"Josh?" Megan asked groggily. "Mhmh?" Josh turned to Megan. "Put on a shirt!" Megan spat. "Im changing!" Josh said in his emphasized regular tone. "Yeah, you get some pecks, loose some weight, you think your superman or somethin'?" Megan snorted.
"Well, why are you here? This is my room!" Josh replied shaking his head. Within a blink of a eye, Megan pulled a remote out of her bag. "We got rid of the tomato launcher? Right?" Josh said in his usual grumpy way. "Hmm? Yeah, I bought a new one!" Megan said. "No you didn't, you dont have enoug-" Josh was taken back by a tomato on his face.
"Evil!" Josh yelled storming out of the room. "Wait Josh!" Megan shouted stopping Josh at the edge of the door. Josh turned around. He raised and eyebrow "Devil, watcha want?" He asked. "Look, I-I, well-" Megan started at a loss of words. "I need help!" She released with a sigh. "Little girl!" Josh shaking his head turning away. Megan jumped on to Josh's back.
Josh stumbled down rolling down the stairs, Megan still on him. Megan giggled. "Its a very private thing. Come to my room." Megan saying got off Josh and walked to her room. Josh struggled up 'Why me?' He asked himself.
When Josh enetered the room, Megan was on her pPhone. Josh nodded agape. "Ok" Megan started closing the door locking it. "There's someone I like." Megan emptied. "And why should I care?" Josh asked. "Cause, I dont know if he likes me back." She replied. "Well don't go asking me, Drake's is the 'king of romance'n!" Josh said. "He dumps a girl every two weeks! Besides, if I told him who I like, I would never hear the end of it." Megan anwsered.
"What makes you think I won't do that?" Josh asked. "Look, Josh, I trust you, thats why!" Megan said honestly. "Ok, go on." Josh guestured. 'What a boob!' Megan thought. "The guy I like, well geek is a really good word for it!?" Megan spilled. "So?" Josh asked. "Geek, me! I aint wanna be seen with a geek!" She said.
"Well if you like him, show him more attention, I dunno. Flirt?" Josh said looking for a decent anwser. "Flirt?" Megan asked with a tone of annoyence. "Buh bye little girl!" Josh said and turned to leave. He stopped midway. "You could group up with him quietly, no big moves. Like make him your science partner or somethin'? Like I with Mindy." Josh suggested before leaving the room. "You are real dumb boob! You know that!" Megan shouted but with a hint of respect and gratitude. Josh just smiled.
"So baby!" Drake pulled from his kiss to ask his new date a question. His date raised her head. "Whats your name? I wanna stay with you for a while, you are a great kisser. Great!" Drake said in beleif. "Tori, Tori Vega." Tori finished as Drake pulled her into another kiss. His lips burned into hers as Drake's eyes flashed with bad news.
He broke the kiss disapointing as he looked beyond. Tori looked around and stood up. Robbery. The robber noticed them in no time and seprated Drake from Tori. 'Man, I didn't get her number! Drat!' Drake thought. The robber pushed Drake to the sliding doors of the theatre.
"Ow!" Drake complained as the robber pushed his face onto the glass. The sliding doors had obviosly been tampered with and were not opening. Drake tried to escape and turned and punched the robber in the stomach. A sickening noise of the robbers emptying lungs filled the Premiere Theatre. Drake looked over to see Tori with a few other captives cheer.
Drake grinned. "Leave it all to me!" He said reasuringly. The captor stood up quick as a bolt and pulled a gun. "Shit" Drake said "Look it was nothing personal man, You pushed me first. Hey I know the manager, I can get you tons of money, just dont hurt me you cause-"
Drake was shot in the forearm and hand. Drake instantly fell to the ground. The world slowed down. Screaming echoed in the Premiere. Drake dimly looked at his hand. A bloody mess. 'My arm!' Drake thought first. Then he relized. Just a little more blood lost and...
Josh was doing his homework when the call came. "Cant stay in one place" Josh sighed as he trudged over to pick up the phone.
"Is this the residence of the Nicholes?" The man over the phone questioned. "Yeah" Josh said. "Your son currently is hostage at the Premiere Theatre on West Mapplecott Road. As of current witness it appears he has been shot. Do not come to the site as the captor is still holding hostages. Please head to the police station where we can escort you and-" A distant gunshot stopped the policeman. "Just head to the police station!" The police said with tension.
Josh grit his teeth. 'Shot! Why the hell would anyone shoot Drake!?' He asked himself grabbing his keys and jacket. "Megan! Get down here! Now!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.
"What?!" Megan said clearly annoyed. Josh ran to her room and grabbed her by the hand. "Just shut up and follow me!" He yelled. "I thought you were being nice? Angry for trusting you or somethin?" Megan asked. No anwser; Josh pulled Megan out the door and into the back seat. Megan puts her seatbelt. "Whats going on?" Megan asked with a small hint of fear.
