couldn’t hurt.” Ash bumped Emma’s glass of water accidentally, spilling a few droplets onto her arm. With one swift motion, Emma grabbed a small rag from her pocket and swiped away the water. Louisa took no notice, but Emma still glared at Ash. Sorry , he mouthed.
Emma composed herself after the short incident. “She can help on weekends.”
Louisa knew there would never be a chance that her mum would let her skip a second of school.
Dinner continued with their typical conversation, Emma and Ash leaving behind the close call they had with the water.
Once Louisa excused herself from dinner to her bedroom, Emma took the moment to scold her husband in a very quiet manner. “Ash, you need to be more careful.”
“I’m sorry, Emma, I didn’t mean to.”
“This isn’t the first time. If she finds out—“
“Emma…” Ash grabbed Emma by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes. “Maybe it’s time she—“
Emma backed away from Ash. “No. She cannot know. I don’t want her to have this… this burden. And she needs to focus on her studies.”
“You can’t keep it from her forever,” Ash quietly responded.
Emma swallowed. “I can sure try.” She stormed out, leaving the dishes for Ash, the usual accommodation when it was her night to cook. He wondered if it was truly possible to keep her secret from their daughter for much longer.
***
After some time had passed between dinner and the present, Emma went to her daughter’s room. Louisa sat against a propped up pillow on her bed, reading. In recent years, Emma had been able to find time to enjoy reading, having more time to herself than previously. Most of the ranch work fell to her husband while she was responsible for taking groups on rides on the trail and meeting Louisa’s needs. She fondly remembered her time as a competitive swimmer when she was Louisa’s age; she never would have imagined this would be the life she would end up with. Yet, she still felt so much joy and fulfilment on the ranch with her husband and daughter. Emma still found time to swim on quiet days on the coast (of course in private locations away from peering eyes) but she managed to push down the itch of the desire to compete that she felt for a few years after quitting the team.
“Whatcha reading,” Emma asked her daughter as she sat down next to her on the bed, the change in distribution of weight lifting Louisa slightly.
“I found it at the library the other day. I thought the cover was pretty,” Louisa responded, shifting to show the front to her mum.
“Uncle Elliot called the other day.”
“Oh?”
“He was wondering what he should get for your birthday next week. Sweet sixteen, isn’t it exciting.” Emma nudged Louisa’s shoulder.
Louisa shrugged with a laugh. “It feels no different than my other birthdays.”
“Why don’t you have a party? Invite your classmates to the ranch,” Emma suggested. “We could set up tables and snacks and maybe even let them ride the horses.”
Louisa furrowed her brow. “You think people would actually come?”
“Sure they will. I went to parties all the time when I was your age.” Ideas sparked in Emma’s head like a network of electric wires. “Why don’t I grab up some tea and we’ll start planning. Or do you have homework?”
Louisa’s unfinished homework brought itself into her mind. “No, I’d love to start planning.” She could finish it tomorrow. Her nan used to tell her about all the great parties her mum used to plan with her friends and classmates and she recalled the parties she had for her earlier birthdays. Surely, this birthday would be just as good. She got excited thinking about it. However, in the back of her mind she worried, Would anyone actually come? It was only this year that she changed schools after she flunked out of her previous one. She hadn’t any friends who she could count on to come. Regardless, she wanted to cherish this time with her mum and worry about invitations and schoolwork later.
Chapter 2: Rainy Day
Notes:
Hi guys, welcome back to a new chapter :)
Just a warning that for at least the next 2 months or so I won't be able to post a chapter consistently but after that I'll have more time to write. Thanks for being patient and I hope you enjoy seeing the daughters start to come together.
<3 Dusty
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The next morning went as it always had; Emma woke up Louisa to drive her to South Coast High so that she would have precisely 45 minutes before her first class. Emma was one who preferred to be early to things and she instilled this habit onto Louisa. In Emma’s mind, with those 45 minutes, Louisa could be sure that her notes and papers are organised, but in Louisa’s, she usually spent this time finishing her homework or cramming in extra studying for her exams.
Louisa wished it were easier for her to retain the information she was given by her teachers and to manage her time. After all, her mum always talked about how important it was to do well in school and how beneficial it had been to her when she was Louisa’s age. She wanted to make her mum proud, but she always found there were so many other ways to spend her time that she greatly preferred.
The mornings were always crisp in March. A cool breeze tingled Louisa’s skin, begging her to feel the wind on her face by riding Lorelai. When her dad had brought up the possibility of leaving school early, she'd had a glimmer of excitement before her mum made her face the harsh reality of her studies.
Emma looked over at Louisa staring out the window, deciding to break the silence. “So your dad and I were thinking…”
Lousia’s attention had been caught.
Emma continued, “If you keep your school marks steady, you can teach riding on the weekends for some money.”
Louisa’s expression brightened. “Really?”
“But,” warned Emma, “your schooling comes first. I know you have been working hard but if your grades start to fall again, we’ll reconvene.”
“I know, Mum. Thanks.” Louisa smiled to herself. She had been begging her parents to let her train riders to earn some money for months. She just had one big hurdle that she worried was too tall: maintaining high enough grades. She couldn’t bear disappointing her mum again. She could only hope that her exam yesterday was to her mum’s standards.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” Emma exclaimed. “I made invitations for your birthday party next Saturday. There should be plenty for all of your classmates.”
“Perfect.” Despite Louisa’s fear that no one would attend, she was getting excited about it. She trusted her mum would plan the perfect party for her and what students would say no to a party?
***
“Ronnie, if you want a lift to school from your dad, you’d better hurry,” Cleo called to Ronnie from downstairs. It had been a few days since she, Lewis, and Ronnie had arrived at the Gold Coast after decades of living in America. It felt exactly the same as she had left it.
This marked Ronnie’s first day at Sun Coast High and Cleo couldn’t help but feel nervous for her daughter. She knew that it must be a difficult transition which she wanted to make as smooth as possible. She could tell, however, that the move had already taken a toll on Ronnie, and she feared what her first day of school would result in.
“Ronnie!” Cleo called again.
“Just a sec!” Ronnie called back to her mum from the bathroom as she put her finishing touches on her makeup. After combing mascara through her lashes she looked herself over in the mirror, ensuring her appearance was satisfactory for her first day of school. Her heart fluttered in her chest, not pulsating as she knew it would as she approached the school. Her tawny skin looked sickly pale even after applying a few coats of blusher, but she was afraid to overcompensate and risk looking feverish. She began to notice just about every flaw in her appearance— her freckles were a bit too dark, her green eyes were too light for her complexion, and her golden brown hair clashed with her tan— but she had no control over most of her features. Ronnie could only hope that her purple skirt and white top could provide a sense of balance and unification. She always felt purple suited her well, but she was doubting it in this moment of anxiety. With one last call from her mum, followed by another from her dad, she had no option but to continue onto school with her current appearance.
As Ronnie cautiously made her way down the stairs, Cleo warned her, “Being late on your first day is not a good look.”
Her husband chimed in, looking at his watch, “We’ve got time.”
“Not if she had to stop by the principal first to get her schedule.” Cleo tilted her head, staring at her husband.
Lewis paused. “Oh, right. Come on, Ronnie.” He planted a quick kiss on his wife’s cheek, “Bye,” then made his way to the door, Ronnie following behind him.
“Bye, Mum,” Ronnie called.
Cleo responded with her own goodbyes, the silence in the house after their departure washing over her.
Lewis opened the car door for his daughter. Ronnie slung in her bag just before getting in. Her dad jogged around this his side of the door. “Alright, we’re ready to go.” Her dad was a little too enthusiastic for her tastes.
Ronnie noticed the grey skies cloaking them from the sun. “Looks like rain.”
“Yeah, it does,” Lewis observed. He hoped that his wife would notice prior to walking out the front door.
The drive contained little conversation; the talking that ensued was mostly Lewis trying to calm Ronnie’s nerves. Just as she had predicted, when they pulled up to the school grounds, the flutter of her heart morphed into violent thumping pulsating in her ears. Ronnie hoped that her dad wasn’t able to hear it. As she got out of the car, gentle sprinkles of water tickled her skin, sending shivers down her spine despite a high temperature and humidity.
“Just talk to someone in the office, they’ll take you to the principal,” her dad told her through a rolled down window.
“Okay.”
“Hey,” her dad looked her in the eye with a compassionate look, “It’ll turn out alright.”
“Thanks.” She wasn’t entirely convinced.
The two said their goodbyes and departed. Ronnie walked through the rain, afraid to bring her attention to herself if she jogged her way out of it. She made her way to the front office where an older woman greeted her. Ronnie had to admit, it was strange hearing everyone have an Australian accent rather than just her and her parents. The woman had kind eyes and brunette hair that was greying around her forehead and ears. “Hi, honey. You must be our new student.”
“Yeah, that’s me.”
“Well, welcome to Sun Coast High. I’m Mrs. Campbell. I presume you’re Marion, then?” Mrs. Campbell said.
“Yeah, but I go by Ronnie.”
Mrs. Campbell stood from her chair. “Let me take you to see Principal Santos.” The woman was stout with a slight waddle in her walk. Mrs. Campbell took Ronnie through the hallways, thankfully indoors out of the rain. She still noticed, however, students walking through the courtyards to presumably get to their classes. Her damp hair came back to her notice as she dreaded the possibility of having to walk back through the rain. The two turned a corner into a more narrow hallway where no students were present. Doors to different offices lined the doors; Ronnie wondered which one could belong to the principal. Mrs. Campbell slowed to a stop before knocking at one of the doors. Ronnie heard a quiet invitation to enter come from inside. As Mrs. Campbell opened the door, she said, “I have the new student here, with me.” Ronnie made herself visible as Mrs. Campbell introduced her, “This is Marion.” Despite having previously corrected her, Mrs. Campbell used her full name.
“Thank you, Mrs. Campbell,” the principal said with a kind smile as she met Ronnie’s eyes. “Please, have a seat.” She motioned to the pair of chairs across from her at her desk.
As Ronnie made her way to the chairs, Mrs. Campbell retreated from the office. “It was lovely meeting you.”
“You too.” The door closed.
The principal began right away, “So, Marion McCartney, is it?” She began typing on her computer, searching for Ronnie’s files and documents.
“I go by Ronnie,” Ronnie responded quietly.
Principal Santos smiled. “Ronnie. I’m Principal Santos. You’re from America aren’t you?”
“California. But my parents are from here.”
“I hear it’s beautiful there.”
Ronnie smiled at the memory. “Yeah, my dad and I would go diving off the coast.”
“There’s some fantastic diving spots here. You just gotta know where to look.” The principal winked.
“Maybe not in this weather, though.”
Principal Santos just noticed Ronnie’s damp hair. “Is it raining out?” A brief look of worry brushed across her face before she returned to sorting files. Ronnie took no notice.
Ronnie shrugged, “Just a sprinkle.”
“Well, I’ve got your timetable here and all your teachers have been notified that you’re new, so they’ll get you sorted.” The principal handed Ronnie a spreadsheet, which she glanced at briefly. “I will ask
Mrs. Campbell to take you to your first class and then you’ll be all set.” Principal Santos stood from her desk, extending her hand for Ronnie to shake. “If you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to come to me.”
“Thank you, Miss.”
Principal Santos led Ronnie back to the front desk, eyeing the rainy weather. “I’m terribly sorry, Mrs. Campbell,” the principal started, “Could I trouble you to take Ronnie, here, to her first class. I have a meeting I must attend to.”
“Of course, Principal Santos.”
Principal Santos turned to Ronnie and placed a hand on her shoulder. “It was lovely meeting you, Ronnie. I wish you luck on your first day.”
“Come with me,” Mrs. Campbell began to walk outside. Ronnie followed closely behind, preparing herself for her first class at her new school.
***
As the day continued, the sprinkling rain turned into a downpour. All the students scattered to open their umbrellas as they entered the courtyard, but as always, Holly hadn’t brought hers. She didn’t entirely mind getting wet from the rain, especially when it was warm. She was only careful with her sketchbook and art projects and wished to keep them dry. The rest of her schoolwork, however, she had not a care in the world whether it stayed dry or got wet. Her curly scarlet bangs lay flat against her forehead, dripping water into her eyes. She hoped that her red and orange hair dye would not run down her face and clothes, but it was for that reason she liked wearing black (along with the fact that it went with every other colour).
Holly arrived to her next class, catching the attention of her teacher. “Miss Chadwick! You better have a good reason to be dripping wet.”
Holly smirked. “It’s raining.”
Her teacher evidently did not appreciate her answer. “Just take a seat and try not to get everything else all wet.”
The blonde girl she had met yesterday watched the interaction from the other side of the classroom. She stifled a laugh at Holly’s response to the teacher’s inquiry.
Holly took her usual seat: the back corner desk furthest from the teacher and the rest of the students. She squeezed out the water from her curls, letting puddles form by her feet. She could feel the heat of her teachers anger irradiating as she watched her, but Holly paid no notice. As long as her test scores remained at the top, her teacher couldn’t do much to her.
“Alright, class,” the teacher began, “Let’s get started.”
The class went as it usually did; most everyone was eager to receive their scores and beg the teacher for extra credit, while Holly had not the slightest intention of viewing her score, let alone talking to her teacher about it. However, her teacher, whilst placing it in front of her, placed it face up unlike the rest of the students, forcing Holly to see her score. 100/100.
