Episode 8: The One Where Everyone Finds Out Part 2

This is a collaboration with J.F. Jenkins. To read the first part, please visit: http://introv3rsion.blogspot.com/

“Its a game.” Toby rolled his eyes and watched as Lily started to freak out. “What the hell is her problem?”

“I have no idea. She was really timid and whiny at first, but now she's turning into a complete psycho.”

“Maybe I should kidnap you and you can come join me?” He teased.

“Sounds good to me! I'll go wherever you want to take me.”

"Maybe we can escape Escape!” He liked this idea, running away from it all with her. What better place than paradise? He was about to continue when Lily came back with some guys.

“The guys aren't happy,” Lily said smugly. 

Moira looked past her. Adrian looked pissed, Jesse annoyed. As to Will…he looked disappointed. Well, she had tried to tell him to leave her alone. What did he think, that she was going to leave Toby for him? Not going to happen. “I really don't care.”

“You've betrayed us, Moira,” Adrian said. 

She laughed. “What is this? This is a game. Get over yourselves.”

“You don't deserve to be on the team anymore. You're consorting with the enemy.”

“The enemy?” she asked incredulously. 

“Choose,” Jesse ordered. “Us or him.”

“I choose him. I'll always choose him,” she said. 

It took a moment to let everything sink in. “Aren't you guys being a little over dramatic? The enemy? Wow.” He was about to say something else when he noticed Coty approaching. Wait; no it was Cory because the necklace was glowing. “Is there a problem?” he asked, folding his arms in front of him as if trying to be intimidating.

Now it looked like one of Toby's teammates was getting involved. If they kicked him off the team too, they really could run away together. Better to just get introductions out of the way. She stuck a hand out toward him. “Hi, I'm Moira. Toby's girlfriend.”

Cory raised an eyebrow. “So this is your cutie huh? Nice to meet you.” He offered his hand for a shake. “But what are you doing here though?”

When she took his hand to shake, she felt a jolt. It wasn't a good jolt, like when Toby touched her. She could feel two separate thought patterns roiling around in his mind. This must be the one with two people in the same body. She pulled her hand back quickly. “I'm on the show. Our team's being sent to Hawaii too. At least, the team I used to be on. Apparently, I've been voted off the island before we even reached it.” She gestured at her teammates who were still crowding the aisle behind him.

Cory raised an eyebrow. “Well hey, I bet we could fit you in with us if they want to be little shits about it.”

Toby smirked. This is why he liked Cory though. Then he saw Ryan coming over and he frowned. She was the difficult one.

“Why is everyone pow-wowing over here? Is there a problem?” Cory then filled her in and she stared at the other team with a raised eyebrow. “If I had known this was our competition I wouldn't have been so worried.” She then stared at Moira. “But I don't know if I’d consider you useful. You look more like a distraction seeing as how he already is losing sight of our goals to be with you.” She glared at Toby.

What a bitch. Toby really hadn't been kidding about here. She could be a bitch too. I'll show her how useful I can be, Moira thought. She reached into Ryan's mind--and sent a little shock through it. 

Ryan gasped. “What was that?”

Cory shook his head. “I don't know, but maybe you should be nicer to people.”

Moira couldn't help but laugh. “I think I could get to like you!” She looked at Ryan. “You, not so much. I think you'd fit in on my team, though. They're used to manipulative bitchiness. Maybe we should trade places.”

Ryan snorted. “I'm not manipulative. Id watch it before you say anything about people you barely know.”

“Speak for yourself. You've already decided that I'm a useless distraction.”

“Yeah, you're already distracting my team member,” Ryan pointed out.  Cory put his hands on her shoulders. 

“Chill. Look, I think everyone needs to calm down.”

“I agree,” Moira said. “Especially you idiots.” She looked pointedly at her team. 

“We should let her stay on the team,” Will said quietly. 

“You've got to be kidding me!” Lily exclaimed. 

“Look, we need her. Besides, it's not her fault. She was dating the guy before this show even started.”

“Yeah, no shit,” Toby said and rolled his eyes.  “Besides, if you think I'm going to let anything bad happen to her because of some game . . .”

Ryan glared at him. “So you'd sabotage us for her?”

“Ry? Chill.” Cory stressed the point.  “All of us have something to lose here.” He looked around at the group. “Personally, I think it's refreshing to see some positive emotions for a change instead of all the negativity. It's good to remember what I'm fighting for.” He stared at Ryan for a moment and then shook his head.

“So, what? We work together?” Moira asked. 