Josh made crazy turns and hit a trashbin causing its content to spill. "Josh?" Megan asked fear now taking over her.
Drake moaned. One of the workers at the premiere had pulled Drake to the counter and wrapped his wounds with his shirt. The robber did not pay attention despite being aware. He had a new subject.
A gunshot rang out alarming Drake. He pulled up paining his neck. What he saw was terrible. Blood splattered on the wall. "Oh lord" he managed weakly. The pain his neck was too severe. Black spot appeared and danced in his eyes. 'Cant lose-' Drake finished as he lost consciosness.
"Josh, What happned?" Megan asked angrily clutching the seat. Josh was making wild turns and ran over a stop sign. "Josh!" Megan screamed as the metal board hit the windshield and bounced of leaving a scratch. Megan's knuckles turned white. "Please, slow down."
Josh didn't take the hint speeding up on the main road. Josh slowed down relaxing Megan. She relized he was slowing down to park. He stopped in front of the police station. "Come on" he said. "Im not going anywhere till I know whats going on!" Megan said crossing her arms.
"GET OUT AND FOLLOW ME!" Josh roared. Megan instantly complied. She was never afraid of Josh; the harmless, overweight, vegetarian, goofy person she loved to pick on. Now Josh seemed to have the anger of Tiger mixed with Lion with a really really angry Bull. Josh turned around and walked crisply to the police station doors. He didn't look back to see the tear falling from Megan's eyes; tears of fear.
"Hello?" An unsuspecting Walter Nichols anwsered. "Is this the parent or gaurdian of Drake Parker?" The policeman asked over the phone. "Yes, this is him?" Walter replied. "We called your homephone and your son picked up and he asked us to inform you." The police stated. "Uh yeah. Me and my wife are an award ceremony right now, is it really important, because they should be announcing my name any time now. So what's the problem with Drake?" Walter asked hurriedly. "He is hostage, shot, we dont know if he is alive or not..." The police man added.
There was a silent pause before Walter screamed "WHAT!" Startling the audience around him. "What the hell are you saying!" Walter roared into the phone accidently disconnecting it. "How the hell can you be so calm about this!?" Walter screamed. "Hello?Hello?" Walter scrambled listening for an anwser.
"Shit!" Walter said as he ran to grab his wife. Not seeing her instantly he sped off to his car. "Oh man, oh man!" He said to himself as he scrambled the keys looking for the right on for the car. He unlocked the door and got the car started. He looked at the drivers mirror eyeing himself. He stared himself down until a tear slipped. Dead or Alive? Dead or Alive is all that repeated in Walter's mind.
Drake was very much alive and awake. Two hours had passed. Every time he moved his arm blood stricken pain shot through his body so played dead. "Hey, Chick, yeah you!" He moaned.
She instantly crouched down to Drake's level. "Keep playing dead. You made him pretty angry." She said. He nodded meekly. "What's your name?" The girl pointed to herself. "Zoey." She said. "Look, my brother works here. The owner Helen; she hides a gun below the soda machine" Drake managed. "He has grenades" Zoey said. "One of him; many of us! Power in numbers!" He said loudly and winced in pain. Zoey shook her head and stood up.
"The police can do it" She said showing a weak smile. Drake managed a faded smile "I hope." He said. Another gunshot snapped Drake back into focus. 'Oh my-' Drake thought.
"Mindy, Mindy? Can you hear me?" Josh asked over the phone. "Yeah, whats so urgent. I was gonna take a shower." Mindy replied grumpily. "I need you to babysit Megan!" Josh said.
"I aint no baby, you dumb boob!" Mindy heard Megan say to Josh causing her to grin. "Sorry Josh, I have tutoring." Mindy said. "Drake is hostage and shot. I dont know if he is alive or dead. Im waiting at the police station. JUST PICK HER UP!" Josh yelled into the phone ending the call.
They waited for 10 minutes before Megan broke the silence. "Josh, I can wait at home." Megan said. "I dont want you to wait at home!" Josh screamed. "Why?" Megan asked. "Number one! I do not trust you! Number two! Number one!" Josh screamed back.
"Look calm down!" Megan said. "Drake was shot! How can I be calm? He's hurt!" Josh yelled getting the attention of the people around him. "I hurt you guys all the time, I don't see you getting up tight!" Megan said.
"Oh yeah! That's right! Your the reason of most of our problems. Heck, I think you would happy in a situation like this! You almost killed us once, who knows you might do it again!" Josh screamed.
"Hey, Hey,hey! Break it up!" A onlooking police operator said. "Now what seems to be the problem?" Megan cocked her head giving Josh a grin. "Only one problem here. Its spelled M-E-G-A-N! That's right!" Josh yelled throwing his hands up in anger.
