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Rita sat in the living room curled on her favourite armchair, legs tucked up, and reading a book. “The Mermaid’s Daughter”, she was only about 50 pages in but it was a good read. Better than some other mermaid fiction written by land people that she'd read.
“Are you working again?”
Rita looked up to see Veridia. It was a common situation with them. She'd be doing something, usually reading or working after the girls left for Mako and Veridia would come by. She always expected her to show up but she never knew when.
This time though, it had been five days since she saw Veridia. Pretty terrible five days. Just work followed by more work. She had to take on the year 7 Spanish class, again, which meant even more work than normal with no real breaks. The sooner they got more teachers at the school the better, the workload was starting to get unbearable.
Rita set her book down onto the arm of the chair cover side up as to keep her place. She'd dropped her bookmark somewhere during the time she'd been sitting down. It was probably down the side of the cushion again.
She took a second to stand up, her legs were on the verge of going numb, and falling wasn't the plan.
She skipped the last step and threw her arms around Veridia in a hug, a gesture Veridia immediately returned. Five days apart and it felt like a lifetime. It made her wonder how she ever made it the last twelve years only seeing Veridia a few times (until the Pod returned.)
“I haven't seen you in days,” Rita said, stepping away only slightly, staying in close.
“I know I've been b-”
Rita cut Veridia off by kissing her. She didn't need to hear the end of the sentence, she knew how it would end anyways. Veridia kissed back, pulling Rita in close again.
“I missed you.” Rita placed her hand on Veridia's cheek.
“It was only a few days,” Veridia said, “but I missed you too.” Veridia placed her hand on top of Rita’s.
“I would be disappointed if you hadn’t.”
Veridia laughed before leaning in and kissing her. Rita kissed her back. She'd forgotten that feeling of happiness that came from being with someone she loved. It we a good feeling.
“Do you want to go upstairs?”
“To your incredibly uncomfortable bed?”
Rita stepped away dropping her hand. Veridia was smiling slightly.
“It is not uncomfortable.”
“It is when you have someone using you as a pillow,” Veridia joked.
Rita smiled brighter. Veridia didn't joke much, it only happened when it was just the two of them.
“You make a great pillow.”
Veridia smiled and took Rita’s hand into her own.
“I love you,” Veridia said.
“I love you too.”
She really did love Veridia. Veridia loved her. It made everything seem better. Love did that.
“We are not doing that.”
Mimmi stepped behind Ondina as they entered the grotto. Ondina had been filling her in on her latest plan on the walk from the pool to the grotto. Her plan was to make a storm cloud while Rita was sleeping and then make it rain.
“Why not?” Ondina turned around and pouted.
Ondina had a few crazy ideas in her life, but this had got to be her craziest one yet. She'd been around Zac and Cam too much. Her brother and Cam were currently involved in a prank war, something Ondina was far too interested in.
“Rita will kill us, and we're not even allowed in her room remember?” Mimmi reminded her. She'd hoped Rita would have been in the water this morning but she hadn't. It might have deterred Ondina, but then this was Ondina.
“She never actually told us that, Sirena did, and Sirena’s away so we just blame her for not telling us.”
“She'll probably wake up the moment we open the door and get annoyed at us, especially if she finds out what you had planned. You want to do something, set it up somewhere else. Prank Weilan instead, she'll take it fine. Don't bring Rita into this.”
Rita was the worst person to get involved.
“Please Mimmi,” Ondina begged, her voice soft. “I asked Weilan to help but she told me to go away, and then said something in Chinese or whatever language it was and pulled the blanket over her head.”
That sounded like Weilan.
“I don't know...”
“Please?”
Ondina pulled that baby seal look that always got her anything. Cute eyes and silent begging. It always worked on her. And Ondina knew that.
Mimmi gave in.
“If anything goes wrong I'm telling Rita you made me do it.”
“Deal,” Ondina grinned, “Bring Weilan’s phone, I want to take a video to show Zac and Cam. They'll appreciate this.”
Mimmi stepped passed Ondina and descended the stairs. At the bottom she kneeled down and pulled the charger from Weilan’s phone, before she picked up the phone from the floor beside the bench. Weilan was still lying asleep, blanket pilled up over her. Mimmi held the phone in her hand and stood up.
“I'm still not completely sure about this Ondina.”
