A/N: I'm not dead, I am alive. Yes, I know I'm late, but you guys want good content, so this is it. I'll give you word count at the end when you finish reading. I'm saying this now to prepare yourself. You might want to have some tissues nearby depending how emotional you are. Okay, maybe not that emotional, but still this is an intense chapter.
On your mark. Get set. Go!
Disclaimer: I only own Kim, not Cyberchase, or anything with the * after it.
Phase One
Daisyfan5534
Chapter 4
August 3rd- 8 days before Kim's death.
Matt panted as he made his way back to Kim's room. The blonde made him run a few miles for some reason. He could hear something playing in Kim's room. He opened the door to see Kim, Inez, and Jackie sitting on the couch staring at the TV in front of them.
He walked over to them trying to figure out what they were watching.
"Hey, what-"
He was interrupted by the girls shushing him.
"What are you-"
The girls shushed him again only more harshly this time.
"But what are you-"
Kim shoved a pillow in his face that time.
Sliding the pillow off his face he started watching the movie. It was an old black and white one and it looked like they were at an airport. He watched a man and a woman argue about if the woman should get on the plane. He had no idea why the girls were so into it.
"But what about us?" the woman said.
"We'll always have Paris.*" the man said.
The girls sighed romantically. Matt rolled his eyes at this and went to the kitchen to get some water. He opened the fridge to grab a water bottle before chugging the whole thing.
After about ten more minutes the movie ended and the girls walked into the kitchen where Matt was staying to avoid the movie.
"See, what did I tell you? 'Casablanca' is one of the best movies ever." Kim said.
"We never said it wasn't." Inez said.
"It was so beautiful." Jackie said.
"Maybe we should get Matt to watch it." Kim said.
"Hey, leave me out of this!" Matt said quickly. "I am not watching a chick flick."
"It's not a chick flick." Inez told him.
"A man and a woman are in love. The end." Matt said.
"It's way more complex than that." Jackie said.
"Whatever, I'm still not watching it." Matt said.
"Alright fine, I won't force you… Yet." Kim said.
"Another thing, why did you make me run?"
"Did I?" Kim asked sarcastically.
"Yes, you did you told me to go run a mile or two." Matt said.
"Huh, I guess I did." she said with a smile.
"You know what forget it, I'm probably not going to get anything out of you, am I?"
"No, you're not." she said with a laugh. "So, I have a question for all of you."
"Which is?" Jackie asked.
"The fans want us to do a vlog for tomorrow's signing so we can put it on the website. Would that be okay?" Kim asked.
"I don't see why not." Inez said.
"Sweet, this will be fun." Kim said. "So do you guys want to watch another movie?"
"Sure, but can it not be a chick flick?" Matt said.
"Enough with the chick flick." Jackie said. "What do you want to watch?"
"Star Wars!" Matt said quickly.
"I don't have any of those movies, sorry." Kim said.
"Then what do you have?" Matt asked.
"Uh… I have some comedy movies, older movies, a good handful of Disney movies, a lot of horror movies, a couple-"
"Let's watch a horror one." Matt said.
"What, really?" Kim said. She was surprised that he would want to watch one. "Are you guys okay with that?"
"Are you scared, Kim?" Inez asked.
"What part of I have a lot of horror movies don't you get? I love them." Kim said. "I just don't want you guys staying up all night out of fear and then fall asleep halfway through the signing. But if you guys want to, we can, it's almost five o'clock anyway. So it will give the movie time to wear off."
"Yes!" the three chorused.
"You guys make popcorn, I'll get the movie." Kim said before turning away.
After Matt, Jackie and Inez came back with a big bowl of popcorn, Kim put the movie in.
"What are we watching?" Inez asked.
"'The Blair Witch Project.' It's rated R, but it's not that scary, just some language. But you guys hear me swear sometimes, don't you?" Kim said as she sat down on the couch before pressing play. "Oh, wait." Kim got up and turned off the lights. The perfect horror movie atmosphere.
"Are you serious, Kim?" Inez asked.
"Oh, you getting scared now?" Kim said before sitting back down. "The movie had just begun. No backing out now." Kim said before eating a piece of popcorn.
