The Glitch

"Stitch, are you okay?" I asked, looking at my friend on his bed. Normally he was the first one up, but today everyone was out of bed, except for Stitch.

"Naga, fooboo," Stitch muttered, rolling over in his bed.

Now I was really worried. Since Stitch learned English, he rarely spoke Tantalog anymore.

"Jumba!" I called, exiting the elevator and running to the kitchen where everyone was eating breakfast, "Something's wrong with Stitch!"

"What is it little girl?" Jumba asked, looking up from the conversation he was having with Nani about the rules.

"I don't know, but I can't get him out of bed, and he's speaking Tantalog," I said, looking up at him, "Will you go check on him? Please?"

Jumba's eyes softened, "Of course little girl, you wait here, I'll be back in a few minutes."

I nodded and took my seat between Nani and Stitch's empty chair and ate some toast, my stomach in knots, worrying about Stitch.

"Don't worry Lilo, Stitch has gotten sick before, Jumba will help," Pleekly said soothingly, putting his hand over mine from across the table.

"I know, it's just...the only time I've ever seen him so quiet was when he was trying to keep himself from glitching. And he died then," I said, my bottom lip quivering.

"Lilo, Jumba charged his molucules after that, Stitch won't have another glitch like that, not for a long, long time at least," Pleekly said, "Look, here they come now, I'm sure everything's alright."

But I could tell something was off. Jumba was carrying Stitch and he didn't come towards the kitchen. Instead he headed to his lab, running as fast as he could in the hallway.

I jumped out of my chair and ran after Jumba, entering the lab just as the door shut. "Jumba, what's wrong with him?"

"His molucules aren't holding the charge the way they're supposted to. I could recharge them, but that would only cause them to drain faster," Jumba said, half to himself.

"Then what are you going to do? You can't let him die!" I said, climbing onto the stool next to Jumba, one he had put there just for me or Stitch, who was laying on Jumba's worktable, eyes flickering rapidly under his lids.

"Must make new body for him, and move his brain to new body. Will be risky, but is only chance."

"Then do it! How can I help?" I asked as Jumba scooped up Stitch's limp form and put him in the molucle charger.

Then Jumba seemed to notice me for the first time. "Lilo, you must go. I have much work to do. Tell other's what I am doing and not to come in. Will be dangerous," he said, pushing my gently, but firmly, out of the room.

"But Jumba..."

"No but's little girl, I must get to work if I am to save him." And the door slammed in my face.

I stood there shocked for a moment.

"Lilo, come on, you're going to be late for school!" Nani yelled from the kitchen.

I moved roboticaly, grabbed my backpack, and walked to my bus stop, making it just in time.

I took my normal seat behind the driver and took out the scrapbook I kept in my backpack. It help my favirote pictures. One's from Nani and David's wedding, hula recitals, school plays. The only constant was that they were all my ohana, and we were all happy.

Not now though. Stitch was dying, and I had been forced onto the school bus.

"Hey Lilo, where's Stitch? I didn't see him with you at the bus stop. Normally he waits with you," Keoni asked, moving to sit next to me at a stop.

"He's dying," I said softly, so only the two of us could hear.

"What?!" Keoni almost yelled, "What are you doing here then? Shouldn't you be home with him?"

"I was with him, but Jumba kicked me out of the lab so he could save Stitch and I didn't have time to tell Nani what was going on before she sent me out the door. Can we please not talk about it? I don't want to get Mertle's attention."

"Too late Weirdlo," a nasal voice came from behind me, "Where's your dog?" Mertle asked, her voice clearly saying what she thought about Stitch.

"He's at home, dying," I said softly, not wanting to deal with Mertle today.

"Well you finally did it, didn't you? No one wants to be anywhere near you, and here's my proof. Even that weirdo dog of your's is dying, just to get away from you."

Keoni tensed up, about to say some harsh retort. I put my hand on his arm. "She's not worth it."

Keoni turned back in his seat and looked at the scrapbook with me, until we got to school.

I managed to avoid Mertle and the rest of them until lunch.

"Hey Weirdlo, I heard you killed your dog. Congratulations, you manged to kill everything you cared about," one of Mertle's lackys said as they surounded me at the lunch table.

I ignored them, hoping they would take the hint and leave.

"I'll bet her parents killed themselves on purpose, just to get away from her. Now her dog is doing the same thing."

"Shut up," I said quietly, not looking up, feeling the tears form in my eyes.

"Oh, remember that totally lame story she came up with when she got the thing. Claimed he was an alien."

"Shut. Up," I said a bit louder, the tears begining to make their way from my eyes.

"Oh, and then the hula compatetion!"

