WHEN THE SEA CALLS
Chapter 74: Maia and April Helped Out

Chapter 74: Maia and April Helped Out

April flicked her fingers across Rhea’s face and she blinked.

"What are you thinking about?" April asked.

"You do not think Sasha is serious about what she wrote. Do you?" Maia asked.

Rhea shook her head. She shouldn’t believe Sasha would hurt her to that extent.

"I do not believe that. I am just wondering what her reason was to do this."

"Well," Maia said. "I don’t think that should be the problem now."

"What should?" Rhea asked.

Maia pointed at the locker. "Getting this place cleaned up, and making it to class before Madam Hannah notices that we are absent."

"You want us to clean this up?" April asked. "Yuck!"

"You don’t have to join me. I will do that myself. Maia, April. You both should go to class. I should not..."

"We are not leaving you alone here. We will help out," April said.

"I..."

"The earlier we begin the earlier we can get back to class," Maia said.

"Maia, April, I know you want to help but..."

"Don’t you think we need to take pictures as evidence? She might want to deny it later," April said ignoring Rhea.

"We don’t even know if Sasha is the one who did it," Maia said.

"I am sure she is the one," Rhea answered.

Maia smiled. "Then let’s take some pictures."

They took some pictures of the locker with Maia’s phone before they began to clean up the locker.

"This is going to take a long while. Don’t you think?" April said.

"Maybe half an hour," Maia answered.

Rhea furrowed her brows. Won’t that make them miss class? And they can’t.

"I think you girls should go. I will do the rest myself," Rhea said.

"We are not leaving you," April said.

"But you are going to get detention if you don’t," Rhea answered.

"Rhea, can I speak to April for a few minutes?" Maia asked.

Rhea nodded. "Sure you can."

April furrowed her brows. Why does Maia want to see her?

"Come with me, April," Maia said and April nodded.

April followed Maia and they stopped a few distance away from Rhea.

"Why do you want to see me?" April asked.

"Do you think we should hypnotize her?" Maia asked.

April’s eyes switched. "Who? Rhea?"

Maia nodded. "Yes. What do you think?"

"Why would you say that?" April said in a loud voice.

"Keep your voice down," Maia whispered. "Don’t let her hear you."

"Why would you even think that? Did she..."

"What are you thinking, April? You don’t think I am trying to hurt Rhea. Do you?"

April shrugged. "I know you can’t do that. That is why I am surprised."

"I am not trying to hurt Rhea, April. I want us to help her finish up her cleaning as soon as possible. We can’t let her know we are mermaids."

"Oh..." April mumbled.

She understands Maia now. She wants to help Rhea by using magic but Rhea can’t know about it.

April smiled. "You should have said that in the first place. Instead of telling me you want to hypnotize her."

"You did not listen to me. Did you?" Maia asked.

"Are you girls okay?" Rhea asked.

She was beginning to worry about them.

April smiled. "We are fine." She held Maia’s hand. "Let’s go back to her."

They returned to meet Rhea who was still doubting if everything was fine.

"Are you sure everything is fine? I overheard April..."

"That?..." April chuckled. "It’s nothing. Let’s get back to work."

"How about I sing while we work. You like mermaid songs right, Rhea?" Maia said.

Rhea nodded. "I do." Her eyes brightened up. "Do you want to sing one?" Maia nodded and Rhea smiled. "I will love that."

Maia began to sing and April joined her. The song was so nice it made Rhea smile.

"Isn’t that a hypnotizing song?" Sapphire asked.

Hypnotizing song? Rhea wondered.

"You don’t know what hypnotize means?" Sapphire asked. "It’s..."

"I know," Rhea mumbled.

But why would they want to use that on her?

"Do you think they know you are a mermaid and they are trying to catch you?"

Rhea shook her head. She doesn’t think so.

"Then do you think they want to carry out a plan they don’t want you to know about?" Sapphire asked.

That sounds more like it. Rhea thought. But what is the plan?

"Youcan’t find out if you don’t pretend to be affected by their song," Sapphire answered.

But how is she supposed to do that? Rhea wondered.

"When someone is hypnotized, their eyes look unfocused, like they’re staring at nothing. It’s as if they’re lost in a dream," Sapphire answered. "Can you do that?"

