It was soon beginning to be time to go to Fred's childhood campsite known as Camp Little Moose. Mike, Lu, and Og were hanging out together like they used to do on the Albonquetine Islands and stared at the clouds in the sky.
"Man, this sure does bring back memories." Mike said to the island natives.
"Indeed, it sure does." Og agreed.
"Yeah..." Lu replied. "Usually at this point you think of something you miss from the city and then Og builds one for ya... Sure feels like it's been ages since then."
"You can say that again..." Mike sighed. "And all this time I thought you hated me, Princess."
"Aw, I was just jealous because you wanted to hang out with Hermione." Lu admitted.
"Well, to be fair, you did tell Mike there was no room for her at school when we sat down for lunch." Og reminded his cousin.
"Must you remind me of that?" Lu groaned.
"Yes." Mike teased.
Lu scoffed and rolled her eyes. "So, what exactly is this summer camp?"
"Summer Camp is when you go away from home and spend your summer in cabins in the woods," Mike said. "There's canoeing in the lake, hiking in the woods, eating gross food and drinking stuff called bug juice."
"Ew!" Lu grunted. "Who would wanna drink bug juice?"
"No, it's juice juice," Mike explained. "Like orange or apple juice."
"Then why do they call it that?" Lu asked.
"I dunno actually," Mike shrugged. "It's just what they call juice at camp."
"It sounds gross." Lu cringed.
"It's actually pretty good." Mike replied.
"Guh..." Lu rolled her eyes. "It can't be any better than fried bananas."
"Anyway, you guys would have a lot of fun." Mike told her island friends.
"I sure hope so, Mike." Og said.
"Yeah, same here." Lu agreed.
Soon enough, it was time for dinner and everyone walked home for their dinner.
"Do you guys think maybe I could go home with you guys for dinner?" Mike asked Lu and Og for old times' sake. "Jen has to work late and Jamie's with Kiva and Coop."
"That sounds good," Og agreed. "Mom and Dad always told me how they missed you eating with us."
Mike smiled as she decided to join Lu and Og for dinner.
Marjorie hummed to herself as she made some fresh tea for her family while Lula Belle helped her cook dinner while Alfred and Wendell waited at the table and for Lu and Og to come back home.
"Mom, Dad, we're back, and we brought a special guest over for dinner." Og announced quietly.
"Who is it, dear?" Marjorie asked her son.
"Hey, guys, remember me?" Mike smiled as she came into the house.
"Oh, it's that Michelene girl I exchanged from the island with." Lula Belle recognized.
"Please, Mom, call her Mike, she hates being called Michelene." Lu told her mother.
"Why, Mike, you look different." Marjorie pointed out.
"Have you been wowking out?" Alfred asked.
"Pretty much that and more." Mike replied as she washed up for dinner with Lu and Og.
Marjorie hummed and was about to go in to kitchen to get the food, but she she slipped from a spilled cup of tea. Mike heard a scream and with a blur, she caught Marjorie in her arms.
"Gotcha." Mike told the island homemaker woman.
"Oh, thank you, Mike, dear," Marjorie looked wide-eyed. "Goodness, you're fast! How on Earth are you this fast and strong?"
"Like I said, I've been going through some changes lately," Mike told the island woman. "By the way, how's that history book of yours coming?"
"Oh, it's going pretty well," Marjorie smiled. "I just finished another chapter, and,... Uh... Could you please put me down, dear?"
"Oh, sure, Marjorie, sorry." Mike said as she put down the woman.
"Thank you, dear, you may sit down, Lula Belle, let's get dinner ready." Marjorie smiled.
"Of course, Marj." Lula Belle replied as she helped.
"Thanks," Mike said before sniffing the air. "Uh, is it coconuts?"
"Oh, of course, Mike, you know how much we love coconuts." Marjorie smiled.
Mike sat down and listened to Alfred and Wendell's conversation, even though they were outside.
"Mike certainly has changed since we last saw her, I'm a little scared, Alfred..." Wendell said to the taller man.
"Aw, come on, old man," Alfred replied. "She hasn't changed that much... She's still the old Mike we know."
"But she's bigger and stronger now, she might be harmful." Wendell frowned.
"Ah, Wendell, Mike is a fwend of ouws, she would never betway us." Alfred smiled.
"Didn't you see the way that she moved and caught Marjorie from falling?" Wendell reminded.
"Oh, Wendell, she's obviously just keeping up good stwength," Alfred replied. "Mike's always been the active one. Don't you wemember when she got you to lose weight when you were wewunning for Govenowah?"