Jackie smiled at the memory before she set down 'The Blair Witch Project' in Kim's movie box. She was digging through the late blonde's movie collection only to find that Kim wasn't kidding when she said she had a lot of horror movies.
Kim was teasing the three of them after the movie was over. She would come up behind one of them and tickle their sides as she spoke in a creepy voice, "The Blair Witch is commin' to get ya." Then Kim would laugh afterwards as her prey squirmed to get away from her.
It worked every time.
Jackie's smile soon faded as her brain reminded her that Kim was dead.
"Hey, Jax, are you okay?" Inez asked.
"What?" Jackie said, snapping out of her thoughts. "Oh, yeah, I'm just... Reliving memories."
"You're not thinking about watching that movie again are you?" Inez asked.
"'Blair witch?' No. I was planning to watch 'Casablanca,' but I got distracted by Kim's horror collection." Jackie said.
"How many did she have?"
"Hard to say."
Silence fell between the girls.
"The Blair Witch is comin' to get ya!"
"MATT, STOP IT!" Inez shrieked as she squirmed out of Matt's hold.
Matt laughed at Inez's response. "Now I see why Kim would always do this, it's fun."
Inez punched him in the arm. "It was bad enough when she did it."
"Well, you were the only one who was scared of the movie." Matt said.
"I wasn't scared, Jackie was scared." Inez said.
"I was, but I didn't get nightmares from it." Jackie said as she continued to look through the movies.
"I didn't get nightmares from the movie, I got nightmares from... Whatever Kim did to scare us afterward." Inez said.
"Wait, a horror film doesn't give you nightmares, but Kim sneaking up behind you and scaring you, does?" Matt asked.
Jackie paused for a moment, "It wasn't Kim giving you the nightmares, was it? It was who she looked like."
"Something like that..." Inez said.
"Hey, if it makes you feel better, I had a nightmare about my whole family beating me up under Madison's command." Matt said after a few seconds of silence. "I was just trying to bring Kim back with the whole 'Blair Witch' thing."
"I know you were, I don't blame you." Inez said.
"Speaking of twins," Jackie spoke. "How do you think Madison feels or felt when Kim... You know..."
"What do you mean?" Matt said.
"Do you think she felt... Hollow? Like half of her was gone? Or is she just an emotionless witch?"
"You mean that whole twin conspiracy thing?" Inez asked. "I don't know, but I don't feel like asking her."
"I know, but it almost melts my brain when I think about it." Jackie said.
"Changing the subject, what should we do now? It's almost eight, and we already had dinner." Matt asked.
"Why don't we watch a movie?" Jackie asked.
"Sure, why not?" Inez said.
"As long as it's not that movie you guys were watching with Kim." Matt said as Jackie searched through the movies.
"Come on, Matt." Inez said. "Kim said that you would like it. You did say that you wanted to bring her back, right?"
"That doesn't mean I'm watching what ever you guys were watching." Matt said.
"It's called 'Casablanca,' Matt." Jackie said. "I don't believe it!"
"What?" Inez and Matt said.
Jackie pulled out a movie from the box and showed it to them. It was the movie the Cybersquad was in.* The one that they made a couple weeks after their spring break.
"Why does Kim have a copy of this?" Matt said ripping it out of Jackie's hands.
"It's Kim, why wouldn't she?" Jackie said.
"What's that?" Inez said as she took the movie from Matt and opened the case. "There's a sticky note in here."
"What does it say?" Jackie asked.
"'Dear earthlies, your mind is about to be blown. Go to the menu- behind the scenes- interviews. Love, Kim.' Why do I get a bad feeling about this?" Inez said.
The three kids put the movie in and followed Kim's directions. After doing so, they came across interview footage from the movie.
"When I tell people that this is my first movie, they are always surprised." It was their director, Mikey. "I had good cast, good crew, good everything; and that's what surprises them the most."
"Why did Kim want us to watch this?" Matt asked, but was quickly shushed by the girls.
"It was hard at first, but I managed to get ahold of things. Everyone told me that I could do it, especially one girl. I would have made her my assistant, but she's done enough already." Mikey said.
"I am the youngest crew member here. I'd say cast and crew, but most of the cast is younger than me." Said a young girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. The caption at the bottom of the screen said 'Kim.' Under it, said 'Writer/Stunt Tester.'
