A Wish on a Full Moon

Breaking the Ice

I do not own H2O: Just Add Water or any of the characters.

Chapter 32: Breaking the Ice

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Bella watched as everyone walked through the door to get something to snack on for lunch, while she and Mrs. Chatham make their way to the theater seats to talk. They sit down and once she sees the last person exit the room, she releases the questions she's been patiently waiting to ask. "I can't believe you were a mermaid this whole time! How did you and your friends become mermaids? Was it from the same moon pool as theirs, or a different one? What powers did you have? Are you still a mermaid because it sounded like you weren't anymore during that last one? Did you lose your powers? What about your friends? Where are they now?"

"Slow down. Breathe child, breathe," Mrs. Chatham chuckled as she laid her hands on the girl's arms, trying to get her to relax. Bella did exactly as she said. Taking a deep breath, but still couldn't help the nervous yet excited smile that was shining on her face. "I'm sorry. It's just that I've never met an older mer-person before. Or ex mer-person should I say?" she looked at her quizzically.

Mrs. Chatham slowly nods, trying to get the girl to take her time to understand. "It's quite alright. And I guess you could say ex older mer-person," she laughed lightly, as Bella gave her a small smile. Mrs. Chatham raised an eyebrow at her skeptically.

"But it sounds to me like you've met other mer-people before. Am I wrong?" Bella saw Ms. Chatham grin and she looked away in shame. Looking at the door, she saw Emma being dragged along by Zane into the dorm rooms as she protested against it. She looks down at the ground, quietly stuttering out her answer. "I-I have recently." Mrs. Chatham leans in closer, narrowing her eyes at her.

"Then why does it also sound like you knew they already exist." Bella gulped as she hinted even more about her secret and begins fiddling with her hands nervously. "You, you already know the answer to that."

They both sat there in silence for a bit; Bella still looking at the floor, lost in thought about the truth being out now, and Mrs. Chatham a little relieved that the girl finally admitted it to her. Finally, Bella let out another breath as she reluctantly lifted her head and looked at the older woman in complete confidence. "How did you know?" she asked, still refusing to talk about it fully in case someone were to slip in and listen. Mrs. Chatham sighed, a small smile on her face. "The same way I knew about the others. Magic. It's practically radiating from the four of you."

"Oh," Bella breathed out after a few seconds, letting the silence get between them once again. Before she could ask any more questions, Mrs. Chatham beats Bella to the punch, as if she could read her mind. "I know you must have a lot of questions. Not just about me, but about yourself as well," she said, pointing a finger at her. "But now is not the time for it. You'll get those answers eventually. Probably even during these viewings. Just be patient. Alright?"

Bella nodded slightly, thinking her words over. It felt a little disappointing to her that she couldn't get her answers right then, but at least she'll get to find out one day. She wanted to get to know Mrs. Chatham, to hopefully become a friend to her like she was with the girls. Almost like a mentor, but in a better, friendship kind of way. But more importantly, she wanted to know why she was here. That was the one thing she couldn't figure out yet. Aside from the mermaidness, she had no connection to the girls whatsoever. They never even met before until yesterday. And now she was learning more about them in one day than she probably ever could in her entire lifetime.

"You should tell them."

Bella jumped, the voice of Mrs. Chatham startling her out of her thoughts. A frown formed as she tried to make sure she understood the older woman correctly. "What?" "Cleo, Rikki, and Emma. You should tell them."