Cheeky, thought Holly. She quickly turned her paper back over, hoping no one had seen her score. Her teachers have already attempted to get her to do internships or competitions between schools, but found themselves met with some rather colourfully-worded responses from Holly. She recalled saying such scholastic competitions were for “egotistical losers who wanted to pretend it was an accomplishment to have no social life.” Holly didn’t want to admit that she herself had very little social life, but she never once wanted felt pride in it but rather a sense of normalcy that she never viewed as either negative nor positive. It was simply what was meant for her.
Across the room, Louisa cringed at her test score. How had she done so poorly? She could’ve sworn she had spent hours upon hours studying, ensuring she knew every possible detail of the material covered. Surely, she couldn’t show this to her mum. Louisa stuffed the paper into her bag, hoping to forget about it until absolutely necessary, but it was burning a hole in her mind along with her birthday party invitations. Her mum had worked so hard last night to make them special for her, yet she couldn’t stand the thought of disappointing her with her score again. Not when she did so much for her.
As the class left to go on break, Holly’s hair was now damp rather than the dripping mop it had been at the beginning of class. She stopped by her locker to stow away from books only to be startled by the blonde girl, though she didn’t not show it.
“I wanted to tell you yesterday,” the girl began, “I like your hair. The orange bit is new.”
Holly didn’t have much of a reaction. “Thanks.”
“I thought what you said to the teacher earlier was pretty funny.”
Holly gave no response.
“I’m Caryn, by the way.”
No response once more, just a slight tug at the corners of her mouth.
“You’re Holly, right?”
This struck Holly’s interest. “You know my name?”
“Well, yes. Um… I noticed you had no umbrella. You can take mine if you’d like,” Caryn said. Holly began to walk toward her other class, once again without a response. Caryn walked to keep up with her, her short blonde waves bouncing as she did so. “Or not, that’s okay, too. I like the rain.”
Holly stopped and turned to face the girl. “Please, just leave me alone.” Holly hadn’t gotten a proper moment to look at Caryn. She hadn’t noticed the twisted braid pulling her hair away from her face to reveal the darker locks that framed her ears less touched by the sun. She was small— even smaller than Holly— with soft features that complimented her clothing. She wore a white long skirt and green sweater while holding her books tight to her chest, an umbrella hanging off her arm. Her eyes were sad, Holly presumed from her comment that came out of anger and annoyance. She wanted to apologise. “I—“
A bratty voice she knew all too well cut her off. “I had always heard that weirdos attract their kind, but I didn’t believe it until now,” Karina cackled, all of her friends joining along.
Holly smirked. “If your parents pay them enough money,” she said, pointing at Karina’s friends, “they will definitely be attracted. Don’t you agree, girls?”
Caryn chimed in, “Yeah it’s not very impressive to have a posse when you had to go to mum and dad,” she switched to a baby voice and big eyes, “‘pwease mummy and daddy can you buy me friends so I feel better about myself?’”
Karina scowled, “Ugh, as if,” and walked off.
Caryn and Holly found themselves laughing at the event that just occurred. Maybe she judged Caryn a little too quickly. Holly watched as Caryn’s face blushed with humour, her own blushing at the sight, which she immediately tried to hide. As Caryn’s laugh subsided, Holly hesitated before saying, “I’ve gotta go,” and walked away before giving Caryn a chance to say anything more.
***
Ronnie had one class left to get through; one class left to be introduced to a group of students that couldn’t care less about her arrival. Her previous classes had run pretty smoothly, but she still found herself wishing to be home. The home she wanted to be at, however, was across the entire Pacific Ocean.
Consulting the map, her timetable, and the room numbers, she successfully found the classroom without being late. In fact, she was early. There was only one other student there before she was. A girl with long, straight hair nearly dark enough to be black.
Louisa was rushing to complete her homework that she had forgotten to do the previous night as Ronnie walked in. She took no notice to the new student.
Ronnie was having an internal battle. Just ask if you can sit next to her. Maybe you can make a friend. But what if she says no? She stood there trying to make up her mind for a little longer than she would’ve liked. She decided it was worth a try. After all, like her dad said, what’s the worst that can happen?
“Mind if I sit here?”
Louisa looked up from her work to see the origin of the voice. She had never seen this person before on campus. Louisa straightened her posture and put on a smile. “Of course.” This girl seemed rather nice.
Ronnie let out a sigh of relief as she settled in her seat. “Thanks.”
“Are you new here? I haven’t seen you around.”
“Yeah, today is my first day,” Ronnie responded.
“I’ve only just started this year. Haven’t gotten to speak to many people yet.”
Ronnie felt almost pleased to hear that. Maybe this will turn out alright after all. “I’m Ronnie.”
“Louisa.” Louisa put out her hand to shake Ronnie’s. She herself felt hopeful that she had made a friend after all.
Other students filed in and the teacher straightened her papers. “Alright, students. We’ve got a lot to cover but first, we have a new student.” All eyes turned to Ronnie. “Why don’t you come up and introduce yourself, Marion?”
Ronnie braced herself to do this for one last time. She stood up and made her way to the front trying to appear confident. “Hi, I’m Marion McCartney, but you can call me Ronnie.” She started going through the same script she had in her head from her previous introductions. “I’m from California but moved here for my parents’ work.”
Karina Lovell raised her hand. “Why don’t you have an American accent, then?” she asked with sass edging her voice.
Ronnie was used to answering this question. “My parents are from here so I just ended up with their accent, I guess.”
The teacher put her hand on Ronnie’s shoulder, signalling her to return to her seat. “Alright, well thank you, Ronnie. Let’s begin today’s lesson then, shall we?”
As the class finished, before Ronnie could leave, Louisa decided to take an opportunity. “Um, before you go… I have a birthday party next Saturday,” she begun shyly, “I’m inviting all my classmates, so I suppose that includes you.” She reached into her bag to pull out one of the invitations her mum made her— the first one she’s given out.
For the first time since moving, Ronnie got excited with the possibility of a party. “Of course, I’ll ask my parents, but I’d love to come.”
“We live on a horse ranch, too, so if you’re interested, you might be able to ride one.”
Ronnie got even more excited. “I’ve only ridden a horse maybe… twice in my life.” The girls laughed.
“That’s okay, maybe I can teach you. My mum and dad do lessons so they would be great teachers.”
“I’ll let you know what my parents say.”
“Great!” Maybe Louisa’s party would turn out alright after all.
Notes:
So funny thing, I just now was able to rewatch seasons 3 and 4 of Mako Mermaids and discovered Rita retired toward the end (kinda awkward oops). Since I have a few plans in place with how she will interact with our girls, we're just going to pretend she did not retire because what is fanfiction if not ignoring plot points that inconvenience the story :)
Chapter 3: Aftermath
Notes:
Hi guys, thanks for your patience. I don't have access to my computer (or technology in general) during weekdays because of my job so I have to write out all the chapters by hand then transcribe them on weekends. In the next few weeks, things will be back to normal and I'll be able to get chapters out more regularly.
Hope y'all enjoy :)
<3 Dusty
Chapter Text
Ronnie’s nerves had left her by the time she had to walk home. She felt that the worst parts of starting at a new school were over and having potentially made a friend, things were starting to feel okay. Still, she felt quite homesick of her home that was no longer hers.
She had wished her dad had been able to drive her home as well, but this morning was a special occasion to help her with directions to the school. Most days, she was now on her own. The rain had begun to settle with only sprinkles of water lightly landing on her skin. All Ronnie was able to do on her walk was think. She could recall all the events of the day and would find herself questioning whether she embarrassed herself or not. Did she speak too loudly? Too quietly? Did she have a weird voice? She had been teased about her accent earlier, maybe it’s too in between American and Australian? Despite all the questions bouncing around her mind trying to make her feel poorly, she recalled her interactions with Louisa with fondness. Louisa had been very kind to her. Most of the students whom she met seemed indifferent about her arrival and only spoke to her to be polite (or snarky in the case of Karina Lovell).
It all felt strange to her, being in a place that was so different yet so similar to Monterey. The Gold Coast had the beach, the greenery, the modern houses, but it felt like everything shifted to the left ever so slightly. It was familiar but felt entirely alien. The contradictions played with her mind— the two sides kicking her around like a football. Just as spring came upon her in America, she had to be pulled from the blooming poppies to the cooler and wetter season of autumn. She had no summer to enjoy soon, not with winter coming in the months she associates with warmth and sun.
With Ronnie’s thoughts darting in all different directions, anxiety crept back into her. She didn’t want anything to change and she didn’t understand why it needed to. What could possibly be on the Gold Coast for her family?
Ronnie’s parents were very successful marine biologists in Monterey, having had their own research lab. During the summer, her dad would take her on his boat to chart the waters and look at fish populations while her mum stayed at the lab working on previously collected research. Her dad was always more proactive with research she found. She couldn’t understand why her mother ever became a marine biologist in the first place. After all, she never would go diving with them.
Diving. That’s what Ronnie was missing. Even if she couldn’t dive in her favourite spots, she always loved finding new places to explore.
Ronnie took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She trusted her parents to make the right decisions and all she could do at the moment was hope for the best. Her dad often told her how scary it was for him to move all the way to Monterey to study when he was in high school. If he was able to handle moving across hemispheres, maybe Ronnie could too.
She wanted to ask her dad about diving, but both of her parents would be at work for a while longer. Surely the Gold Coast would have some great reefs and diving spots.
Lost in thought and having some difficulty remembering what her new house looked like, Ronnie walked past her front door. She was able to catch herself before she got too far. She sighed and turned back. Ronnie came up on the pathway to the front door lined with empty flower boxes that her mum said she wanted to fill as soon as possible. The driveway was empty, confirming that neither of her parents would be there. The house was two stories, much larger than their house in Monterrey, with a fresh coat of light grey paint and a white gate in front of the steps to the front door. Ronnie was disappointed that her parents refused to get a house with a pool. She did love the beach, but it could be difficult to get to it so often. A pool would allow her to swim whenever she wished.
Ronnie swung open the white picket gate and shut it behind her, making a loud noise as the latch shut. She kneeled over to pick up one of the many rocks around it to find the key for the door. However, she was unable to remember which rock it was. She picked up multiple rocks trying to figure out which one her dad told her it was under. Just as she found the key, her front door opened. She swerved her head to see her mum in the doorway.
“Hey, Ronnie,” Cleo said with a large, welcoming smile on her face.
Ronnie raised her eyebrows. “You’re home?” She was certain neither her mum or dad would be here.
Cleo could see the collection of water droplets on her daughter’s hair, confirming for her that there was still some rain. She was careful to maintain her distance. “I had to work from home today. It was just boring stuff like organising data so I didn’t need to go to the lab.”
“Oh.”
Cleo stood back to hold the door open for Ronnie, careful to avoid touching her. “So how was it?” she said with curious anticipation.
“Fine,” Ronnie answered as she hung her backpack and jacket on the hooks in the entryway. She kicked off her shoes and made her way to the kitchen for a snack. “Just a lot of introductions and such.”
“That’s good.” Cleo followed her.
“You and Dad used to dive when you lived here, right?”
Ronnie’s question surprised Cleo. She wasn’t expecting her to ask about it. All Ronnie knew was that Cleo had a diving accident and hasn’t gone since. “Yeah, there’s some good reefs if you take out a boat from the marina.” Cleo omitted a mention of a certain island offshore. “You want to go diving?”
“Yeah.” Ronnie smiled at the thought of it as she grabbed a granola bar from the pantry.
It warmed Cleo’s heart that her daughter wanted to go diving again. She had expected it to take a little while longer before Ronnie came around the idea of diving in a whole new place. She only wished she could dive with her and her husband. “Why don’t you ask your dad about going this weekend?”
“There’s a birthday party I’ve been invited to this Saturday,” Ronnie recalled. She went to grab the invitation from her bag, still taking bites from her snack. “She gave me this fancy invitation.” Ronnie pulled the white card from her bag.
“Who gave you the invitation?” Cleo asked as she was handed the card. She looked over the fancy graphics and font. It read, You are invited! Louisa Dove’s 16th Birthday Party. Saturday March 4th. The font was in elegant typed calligraphy with black outlines of confetti, balloons, and ribbons. Something about this invitation felt familiar, but Cleo couldn’t place what it was.
“This girl at school. Louisa was her name,” Ronnie explained.
Cleo furrowed her brow slightly. “Dove. The last name sounds familiar. I wonder if I know her parents from when I lived here.”
Ronnie shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Her mum went back to a large smile. “That’s fantastic, honey. I’m so glad you made a friend.”
Ronnie gave a small smile and hummed in agreement.
Cleo nearly went in to hug her daughter, then remembered she was still damp from the rain. “Let’s get you dried off.” She ran off to grab a towel, leaving Ronnie alone in the kitchen to finish her granola bar.
***
“Louisa, honey?” Emma asked as she grabbed a textbook for her daughter out of her school bag hanging in the foyer.
Louisa, doing her homework at the dining room table as her dad prepared dinner, responded, “Yes, Mum?”
“Were you able to give out any invitations?” Emma looked at the invitations in Louisa’s bag. It appeared to her that not a single one was missing. Seeing as the party was on Saturday, she was worried that her daughter hadn’t yet invited anyone.
“Yeah,” Louisa replied, “A bunch.”
Emma raised an eyebrow. A lie?
Before Emma could question, Louisa continued, “Well… one.”
Emma wondered why her daughter told a lie at first. “That’s great, honey. Who did you give it to?”
“A new girl. Ronnie.”
Emma brought over the textbook Louisa had requested. “Ronnie,” Emma repeated, testing out the name with her own mouth, “That’s a pretty name. Is she your friend?”