"Well, I do remember that," Wendell admitted. "She did run pretty good in that marathon we had."
"Don't wowwy about it," Alfred told the other man. "I'm sure Mike is just going thwough a phase."
Wendell hummed and looked worried as both men went inside and saw Mike sitting down, reading a comic.
"Hey, guys." Mike greeted the island men.
"Good evening, Mike, it's so good to see you ovah for dinnah again." Alfred smiled.
"How's the wombat?" Mike smirked.
"I neawy caught him." Alfred pouted.
"Oh, um, that's good," Mike shrugged. "And how about you, Wendell, you still the island governor?"
"Oh, yes," Wendell smiled. "I've been making a new ad campaign for Cindy's mother down at City Hall: 'Give a hoot, don't pollute'!"
"How does that help your job?" Mike rolled her eyes.
"Oh, I don't know, but it rhymes." Wendell smiled out of amusement.
"Uh... Right... Say, where's Queeks?" Mike asked. "Does he even know that I'm here?"
"Not yet," Wendell replied. "He's still in his place. After all, he knows and sees all, just like those friends of yours you call Dawn and Arnold."
"Riiiight..." Mike rolled her eyes.
"I'm so excited to see Manny Wanny at camp," Lu beamed. "I just wanna sit by him at the campfire and we can eat S'Mores together."
"It surely is going to be a fun experience for us." Og agreed.
"A learning experience," Marjorie smiled. "Just like when Mike was our favorite exchange student."
"I was your only exchange student." Mike corrected.
"That doesn't stop you from being our favorite, dear." Marjorie kept her smile.
Mike smiled back at the woman. Lula Belle served dinner to everyone and they stared to eat, including Mike who ate like a wild animal. It was a good evening for everyone.
"Look at how she eats." Wendell told Alfred.
"Ah, Wendell, she's just hungwy for the ladies' lovely cookin' is all." Alfred smiled.
"But she's eating her dinner like a wild wolf!" Wendell defended.
"Why are you guys talking about me?" Mike asked.
"Wendell thinks that you might betway us." Alfred explained.
"You guys know that I would never betray any of you." Mike replied.
"You guys know better, Mike isn't like those Cuzzlewitz." Marjorie told the men.
"But she-" Wendell began.
"Just because I've changed a little bit over the years doesn't mean that I'm going to hurt you." Mike coaxed.
"Yeah, Dad," Lu even agreed. "This is Mike Mazinsky we're talking about."
"We already accepted Mike for being different," Og said. "I mean, she came to our island and she was from the big city, but we've accepted her."
"I'm sorry, Mike," Wendell sighed. "It's just that you've changed so much, and I'm worried about betrayal on the island."
"Wendell, dear, I don't know Mike as well as you all do, but I know she wouldn't do that." Lula Belle said to her husband.
"I'm sorry, Mike." Wendell told the tomboy.
"That's okay, but you should never judge a book by its cover," Mike said. "To Kill a Mockingbird is not about birds, it's about a child growing up in a time of racial hatred."
"So, you forgive me?" Wendell asked.
"Of course." Mike accepted.
The family smiled together and ate together.
Later that night, Mike said goodbye to everyone and came back to her home.
"Ah, it was good to spend some time with them." Mike smiled.
Jen was home and washing the dishes.
"Oh, hey, Jen, I didn't know you were home." Mike smiled.
"Yeah, I got let out early," Jen smiled back. "I'm excited about Camp Little Moose though, it's so nice of you to invite Lu and Og."
"I know, it seems like forever when I last hung out with them." Mike replied as she picked up Ling-Ling and pet him.
Ling-Ling smiled to that and snuggled into the tomboy's lap.
"And I'll take you with me as well." Mike decided.
"What is the camp of little moose?" Ling Ling asked.
"It's Fred's childhood camp," Mike told her pet battle monster. "I've never been there before, but I hear from Fred that it's really fun."
"I went there once." Jen said.
"You did?" Mike asked.
"You probably don't remember, but you were like two at the time, but yeah," Jen smiled. "I went when I was ten."
"How was it over there?" Mike asked her older sister.
"Oh, it was a lot of fun, even though Camp Big Moose next to us thought they were such hotshots," Jen said. "I bet you that girl Kelly from Surfer's Paradise went there."
"All I know is that Fred is really excited to be there, and, who could blame him?" Mike replied.
"I'm just surprised it's still open," Jen said. "I haven't heard of any kids going there in ages."
"You should come with us," Mike invited. "It might be fun for you."
"Oh, I don't know." Jen replied bashfully.
