"Cleo!!" Kim yelled angrily at her big sister, banging on the bathroom door as loud as she could. "How long does it take to have a bath!?"

Cleo opened her eyes and pulled one of her earphones out of her ear. "Wait your turn, Kim!" She yelled back.

"I'll tell Dad!!" Kim shouted.

Cleo rolled her eyes. "Well just give me a minute!!" Cleo sighed. She pulled the other earphone, and looked at her massive mermaid tail, the fin hanging out of the bath tub.

Cleo was a mermaid. She and her best friends Emma, Rikki and Bella were all mermaids. But they weren't always.

A long while ago Cleo, Emma and Rikki were stranded on Mako Island. Trying to find a way back, they all fell into a cave, and stumbled across the Moon Pool. They entered the Moon Pool, hoping to swim out back to sea.

However, it was a full moon, and the power of the moon had transformed them into mermaids. They meet Bella about a year or so later, learning that she was transformed into a mermaid when she was nine years old.

At first none of the girls (except Rikki) were too pleased about becoming with mermaids, as their tails would appear whenever they came in contact with water. But all the girls learnt to accept their mermaid tails, and the powers that were included.

Cleo had the power to control water, Emma had the power to freeze water, Rikki could boil water and Bella could change waters texture, to a jelly-like substance, and also a into a glass-like substance.

Cleo's boyfriend Lewis, Bella's boyfriend Will, and Riki's ex boyfriend Zane, learnt about the girls secret too, and promised not to tell anyone, knowing that it could put the girls in danger. All the girls have shared many adventures together.

Cleo managed to clamber out of the bath tub and fall onto the tiled floor, and dry her her orange tail with the hairdryer. She then moved on to drying her dark hair, and then she got a towel and dried her dark skin. When her tail had gone and her legs had appeared. She threw on a dressing gown, grabbed her iPod and opened the door.

"Happy!?" Cleo asked Kim.

Kim rolled her eyes. "When you leave home, yes I will be." Kim stalked past Cleo into the bath room and slammed the door.

Cleo pulled a face and went downstairs to find something to eat.

***

Emma had been up and dressed for almost an hour. She had been reading and studying for ages. She pinned her light blonde hair back as she read all her facts on the properties of plant cells. Just then she got a phone call. She picked up her phone and checked the name, to find it was Rikki.

Emma answered the call. "Hi Rikki," Emma said.

"Morning," Rikki said grumpily.

"You sound happy," Emma commented.

"My dad just woke me up," Rikki sighed. "Are you coming down to the café later?"

"Of course I am, I work there!!" Emma laughed.

The main hang out for the friends used to be the Juice Net Café, before it unfortunately closed down. Zane had got the money from his dad to reopen the place, and he named it Rikki's. Zane and Rikki had managed the café together, and hired a few members of staff, including Emma (when she returned home from sailing around the with with her family), and they even had a band, with Bella as the lead singer! They hired Will's sister, Sophie, who had kissed Zane, and Rikki was watching...

Rikki and Zane broke up because of this, but they still owned the café together, which did create awkwardness most of the time.

"Cool, Bella and Cleo is coming," Rikki said sleepily.

"Are coming," Emma corrected her.

"Whatever, it's, like, midnight." Emma could almost feel Rikki rolling her eyes. "See you soon."

"Yeah, bye," Emma smiled.

Rikki hung up and began to tie her shoelaces. She was short, with the palest of skin, and light blonde hair.

"Bye Dad!" She called out sleepily, before opening the door, and setting foot outside in the sunny weather.

Rikki shut the door of her tiny house, and began to walk to her café, glancing over at the sea. She saw Mr Setori's boat (Cleo's Dad), and she was pretty sure she saw Zane's speed boat zooming along the water.

Rikki sighed, she still slightly liked Zane, but she shook her head and pushed him out of her mind, knowing that she would see him at the café in an hour or two.

Rikki carried on walking down the path, but quickly stopped when she noticed a massive puddle in the centre of the pavement. She looked around, making sure no one was around. Then she held her hand over the water, and slowly clenched her fist. As she did this, the water started heating up and boiling, until it eventfully evaporated. When the puddle had disappeared into nothingness, Rikki smiled, and continued on her way.