Louisa wasn’t sure she could answer this question properly. “I hope so. I don’t know, yet.” She had only known this girl for one class period, after all.
“Well, I am glad I will get to meet her.”
Ash jumped into the conversation. “A new girl starting in March?”
“She moved her from America. I think their school system must work differently,” Louisa assumed.
Emma explained to her husband, “I believe March is closer to the end of the school year in America. Their summer holiday is when we are in winter.
“Wait, they have summer during our winter?” Louisa asked.
“They are in the northern hemisphere. Their seasons are opposite of ours,” Ash told her.
Emma chimed in. “That must be so difficult moving to a completely new place like that.”
Ash questioned, “Wonder why her parents decided on the Gold Coast.”
Louisa shrugged her shoulders, returning to her work.
Just as Ash was going to continue the conversation with his daughter, Emma gave him a look to quiet him. She wanted Louisa to focus on her work at the moment.
After Louisa had gone to bed, Emma took Ask aside to talk.
I’m worried about her,” Emma began.
“Why is that?”
Emma held up all of the invitations that hadn’t been given out yet. “She hasn’t given out any but one.”
“One is still one, Em,” Ash assured. “It’s hard transitioning schools. She’ll make friends, don’t worry.” He put his hands on his wife's shoulders. The warm touch of her husband comforted Emma. In all of her worries and hectic moments, she could always count on Ash. Even in moments when he frustrated her, she remembered the relaxation that spread over her when she felt his hand in hers.
Around the corner, Louisa listened to her parents’ conversation, tears steaming her eyes.
“Ash, she had no friends at her other school, either.”
“She’s just shy. It seemed like she was getting along with that one girl.”
Emma sighed, her mind going back to what she was initially worried about. “I just wish she would invite people to her party. She seemed so excited about it when I first brought it up.
Louisa had been excited about it. She was still excited. It just felt so daunting to actually invite her classmates— essentially strangers.
“Emma, you are constantly worrying about this family— and I love you for it, really— and you have a lot more to worry about than most parents. But sometimes you have to trust that it will work out how it needs to.”
Ash’s meaning within his words did not go unnoticed by Emma. It was difficult balancing her secret and having a family that needed her. In these moments she found herself far more grateful for her husband.
Louisa’s eyes welled and she tried to blink away her tears unsuccessfully. First, she was a disappointment with her schooling and now with her party as well? She wiped away the tears from her cheeks and returned to her room. She knew what she had to do tomorrow.
“It feels harder and harder each day, “Emma began again, “keeping such a big secret from her.”
Ash empathised with her deeply. He, himself, found it difficult having to lie to his daughter for Emma, but he couldn’t even imagine how it felt for her. “I know, Em. I’m sure one day we will be able to tell her.”
Emma shook her head with a panicked look. “No.” The firmness of her voice echoed through Ash’s ears. “I don’t want her having something like this to keep secret.”
Ash furrowed his brow. “We have to tell her eventually.”
“No we don’t.” Emma held a finger at level with Ash’s eyes. “Think of how hard it is for us to keep this secret.”
“You were her age once, with this very secret. I wasn’t much older than he told me.”
Emma sat in a chair at the dining room table, the heels of her hands buried into her eyes. She said nothing.
Ash joined Emma, resting a hand on her thigh. He didn’t wish to argue with her like this. “We can worry about this another time. Let’s get to bed, okay, hon?”
Emma nodded with a sharp inhale, bringing herself back together.
“We’ll ask Louisa about the invitations again tomorrow, after school. Let’s give her another chance.” The two went off to bed as Louisa drifted off to sleep.
***
“I got a phone call yesterday,” Rikki began as Holly appeared in the kitchen in the morning. “One of your teachers said you had an ‘attitude.’”
Holly chuckled softly. “Which instance was that?”
Rikki’s eyes widened with a mixture of disapproval and humour. “There were multiple?”
Her daughter sighed with a smirk, not meeting her mum’s eyes. “A teacher asked me why I was wet.”
“And?”
“I said ‘ it was raining.’ That’s it.”
Rikki had to stifle a laugh to not encourage her daughter’s behaviour. “Where was your umbrella?”
Holly shrugged. “I forgot it.” She leaned on the counter, preparing an explanation for her mum. “This teacher has always had a problem with me. She’s been waiting for an excuse to call home.” Mrs Mueller was always frustrated with Holly’s behaviour. She never truly acted out or did much of anything to be worth a phone call to her mum. This teacher would continuously try to convince Holly to join various academic clubs and every time, Holly’s language would get more and more colourful. Holly didn’t think of herself as particularly smart but rather just good at memorising things.
Rikki felt a sense of pride in her daughter turning out so much like her. However, she was finally starting to understand why adults got so frustrated with her when she was 16.
“Hey, Mum?” Holly spoke.
“Yes?”
“Can we watch a movie tonight?”
It had been ages since the two of them had a movie night. Rikki was always worried that Holly had disliked them, but this confirmed otherwise. Rikki smiled widely. “Of course.”
Chapter 4: Invitations
Notes:
Btw it's not gonna be a usual thing that I post multiple chapters within such a short amount of time but since this is a short chapter I figured I'd go ahead and post it. Enjoy!
<3 Dusty
Chapter Text
“Here you are; invites for my birthday party this Saturday,” Louisa told her classmates as she handed them the individual white sheets of paper.
Most seemed excited about the possibility of a party. Just about every person she gave an invite to said they would be attending.
However, when Louisa saw Karina Lovell and her posse, she made a sharp turn. There would be know way she would allow those girls to come.
Holly looked across the courtyard at Caryn grabbing books from her locker. Her hair was in a small ponytail today, half of it falling out from being too short to put up. Holly noticed that Caryn always wore long, flowy maxi skirts of various colours. Today the chosen colour was a dark purple complimenting her cool skin tone. Holly walked over to her quickly, not allowing time to convince herself out of it.
Before Holly could speak, Caryn said without turning to face her, “I saw your hair reflecting on the locker.” She faced Holly with an amused smile— not to be mistaken for a teasing smile.
Holly glanced at the locker, confirming for herself that her scarlet hair was quite radiant in the blue locker paint.
“I wish my mum would let me dye my hair,” Caryn continued, “It’s pretty cool that your parents let you.”
“I suppose.” Holly smiled shyly, her eyes falling to the floor.
Louisa approached the two, holding out two invitations. “It’s my birthday on Saturday, I’m having a party.”
Holly grabbed the invitation with suppressed excitement. She wasn’t the most sociable, but she loved large parties where she could just enjoy the atmosphere and not have to worry about making conversation due to the extroverts taking over the job. Before giving an answer, she paused to see Caryn’s.
“Absolutely, I’ll be there!” was Caryn’s response.
“Me too,” Holly spoke after.
Louisa smiled ear to ear. “Great! I’ll see you there—“
“Louisa!” a familiar bratty voice made itself known. Following the sound, appeared Karina Lovell. “I heard you were having a party.” Her fake smile was pungent with toxicity. “It seems you had forgotten to give me an invitation.”
Louisa slowly put the invitations behind her back, not even realising as she did. Holly noticed the fear on her face and how she guarded the papers.
Holly tilted her head with a scrunched nose. “No, I don’t think she did.”
Louisa shot her a look, eyes wide. Holly knew what the look said. What are you doing?
Karina scoffed. “What?”
“No one wants someone like you at their party. She didn’t ‘forget’ to give it to you. She chose not to. As any reasonable person would.” Holly was sick of how this girl talked to others.
“Well, at least my hair doesn’t look like it’s on fire,” Karina shot back.
Holly raised an eyebrow. “If you want me to be insulted, be more original about it next time.”
Karina spoke nothing out loud, but the steam rising from her brown hair said all Holly needed to know. She wasn’t used to be spoken to like this.
Louisa was nothing short of shocked at what happened. Holly Chadwick had just stood up for her? And Karina Lovell still had no invite to her party. Things were looking up for her.
Caryn, still standing next to Holly, looked at her, anticipating her next action. Holly turned and began to walk away.
“Wait!” Louisa called before she got too far. “Thank you.”
Holly nodded in response and gave a quick smile. “See you on Saturday.”
Far away from the girls, Karina, to her friends, said in a whisper, “Who said I’d need an invitation to be there.” The group burst into giggles as they scurried away.
Before Karina or any of her friends arrived at the classroom, Louisa quietly told Ronnie what had happened earlier.
“Holly Chadwick,” Louisa said in a loud whisper, “I’ve never seen Karina so mad.”
“Who’s Karina again?” Ronnie asked.
“Shhh.” Louisa glanced at the door. “That girl.”
Karina exuded the usual amount of brattiness as usual, but the smallest bit of her radiating confidence faltered.
Ronnie couldn’t help but laugh. She noticed a sharp glance at her from Karina, but figured it was time that a girl like her recieved the sane treatment she gave others. She remembered a girl like her, back in Monterey; Karina wasn’t any different.
So,” Ronnie whispered, “She’s not going to your party.”
“Well, she didn’t get an invitation.”
The teacher came to the front of the class. “Alright everyone, get your notebooks out.”
Ronnie and Louisa walked out of the classroom together, this time the sky completely free from any rain clouds. The school looked completely different in the sunlight with golden highlights and crisp shadows.
“Hey, um,” Ronnie began, “Would you like to walk home together? Where is your house?”
Louisa frowned. “My mum is picking me up. We live too far away from the school for me to walk.”
“Oh, okay.”
The two got to the road and first in the line of cars was Emma. She rolled down the passenger side window and waved at the girls. She wondered if the girl next to her daughter was the same that Louisa was talking about yesterday.
“See ya tomorrow?” Louisa walked backwards toward Emma.
“Yep,” Ronnie responded.
Before Ronnie walked away, Emma asked Louisa, “Does your friend want a lift home?”
Louisa turned back to Ronnie. “Hey, Ronnie. Want a lift?”
Ronnie held her hands up. “No, no it’s alright. I don’t want you going out of your way for that.”
This time, Emma responded. “It really is no problem.” She smiled kindly. “What street are you on?”
Ronnie told her and Emma lied saying it was on their way anyhow when it very much wasn’t. She didn’t like to lie, but she hoped this would give Louisa more time to bond with her new friend. Louisa, however, the rather aloof soul she was, took no notice of her mum’s lie. She had little clue of street names and locations so just assumed her mum knew what she had been talking about. Louisa turned to Ronnie, expectantly, awaiting an answer.
Ronnie had the same idea Emma did. She really wanted to be friends with Louisa and she saw this opportunity. “You’re sure?”
“Absolutely,” Emma told Ronnie as she beckoned the two girls into the car.
“Come on.” Louisa smiled widely as she climbed into the car. Ronnie followed behind her, both girls in the back seat.
“So, Ronnie,” Emma began as she drove off, “Are you new to Sun Coast High?”
“Yeah, I just moved here from Monterey,” Ronnie responded.
“Where’s that?”
Ronnie had forgotten that she was in a new country. “California in the United States. It’s a bit north of Los Angeles where Hollywood is.” She hoped Emma and Louisa at least knew Los Angeles.
Emma remembered Louisa mentioning that Ronnie was from America. She couldn’t help but wonder why Ronnie had an Australian accent rather than an American one.
Before Emma could ask, however, Ronnie answered her question. “My parents grew up here, though, so that’s why we’re back.”
Emma nodded, meeting Ronnie’s eyes in the rear view window. She waited a moment to see if Louisa would continue the conversation, but she was unable to think of anything to say. Emma continued instead. “What do your parents do for work?”
“They’re marine biologists. They had their own research lab back home but they decided to take new jobs here.” The last bit of her explanation was laced with some sadness, but none of the occupants of the car decided to dwell on it.
“Are you interested in marine biology, as well, Ronnie?”
Ronnie shrugged. “Sure. I love diving and what not with my dad.”
Louisa chimed in. “Diving? I’ve never gone diving before.”
Emma was careful with how she spoke her next words. “I hear we have fantastic diving spots on the coast.”
“Have you been diving, Mum?” Louisa asked Emma.
Emma froze for half a second. “Not since I was your age and I did very little of it. I liked swimming competitively, though.”
Louisa turned to Ronnie and explained, “My grandma used to tell me about all of her swimming competitions but she quit. She’s got all of Mum’s trophies displayed in her old room.”
Emma recalled the bittersweet memory of being the town’s swim champion. She wished it had been her who taught Louisa to swim along with her husband rather than just Ash alone.
Louisa took after her; she loved swimming nearly as much as she loved riding. When she was little, she would beg for a pool. Even with ignoring the fact that there wasn’t a single place for a pool on the ranch, it would have been too risky for Emma.
“So are you coming to Louisa’s party on Saturday?” Emma asked.
“Mhm.”
“Well, I look forward to seeing you there.”
Ronnie watched the roads intently, trying to remember the turns she took when she walked home. Ronnie hoped her mum would actually be at work this time; she wasn’t ready to introduce someone’s parent to her own.
When Emma turned onto the correct road, she asked Ronnie to point out the correct house for her.
Ronnie thanked Emma profusely, to which Emma responded it being no problem. Ronnie approached the doorstep, past the white gate, pretending to not notice that Emma was watching, ensuring she got inside without an issue. She quietly prayed to herself that she would pick up the correct rock and key on her first try, and to her delight, she did.
After a quick wave to Emma and Louisa, Ronnie went inside, relieved to find neither of her parents there.
“What a lovely girl, Louisa,” Emma said as she pulled away.
Louisa hummed in agreement. “Was the house actually on our way?”