“It will be fine Mimmi. Stop worrying. Besides what's she going to do, kick us out? We have Mako this time, and if she forgave Lyla for stealing her Moon Ring, she forgive us for dropping a little water on her. Now come on.” Ondina held out her hand for Mimmi.
Mimmi climbed the stairs and begrudgingly accepted Ondina’s hand, ignoring the rush of butterflies the action brought, and let Ondina lead her up into the house.
Ondina let go of Mimmi’s hand and used telekinesis to slowly turn the doorknob. The door swung ever so slowly open.
“We have to be quiet,” Mimmi whispered.
“You think I don't know that? Come on, we're here now, I’m not backing out.”
Mimmi exhaled sharply.
“Let's go.”
Ondina grinned and stepped into the room.
Blue light filtered in through thin blue curtains reminding Mimmi of underwater. It made sense, bringing the sea onto land.
She looked quickly to the side over the dressing table, bottles of perfume and jewellery boxes and the picture Rita had of her and Harry were set out with shells in between them, tiny little pink cowrie shells dotted about like stars. They probably got in the way the whole time.
Mimmi looked up when Ondina hissed her name. Ondina was motioning for her to move on. Ondina was a couple steps ahead of her, having not stopped to look around the way Mimmi had.
Mimmi accidently stepped on something and quickly looked down as she moved foot. She'd stood on a white dress that had been lying on the floor. That was...strange. Rita was tidy, she didn't just leave things lying around the place.
There was something else made from dark blue fabric lying carelessly just a few steps away. It sort of looked like Veridia's dress. It would make sense that Rita would keep Veridia's stuff for her, Veridia wasn't on land often and anything would be safe with Rita. But lying on the floor?
“Who needs that many pillows?” Ondina whispered.
Mimmi looked over to the bed. Rita was lying on her side, the cover draped below her bare shoulder, and she was facing away from them leaning up against at least three pillows, her dark hair splayed out as if she was underwater. There were more pillows against the wall. So many pillows. Ondina was right, who needs that many pillows?
Poseidon emerged from underneath the bed. He looked at them for a second before stretching out his little cat legs and yawning, showing a little cat tongue and sharp cat teeth.
“He has his own cat bed under hers,” Ondina whispered. Mimmi looked over to Ondina before she kneeled down to stroke Poseidon. The cat turned his back on her and jumped up onto Rita’s bed. He lay down at Rita's feet, tail twitching in the air.
Mimmi straightened out and glanced over at Ondina. Ondina held out her hand and the planned cloud formed.
“Hold on Ondina I want to stroke Poseidon before you disturb the peace,” Mimmi said. Poseidon never came near her during the day, he preferred Rita and Weilan.
“Hurry up. I can't hold a cloud forever without making it rain.”
Mimmi took another few steps to reach the bed. She reached out to stroke Poseidon. Then she saw there was someone else in the bed. Long and curly coppery blonde hair obscured their face.
Mimmi unintentionally shrieked in surprise as they moved in their sleep and she saw their face.
Veridia.
Rita sat up abruptly, bringing her knees up, and holding the duvet to her chest. She looked startled, scared even, with wide eyes and white knuckles from clutching the covers.
“What are you doing in here?” Veridia demanded. The other Mermaid had been suddenly disturbed as well, but there was no fear. Just anger.
“What are you doing in here?” Ondina asked, dropping her hand and letting the cloud disperse.
“Go! Get out!” Rita spoke for the first time. “Now!”
Ondina grabbed Mimmi’s arm and half dragged her out into the hallway.
The door shut behind Ondina and Mimmi.
Rita turned over and propped herself up on her side facing Veridia. Her heart was racing. What were they doing?
Veridia reached out and brushed Rita's hair back behind her ear.
“They know about us.”
Veridia said nothing.
Rita rested her head on Veridia. Veridia began running her hands through her hair.
“Are you okay?” Rita asked. She looked up at Veridia. She hadn't said anything since Ondina and Mimmi left. What were they even doing in her room? She had that rule for a reason, more so now than before.
“I'm okay. I'm just thinking.” Veridia looked distant.
“We have to tell them about us now. They already know something, they're going to want the truth,” Rita said.
Veridia nodded.
Rita sat up again. She let her hand stay resting on Veridia’s stomach.
“I'm sorry.”
“There's nothing to be sorry for.”
Rita smiled sadly. She leaned down and kissed Veridia. Short and fleeting. But so comforting.
“So what do we tell them?” Rita asked.
Veridia sat in silence for a second. She looked distant again.