She should be able to do that. Rhea thought.

"You also have to pretend not to notice what’s happening around you. Even when they talk to you, you won’t answer unless it’s a direct command."

Rhea furrowed her brows. Would she be able to do that?

"Do you think you can?" Sapphire asked.

She should. Rhea thought.

"It’s almost time to act," Sapphire said. "Just follow my command."

Rhea waited for Sapphire’s command and when she finally gave them, Rhea followed every one of them.

"Rhea?" Maia called, waving her hand over Rhea’s face.

Rhea tried her best not to blink her eyes or she would be caught.

"Rhea?" Maia called again.

"I think she is hypnotized already," April answered. "Let’s get things done quickly. We are half an hour late to class already."

Maia nodded. "Let’s do it."

April and Maia began to get Rhea’s locker cleaned up with magic. Rhea was surprised.

Can all mermaids do this? She wondered.

"Most I guess," Sapphire answered.

Would she be able to do this too? Rhea wondered.

"Maybe," Sapphire answered.

Rhea was happy April and Maia had supposedly hypnotized her not because they wanted to hurt her or anyone but because they wanted to help her out.

That is so nice of them. She thought.

"They are indeed nice," Sapphire answered.

Maia and April were done in a few minutes and they smiled.

They should have done this earlier.

"Should we release her now?" April asked.

"What are we going to tell her when she asks how we got everything done so quickly?" Maia asked.

"We just have to tell her what we want her to believe and when she wakes up, that won’t be a problem," April answered.

Maia nodded. April is right.

They spoke to Rhea before finally waking her up.

"Now blink," Sapphire said and Rhea blinked.

"Rhea?" Maia called. "Are you okay?"

Rhea nodded. "I... I am."

"Are you sure? You were lost in thought for a while," April answered.

"Oh... Lost in thought," Rhea mumbled.

Rhea wanted to laugh but she couldn’t. What will be Maia and April’s reaction when they find out she was pretending to be hypnotized and she saw them do magic?

Rhea pointed at the locker. "We are done with cleaning?"

April nodded. "We are."

"We should head to class then," Rhea answered. "But what are we going to tell Madam Hannah? We are almost an hour late."

"Do you have any suggestions, Maia?" April asked.

Maia shook her head. "I can’t think of any."

"I can’t think of any either," April answered.

"We are definitely getting detention," Rhea mumbled.

"How about we tell her we went to the clinic?" Maia asked.

April furrowed her brows. "The three of us? How is that even possible?"

"Food poisoning," Rhea answered. "We can..."

"Rhea, what are you saying?" Sapphire asked. "It’s not logical."

A mild food poisoning should be. Rhea thought.

"What do you plan to say?" Sapphire asked.

Rhea had nothing in mind. She should have thought about that.

"Rhea?" April called, flicking her fingers. "You are lost in thought again."

"Are you okay?" Maia asked. "You were talking to us but you stopped without finishing your sentence."

Rhea sighed. "I was thinking of what lie we could say but I have none. I don’t think food poisoning will work out. Would it?"

Rhea’s question was more directed to Sapphire than it was to Maia and April and she hoped Sapphire knew that.

April and Maia shook their heads. They can’t think of any either.

"I guess we will get detention," April mumbled.

"I am sorry I dragged you both into this mess," Rhea answered.

She was sad Maia and April would be getting detention because of her.

"Come on," Maia said. "We won’t be happy if you get detention alone either. Or we will, April?"

April shook her head. "Of course not. We are in this together"

Rhea smiled. "Thank you, girls,"

"Let’s think of something," Maia answered.

" I have a suggestion," Sapphire answered. "If you will listen."

Of course, she will. Rhea thought. She doesn’t have an option.

"Let me think of something," Rhea said and Maia and April nodded. "Sapphire I hope your suggestion would work out. I can’t let them get detention because of me," Rhea said in a low voice.

"If you want to use food poisoning," Sapphire began. "It might work out if it’s a mind one. You just have to tell your teacher you all ate a cake and that must have caused the food poisoning. You went to the clinic to get treated. Maia’s mother is the nurse, right? She should be able to help out."

Rhea’s eyes widened and she smiled. That seems like a very good idea.