Emma hesitated. “No, I just wanted to be nice.” She expected Louisa to be upset, but she simply laughed softly.
“I gave out the rest of the invitations.” She omitted the truth about the four she didn’t give to Karina Lovell and her friends. She also decided it best that her mum didn’t know about the standoff between Holly Chadwick and Karina.
Emma’s anxieties all released at once. The invitations have been the subject of her worries all day. Seeing her daughter talking to Ronnie and making a friend warmed her heart. She wished them the best. “That’s great, Louisa. I look forward to meeting your classmates.” The two smiled. The stressful parts of the party were being put behind them.
Chapter 5: Memories of the Past
Notes:
Hey y'all! Good news, I'm officially unemployed now so I'll hopefully have more time to write (and get over my writer's block; I'm glad I already had this chapter written) Enjoy :)
<3 Dusty
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Holly took a peaceful stroll along the bay side of the marina. Grass sloped down into sand and then into gently rippling water, pulsating with passing boats. Boats were coming in after a day of fishing while others went out for leisure. Holly’s curls were wrapped into two twin braids by her ears, her bangs hanging loose over her forehead and cheekbones.
Off further down the walkway, stood two men— a boss and an employee who happened to run into each other while taking care of their own personal business.
“Well, you see, Mr Bennett,” the employee began, “The gala next week is hitting a few bumps.”
“Bumps?” replied the boss, “What kind of bumps?”
“Our caterer dropped out and the venue is short on waitstaff.”
Zane Bennett knew it would be impossible to truly have time off. His company always needed some sort of input from himself no matter the hour. He would be a fool to have expected an anticlimactic walk along the water. He began to develop a solution. “Source from a private waiting company and hire new caterers. I don’t care who, just check their reviews, first.” As he finished his sentence, Holly walked past him, close enough to allow her face to be in view. Zane furrowed his brow. This girl looked exactly like… No, it couldn’t be. She moved away years ago. But the resemblance, even down to the braids she wore when he knew her, was hard to ignore. The only difference was the fiery red and orange hair. But it couldn’t possibly be her. There was no possible way the girl walking down her favourite spot could be Rikki Chadwick.
Holly quickly glanced at the man as she passed. She noticed his confused look but ignored it, continuing about her day.
“Mr Bennett?” the man across from him spoke.
Zane’s focus shifted back to the task at hand. “What?”
“I had said that everything else for the gala is in order.”
Zane sighed wondering why he still needed to be bothered at the moment. “Alright, I’ll be back at the office this evening.”
“Oh, I actually am on my way home right now.”
An awkward beat hung over them. Zane released another sigh. “See you tomorrow, then.”
Both men went off in opposite directions. Zane took a look behind him, but the girl he had just seen was gone, like a mirage in the mist reminding him of a past he was unable to forget.
“Hey, Holls,” Rikki greeted her daughter as she came through the front door. “Nice walk?”
“Yeah. Can I go to a party on Saturday?”
The sudden change of topic gave Rikki whiplash. “A party?”
“It’s just a birthday party. Adults will be there,” Holly explained.
“Oh, I wasn’t worried about that. I just didn’t expect it to be something that would interest you.”
Holly shrugged. “I don’t know, it sounded fun.”
“I’m sure it will be.”
Holly has never been the most extroverted of kids. She loved her alone time and never felt like friends were a necessity. However, she was always sure of herself. She rarely doubted her identity and who she wanted to be. Rikki saw herself in Holly— almost an exact reflection. Rikki sometimes wished Holly hadn’t taken after her so much, because perhaps if she hadn’t her struggles wouldn’t be so hefty.
“Still up for that movie?” Holly called as she went to the living room.
Rikki smiled brightly. “Absolutely.
***
In the evening, Lewis unpacked a box in his and Cleo’s bedroom. The room was bare, with only a bed and dresser adding only a slight bit of personality to the emptiness. As he took out various picture frames, he looked over each one, sparking various memories in him; photos of him and Cleo at their wedding, Ronnie’s first time at the beach, and a recent photo of the three of them posing in front of the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles. Buried in the corner of the box was a photo of him, Cleo, and two other girls; two girls who Lewis had thought would remain in their lives forever. Bonded by a secret, and torn apart by their different routes. Without his wife noticing, he placed the photo on his own nightstand.
As Cleo walked into the room carrying another unopened box, Lewis pulled out an old jewellery box where Cleo kept accessories she no longer wore. He opened it, curious of the contents.
Cleo spoke, “Every time I think there’s no more boxes to bring up here, I find five more.”
Lewis pulled out a silver chain, an oval locket swinging from the chain with a deep blue gem above it. On the back was a carving of ocean waves, handmaid by an old friend Lewis once knew.
Cleo froze as she looked at the locket.
“I never noticed when you stopped wearing this,” Lewis said quietly, his gaze not leaving the locket.
His wife pursed her lips with a shrug. “I don’t need to wear it.”
Memories flashed behind Lewis’ eyes. Him making foolish mistakes, an outsider pulling it from Cleo’s neck, and the closeness they felt once more as he put it around her neck for the final time. Years ago, Cleo would have been distressed to know it sat in an old jewellery box, unable to be admired by anyone. An idea sparked in his mind. “Why don’t you give it to Ronnie?”
Cleo grimaced. She wasn’t sure she was ready for her daughter to have any sort of introduction to the other side of her.
Lewis could guess what his wife was thinking. “There’s no photo in this one of anything. And you don’t have to explain its history to her.”
The memories associated with this necklace were a complex mixture of happiness and despair, union and departure, love and hate. But none of those memories were present in Ronnie’s life. Perhaps Ronnie could create new memories with this necklace, allowing Cleo to fully move away from her past rather than burying it in an old jewellery box that simply collected dust.
“You know what?” Cleo told her husband, “I think that’s a great idea.”
As Lewis gently placed the necklace into Cleo’s open palm, he closed his hand over hers, the warmth of his fingers spreading over her in milliseconds.
“Let’s do something this weekend, just the two of us.” Lewis’ tone was soothing— a familiar thing in a place where the unfamiliar surrounded Cleo. His other hand tucked Cleo’s brown curls behind her ear, his thumb lingering over her cheekbone.
Cleo made no response to her husband’s suggestion. She couldn’t find herself to meet him in the eyes.
Lewis noticed the discerning look in his wife’s features. “Hey, is everything okay?”
Cleo departed from her husband to sit on the bed. She played with the chain of her old necklace. “It— I don’t know— moving back here wasn’t what I expected.”
Lewis’ brows knitted as he took a spot next to Cleo, his weight shifting Cleo upwards.
“Everyone always says there’s a reason for everything and I figured in moving here…” Cleo trailed off.
“In moving here you would find a reason,” Lewis finished for her.
“It just felt like… like this pull. Like I felt like I needed to come back here. I didn’t question it at the time, but now I’m starting to. Why did I want to come back here?”
Lewis had initially thought it strange that his wife had wanted to move away from Monterey and come back to the place they grew up. Much like the necklace, with all the good memories were also the bad ones; but he figured that might as well just be the case for every place one goes. Lewis was always aware of the difficulties that would come upon their return here, but much like Cleo had felt, Lewis felt they needed to come home. He had been hesitant when his wife first said aloud her idea of moving back here, but being here felt right. After all, this was the very place in which he and Cleo had fallen in love.
It had been essentially the biggest decision of his life when he moved all the way to America in his senior year of high school to begin his studies in marine biology. He felt behind his friends, family, and Cleo. But it had ultimately been Cleo that made him see that he had to go, and it had been Cleo who made him see that they had to come back here.
Cleo knew taking a new job, not being to be their own bosses, was risky, but until all of their affairs were in order with their research lab in Monterey, the majority of their research had to remain there being taken care of by their assistant who was with them from nearly the beginning. However, for whatever reason deep in her heart, Cleo knew they had to move soon.
“Seeing as Ronnie’s going to that party on Saturday,” Lewis began, “How about a swim around the reef?”
The idea sounded great to Cleo, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to go back. “No. Not yet.”
“Cleo, you haven’t gone swimming at all since you got here.”
“I’m not ready.”
His wife’s tone instantly shut Lewis down. A beat of silence hung over the air.
Cleo inhaled sharply, “I’m going to take a bath.” She placed the necklace in her pocket.
Cleo left her husband alone in the room with memories leaving a bitter sweet taste in his mouth.
Notes:
I've got bad writer's block and the next chapter is gonna be pretty long so it might be a hot second until I update, sorry guys ToT
Edit: Don't worry, next chapter's coming this weekend :)
Chapter 6: The Party
Notes:
Hi everyone :)
Shoutout to the people I consulted whose parents weren't divorced for their entire childhood on how married parents act. I wouldn't know.
Sorry for the wait (I thought unemployment would give me more time for storyboarding but apparently not), but this one here is a long one so I hope it's worth it. Enjoy!
<3 Dusty
Chapter Text
Before they knew it, Saturday arrived, thus marking Louisa turning 16 years old. Emma, as always, was more prepared than anyone needed to be. She had trays of cheese, crackers, vegan cheese, gluten-free crackers, fruits— all assorted by colour and not touching— various types of soft drinks, juices, water, matching utensils, plates, and napkins. The horse ranch was filled with banners, fairy lights, and balloons in multiple hues of blue– Louisa’s favourite. Even Louisa’s horse, Lorelei, was dressed up for the occasion with tinsel tied into her mane and tail.
“A little higher on the left side,” Emma called to Ash as he adjusted a banner from a ladder. In elegant gold cursive, the banner read Louisa Dove’s 16th Birthday.
“You sure? It looks pretty even to me,” Ash replied.
“Not from here, it doesn’t.”
Louisa sat on her bed where her parents told her to stay while they finished setting up. The muffled shouting of Emma and Ash came through her window, making her chuckle. Knowing how much her parents cared meant so much to her. She trusted that the decorations would be perfect.
Ronnie threw various hangers of clothing onto her bed. “What does one wear to this sort of party?”
Cleo sat on her daughter’s bed catching the clothes that were falling off of the pile. She held up a dress from Ronnie’s most recent toss. “This one’s cute.”
“It’s too formal,” Ronnie said after a quick glance before returning to her closet.
“What about that purple flower one?” Cleo pointed to the slim piece of visible fabric in between Ronnie’s other clothing.
Ronnie moved over the hangers and tugged slightly on the skirt to outstretch the purple and white florals. She looked over it. “Maybe.”
“Try it on. You can always take it off,” Cleo suggested.
Ronnie believed she had never worn this dress. It hung in her closet waiting to be of use ever since her mum bought it for her spontaneously. Its sleeves puffed out over her arms, leaving her shoulders bare with a wide square framing her chest. Ronnie came out of her bathroom to aid in her decision in front of the full length mirror.
Ronnie bit her lip and squinted her eyes. “I feel like it’s missing something.”
Cleo’s face brightened. “I know just the thing.” In all of her emotions from the previous evening, she had never gotten to giving Ronnie the necklace. Ronnie raised her eyebrows as Cleo left her for a quick moment to retrieve the empty locket from her nightstand. Cleo returned holding the locket out in front of her own chest.
“What’s that?” Ronnie asked.
“It’s a necklace I had when I was your age.” Cleo hesitated to determine what she was willing to share about it. “My two best friends had matching ones.”
“Can I see?” Ronnie held open her palm. With a wide smile, Cleo placed it into her daughter’s hand. A warmth ran through Ronnie’s body— she felt connected to her mum’s necklace somehow, like it was part of something larger than she knew.
Lewis appeared and leaned against the doorway of Ronnie’s bedroom as Cleo put the silver locket around their daughter’s neck. Seeing his daughter wearing his wife’s necklace, he saw Cleo in her place back when she was Ronnie’s age– when they first fell in love.
Ronnie turned and gazed at herself in her mirror, bringing a hand to her chest to lightly touch the necklace.
Cleo put her hands on the sides of Ronnie’s arms, resting her chin on her daughter's shoulder, her face beaming. “You look absolutely gorgeous, Ronnie,” Cleo declared.
“Just like her mother,” Lewis commented. The two girls turned to face Lewis. “Glad to see someone finally wear that necklace again.” Lewis came over to Ronnie and pushed back her hair for a quick kiss on her forehead.
Cleo checked the time. “You better get going.”
“We’ve got one more minute.” Lewis wandered over and gave his wife a bear hug from behind as she looked at her and her husband in the mirror.
“Lewis!” Cleo laughed.
Lewis landed a big kiss on Cleo’s blushing cheek.
Ronnie turned away and walked out of her room. “Goodness, I’m going to the car!”
Lewis and Cleo laughed as their daughter left. Without letting go, Lewis asked his wife, “Are you sure you can’t come with us?”
Cleo sighed. “Dr Burrows wanted me to catch up on the work I missed on Monday. I can’t.”
“You were working at home, organising research,” Lewis said in a confused tone as he let his arms fall away from Cleo.
“Well, he had things for me to do in the lab. It’s only been a couple of weeks and we’ve already run into problems.”
Lewis moved in front of the mirror to face Cleo. “It will be fine. If it happens again, we’ll figure it out.”
Cleo gave him a quick kiss. “Go have fun with Ronnie.”
“Well, I’m not actually doing anything with Ronnie, just giving her a lift— Right okay. Love you.” Lewis turned and left the room, Cleo following shortly after.
As Lewis came down the stairs, he called to Ronnie, “Alright, kiddo, let’s get going.”
Cleo shouted one more thing before the two left, “Don’t forget, my dad’s coming for dinner tomorrow.”
“Got it,” Lewis acknowledged as he closed the front door behind him.