Cory shook his head. “Not unless we're supposed to. I just don't think we need to be flipping our shit over two kids who love each other.”

She smiled. “I agree.” She looked at the rest of her team. “Can you guys handle that?”

They nodded hesitantly. She glanced at Ryan. “Can you deal with this too?”

Ryan threw up her hands and walked away. Toby rolled his eyes a little.

Moira's team started to head back to their seats. Adrian paused at looked at the kid with the glowing necklace. “You know, there's something weird about you. It's like you're in the wrong body or something.” He shook his head and walked away. 

Moira laughed. “I'm not sure which one you are, sorry. But thank you. I won't forget how you stuck up for us.” She looked at Toby. “But what about the other two? You know, the brother,” she waved at the guy still standing by them, “and the telepathic girl. Are they going to be okay with this?”

Cory rolled his eyes at Adrian. He then shrugged at Moira. “We're talking now. He's not sure, but there's nothing to be done about it.”

“Do you call the shots or something?” she asked curiously.

Cory winked at her. “Something like that.” 

Toby nodded a thank you and put his head on Moira's shoulder.  “We'll figure this out.”

Moira snuggled up against Toby again. After all the drama, she felt exhausted. She closed her eyes. “Wake me when we reach Hawaii,” she murmured.

He nodded, but closed his eyes too.  “I promise.”

Episode 7: Leaving on a Jet Plane

“So where do you think they’re sending us this time?” Will asked Moira. She still wasn’t talking to him much after the events at the house. He couldn’t blame her. He had sort-of confessed his feelings for her and she didn’t return them. He didn’t care that she had a boyfriend. For all he knew, she was making the guy up. He hadn’t seen her emailing anyone lately. Maybe she had been lying . . . maybe there was a chance for him after all and she just didn’t want to admit it.

Moira shrugged, but didn’t answer him. She was annoyed that she had gotten stuck sitting next to him. She turned and stared out the window. The plane hadn’t taken off yet, but she figured the view of the airport and other planes would be better than having to talk to Will.

Her phone dinged and she dug it out of her pocket. “You’re supposed to have your phone off,” Lily said coldly from across the aisle.

Moira ignored her. The notification had been for an email from Toby. He was alive. He hadn’t been killed in the swamp like she had feared. Maybe he was getting sent to the same place as her for once . . .

“Where do you think they’re sending us?” Will asked again, his voice pitched louder so the rest of the team could hear from across the aisle.

“Who knows?” Adrian asked. That seemed to be his usual answer, and it was getting on Will’s nerves.

“Well, they obviously know! I just wish they’d tell us more,” he said.

“Chill, man,” Jesse said. “I’m sure we’ll find out soon.”

They had been given instructions to drive to LAX airport. The instructions contained a gate number and a note that their tickets were being held at the ticket counter. Nothing more.

Will leaned over toward Moira, who was clacking away on her phone. She tilted it so he couldn’t see. “Who are you emailing?” he asked.

She paused for a second and looked straight at him. “My boyfriend,” she replied shortly before returning to her typing.

So the guy was real. “How’d you meet him?” Will asked.

“None of your damn business.”

Will’s next question was cut off as the captain’s voice came over the intercom. “Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. This is your captain speaking. If you’ll note the emergency exits located . . .”

The team ignored the safety precautions. They’d heard them all before. Their attention was finally caught when the captain finally said: “We’ll be landing in about five hours. Enjoy your trip to Honolulu, Hawaii.”

TO BE CONTINUED . . .

Episode 6: House of Horrors

            The team stood in front of the abandoned, dilapidated house. The front door was off one hinge and was standing ajar. The windows were all broken and there were holes in the porch. The roof was missing shingles and spider webs hung from the eaves. The paint was peeling and the grass around the house was dead.

            “Ugh! No way am I going in there,” Lily declared.

            “We have to, Lil. That’s our orders,” Adrian told her.

            When they had left their hotel room the morning after Disneyland, an envelope had been taped to the windshield of their car with only instructions to follow the GPS. They weren’t sure where they were or what they were supposed to do there.

            “It looks so creepy,” Moira said.

            Will sidled close to her, hoping she wouldn’t notice. He knew that she had a boyfriend, but he wasn’t here right now. Will would protect her. He crept an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry. Nothing bad can happen if we stick together.”

            Moira stared down at his arm, unsure of how to react. He was probably just trying to be nice, but still . . . She shrugged out from under it and moved away. “Don’t.”

            “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean . . .”

            “No need to be sorry. Just don’t do that.”