“Does this mean we can sleep in the water downstairs now?” Veridia asked
Rita laughed, smiling genuinely for the first time since waking up rather abruptly.
“I guess it does.”
Veridia smiled back at her.
“As for what to tell them, all they need to know is we’re together. We don't have to tell them anything else, if we don't want to.”
“Have I ever told you I love you?”
“A few times.”
The door shut.
“What was that?” Ondina demanded. “We were meant to be quiet. Shrieking is the opposite of quiet.”
“I got fright,” Mimmi defended, “I wasn't expecting there to be anyone else, let alone Veridia. It was a stupid idea anyway.”
She knew it was stupid yet she went along with it because Ondina wanted her to and then it backfired on them. Immensely.
Ondina failed to carry out her prank. Which maybe wasn't such a bad thing, but Rita was annoyed at them anyways, so was Veridia. Mimmi hadn't yet decided who was the worst to have angered, Rita or Veridia.
It was far far worse than expected.
Ondina rolled her eyes and said nothing, starting to walk off heading back down towards the grotto.
So very Ondina.
Mimmi followed after her.
Ondina was never one to admit she was wrong, unless under extreme pressure. Maybe having Veridia ready to kill her would be pressure enough.
“So I take it Rita and Veridia are together then?” Ondina asked.
It was logical, considering what just happened. It would explain the dress on the floor. Veridia's dress. And the fact that Veridia was there in the first place. And why Veridia seemed to be at the house almost every day. Mimmi had never thought too much about that last thing before.
“Must be,” Mimmi said, “Rita never said anything though.”
“Why would she? You know she doesn't trust us with her love life, not after you convinced Dr Ross to ask her out and she wasn't actually interested in him.”
Ondina was right.
Rita hadn't been the most talkative to her for almost a week after that incident. Evie had told her that Dr Ross had been interested in Rita and Rita appeared to have returned the feeling, but apparently not. Mimmi had managed to talk Dr Ross into asking Rita on a date. She'd gone on one date with him, and then the following week, up until the Full Moon, Rita had barely spoken to her. Sirena had said it wasn't Mimmi personally, but after the Full Moon nothing more had been said about anything so they all moved on.
“She told me she regretted leaving Veridia before,” Ondina said interrupting the silence that developed. ”They were friends, like us, but when she left the Pod she had to leave her behind. Said it was one of the few things she regretted.”
Like us . Ondina was her friend, her best friend, and nothing more. She would never be anything more. Yet Rita and Veridia started like her and Ondina, as friends, and now they were… whatever they were, a couple.
“Come on, we better give Weilan her phone back before she notices we took it,” Ondina pulled the mermaid book and the bookcase slid opened.
Mimmi waited a second, watching Ondina disappear down the sandstone corridor, before she headed after her, running to catch up.
“Do you think Weilan knew? About Rita and Veridia?” Mimmi asked. The thought occurred quite suddenly. Weilan was at the house far more than they were, and for some reason Rita was more open with Weilan, than she was with them.
“We'll find out,” Ondina said.
“I'm sorry for this morning. It was Ondina’s idea,” Mimmi said immediately as she saw Rita and Veridia enter the grotto.
“Hey!” Ondina exclaimed.
“You said I could blame you.”
Ondina looked away, rolling her eyes as she did so.
“It's alright girls. No harm done,” Rita said.
“So, are you two together?” Ondina asked.
“We are.” Rita looked to Veridia and smiled. Veridia smiled back. Mimmi couldn’t help but smile too. They were happy. Veridia was nicer when she was smiling, made her seem less “stone cold bitch” as Erik had called her following the events in the chamber.
“How long have you been together?” Mimmi asked.
“Since the Pod came back,” Veridia answered.
“And you didn't tell us?” Ondina directed at Rita. There was an edge in her voice that Mimmi hoped she dropped. Neither Rita or Veridia seemed angry yet, but that could change. Very quickly. Veridia wasn’t known for a calm nature.
“We didn't want to,” Rita said.
It was their relationship, it was their choice to keep it hidden. Mimmi didn't blame them.
“I have to go,” Veridia turned to Rita and spoke quietly.
“Okay, I'll see you later.”
Mimmi didn't like the feeling she got as Veridia placed her hand on Rita’s cheek, or as the pair shared a brief kiss.
It was a bad feeling.
Veridia left without looking at her or Ondina.