“Keep your eyes closed,” Ash told Louisa as he and Emma walked her out to the backyard. “Alright, stay here.” Ash and Emma left Louisa standing in the middle of the yard to grab Lorelei to meticulously stage her in front of Louisa under the hanging banners. Ash fastened another banner to Lorelei’s saddle to fall over her side saying Happy Birthday Louisa in golden font, matching that on the large banner. Emma and Ash positioned themselves next to Lorelei, preparing for the grand reveal.
“Alright,” Ash prompted, “Open your eyes.”
Louisa blinked her eyes open and a gasp escaped from her as she saw the backyard completely transformed. Her favourite colours completely surrounded her along with her favourite people (and horse). Louisa squealed, “I love it!”
“I hoped you would.” Emma came over to her with a sparkly plastic crown that she placed atop Louisa’s dark brown hair.
Ash held his arms out at his sides with his palms up. “My work here is done,” he boasted.
Emma whipped her head around in disbelief. “ Your work?”
“Fine. Our work.”
Emma thought for a second. “Fine, I can give you some of the credit.”
“I’ll take it,” Ash responded with a big goofy smile.
“Well, we better get started,” Emma stated as she made her way to the music speaker. “Guests will start arriving soon.”
Holly’s red dress had gone quite some time without seeing the light of day. The last time she saw herself in it, her hair was her natural blonde, but the red and orange went well with the hue of the fabric. She adorned silver rings and bracelets of all different sizes and shapes that didn’t quite blend together yet made the outfit feel complete.
It was a bit cooler today as the autumn set upon them transitioning into winter, but Holly didn’t get cold easily. She was always told by her mother and others that ever got the chance to hug her that she was always quite warm. Sometimes, Holly could use it to her advantage to fake being sick at school and get sent home. Her mum stopped believing her pretty early on, especially knowing that Holly never got sick.
As Holly came down the stairs, Rikki commented, “You look quite fancy.”
Holly grinned, “Thanks.” Holly quite enjoyed dressing up, despite how she rarely found an occasion she deemed worth it to do so. For this occasion, it wasn’t the party that fuelled her desire to dress up. “It’s not too much?”
“Of course not. You look great,” Rikki expressed.
“Do I?” Holly’s eyes glimmered.
“Absolutely.” She winked at Holly then nodded her head toward the front door. “Let’s get going.”
A few of Louisa’s classmates had already arrived, helping themselves to the snacks and drinks behind the Dove house. Louisa was showing a few of them the horses, including Lorelei, and teaching them how to brush their coats. Emma had gone inside the house to refill the water pitchers and grab extra plates and cups as a car pulled up in the dirt driveway.
“Dad, you really don’t have to meet her parents,” Ronnie rubbed her forehead in the passenger seat.
“Yes, I do,” Lewis asserted, accentuating every syllable. “It’s been a while since I’ve been back here, I’ve got to meet the other cool parents of the Gold Coast.”
Ronnie wasn’t sure how she felt about his use of the word “cool” in this context. “Just please don’t be weird.”
“Why would I be weird?” Lewis asked as he actively got out of the car.
Ronnie rolled her eyes and followed him to the house.
“Nice place they’ve got,” her dad commented.
“Yeah, it’s a horse ranch.”
“Ah, I knew someone way back when who worked on a horse ranch.” Lewis fell behind to put his hands on Ronnie’s shoulders as they approached the door. He rang the doorbell and waited with a big goofy smile on his face.
Ronnie felt nervous. Sure, she and Louisa had gotten along well and she had already met her mum, but something about this party twisted knots in her stomach, like something was going to happen— although she wasn’t sure if that something was good or bad. She fiddled with her bracelet, turning the wooden beads around the black rope that held them together. Her dad’s hands and the weight of her mum’s necklace calmed her slightly, reminding her that her parents would always be there.
As Emma heard the doorbell, she set down the pitcher on the counter, careful not to spill any droplets onto her skin. Her footsteps echoed on the wooden floors as she walked through the foyer and approached the door. She turned the handle and pulled open the door.
“Mum, we’re gonna be late,” Holly complained to Rikki as she pulled off to fuel the car.
“Sorry, Hols, I had forgotten to get petrol yesterday and I don’t think we’d have enough to get there and back.”
Holly was never one to be concerned about being late or on time, but she knew the sooner she got there, the quicker she would be able to speak to a certain someone. Holly leaned against the car, escaping the stuffiness of the inside, and looked out over the water that was visible from the petrol station. On this particularly clear day, an island could be seen far into the distance. To Holly, it simply appeared as a dark speck, but that speck sent shocks of electricity through her body.
“Mum?”
“Yeah, Hols?”
“What’s that island?”
Rikki swivelled her head. Ever since moving here, there hadn’t been a day that the island was visible. Rikki hadn’t seen it in years, let alone been to it since before Holly was born. It was barely distinguishable as an island but Rikki knew exactly what it was, and somehow Holly did too— to an extent.
The history of that island was significant to Rikki, but her daughter could never know. She tried to determine the best approach to limit the questions that Holly might think of, but she knew Holly’s cleverness would make it difficult. “Um, I think that’s Mako Island. It’s surrounded by sharks.” Rikki hoped that explanation was enough to stop Holly’s analytical mind. However, it hadn’t.
“Mako Island,” Holly said to herself under her breath. What was it about that little dark dot in the distance that caught her attention? Before the island could capture her attention any longer, Rikki called her daughter into the car so they could continue on to Louisa’s party.
As Louisa walked through the ranch, multiple of her classmates wished her a happy birthday or commented on how much they were enjoying the party. People finally knew her name and wanted to talk to her.
“Great party, Louisa,” one expressed.
“Cool place you’ve got, Louisa,” said another.
She saw her dad talking with some of the parents that had come to drop off their kids but decided to converse with the other adults. Ash met Louisa’s eyes for just a moment and winked. Louisa laughed and turned to the snack table to grab some food.
Another classmate came up next to her, a boy. “Pretty cool party. Thanks for inviting me.”
Louisa smiled, not looking at the origin of the voice. “No problem. It wouldn’t be a party without—“ she glanced at the boy as she brought strawberries to her plate with tongs, “Guests…” Louisa dropped the strawberry onto her plate too early, causing it to roll off and onto the ground. She yelped as she quickly ducked down to grab it, promptly hitting her head on the table.
“Whoa, you okay?” There was no hint of amusement in the boy’s voice, only concern.
Louisa pressed her hand against her forehead. “No, no, I’m fine.” Her eyes met those of the boy across from her and she quickly pulled her hand from her face. “You— you, uh, enjoying the party?”
“Yeah, no, it’s great.” An awkward moment of silence filled the space between them. “I’m Connor, by the way.” He reached out his hand for her to shake it.
She placed her hand into his. “Oh. Louisa.”
Connor smiled. “Yeah, I knew that.” He pointed to the massive banner hanging in the middle of the ranch.
“Oh, right. That.” Louisa scratched the back of her head.
“You alright? Your hands are cold.” Connor rubbed his own hands together to warm them.
Louisa shrugged. “Oh, they’ve always been like that. Poor circulation or something— you didn’t need to know that. Um, enjoying the party?” Connor opened his mouth to answer as Louisa cut him off. “I already asked you that. I’m gonna shut up now.” Louisa began to turn away.
“Wait, you don’t need to…” Connor gently grabbed her forearm then promptly let it go. “You don’t need to shut up.”
Louisa swallowed; she could feel her face getting more and more red. She looked at the snack table and conveniently noticed the lack of crisps in the serving bowl. “Oh, I better go fill these up. See you.”
Connor wasn’t able to stop her this time and Louisa jogged into the house with the large bowl.
Louisa slammed the door shut with her back and leaned against it to catch her breath. Had she been holding it for that entire conversation? It was no matter now, she had gotten away. Just a moment later, she heard the front door open.
Lewis and Ronnie stood on the doorstep as Emma revealed herself behind the door. As recognition entered both of their minds, their smiles dropped.
“Emma?” said one parent while the other simultaneously said, “Lewis?” The two old friends stood apart from each other for a few silent moments, their mouths agape and eyes rounded. Their differences in age from when they last met served as no obstacle to their recognition.
Ronnie’s eyes widened in confusion. Her dad knew Louisa’s mum? Lewis’ hands wouldn’t leave Ronnie’s shoulders, leaving her trapped in this moment.
Emma inhaled and plastered a smile on her face. “Ronnie, why don’t you go inside?” She stepped aside, allowing Ronnie to cross over the threshold and meet Louisa just behind the door. As soon as Ronnie exited Emma’s sight, her smile vanished. “What are you doing here?”
“I was just dropping off my daughter for a birthday party—“
“She’s your daughter?” Emma snapped.
“Yeah, mine and…” Lewis paused, “Cleo’s…”
Emma put her hand to her forehead in remembrance. “Of course. Ronnie had said her parents worked in marine biology”
“Wait, when did you meet her?” Lewis interrogated.
“I gave her a ride home, just the other day. I wanted to meet Louisa’s new friend—“
“So Louisa is your daughter?”
Emma’s eyes narrowed. “Yes. And Ash’s.”
Lewis looked off and laughed at himself as he recalled the other night. “Oh, you see, I knew ‘Dove’ sounded familiar.”
Ronnie and Louisa stood behind Emma, listening to the conversation. Louisa leaned over and whispered to Ronnie. “Why are they so tense?”
Ronnie returned the whisper, “They apparently used to know each other.”
Louisa held a puzzled gaze. “Well, I got that much.”
“Must not have parted on the best of terms.”
“Yeah… Must not have.”
Emma looked out at Lewis’ empty car. “Why didn’t Cleo come?” she inquired, a hint of a sneer in her voice.
“She had work,” Lewis retorted.
Emma folded her arms over her chest. “Well, good. I have nothing to say to her.”
“Emma—“
“I have nothing to say to you, either.” Emma planted another fake smile on her face, but spoke with little friendliness. “Have a nice day.” She closed the door on her old friend.
Ronnie and Louisa froze in their place as Emma turned and noticed them there.
“You heard that?” Emma winced.
The two girls nodded, their expressions filled to the brim with questions.
“What was that about?” Louisa interrogated as her mum walked past them.
“Nothing.” Emma took a breath. “Ronnie, I’m glad you’re here. Now, you two just go and enjoy the party,” she urged the girls.
Ronnie jogged to catch up to her. “You knew my parents?”
Emma stopped and sighed. She turned to face Ronnie and immediately noticed the silver locket. Her own locket of the matching set lay buried away in a box, somewhere she hoped Louisa would never find it— never see the picture inside. Emma put a hand on Ronnie’s shoulder. “Ronnie, honey, that’s all grown-up stuff that your parents and I will deal with. For now, you just go out and enjoy the party.” She faced her daughter. “You too, Louisa.”
Louisa gave a half smile. “Yes, Mum.”
Ronnie oriented her head to Louisa with her eyes burning with curiosity and confusion as if to ask, Really? You’re giving up that easily?
“Go have fun,” Emma ordered the girls with a kind smile.
“Come on.” Louisa took Ronnie’s hand and led her outside to the party.
Holly’s arrival warranted much less drama than Ronnie’s had. She asked her mum to only drop her off and not interact with any other guests and Rikki was happy to do so— she had no desire to speak with other parents at her daughter’s school, let alone at a sweet sixteen birthday party for a girl she didn’t know.
“Don’t forget the gift,” Rikki reminded Holly as she exited the car.
“Got it.” Holly grabbed the handles of the silver gift bag.
“Have fun, Hols. Pick you up at 4?”
“Yeah. Love you.”
“Love you, too. See you soon.” Rikki drove off, unaware of the history she would neglect to discover beyond the front door.
Holly turned and made her way to the backyard around the side of the house where she noticed a pathway decorated with balloons and streamers. Her eyes darted around the ranch, searching for familiar blonde curls to no avail. Perhaps Caryn was late like she was?
However, with no promise of seeing Caryn anywhere at the party at the moment, Holly spotted Louisa with a girl in a white and purple dress whose name she did not know. She found it best to wait by passing along the gift. After all, she was kind enough to invite Holly to a party— which she hadn’t been for quite some time— but she convinced herself she had only made the gift out of boredom. She made her way to the two girls.
Over by the stables, two other girls— Rosie and Sienna— had found the hose and a bucket.
“There’s no way you’re going to move on that quickly,” Ronnie told Louisa.
“I’m not. But what are we supposed to find out if we push too hard?” was Louisa’s response.
Ronnie retreated and pursed her lips. “Huh, I guess you’re right.”
“So they were friends in high school— what we know— and had some sort of argument before your parents moved to America,” Louisa recapped.
“Well, my dad moved first and my mum came to join him for college,” Ronnie explained.
“Then it had to have happened right before then.”
“Long time to hold a grudge,” Ronnie thought out loud. Louisa agreed.
Holly approached the two. “Hi, um, sorry I’m late.”
Louisa’s face lit up with a wide smile. “Oh, it’s no trouble. I’m glad you made it.”
“Thanks. I made you something.” Holly held out the bag, trying to appear nonchalant.
Louisa took the gift, gratefully. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Well, I figured since you lived on a ranch, you liked horses, and I was trying to figure out what to paint…” Holly recited the conversation she had played in her head during the car ride.
Louisa pulled a small, square canvas from the bag; a meadow with horses grazing was the subject, beautifully captured with brush stokes. “It’s beautiful, ” Louisa beamed. Ronnie agreed.