            “I wasn’t trying to hit on you,” Will told her. Who am I kidding? I was trying to, he thought to himself.

            She lifted an eyebrow. “You weren’t?”

            “No. I was just trying to be . . . comforting.”

            She wasn’t sure whether she believed him or not. She knew how guys could be. “Okay then.”

            “Can you two stop with the flirting? Let’s get this over with,” Jesse cut in.

            “We weren’t flirting!” Moira insisted.

            “I know flirting when I see it,” Jesse said.

            “I have a boyfriend,” she said indignantly.

            “Really? Then why haven’t we seen him? Or heard you talking to him?”

            “Because genius, we haven’t seen anyone. And all our calls are blocked. Remember?”

            Jesse didn’t know what to say to that. He just headed into the house, Lily and Adrian trailing him.

            “What are we supposed to be doing in here?” Adrian whispered to everyone as they stepped into the front hall.

            As soon as they were all inside, the door slammed shut behind them. They all jumped. “It was probably just the wind,” Jesse said nervously.

            “I hate to break it to you man, but there wasn’t any wind outside,” Will told him.

            They made their way down the hall, tripping over the debris that littered the floor. There was a creaking and then shrieking pierced the stillness of the air.

            “What was that?” Adrian asked.

            They looked all around. Lily and Moira were missing.

            “Where’d the girls go?” Jesse asked, his voice beginning to quaver.

            Will bent down. “There’s a sort of trap door here in the floor.” He tried to dig his fingernails into the small crack. “I can’t lift it.”

            Jesse and Adrian crouched down as well and tried pulling at the door. It wouldn’t budge. “We’re going to have to figure out another way to find them,” Adrian said.

            The three guys continued down the hall, searching the walls for doors.

            Moira and Lily had landed in a heap on the floor below. “Ow, I think I broke my wrist,” Lily complained.

            Moira rolled her eyes. “Let me see.” She turned and bent Lily’s wrist. “It doesn’t feel broken. I think it’s just sprained, or maybe bruised.” She wished Lily wouldn’t be so overly dramatic. “Let’s try to get out of here. It’s freaking me out.”

            They looked around the room that they were in. It was mostly dark. Moira stood up and tried to dust herself off. “Come on Lily. Let’s look for a door.” She turned to help Lily up. “Lily?”

            “Yeah?”

            “Lily? Where’d you go?”

            “I’m right here.” Lily jumped up and waved her hands in front of Moira’s face.

            “Lily?” Moira started to search the room as best as she could in the dim light. “Lily, this isn’t funny! We have to get out of here.”

            “I’m right here, you idiot.”

            Moira was starting to panic. She had to find Lily and get out of there. She was starting to feel claustrophobic in the tiny basement—or whatever it was. How had Lily disappeared so quickly? “Lily!” She turned around and ran face first into a cloth with something solid behind it. She backed up and when she realized what she was facing, she began to scream.

            Upstairs, the guys heard Moira’s shriek coming through the floorboards. They ran toward where they thought the screams were coming from. Adrian tumbled through another trap door. Before Jesse could follow, a giant black paw slammed him to the floor. A second paw was wedged in between the floor and the door, holding the door open. “What the heck, Will?”

            The black panther slowly morphed back into a human form. “Sorry man. Automatic reaction. Wanted to make sure the trap didn’t shut. I can lower you down if you want to help, and then hold the door open.”

            Jesse peered through the opening. “It looks pretty dark down there.” He smirked. “Good thing I have fire power. Go ahead and lower me down.”

            Will stretched out on his stomach on the floor. Jesse sat on the lip of the opening and grasped Will’s hand. Will lowered him down. “You okay?” he called down.

            “Yeah, thanks,” Jesse called. He held up his palm and concentrated until a spark lit in his hand. He immediately saw Moira backing away from a tall, shadowy figure. She was still screaming. “Hey! Leave her alone.” He threw the spark of fire toward the shape of what looked like a person. The fire caught the robe and it began to spread quickly.

            Moira hit a wall and fell to the floor. Adrian appeared from behind Jesse and yanked her out of the way of the fiery shape. The thing disappeared. They froze and looked around for it, but they couldn’t find anything.

            “Moira, where’s Lil?” Adrian finally asked.

            “I can’t find her,” she admitted. “After we fell, I checked her wrist and then she just disappeared.”

            “What?” He began to wander around the small room, looking for his sister. All three of them called for her.

            “I’m going to try something,” Moira finally said. “Lily!” she called. “If you can hear me, focus your thoughts on me. I’m going to try to tune into you.”