“Did Weilan know?” Ondina asked once Veridia was gone. Weilan had left not long ago after Ondina told her what happened.
“She did,” Rita replied.
“So you trust Weilan more than you trust us?”
“Ondina,” Mimmi looked to Rita, “you don't have to answer that. It's nothing to do with us who you tell about your relationship.”
“Thank you Mimmi,” Rita looked to Ondina, “I don't have to defend my choices about my personal life. I'm sorry you’re hurt by it.”
Ondina said nothing.
“I have to go, Evie said she needed my help.”
Ondina left. Mimmi heard her say something to Rita but she couldn't make out what it was.
Mimmi sat down on the cushioned bench, avoiding Weilan's many blankets. She had a lot. More than anyone needed.
“I'm sorry,” Mimmi apologised again.
Rita said nothing. Mimmi waited a second to see if she would say anything.
“What did Ondina say?” Mimmi asked.
“She apologised,” Rita replied.
Mimmi nodded. Ondina wasn't unreasonable, at least not all the time.
“Ondina said you told her that you and Veridia were like us?” Mimmi asked, “me and Ondina that is.”
“We were. We were best friends, like you two are.”
“How did you two become...more than friends?” Mimmi asked tentatively.
“It just happened over time, then we were together for eight years.”
“That's a long time,” Mimmi commented. She didn't really know what to say.
“It is,” Rita agreed, “We lasted until I left the Pod, and then when the Pod came back we sorted out our problems and now we’re better for each other now than before.”
“I'm glad. I'm happy for you,” Mimmi said. She was telling the truth but she couldn't make that smile real.
“Then why is your smile fake?” Rita asked softly.
She couldn't answer that. Because she didn't know why.
“When did you leave the Pod?” Mimmi asked. She wanted to change the subject. It was an obvious ploy but what else could she do? She couldn't explain it because she didn't know what she was feeling.
“Twelve years ago.”
Twelve years. She couldn't imagine going twelve without seeing Ondina.
“Wow. That's even longer.”
“It feels like a lifetime ago.”
Mimmi looked at Rita. She had a distant look about her. Twelve years was a very long time. A lot can happen in that much time. So very, very much.
“Did you love her?” Mimmi asked.
“I did. I still do. Love doesn't always go away.”
Mimmi smiled, yet the dark feeling inside got worse. Rita was happy and in love, she deserved it after all the pain she went through with Harry. She was happy and in love with her best friend.
Just like Mimmi.
The dark feeling, it was envy. Rita had that happiness that Mimmi wanted, that she had tried to find with Chris. She wouldn't find it with Chris. She could have love and happiness but there would always be something holding her back.
Ondina.
She loved Ondina. Not in the sister - bond way she felt about the rest of the Pod, but romantic love. What Rita and Veridia had, she wanted it with Ondina. But that wouldn't happen. There was no way it would happen.
Besides Ondina seemed more interested in Weilan nowadays.
“So you and Ondina?” Rita asked, startling Mimmi.
“What about us?” Mimmi hoped her voice was steady but she heard herself. She was not calm and steady.
“I'm not blind,” Rits said. “I saw how you looked at her when she left. It was a look of pining.”
Mimmi didn't think she looked at Ondina in any way that was noticeable.
“I don't know what that means.”
“You want to be with her.”
Mimmi laughed nervously. How did she know? She only just accepted she wanted to be with Ondina.
“Ondina's my friend. I like her.”
“Friends?” Rita questioned, “I act the way you and Ondina act with my best friend because we’re dating.”
“We're just friends,” Mimmi repeated. She had to keep saying that so she didn't do anything to mess up their friendship. Ondina most likely didn't feel the same way
“Of course,” Rita said. Mimmi knew without a doubt that Rita did not believe her.
Ondina surfaced alone in the Moon Pool. It was quiet and still, perfect for thinking and she needed to think.
Seeing Rita and Veridia together made her think about her and Mimmi. Rita and Veridia were friends, best friends, now they were more than friends.
She supposed she should be happy for Rita. Sirena told them about Harry, Rita had given her life up for that man only for him to die. Ondina had been ready to give her life up for Erik only for him to betray her. Mimmi had been right to be untrustworthy and jealous, she felt the same herself about Chris.
He wasn't right for Mimmi. He was a land boy, and he wasn't to be trusted. Mimmi deserved someone better. Someone who knew her last, someone she trusted, someone who knew what she was.
Someone like her.