“It’s nothing much, really. I just like to paint–”
Running footsteps quickly approached the three girls, followed by a large splash of water above their heads and giggling from Rosie— who was holding the tin bucket— and Sienna— who was filming the whole ordeal.
Ronnie gasped, flicking the water from her arms. “Are you insane ?” Rosie and Sienna only giggled in response. “Only a moron would think that’s funny.”
Rosie snorted. “Then what does that make us?”
Ronnie’s forehead puckered as she shouted, “Work it out.”
Louisa and Holly stood still, the former appearing puzzled and the latter with no emotions visible in her features. Holly turned on her heel to face the girls. “Had your fun? Now get out.”
Ash and the wave of other parents came running to the commotion. “You two, gone. Now. I’m calling your parents.” As Sienna and Rosie, still giggling, walked past him, he surveyed his daughter’s expression. Louisa didn’t meet his eyes, but a slight smile was tugging at her face. The whole stupidity of it all amused her.
Louisa scoffed and turned to Ronnie and Holly. “Come on, let’s get dried off.”
“Oh, I really hope the water didn’t ruin the painting,” Louisa grimaced as she inspected the canvas with a towel in her hair.
“It’s acrylic; it’ll be fine,” Holly said quickly and smoothly as she patted her red and orange curls with the darkest towel the Dove’s had.
“What was that all about,” Ronnie asked. “Some stupid prank?”
“Karina.” Holly’s voice was firm but laced with humour.
Ronnie looked to Holly. “You think she did this? Wasn’t there that whole thing about her not getting an invitation.”
Holly laughed softly at the recollection. “She probably wanted to get back at us— me and Louisa, I mean. I think you just got caught in the crossfire.”
Ronnie’s brows furrowed. “Why would she wanna get back at you two?”
Louisa spoke up, “Remember, I didn’t want to give her an invitation and Holly made sure she didn’t get one. Thanks again for that.” Louisa looked down at her hands as she thanked Holly.
“No problem.”
“Oh, you’re Holly,” Ronnie realised.
“Mhm,” Holly hummed with annoyance. “And you are…”
“Oh, um, Ronnie.”
Holly nodded with pursed lips. She was hating every moment of this embarrassing fiasco. She stood up and flung the towel over the end of Louisa’s bed frame. “Well, that’s enough fun for one day; I’m going to go home.”
“You just got here,” Ronnie asserted.
Before Holly could reach the door, Louisa interjected, “You’re shivering. Let me get you a blanket.”
“No, no, really it’s fine.” However, Holly was feeling quite cold at the moment, but she wouldn’t admit it. Louisa’s room was kept quite cool and her wet hair and dress had made it worse. She normally was able to warm herself up quite easily, but she struggled to do so in these circumstances.
“Holly,” Louisa said, firmly. “You are my guest. I’m not going to let you sit outside waiting for your parents like this. Besides, we’ve got to plan.”
“Plan… what?”
“What amazing revenge prank we’re going to pull on Karina.”
Holly smiled. “Oh, I like your thinking.”
“I do too,” Ronnie agreed.
Louisa jumped up from where she sat on her bed. “Alright, I’ll turn on the heat and grab blankets and a notebook. Let’s get planning.” Louisa and Ronnie giggled at the whole situation and Holly even cracked a smile and joined in the laughter.
“Why did Louisa just walk past me, soaking wet?” Emma asked her husband as he watched Rosie and Sienna leave in their parents’ cars.
“Some poor excuse of an innocent prank,” Ash explained. “I’m not entirely sure. They just went up to Louisa and those other two girls and drenched them.”
Emma crossed her arms. “Well, I hope their parents give them a good lecture.”
“Hope so.” Ash turned to his wife. “Hey, where have you been?”
Emma inhaled deeply. “I had to take a breath.”
“A breath? Is everything okay?” Ash put his hand on Emma’s arm.
Emma tried to determine the best way to tell her husband the news. “I met Ronnie’s dad— well, I talked to him.”
Ash, not understanding where Emma was going with this, cocked his head and folded his arms.
Emma continued, “We already knew her parents.”
“I thought her parents were from America.”
“No, her parents are from here . They moved to America after high school. Then, came back.”
Ash blinked. “I’m still not quite understanding what you’re getting at.”
“Lewis and Cleo,” Emma blurted, “They’re her parents.”
“You mean—“
“Mhm.”
“And she’s—“
“Yep.”
Ash, with wide eyes, took a step back. “What a coincidence, huh?”
“You could call it that.”
“You talked to Lewis then?” Ash asked.
Emma nodded with pursed lips.
“What about Cleo?”
Emma shook her head. “Cleo wasn’t with him. But, Ronnie had Cleo's locket.”
Ash furrowed his brows, wondering what this could mean. Then it struck him. “Do you think she knows? About— you know.” He made a wave motion with his arm.
“I don’t know. Although she walked past me dripping wet with the other two, so at least that rules out one possibility,” Emma explained.
“Oh, that was Ronnie . Was she the one with the red hair?”
“No. I’m not sure who that was… but she seemed familiar.”
Ash shrugged. “You must have seen her at the school while dropping off Louisa.”
“You’re probably right.” Emma kissed her husband on the cheek with a smile. “I’d better refill the snacks and check that no other kids are pulling nasty pranks.” With that, Emma returned to her position as hostess of the party.
“Okay,” Louisa began, holding a pen in her hand with her notebook on her lap, “So we have glue her locker shut, put gum in her hair, edit her head onto a picture of a seagull and put copies of it all over the school, and get her expelled— Holly I love the enthusiasm but I think that one will be a little difficult to pull off. Anything else?”
Ronnie, with her knuckle to her lip, said, “Put a bunch of spiders in her locker.”
“That’s a fun one but are any of us willing to handle a thousand spiders? Or find a thousand spiders?” Louisa asked.
Holly shrugged. “I’d do it for the right price.”
Louisa opened her mouth and tilted her chin downwards. “We’ll put that one on the back burner.”
A knock came at Louisa’s door, Emma’s voice following from behind it calling her daughter’s name.
“Come in,” Louisa called, quickly closing her notebook.
Emma poked her head in and spoke with a gentle voice. “Hey, I heard about the prank.”
Louisa laughed. “It’s fine, Mum. We’re just drying off and warming up here.”
Emma came fully into the room, a look of guilt on her face. “I wanted to apologise for earlier to you and Ronnie. You two don’t need to be a part of all that.”
Ronnie and Louisa met each other’s glances; Ronnie spoke with a kind smile, “It’s fine Mrs. Dove. It’s none of our business, really.”
Louisa joined in, “Yeah, we don’t want to get caught up in anything.”
Holly furrowed her brow, wondering what all this apologising was for.
Emma sighed. “Glad to hear it.” She turned to face Holly. “I don’t think we’ve met before, I’m Louisa’s mum.”
Holly nodded. “I’m Holly.”
“Nice to meet you, Holly.”
“Likewise.”
Emma shrugged. “Well, I’ll leave you girls to it. Don’t be gone too long, Louisa, your guests are going to start to wonder where you are.”
“Got it. Thanks, Mum.”
The moment Emma closed the door and was out of earshot, Louisa and Ronnie perked up. Ronnie, with wide eyes and a smile, said, “So what do you think happened between them?”
Louisa sighed with relief. “Oh thank goodness, you were also lying.”
“What, you thought I was gonna leave this alone?”
Holly spoke up. “I don’t mean to pry, but what was that whole thing about? With your mum apologising and such.”
Louisa eagerly turned to Holly and told her the events of Ronnie’s arrival with Lewis. “Something happened between our parents; big enough for them to still be mad at each other twenty-something years later.”
“We’re going to find out what.” Ronnie crossed her arms with a mischievous smile.
A realisation struck Louisa. “She has a photo.”
“What?”
Louisa jumped off of her bed. “A photo of her and her high school friends— it must be your parents.” Louisa went running out of her door and to her parents’ bedroom.
Holly wasn’t one to enjoy creating drama, but she always found amusement in hearing about it. It was like watching a television series in 3-D. Just like Ronnie and Louisa, Holly’s curiosity got the best of her. An interesting story lay before her; a mystery that was going to be solved, and she couldn’t help but want to be a part of it. She almost felt that she needed to be a part of it but wasn’t sure why.
Louisa bolted back in, a picture frame clutched to her chest. Her heart was racing inside her, along with Ronnie’s. The hairs of Holly’s arms stood up with some sort of anticipation. Holly wasn’t sure why her body was reacting this way, but it was telling her something is about to be revealed.
Louisa glanced at the picture frame once more just before handing it off to Ronnie. “There’s four of them in the photo. Are any of them your mum?”
Ronnie looked over the photo of three girls and a boy— her parents, Louisa’s mum, and one other girl she did not recognise. “Yeah!” Ronnie exclaimed. “That’s my mum there and my dad on the far left” She pointed to the subjects she spoke of. Her parents looked so young but their happiness from being in each other’s company seemed no different from the present.
Holly craned her neck trying to see the photo as Louisa pointed to the mystery girl sitting between Lewis and her mum. “Who do you think that is?”
Ronnie tilted the photo so Holly could see what they were referring to and the final piece fell into place.
Holly gasped softly, eyes rounded. “That’s my mum.” She took the frame from Ronnie to inspect it further.
“What?” Ronnie yelled, looking at the photo again.
“No way,” was Louisa’s response.
Holly, holding the frame so tight her knuckles turned white, said, “It’s definitely her.”
“This is spooky,” Ronnie commented as Holly turned the frame over and removed the back. “What are you doing?”
“Seeing if there’s anything written on the back.” Holly gently pulled the photo from the glass and smiled at her correct hunch. She read aloud the writing, “Lewis, Rikki, Emma, and Cleo. 2008. I assume those are your parents’ names.”
Louisa nodded, her mouth agape. “2008. That was…”
“25 years ago,” Holly finished for her. “25 years ago, our parents were best friends.”
Ronnie continued, “And some time between now and then, something happened that separated them.”
“But what?” Holly wondered.
“Well,” Louisa began, “Let’s find out.”
“All of us?” asked Holly.
Louisa smiled. “Absolutely. You’re one of us now. If you’d like to be.”
A large, mischievous grin appeared on Holly’s face. “So,” she said, “Where do we start?”
Chapter 7: Tension
Notes:
Hi guys! If you're wondering why there's less chapters than before, I combined the first three, and the last two since they were all super short on their own. Also sorry that I'm posting so late in the day (for me at least), I'm somewhat blinded at the moment. Hope this chapter answers a few questions everyone has had :)
Dusty <3
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Dr. Burrows’ research lab was different from Lewis and Cleo’s in almost every way. The equipment was laid out in an entirely contrasting manner and Cleo was struggling to remember the locations of specimens and tools. Dr. Burrow’s lab was one of the leading research centres for marine biology and conservation, but Cleo had to admit, it was not her lab. The doctor, himself, was a man of high temper and little stature; his thin, white hair was barely visible anywhere but his chin, where he had a scruffy goatee. However, Dr. Burrows was one of the smartest scientists the McCartneys had worked with. He was very knowledgeable in marine mammals— specifically cetaceans— but deep water creatures and the bathypelagic and abyssopelagic zones were what drew his interest. In recent decades, the doctor had become more committed to the ethical practices of marine study with the help of marine conservationists— such as Cleo, herself.
Dr Burrows had not been content with Cleo already missing a day of work after only having started a few days prior. He hardly believed in taking time off, but he had no authority to prevent his employees from doing so, much to his disappointment. Regardless, he asked Cleo to come in on the weekend to make up for the lost day.
“Here’s what I need you to do,” the doctor told Cleo, his voice gruff and firm, “Here is the data we got from last year’s turtle nesting season. I need you to organise this data in comparison to what we are seeing this year.”
“Yes, Dr. Burrows,” Cleo responded, immediately looking through the data on the computer. However, she recalled her excuse for missing work was organising research from home, so why did Dr. Burrows insist on her coming into the lab to do exactly that?
Dr. Burrows grunted, “I’ll be in my office.”
A few other coworkers were doing their own work in the lab, but it was mostly empty. Cleo wondered if the others were here of their own will or because Dr. Burrows asked them to, as he did with her.
Well into her work, when she finally found a good flow with her organisation, her husband called. The loud, urgent ring of the phone startled her out of her concentration.
Cleo picked up the phone and placed it between her shoulder and her ear to keep her hands free for typing. “Lewis, can it wait?”
Lewis, in the car just after dropping off Ronnie, responded, “ Uh, well, I think you’re gonna wanna hear this one. ”
Cleo requisitioned, taking the phone fully into her hand and pressing it to her ear. “What is it? Is Ronnie okay?”
“ Ronnie’s fine, it’s her friend. The one who was having the party ,” Lewis explained.
“Louisa?”
“ Yeah. Do you remember her last name? ”
“Um, yeah. What was it?” Cleo pressed the heel of her other hand to her forehead. “Dove?”
“ You had thought it sounded familiar, right? ”
“Lewis, where are you going with this?”
“ Emma and Ash ,” Lewis’ voice cut through the line like a scalpel, carving into Cleo’s heart. “ They’re her parents. ”
The phone slid from Cleo’s hand and onto the bench top where she was working. She was frozen, staring at the wall with her eyes and mouth open. Lewis’ muffled voice was calling her name through the line, but she wasn’t listening.
With a sharp inhale, Cleo was brought back to her reality. She picked up the phone, her voice on the verge of cracking. “We’ll discuss this later, Lewis.”
“ Yeah— no, yeah. We’ll talk later. I love you. ”
“Love you.” She hung up.