"I said SHUT UP!" I yelled, standing and glaring at Mertle through my tears. "I don't even want to be here today! I'm losing Stitch! You have no idea what that feels like because you have no emotions! Stitch is my best friend and he's dying, I have no idea how to help him and I feel useless. I don't need you being a bitch on top of all of that!"

And before anyone could recover from the shock of my outburst, I ran from the cafirera and to the nearest girl's bathroom, locking myself in the stall farthest from the door. I sank to the ground, wrapping my arms around my knees and sobbing so hard I could feel my body shaking. Not only was I losing Stitch, but today was the annavirsary of my parents' death.

I just wanted to go home and curl up with Stitch on his bed with the Ugly Duckling and Scrump, reading all our favirote parts out loud in crazy voices until I felt better, then going out in a ride in the hover craft, dipping in and out of the ocean, playing with the dolphins, and end the day with burgers David had cooked on the grill.

"Lilo?"

I unlocked the stall door and sat against the wall next to it. Nani came in and sat in front of me, pulling me into her lap. "Baby, why didn't you tell me?" she asked, rocking me slowly.

"I-I didn't know what to say," I hiccuped, my sobs dying down a bit, "Stitch is dying. And Jumba can't fix it this time. A-and it's the 14th."

"Come on baby, let's go home," Nani said, standing and helping me stand up.

I nodded and followed Nani to my classroom, to get my backpack, and out to her car.

I stayed home for three days after the cafiteria incident. But there was still no news from Jumba. At night I would stay awake and listen to the sounds from Jumba's lab.

I had to go back to school on Friday, because hula was on Friday's and if I didn't go to school I couldn't go to hula.

Mertle and her croonies avoided me all day, which I was greatful for. They even avoided looking at me unless it was absloutly necseary during hula class.

After class I waited for everyone to leave before I started walking home. As I turned to leave, a boy entered the room. He was my age and he had piercing blue eyes and dark brown hair. "Puloki is gone. He'll be back tomorow at 10," I said, sweeping past the boy, eager to get home, hoping for news about Stitch.

The boy stopped me before I could leave the porch with his hand on my shoulder. "Lilo."

"Do I know you?" I asked the boy, shaking his hand of my shoulder and turning to face him.

"You know me quite well Lilo," the boy said with a chuckle, "And I know you even better."

His voice and the accent in it was familiar, but his face was not. "I'm sorry, I've never seen you before," I said, turning to leave.

"Ohana," the boy said, his voice implying all the meaning I knew the word held.

I froze and slowly turned to face the boy, "Cama'ahar teh tebracres?" I asked the boy. What is your name?

"Meega Stitch," the boy said, a cocky grin on his face.

"Don't lie to me," I said in a low voice, "You aren't Stitch. Who are you and where did you learn Tantalog?"

"Lilo, it's me, Stitch," the boy said, "I thought the Tantalog would make you believe me, but I brought some backup, just in case," he said, digging in his pocket. He pulled out a small circle of string and beads that was unsteadly tied off.

"That-that's Stitch's friendship bracelet, he never took it off, not even when Jumba put him in the chamber," I said, taking the bracelet from the boy's outstreached palm.

"Jumba took it off my old body and gave it to me when I woke up. He knew I would want to keep it," the boy, who I was now believing was Stitch, said, watching me with eyes that seemed to catch everything.

"S-so it worked? Jumba was able to save you?" I asked, looking between the boy and the bracelet.

"He wasn't able to save my body, but he was able to save the important. And most of my abilities," Stitch said, "Let's go home. We can talk more there."

I nodded numbly and followed Stitch back to the house.

He opened the door and lead me up to our bed room, sitting on a small couch I had convinced Nani to put in there, patting the seat next to him.

I dropped my backpack next to the desk and sat next to him. "What happened? What do you remember?" I asked, curling up on the couch. Now that I knew this was Stitch, I knew I could trust him and I felt the soothing vibe Stitch had always given me.

"I don't really know. I only woke up an hour ago and as soon as I could stand up without feeling like I was going to pass out again, Jumba sent me to find you. I remember you asking me if I was okay, then, nothing until I woke up. Although Jumba told me you gave Mertle Edmunds a mouthful on Monday," Stitch said, his arm wrapping around my shoulders.

I moved closer to him. "I did, she was being a bitch and I told her so. No more, no less."

Stitch laughed, "What I wouldn't have given to see that!" he said when he stopped laughing.

"She hasn't bugged me the rest of this week. Though I did skip Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. After Mondya I couldn't deal with them."

"I understand. But starting Monday, you won't be going alone. I'm going too, too keep an eye on you," Stitch said, a sparkle in his eye.

"I don't need a babysitter," I huffed.

"Riiiight," Stitch said, rolling his eyes.

"I don't!"