            She looked at Adrian and Jesse. “I need both of you to be totally silent.” Lily, can you hear me?

            Yes! I’m right here, Lily’s thoughts came to her, but they seemed weak.

            Moira followed the thoughts until she found a place where they seemed to be the strongest. “Am I close?” she asked.

            Yes.

            “Try to grab my hand.”

            She felt something solid connect with her hand and she grabbed for it. As soon as she touched it, Lily came into view.

            “Lily!” Adrian shouted, running for his sister. He grabbed her into a hug. “What happened?”

            “I don’t know. I’ve been here the whole time. It’s like no one could see me.”

            “Let’s get out of here,” Jesse suggested.

            They headed back for where Will still held the door open. He pulled them up one by one. Moira was last. When she cleared the floor, he stood as well and held onto her for a moment.

            She stared at him. “Will I told you I have a boyfriend.”

            “I know.” He hesitated for a moment, and then said, “If that ever changes, I’ll be here.”

            She pulled away from him. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think that’s going to change.” She walked away and followed the others out of the house.

            Will trailed behind her, wondering what he could do to change her mind.

TO BE CONTINUED . . . 

Episode 5: Fireworks

“What’s this?” Will asked, grabbing an envelope off the windshield of the car.

“Must be our so-called reward,” Adrian guessed.

“What’s in it?” Lily asked, standing on her toes to try to see past her brother.

Will pulled five slips of paper out of the envelope. His eyes went wide and he smiled. “Looks like we’re going to Disneyland!”

“Seriously?” Jesse, Adrian and Lily chorused.

“You know, I think that’s the first time I’ve seen you smile,” Moira pointed out.

“Well, I’ve never been to a theme park. And yes, seriously,” Will said.

“You sound like my boyfriend!” Moira said. “Don’t you live in San Jose?”

“Yeah, so?” Will was a little disappointed to find out that Moira had a boyfriend. She was so much nicer to him than the others on the team and he was really starting to like her. Oh well.

“Don’t you have like Great America or whatever it’s called now there?” she asked.

“Yeah, I think it’s still called that, but I’ve never been.”

“Dude, let’s go!” Jesse demanded.

They finished throwing their bags in the trunk and climbed into the car. Moira immediately pulled out her phone and started typing away.

“How are you texting?” Jesse leaned over to ask. “I thought texts and calls were blocked.”

“I’m not texting,” she replied shortly.

“Emailing?”

She nodded, but didn’t answer.

“I didn’t know emails were allowed.”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not even sure they’re going through anymore.”

“Why’s that?” Adrian asked as he pulled the car onto the freeway.

Seriously, does everyone have to be involved in this conversation? Moira wondered to herself. She still wasn’t ready to tell them about Toby, but she was getting worried that she had barely heard from him. Maybe the show had blocked emails now. “Because I haven’t gotten an answer,” she finally admitted.

“Can we please be done with Moira’s whining about how her little boyfriend won’t answer her?” Lily sighed from the passenger seat.

“Who said it was my boyfriend?” Moira asked.

“You wouldn’t care if it was your mom not answering you back. None of us are here because we have good relationships with our parents.”

“Actually, I do have a good relationship with my mom.”

“Whatever. You’re just trying to get away from the fact that your boyfriend’s probably not answering you because he found someone else,” Lily said.

Moira’s heart sank. That couldn’t be true. Toby wouldn’t do that to her.

Lily flipped down her sun visor and caught the look on Moira’s face in her mirror. She may not like Moira, but she didn’t want to hurt her. She should change the subject. “So, what are we doing when we get to Disney? I want to go to the Sleeping Beauty Castle.”

“No, let’s go on the Pirates ride first!” Jesse said.

“Nah, man, let’s go on Space Mountain,” Adrian chimed in.

This began a debate that lasted all the way to Anaheim. Once they got through the gate, Moira announced, “I’m going to Star Tours. Anyone want to join me?”

Lily rolled her eyes and mumbled under her breath.

“What was that?” Moira asked.

“I said, ‘Geek’.” She laughed.

“Whatever. I’m going. I’ll see you guys later.” She started to walk away.

“Wait, I’ll go with you!” Will called, jogging after her.

“Hey, meet us later at Frontierland. I think there’s supposed to be fireworks,” Adrian said. He turned to Lily as Moira and Will wandered off. “Come on, Lil. Let’s get you some mouse ears.” He put his arm around his sister’s shoulders and jerked his head at Jesse to follow them. “We need to enjoy this place while we can.”

TO BE CONTINUED . . .