Cleo had wondered, upon moving back to the Gold Coast, of the chances of her seeing her old friends. Not just her regular friends she knew from school or was well acquainted with, but her friends that were part of the secret. She had convinced herself that they had moved away— moved on from the island that brought them a level of connection she didn’t think possible for anyone. As an old mentor once told her and her friends, Mako Island was here long before all of us. And will be here long after we’ve all gone . Cleo believed with her full heart that everyone had gone, but evidently that was not the case— at least for Emma and her.
Trying to put behind her the news that her husband had just delivered, she went back to her work, hoping this situation was all one big misunderstanding.
***
Well into the car ride home from the party, Holly spoke. “Hey, Mum?”
“Yeah, Holls?” Rikki responded.
“Do you still talk to your friends from when you were my age?”
Rikki cocked her head, not taking her eyes off the road. “Why do you ask?”
Holly shrugged. “I don’t know. Just wondering.”
Her mum took a deep breath. “Sometimes friends drift apart. It is what it is.”
“What happened?”
Rikki met Holly’s eyes for a quick moment before returning her focus to her driving. “Why the sudden interest in me?”
“I just was wondering what you were like when you were my age,” was Holly’s justification for her newfound curiosity. Her, Louisa, and Ronnie had decided to keep what they had discovered secret from all of their parents— just until they could find out what happened and potentially undo the damage.
“I started diving at your age.”
“At Mako?”
Holly’s question had caught Rikki off guard. She quickly recovered to respond with a little more firmness than intended. “No. There’s no good diving there.”
Another question came up in Holly’s mind; one not quite related to what she had previously been asking, but it was one she never had answered. “How come you never taught me to swim?”
Rikki’s heart started racing, her heart thumping in her ears. Why all the sudden questions that she couldn’t answer? “Uh… there was never a good time to do it.”
“Well, maybe we could go to the beach and you can teach me then.”
“No.” Rikki’s answer came out before she had the time to think over her tone or another lie. “I mean, uh, not any time soon… I have too much work.”
Holly’s brows puckered. She spoke with a light, yet somewhat accusatory tone, “Too much work? All you do now is write books. On diving . How can you write books without doing the real thing anymore?”
“I still dive from time to time—“
“When?”
“Sometimes when you’re at school— Holly, where did all of this come from?”
Holly went quiet. She wasn’t sure of the answer to her mum’s question. “It’s just… you’re my mum. I realised I don’t know that much about you. And I don’t have… anyone else to ask.”
Rikki’s features softened. She knew what her daughter was referring to. It never seemed to bother Holly that she didn’t have a dad around, but maybe it had more than she realised. She found herself wondering at how much different it would have been raising Holly had she had someone else there. But in all the accidental splashes, lack of water sports, and secrets being kept from her daughter, she wouldn’t wish Holly to be any different from the person she is now. Rikki sighed. “I guess you could say I was a lot like you when I was your age.”
Holly saw her opportunity. “What were your friends like?”
A wave of nostalgia washed over Rikki. “At first, there was three of us. A few others joined in— boyfriends and such. Well, I suppose Lewis was always there, but Emma, Cleo, and I were— I don’t know— we thought we’d always be a team. But Cleo moved away— so did Bella a bit before then who had come into the picture toward the end, I started diving for artefacts, and Emma was trying to figure things out.”
The mention of her friend’s parents’ names was the confirmation Holly was waiting for. “Was there a fight?”
“Yeah, actually. There was. We all wanted different things and they didn’t agree with what I was doing,” Rikki grimaced. “I suppose it showed me that even the closest of friends can leave.” Rikki’s eyes steamed, but she quickly blinked it away.
“Do you miss them?”
Rikki knew what her answer was, but she evaded the question. “Things like that happen. I’ve moved on; they probably have too.” She spoke with a nonchalant tone, as if it were no bother to her; however, she wholeheartedly believed her statement to Holly. They have probably moved on. But she hasn’t.
***
Emma and Ash had insisted that Louisa not help in any way with the clean up of the party, so she took the opportunity to take Lorelei out to watch the sunset as she always did. It gave her the time and space to think, and Louisa knew that she needed it after the events of the party.
As Louisa was deep in her pondering, Ash and Emma had their own discussion:
“I hope those girls’ parents taught them a lesson,” Ash began.
Emma laughed as she threw rubbish in the bag she carried. “I do too. That was awfully mean of them to do that.”
Her husband shrugged. “At least Louisa didn’t seem too upset about it. She and her friends did come back out after drying off.”
“She seemed to be having a lot of fun with those two. Ronnie and Holly.” Emma smiled at the thought.
Ash shook his head with a sigh. “I can’t believe Lewis and Cleo…”
Emma, not wanting to touch much on this subject, responded, “Yeah. Certainly a… surprise.”
“Look, I know things ended a bit… rough, but maybe this is an opportunity.”
“To what? To reconcile?” Emma snapped, her suppressed emotions coming out. “I don’t know if you remember properly but she left us. Both of them did.”
“But you had left them,” Ash retorted, taken aback by his wife’s sudden outburst.
“For a year, not forever.”
“Eventually, Em, you’re going to have to see her again. No amount of past arguments is going to change that Louisa’s friend is their daughter.”
Emma met her husband’s gaze with no response for a few moments. Clenching her jaw, she grabbed the snack trays from the table. “I’m going to put the food away.”
Ash called out to his wife as she walked off into the house.
Shortly after Emma disappeared, Louisa trotted by with Lorelei. Ash greeted his daughter, “Hey, Loula. Nice sunset?”
“Yeah. Is everything alright? I heard yelling,” Louisa responded.
Ash pushed a smile onto his face. “Yeah, your mum just needs some time.”
“Did she tell you about Ronnie?” Louisa asked, to which her dad nodded. “Was it really that bad? What happened with them?”
Ash looked off in the direction his wife went in. “You don’t need to worry about all that. Grown-up stuff, you know?”
“Yeah. Grown-up stuff,” Louisa echoed. Her dad often used that as an excuse when neither him or her mum could give a good explanation for anything. It frustrated her, but she was used to it by now. She could tell, she would need to put in a lot more work to find answers. The photo in her parents’ bedroom was just the beginning.
***
Ronnie’s attempts to obtain any sort of information regarding the friendship between her and her friends’ parents had been immediately shut down. Both Lewis and Cleo knew to be very careful about what they were telling their daughter so anything regarding Emma and Rikki had to go through a filter of censorship that neither had the energy to use at the moment. Ronnie had been told of various exploits between her mum and her friends, but prior to knowing of their significance. Thus, she hadn’t paid much attention to the stories— much to her regret.
Only after having eaten and settled in her room did she decide to do some digging. Conveniently, moving boxes with easily understood labels were all throughout their new house. With her parents downstairs, she found the opportunity to search the whole second level for the box of mementos. Despite the lack of memories she had regarding her mum’s stories of her childhood friends, her memory served her with an image of a plastic bin filled with old photos that was kept in their garage back in Monterrey. Surely, its contents had been packed into one of these boxes.
Her parents’ bedroom was cluttered with boxes and unpacked items that hadn’t been given a home yet. In the very corner of the room, beside her mum’s dark brown wooden dresser, was an opened box— no different than the many others around the house and in the same room, but this one caught Ronnie’s attention.
Ronnie had been correct; the box was full of picture frames and loose photos. However, the item that caught her attention was a small jewellery box— a different one from the old larger box that sat upon Cleo’s dresser. Inside were a few shells, rings, and a necklace with a blue crystal. Ronnie gently pulled the necklace from the other items and peered at the crystal. As she brought it closer to her, a faint glow seemed to emanate from it, but Ronnie acknowledged it as a trick of the light. She returned the necklace to the box and placed it on the carpet next to her, moving on to the photos.
Some had already been removed and placed around the bedroom, but many remained packed away for the time being. Ronnie dug through them, carefully removing more fragile frames, photo books, and other items that were put into this box that she had already looked through. Toward the bottom were various tins that had been collected over the years containing stacks of loose photos. She went through each and every one, hoping to find what she was looking for (trying to avoid getting distracted by all of the other photos). Alas, as she got down to the final tins, she had yet to find any evidence of Emma and Rikki.
Ronnie had one last tin to go through; the most decorated of them all. The round cookie tin was painted with seashells, turtles, and corals that were chipped and faded from age. Just as Ronnie was about to open the tin, she heard her mum call her name from down stairs.
Ronnie scrambled to return everything to the box, omitting the tin she was about to browse through and the jewellery box with the necklace. “Just a minute!” With careful urgency, she returned most of the items to the box, ruining all of the organisation it had before. While she put the items back, her mum called her a few more times to which she responded, “One moment, I’m… changing.” As Ronnie got up from the corner, her eyes wandered to her dad’s night stand, where she saw the photo he had placed there yesterday. Ronnie quickly grabbed the photo, tossed everything onto her bed from the door, and sprinted down the stairs, calming herself just before she came into view of her parents.
Cleo smiled at the sight of her daughter. “We have some good news for you.”
Ronnie’s eye twitched. “Oh?” This couldn’t wait?
Lewis came from around the corner of the kitchen with a large smile on his face, carrying three glasses of water to set on the table— one containing a straw. “You and I are going diving tomorrow morning.”
Ronnie brightened. “No way.”
“Yes way. Turns out my parents kept my old boat, so we’re gonna rent some gear and take it out,” Lewis explained as he and Cleo set dinner on the table.
Cleo cut in, reminding Ronnie and Lewis, “And remember Granddad and Nanna are coming for dinner, so you’ll be back before then.”
“You know I wouldn’t miss seeing Don and Sam for the world,” Lewis winked.
“You’re sure that the boat will even work? It’s been like 20 years since you’ve used it,” Cleo asked.
Lewis shrugged as he sat down at the dining room table. “They said they replaced the engine a few years ago. It should be fine.”
“So, where are we going?” Ronnie asked.
Prior to Ronnie joining the conversation, Cleo and Lewis had a very thorough discussion of where he and Ronnie would be diving. The reef surrounding Mako Island was a favourite for Cleo and Lewis when diving, but keeping their daughter away from the island was something they had agreed upon months before officially moving back to the Gold Coast. Most recreational divers kept their distance from Mako but would often dive in an area between the coast and the island. Lewis had figured that there would be no harm in Ronnie being able to see the island from a distance, so long as he continuously advertised its dangers to her. “Figured we’d start at the most popular spot for diving. It’s about 24 kilometres off the coast.”
“Sounds good to me.” Ronnie smiled as she served herself dinner.
Lewis and Cleo chose to ignore certain events of the day and discuss only topics that bored their daughter. Ronnie, however, was drawing graphs and charts in her head of the information she knew about her parents and their high school friends, leaving only silence from her for most of the meal.
The moment Ronnie had excused herself from dinner, she dashed to her room to search through the final tin of photos. However, when she tried to open it, she found herself completely unable to, as if the tin had been glued shut. Ronnie tried at it for quite some time, using her hands, her feet, and a screwdriver she had to grab from the kitchen without drawing attention to herself, but found no success. Whatever was in there, was sealed away from her.
When she gave up on the tin, she analysed the photo she found on her dad’s nightstand; another photo of Emma, Cleo, Rikki, and Lewis, but a different one from the photo she had seen at Louisa’s. Not much information was provided from this photo; there was no writing on the back and it seemed no different than any other photo of friends. But, in this viewing of a photo of her parents, she noticed the lockets. Bringing a hand to her chest where her mother’s locket rested, Ronnie looked at each girl’s matching locket. She wondered if Emma and Rikki had kept their lockets like her mum kept her own.
Ronnie grabbed her phone to finally call Holly and Louisa after receiving their contacts just before they left the party. The three all told each other about their findings, despite there not being all that much; Ronnie told the two about the matching lockets and Holly explained what her mum had said, but Louisa hadn’t been able to find any more than the photo.
“My mum was pretty upset when she and my dad were talking,” Louisa explained.
Holly chimed in, “Yeah, my mum got mad when I initially brought it up.”
“My parents never even talked about it. I assume my dad told my mum, but she never said anything to me,” Ronnie commented.
Louisa sighed. “Well, we can say one thing for sure: this is not going to be easy.”
Holly laughed. “No kidding.”
Eventually, the three girls ended the call, each one trying to determine the best next steps. There had to be some way to reveal their parents’ secret.
Notes:
Hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next chapter unfortunately will not be coming out next weekend but rather the weekend after since I'm moving. Thanks for everyone's patience :)
<3 Dusty
Chapter 8: Grandparents (Part 1)
Notes:
Hi guys!
This chapter is split into two parts since it's a bit long and I wanted to make sure you all had some content this week. This fic is as of most recent on an update schedule of every other week, just so you know, since I'm way more busy at the moment. Sorry for any inconveniences but I hope you enjoy the chapter :)
<3 Dusty
Chapter Text
Rikki spent most Sunday mornings on the reef while Holly slept back at their house. She had been back on the Gold Coast for a while now, but she still had the same feeling of nostalgia and belonging each time she swam through the turquoise waters around Mako. However, something was keeping her away from the island itself; the bittersweet memories of her and her friends there had been brought up to the surface the last time she had visited for a book signing a year before Holly was born. Rikki wasn’t sure she was ready to return to the island after seventeen years of smothering the memories with her duties of motherhood but as Holly grew older, she couldn’t ignore the pain she felt being unable to share her secret with anyone. There was only one person whom she nearly told…
The watery beams of sunlight glimmered on her skin, a familiar sight that brought her comfort in many difficult times. The reef was lively with creatures of all shapes and colours— coral, many species of tropical fish, manta rays, and turtles. The water flowed through her hair, combing against her scalp like cooling fingertips; her anxieties melted away from her with the currents as they washed impurities from her skin. For the moment, the ocean was solely hers.