"There's no way Kim was there." Matt said.
"When Mikey first came up with the idea of the movie, he came to Motherboard. Then I walked into them talking about it, and it lead to him telling me about it." Kim explained.
"I hired Kim not because Motherboard suggested it, but because she knew the Cybersquad, she could help and make sure that this is something they would do or say in the film. And I haven't regretted my decision." Mikey said.
"I know those kids like the back of my hand, it was my job to keep an eye on them and make sure they didn't get hurt in any missions, so I was hired to be one of the three writers of the script, we just sat around and had a pow-wow. Next thing we knew, a script was done. But the ironic part is that they don't even know I exist." Kim laughed a bit after that last comment.
"Now that I think about it, there were only three names on the cover page of the script other than Mikey's. All of them had a last name, but one." Inez said.
"After the script was done, Mikey asked me to stick around. More importantly he gave me a new job." Kim said.
"The movie had quite a few stunts in it, so I had Kim test them out. I didn't force her, she just came up to me and asked me if she could test out a stunt before we started filming." Mikey said. "Afterwards, I joked about her being the stunt tester, but she took it seriously. Kim was closer in age, she was brave, she said that she wouldn't sue the movie if she got hurt. So, I let her."
"Yeah, it was my choice to risk my health over a movie. I'm pretty much responsible if any of them get hurt, so I put myself before them. So what if they don't know me, they might in the future. You never know." Kim said.
"She was looking out for us, and we were oblivious to it this whole time." Jackie said out loud.
Digit opened the door to Kim's room early in the morning. He flew in on his way to the kitchen only to stop short after doing a double take at the three children sleeping on the couch. Matt being a pillow for the girls.
Jackie was resting on Matt's shoulder, his arm was around her. Inez was sleeping on Matt's lap, his other arm draped over her.
Digit smiled. Kim would have loved this sight. Kim.
The cyboid shook his head and proceeded to the kitchen. He started looking through cabinets, drawers, even under the milk in the fridge.
"Where is it?" Digit muttered to himself.
After searching for awhile, he heard a voice from behind him.
"Didge?"
The cyboid turned around to see Matt rubbing his eyes.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
"I'm looking for a recipe. Wait, how did you get up? I could have sworn that the girls were sleeping on you." Digit responded.
"Don't ask." Matt said. "Hey, did you know Kim was helping out with the movie we made a few months ago."
"Yeah, I knew." Digit said.
"Did it surprise you?"
"Not really."
Matt started stretching. "Geeze, I'm so sore."
"Well, you slept on the couch. I don't know how Kim slept on that thing." Digit said. "The last time you guys fell asleep on the couch, Kim carried each of you to bed."
"So that's why I was bed that morning." Matt said to himself. "She carried us to bed, really?"
"If you haven't already noticed, Kim really cared about you three." Digit said. "And speaking of Kim, she would cook for you guys right?" he asked as he searched under the sink.
"Yeah, occasionally." Matt responded.
"Did she ever make chili?" Digit asked. "And if she did, do you know where she put the recipe?"
"Yeah, she cooked chili a few nights before she… Anyway, it was really good, a bit hot, though." Matt said.
"Do you know where she put the recipe?" Digit asked again.
"She told me to hide it somewhere. Wait, why are you so curious about Kim's chili?"
"Solaria holds a Hot Chili Festival twice a year. One on the first day of December and one today, the last day of August." Digit said. "Two years ago, I was making chili for the festival. Kim wanted to help, but I told her no. So she went ahead and made her own to compete against me. Oddly enough, she won. It became a tradition for us. We are currently tied with wins at the moment, two-two." the cyboid sighed. "Since Kim isn't able to compete this year, I thought I'd make her's."
"But, Solaria is where she-"
"I know, Matty." Digit interrupted. "You said that you hid the recipe, can you go get it?"
Matt nodded before he went to his room. Soon he came out with an index card in his hands. Matt handed Digit the recipe and the cyboid looked it over. Right on the top it said, 'Kim's hot chili recipe that is totally going to beat Digit's'
He expected nothing less. "Hey would it be alright if I used Kim's kitchen?" Digit asked.