***

Bella popped her head above the water and smiled, taking in a big breath of air. "Ahh, that was incredible!" She said, as Will's head appeared above the water too. They had just spent an hour swimming, surfing and racing in the sea.

Will smiled, flicking his blonde hair to one side and taking of his goggles. "Do you want to go again? I bet I could beat you to that coral bed we just saw!"

"That would be nice, but I need to get to the café. Nate wrote a new song for the band to sing tonight, and he wants us to practice most of the afternoon." Bella pulled her honey blonde hair off her thin face.

Will nodded unhappily. "So you have to go then?"

Bella immediately felt bad. "I suppose one more swim wouldn't matter," she said.

Will grinned. "I'll race you back to my house?"

Bella grinned. "You're on!!"

***

Two hours later, Cleo, Emma, Rikki and Bella were all at the café. Emma had made them all juices, and they sat at one of the round tables, as business was running slow that morning.

"Can we go for a swim later?" Cleo asked. "I don't have to work today. It's been ages since we've all gone swimming together. We could go to the coral reef?" Cleo's eyes suddenly shone. "We haven't been to Mako Island in ages!"

"I'd love to, but I have to rehearse all afternoon," Bella sighed.

"And I've got a double shift today, because Sophie isn't coming in," Emma replied.

Rikki raised her hand. "I'll come with you."

"And Rikki has to work as well," Emma said, and Rikki groaned.

Bella laughed.

"Girls," a calm voice said, and all the girls turned their heads to see an old woman, in her sixties, standing at their table. She had blonde curly hair and was wearing a long blue cardigan. Cleo, Emma and Rikki knew who this woman was, but Bella had never seen her before in her life.

"Miss Chatham," Emma said. "Hello."

"Is everything alright?" Cleo asked, making Rikki move up so Miss Chatham could sit down.

"Girls, you must be careful," Miss Chatham told them.

Emma immediately looked at Rikki.

"What!?!?" Rikki asked.

"Rikki, be careful," Emma said.

"I'm always careful!" Rikki exclaimed. "... Mostly."

"Something dangerous, yet exciting will come your way," Miss Chatham explained. "You must make sure you stick together, and make sure no harm comes to one another."

"We're best friend," Cleo said. "We'll always look out for each other, right guys?"

"You bet," Rikki nodded.

Miss Chatham looked at Rikki. "I'm glad."

Rikki suddenly felt uncomfortable, and shuffled in her seat.

"Rikki, beware of the potions, pick the correct cup," Miss Chatham said. Them she turned to face Cleo, "Cleo, beware of old enemies. Bella-"

Bella was quite shocked that this old woman knew her name, when they had never met each other.

"-be careful when picking the song."

Cleo, Rikki and Bella gave each other worried looks, but they had no idea what Miss Chatham was talking about.

"What about me?" Emma asked.

Miss Chatham looked at Emma. "Save your friends, the old ones, and the ones you are yet to meet." Miss Chatham scanned all the girls. "Be careful, you're all going to be in grave danger, but it is an adventure you will never forget."

"Wait, what!?" Rikki asked. "What adventure? What do you mean by danger?"

Mid Chatham smiled and patted Rikki's hand. "All in good time, Rikki. All in good time."

"But, how do you expect us to understand what you're on about if you don't actually tell us? We aren't mind readers!" Rikki cried.

"Rikki, don't be so rude," Emma hissed.

"Me!?" Rikki asked, shocked. "She comes her, spits out a bunch of words about potions, enemies and songs, and then she expected us to immediately know what's going to happen!?"

"Rikki, Miss Chatham knows what's she's talking about," Cleo said. "She has helped us in the past before, like when she warned us about the full moon!"

"Miss Chatham, what exactly do you-" Bella began, but Miss Chatham had gone.

Rikki sighed. "Of course she'd vanish in our moment of need." Rikki collected up their empty drinking glasses. "I'm going to get back to work." And she stalked back to the counter.

"I'd better get back to work too," Emma sighed, standing up. "And I'd better calm Rikki down, knowing her she'll end up boiling every juice she makes!"

"And I best go practice with Nate and the band," Bella said. "Don't worry Cleo, I'm sure everything will be alright."

But Cleo wasn't too sure. While all her friend went to go work, she pulled out her phone, and called her boyfriend Lewis, to tell him everything Miss Chatham had said.