In that time before Holly was born, Rikki had learned a truth she had been previously oblivious to: Mako Island was home to more like her— those who were even more than what she was. However, she had not seen a single one; not since those few days seventeen years ago. It puzzled her, but it only occupied an area in the back of her mind. In a large ocean, it’s probably not often that one comes across another of her kind.
***
Lawrence and Linda McCartney weren’t what one would call simple people; they enjoyed having excitement and chaos to life and missed what having five sons had brought them. They travelled all around the world— a few times to America but only once to California since Ronnie was born— and found enjoyment in their active lifestyle. When Lewis first moved away from the Gold Coast, they jumped at the opportunity to keep his old boat for various activities but have recently been slacking in their aquatic adventures.
Ronnie had only met this set of grandparents once in person when she was approximately eight years old and had only ever talked to them since then by phone or video call. Out of her four uncles, her Uncle Lenny was the only one who visited Monterey once every couple of years. She couldn’t blame most of the members of her family for not visiting America; after all, it was a 20 hour flight. After experiencing it herself a few weeks ago, she certainly understood the difficulty that came from travelling between the two countries. Ronnie had never truly understood the sheer size of the Pacific Ocean until flying over it.
Lewis was quite nervous to see his parents again after nearly eight years. He wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the interaction, but he hoped it wouldn’t last too long as they needed to pick up the diving gear. Ronnie was even more nervous than her dad was. She couldn’t ignore the fact that despite Lawrence and Linda being her grandparents, they were nearly strangers to her. The two approached the door as Lewis commented on the time it has been since he’s seen his parents.
Moments after Lewis knocked on the door, Linda answered with glowing ecstasy. “Lewis! Oh my goodness, my darling, it’s been too long.” Linda wrapped her arms around her son and swayed back and forth. “Lawrence, come see who’s here.”
Lawrence called from within the house as he walked over with a deep laugh. “I know who’s here, he called yesterday saying he was coming.”
As Lawrence came to the door and greeted Lewis, Linda turned to Ronnie. “This can’t be Marion. She’s too big!” She extended her arms and gave Ronnie a large hug. “How are you, honey?” Lawrence was next in hugging her, with similar comments on how much she has grown— also using her full name.
Much like their own house, the elder McCartneys lived on the canal that snaked through neighbourhoods along the coast. Upon being invited inside the house, the first thing Ronnie noticed was the seemingly hundreds of pictures lining every surface and wall imaginable. The subjects varied with photos of the McCartney kids, travel photos, wedding photos, and more.
Linda, noticing Ronnie looking around at the pictures, exclaimed, “Oh! I have a few of you!” Jogging to Ronnie and pulling her arm along with her, Linda took her granddaughter to the staircase. The woman pointed a skinny finger to what seemed to be her dad’s section of the wall at the top of the staircase. Ronnie was able to find the photos her grandma was referring to: one of Lewis’ parents, her own parents, and her eight year old self holding an ice cream were posed in front of Monterey Bay— a sight she realised she had been greatly missing. She figured this photo was taken the sole time Linda and Lawrence came to Monterey to visit her and her parents. Among the cluster were a few baby photos of her with her parents.
Before Ronnie could comment, Linda spoke, “It’s a pity they couldn’t have more children. I found it to be quite fulfilling having my five boys.”
Taken aback, Ronnie wasn’t sure how to respond to this comment, so she shifted the topic. “Is there a section for each of your sons?”
“Oh, yes.” Linda moved back down to the bottom of the staircase and slowly ascended as she spoke of each cluster, beginning with the first. “It goes from oldest to youngest. We have Lucas here with his wife and three kids. Then of course Lenny and his wife, Lyle and his husband— aren’t they just the cutest— Liam and his family, and of course Lewis.” Linda continued her rant about each of her sons, their spouses, how many kids they have, and their various accomplishments. Ronnie smiled and nodded— as any reasonable teenager would do when an old woman they barely know would not stop talking.
When Linda stopped to take a breath, Ronnie remembered her previous mission and greatly changed the subject. “So what were my dad’s friends like in high school? Did he have any good ones?” Ronnie figured she didn’t need to be as conspicuous when interrogating Linda.
Linda appeared to not have taken a single millisecond to think before answering the question. “Oh, I don’t remember Lewis’ high school friends. Now this here is—“
Ronnie had stopped listening and wondered what her dad was doing at the moment.
“Been a while since we’ve taken her out for a spin,” Lawrence said as he patted the old tin boat. “But the engine’s only a few years old, so it should be fine.”
“Perfect. Thanks,” Lewis responded as he inspected the boat. She was certainly a wave of nostalgia that hit him.
“So… All these years, whatcha been up you— you and… and Cleo,” began his dad as he and Lewis carried the boat to the jetty.
Lewis shrugged. “Well, the move, of course. It’s been difficult but I think it’ll turn out alright.”
Lawrence continued, his voice a familiar gruffness to Lewis, “How’s, eh, Marion been taking it?”
“Ronnie, yeah. She’s made some friends, at least,” Lewis explained. “She misses diving so I hope today will help her out a bit.”
“I’m sure it will.” A lull of silence hung in the air for a brief moment before Lawrence spoke again. “Can I offer you some advice?”
“Sure, go right ahead,” Lewis replied with sarcasm.
Not noticing the sarcasm, Lawrence continued, “You can’t cater to her that much, she’s gotta toughen up, you know?”
Lewis furrowed his brow. “I can’t take her out to do something we both enjoy?”
“She’s gotta learn to handle these things on her own.”
“Ronnie’s not like me, Dad, she doesn’t have four other brothers to help her out,” retorted his son.
Lawrence shook his head with pursed lips. “I always say siblings toughen someone up.”
Lewis set down the boat on the grass, his dad objecting. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s not supposed to mean anything, Lewis. Now we’re almost there, just help me out.” Lawrence gestured to Lewis to lift his side of the boat.
Lewis did as his dad suggested, ignoring what he was implying with his comments. “Yeah, thanks for the advice, but I’m gonna still spend time with her.”
When the two had successfully gotten the boat into the water and docked, Ronnie and Linda came out to see the progress.
With one final check, Lawrence approved the boat for use. “She’s all good to go now. You two have fun out there.”
“Yup,” his son responded, “Thanks, Dad.”
“Where’re you headed out to? Mako?”
Lewis was quick to say, “Mako’s not safe for diving. Too many sharks.”
Linda responded this time, “Oh, I thought you and Cleo used to go there all the time way back when.”
Lewis scrunched his nose. “No, you must be mistaken.”
“Hm, I don’t think so—“
She was cut off. “Sorry, Mum, but we gotta get going. You know how tough it can be to find a good spot.”
Lawrence clapped his son on the shoulder. “Don’t be a stranger, okay.”
“Yup. Got it,” Lewis said.
Linda and Lawrence hugged and said goodbye to Ronnie, whom the previous conversation had not escaped the notice of. Ronnie had no clue what or where “Mako” was that her family had spoken of, but she was intrigued by what was said about it. But why did it feel like her dad was so quick to shut down the conversation about it?
***
As Rikki hung suspended over the deeper waters between Mako and the coast, she heard the familiar sound of a boat motor from under water. The boat and its wake shifted the refraction of the light over the rocks and sand as Rikki watched it come closer to her.
Ronnie eagerly leaned over the front of the tin boat as it bounced with the waves of the ocean. Lewis, at the back of the boat controlling the engine, smiled at his daughter’s pure joy— an image that hasn’t been in front of him for far too long. The salty water sprayed against Ronnie’s tanned skin, chilling her spine. Her golden brown curls were french braided (a common occurrence when she went diving) but the ocean wind still flowed through it, weaving its way through the winding knots. Ronnie felt at home here.
Rikki watched as Lewis threw the anchor overboard (although the identity of the one who threw it was unknown to her). Aboard the small boat, Lewis was trying to ignore the looming silhouette of Mako as Ronnie found herself almost entirely unable to remove her gaze from it.
Without looking away, Ronnie tilted her head toward her dad. “What’s that island?”
Lewis had spent the last few weeks preparing himself for her to ask this question, and when they went diving, he knew it was inevitable that she would see the island. Regardless, the question shot adrenaline through his veins, making his heart skip a beat. He had decided long ago the best approach: playing dumb. It had seemed to work earlier at his parents house, it had to work here. Lewis knew his daughter wasn’t stupid, but he had to hope his lying skills were proficient. “Oh, that island? Just Mako.”
“The one Grandma and Grandpa were talking about?”
Lewis’ eye twitched. “Yeah. But it’s too dangerous. Too many sharks.”
“Yeah, that’s exactly what you said earlier.” Ronnie continued what appeared to be a staring contest with the island to an onlooker.
Lewis held up the diving masks and nudged his daughter. “You ready?”
“Absolutely.” Ronnie’s attention was temporarily pulled from the island to prepare herself for the dive. Lewis hoped that that was the end of discussing Mako Island, but unfortunately for him, Ronnie thought much more clearly underwater.
As Ronnie glided through the water with the help of the fins on her feet, her heart felt pulled toward the island, but whether it was her curiosity or something greater, she knew not. The salty sea water cleared away any sort of fog over her memories, allowing one to come forward: her parents talking about the reef over some island off the Gold Coast long before any discussion came about moving back. If her memory served her correctly, they had never mentioned the name of the island as if they were speaking in code, but the whole idea of her parents keeping an island a secret from her seemed bizarre. Perhaps it was a different island that her grandparents were thinking Lewis and Cleo had gone to. If so, why didn’t her dad take her diving there if her parents were so fond of it?
Lewis couldn’t ignore the image of his daughter staring at Mako for quite so long or the possibility that she would have an established connection to it due to her heritage. This scenario had never been thought of by Lewis and Cleo as they figured that since Ronnie didn’t grow a tail upon contact with water, that certain gene had not been passed down, therefore no connection to Mako Island would have been present; but if what he had observed was a potential connection, Lewis’ assumption had been proven false. By now, Lewis should have known better to not make any sort of assumption regarding the magic, despite his scientific brain struggling to comprehend the idea that not everything could be explained by facts, experiments, and statistics.
Obscured by rocks and the blue haze of the water, Rikki felt a tug pulling her toward her mischievous side.
Just behind Ronnie as she observed the rocks along the seafloor for creatures, a circle of bubbles emerged from the sand. Ronnie had never seen anything of this sort happen before while diving and despite it startling her, she was intrigued.
Rikki laughed to herself (as much as one can underwater) as Lewis noticed the commotion by his daughter. Lewis, however, was properly frightened— worried for his daughter that something dangerous lurked under the sand. He could think of a few sand-dwellers that could emerge at any moment in search of new prey, and the last thing he wanted was Ronnie anywhere near them.
Satisfied with her work, Rikki swam off as Lewis made his way to his daughter. The wake of Rikki speeding away caught Ronnie’s attention just before she hovered her hand above the newly-vanished circle. Lewis grabbed her arm and pointed to the surface, signifying they were ready to ascend. The two slowly rose up the water column, both trying to wrap their heads around the circle and Ronnie wondering what the strange streak speeding off into the distance was.
As Lewis and Ronnie breached the surface, the latter exclaimed, “What was that?” Her tone implied fascination while her dad’s implied fear.
“How should I know? It could have been anything, what were you thinking?” Lewis knew if he weren’t with Ronnie when the strange phenomenon occurred, he would be similarly intrigued as his daughter. However, knowing Ronnie could have been in danger worried him greatly.
“I wasn’t gonna touch it,” Ronnie assured as she climbed onto the boat.
“It sure looked like it,” Lewis claimed.
“No, I was feeling the water— it was hot! Like properly hot!” Ronnie explained. “I had just swam over it a second before and it for sure wasn’t hot. What could have possibly done that?”
“I don’t know. I’m just glad you weren’t hurt.”
Ronnie was beaming with a rush of adrenaline. “And that streak that swam off, did you see that?”
Lewis’ eyes widened. This description was more familiar, but he could only hope it wasn’t what he was thinking. “No, it was probably just a fish.”
Ronnie scoffed with a smile, “It definitely wasn’t.” Her dad shrugged and Ronnie continued, “It was so awesome down there. The water was clear and all the animals were swimming about. Don’t you wish you could live in the ocean, Dad? Breathe underwater and everything?”
Lewis pulled the anchor into the boat with a smile. “That’s what diving is for, kiddo.”
“I wish Mum still went diving,” Ronnie grimaced. “She used to talk so much about doing it here. She must miss it.”
“Yeah,” was all Lewis responded with.
Ronnie, noticing the lack of response, chuckled. “Yeah?”
Lewis pulled on the chord of the motor a few times to start it, each time it sputtered out. “Well, she’s found other things she likes.” He continued at the motor.
“Like?”
With one more failed pull, Lewis stopped. “She’ll walk on the beach, draw— she’s actually pretty good at that. She makes jewellery— as you know. You wear some of it.” Lewis sighed and scowled at the silent motor. “I think it’s shot.”
“Really? Wasn’t it new?”
Lewis shrugged. “According to my parents, yeah.”
“We could paddle to that island,” Ronnie suggested.
Lewis’ heart jumped. “No, no. We don’t wanna do that. Besides, it’s too far.”
“Well, then it’s too far back to the coast then, too,” stated Ronnie.
Lewis sighed. “Coast it is. Start paddling.”