"Aw, come on, Jen, it would be good for us to bond," Mike smiled. "I'll let you bring your own guests if you want. Especially Brick MacArthur~"
"If only you bring Lil." Jen blushed.
"All right." Mike agreed.
Mike and Jen then laughed together and shared a sisterly hug.
"You wanna bring Sammy too?" Jen asked. "I know how close you two were before you transferred to the Albonquetine Island."
"I'll have to see," Mike shrugged. "I hear she's spending time with the Bradys this summer. I might ask Sky though, I heard she wants to take Jessie to camp."
"Well, you better make it fast, it's almost time for camp to open up this summer." Jen warned her little sister.
"All right, I'll go over to Sky's right now," Mike decided. "I'll be right back... Come on, Ling-Ling."
The battle monster then followed the Wolf-Shadowed tomboy over to her cousin's home.
"It's late!" Jen told her sister before sighing as Mike had already gone. "Oh, well."
Mike and Ling-Ling arrived at Sky's place. Luckily for them, Sky was awake and was sitting in a tree. "Sky!" Mike called out to her cousin.
"Shh!" Sky shushed and pointed to Jessie's bedroom window which was open since it was a little stuffy in the younger girl's room.
"Oops! Sorry..." Mike whispered.
Sky soon climbed down and came to see her cousin. "What's up, Mike?"
"I was wondering if you'd like to go to Camp with us." Mike invited.
"Just me?" Sky wondered.
"You and Jessie," Mike clarified. "I already got Lu, Og, Jen, her boyfriend, and Lil coming along."
"Jessie did say that she'd like to go camping this year," Sky had to admit. "Hmm... All right, I'm in."
"Thanks, cous," Mike smiled. "Um, how's Uncle Robert doing?"
"He's sleeping after a long day," Sky replied. "I'm just enjoying the beautiful night outside tonight."
"It is a good night." Mike agreed with her cousin.
"Yeah, I always like to come out here every night, whether it's a full moon or not." Sky replied.
"That's nice, Sky." Mike smiled.
"It is... Something about looking up at the night sky reminds me of my mother..." Sky replied before she then looked down at her necklace.
"You still have that necklace?" Mike asked.
"Well, of course I do." Sky said as she held the purple beads.
"Was it a present from her?" Mike asked.
"Yeah, she gave it to me on my first birthday." Sky replied.
"Oh, I didn't know about that." Mike said.
"Well, you weren't born yet." Sky giggled.
Ling-Ling then looked at Sky curiously.
"She's not going to hurt you." Mike soothed.
Ling Ling came closer toward Sky.
"Oh, hello there!" Sky smiled down to the battle monster. "Mike, I didn't know you collected Pokemon."
"Oh, he's not a Pokemon, he's a battle monster." Mike corrected.
"Mind if I hold him?" Sky asked.
"Uh, is that okay with you?" Mike asked Ling Ling.
"Ling-Ling decides he might as well get this over with." Ling-Ling sighed.
"Go ahead, Sky." Mike allowed her cousin.
"Come over here, cutie~" Sky cooed as she grabbed the battle monster and petted him.
Ling-Ling blinked and purred slightly from the petting.
"Ling-Ling's happiness really means a lot to him." Mike told Sky.
"He really is adorable." Sky replied.
"Yeah, I'm glad I found him," Mike nodded. "His old owner was such a jerk to him."
"Gash the worst human Ling-Ling ever met that he never kill." Ling-Ling snarled.
"Poor little thing," Sky cooed. "You don't ever have to worry about that guy anymore, because you have a better owner who treats you right~"
"That very true." Ling Ling nuzzled up against Sky.
"He likes you already," Mike smiled. "He can usually tell who's good or not."
"Ling Ling admires this Sky-san." Ling Ling hugged Sky against her chest with a smirk.
"Your fur tickles." Sky giggled.
"Okay, Ling Ling, that's enough." Mike took the battle monster off once she saw he was touching her chest in a mature matter.
"Aw, but Ling Ling want second base!" Ling Ling pouted.
"No, Ling-Ling." Mike warned.
"Aww..." Ling-Ling pouted.
"Try not to stay up too late, Sky, I still got some packing to do." Mike smiled.
"All right, see ya later, Mike." Sky smiled back to her younger cousin.
"Okay, I'll text you when we're leaving." Mike replied.
"Okay, sounds good." Sky nodded.
The two cousins then split up.
Sky climbed back into the tree and smiled as she watched Jessie sleep peacefully for the night. "I hope you're watching, Mom," She said as she looked up into the night sky. "I promise you that I will always love my little sister, no matter what."