"Well why are you at the police station?" The policeman asked. "My brother; Drake is being hold hostage as I have been told." Josh told the policeman. "At the theatre?" Oh ok!" The policeman asked. "I have someone picking this demented child up, so she doesn't get envolved." Josh said.
"You should be nicer to your sibilings." The policeman told Josh."Not if the devil is your sibiling!" Josh said. The policeman shook his head. A familiar face walked through the police doors. "Josh!" Mindy yelled looking for his face." Over here!" Josh yelled in response.
Mindy walked over briskly and gave Josh a kiss. Josh nodded silently and Mindy took Megan's hand. Mindy gave Josh a reasurring glance before walking off with Megan. "Come with me." The officer told Josh.
"Just updated from the scene. It seems that a girl was speaking to Josh. This is the only activity for hours, however, as it may be Drake is alive. We don't know how much more blood he can lose to live." The police stated. The policeman's beeper rang. He pulled it up to look at a message. "Oh God!"
"What?" Josh asked nervously. "Someone was killed.." The officer replied solemly. "Killed? " Josh's voive trailed off. He nodded. "Please do whatever you can do for Drake, he means so much to me and my family" Josh sniffeled "We love him..."
The officer gave Josh a look of symathy. "Lets go!" The officer told Josh. "Where?" Josh asked. "West mapplecott road" the officer replied. "Right." Josh ended.
Josh scrambled to walk with the fast paced officer. They dodged through doors and entered the police garage. "Normally, we use special transport vehicles for things like this, but you can sit in the front." The officer told Josh. "Isn't that against regulations?" A breathless Josh asked. "Nah, im the cheif anyway." The officer told Josh as he got into the car.
"Yeah! Shotgun!" Josh yelled. "WHAT!" The police yelled pulling his gun scanning the area. Josh threw his hands in the air like he was being arrested. "I meant front seat! Please don't shoot me !" He wailed. "Oh, don't EVER do that again." The officer told Josh.
The siren was turned on and the police cruiser spun into action making turns and running lights just as Josh had done. "Um, officer? What is your name?" Josh asked awkwardly. "Officer James Mcculen" The officer said with a dim smile. "Adress me as officer."
"Yes sir!" Josh said. "Speaking of, why are you so mean to your sister?" Officer James asked. "Long story? Focus on driving I guess I can tell you. My mind needs some relaxing." Josh finished.
"Audrey! Audrey! Pick up!" Walter yelled into his phone. Walter sighed as he pulled into the police station. He was about to step out when he noticed Megan. "Megan?" Walter asked himself. Then he saw Mindy. "Oh Josh must have sent her" Walter said. "Good Thinking!"
Walter looked over to the passenger seat. The most important documents in front of him, and he still had not told his children about it. Walter shook his head and stepped out of the car as Mindy drove off. He walked over to the police station and went up to the front desk. "My name is Walter Nichols" he told the lady. "Of course! Go through that door!" The recepstionist told Walter.
He walked throught the door, got escorted to the garage. In front of him stood a large transport vehicle. Next to it was a fully armed SWAT truck. "What the hell is this?" Walter asked himself in the situation.
Drake was asleep next to his fellow captors when it happend. BOOM! Windows shattered as a team of SWAT Agents and Troopers swarmed in. There was a violent exchange of gunfire.
"Help!" Drake yelled as he was caught in the crossfire. He couldn't move, Zoey came running over crouching. "You cant walk?!" She hissed. A bullet hit the popcorn machine. "No" Drake said meekly.
The criminal had killed a trooper and taken the machine gun. SWAT's were falling to the ground bleeding and cluching. Zoey and Gavin had dragged Drake to the worker area where food and drinks were sold. "My arm!" Drake wailed as it had started to bleed again due to being dragged across the theatre floor.
"There's a first aid kit here?" Gavin whispered. "Thats-th-thats what I need!" Drake managed to say before he slipped consciosness. Gavin looked over to Zoe. "Hold him still!" He hissed. Zoe nodded as Gavin stabbed the syringe injector in to the bullet wound.
"Ah! Oh god that hurts!" Drake moaned. Gunfire slipped on the counter hitting the popcorn machine. "Yikes!" Gavin managed."You ok Drake? Drake?!" Gavin noticed. Drake saw the bullet hold in Drake's back. "He was shot again!" Gavin screamed. "Hold him down!" The screaming in the premiere could be heard for miles.
The next few hours flew like the wind. 12 deaths, over 50 injuries and 1 missing. The gunfire cross ended when the criminal ended his life. The paramedics spotted Drake in know time, he was propped up and rolled into the ER. The doctors worked on him for hours with no clear sign of success. He was healthy, but they were losing him. Drake Parker had lost the will to live.