"Go ahead." Matt insisted. "I still can't believe it's almost been three weeks."
"Feels more like a year. Do you want me to make you something?" Digit asked as he grabbed some of the ingredients out from the fridge.
"No, I'm not hungry yet." Matt responded, taking a seat at the table.
"Mango juice? What were you thinking, Kim?" Digit said as he looked over the recipe again.
"Didge, stick with the recipe." Matt said.
"I know. I would have used lemon juice, but if that's what Kim wanted, alright." he said.
"Digit, where do you think Kim's body is?" Matt asked.
Digit stopped what he was doing and took a moment to think about the question. "I think a bunch of super fans found Kim and took her body to some place to praise her."
"You really think that?" Matt asked.
"Well, it's better than shark food or rotting." Digit said before he continued cooking. "Since I'm busy today, how about we all go to Golftopia tomorrow. Get our minds off Kim."
"I don't know…"
"Come on, Matty. Kim would want all of you to have fun."
"Alright, Golftopia it is."
"Great, on to the chili!" Digit exclaimed.
Later that day….
"I like that." Kim said before writing in her journal. "I'll be backstage after the show."
Kim, disguised as Kris, was with the rest of her band. They decided to write some songs together, and they were almost finished with the third one.
"Now what?" Kim asked.
"How about, 'I'll be at a studio, singing the song we wrote, about a girl you used to know.'" Ethan suggested.
"Perfect." Kim said. "Should be repeat the entire thing like the other choruses?"
"I think we should." Oliver said.
"Alright, I say we're done." Kim said closing her journal.
"'Freak out,' 'The Best Damn Thing,' and 'Sk8er Boi,' I say we practice them tomorrow." Jerome said. "Hey Kris, what's the deal with the Avril part in 'The Best Damn Thing?'"*
"Avril is french for April. Something… big happened to me in April when I was eight." Kim explained.
"Care to share?" Jerome asked.
"Not really."
"Alright, well the festival is on today, are you going to it?"
"Yeah, I am."
"Great, I'll see you there." Jerome said before walking away.
Kim sighed, she really wanted to compete this year. More importantly, she wanted to beat Digit. Kim shook her head before she walked to the festival.
The smell of chili went on for miles and Kim loved it. Once she arrived she could see the judges making their way around each contestant and their chili hoping to win. Other people just walked around and ate chili, so Kim thought she'd get in on the action.
Kim just about finished trying everyone's chili, she just had one more. Picking up the chili filled cupcake wrapper, Kim scooped some of it with her plastic spoon and took a bite.
'Wow, that's good. Hot, but has the right amount of sweet, tartness to balance it out. Why does it taste so familiar, though? It almost tastes like the chili I was going to enter… This is my chili.' Kim thought. 'Hey, for a dead girl, you know how to make chili.' she thought as she took another bite. 'Okay, next time, you cut the recipe in half and split it between Inez and Jackie.' she thought as she looked at the entree name. She saw Digit's name.
Kim heard a choking sound, turning her head she saw one of the judges on the sand, white bumps breaking out on his purple skin. She felt bad for him.
A cyberambulance soon came to take him to the hospital. The person who made the chili was disqualified. The judge had an allergic reaction to one of the ingredients, lemon juice. He was allergic to lemons more specifically.
For that reason, Kim didn't put lemon juice in her chili recipe.
After a while, the two remaining judges tallied up their scores and decided on a winner. They called up their second and third place winners, all they had left was first.
"And the winner is… Digit LeBoid!"
Kim watched as the cyboid flew up to the stage and take his trophy.
"Congratulations, Digit, care to share your secret?"
"Well," Digit said taking the microphone. "The recipe was from a good friend of mine. This trophy should be her's, I just wish she was here to accept it with me."
Kim felt empty, she couldn't step forward to be with Digit. Digit, she missed him. Not only him, she missed Matt, Jackie, Inez, Motherboard, Slider, everyone. She just wanted to be with them again. She turned away from the crowd and headed into the forest. If only Digit knew how she felt about him.
She needed some time to herself, to think over this whole thing. Hiding, running away from her problems, like some pathetic thing. Why was this a good idea? It wasn't, it was stupid, like herself. It feels like she's slowly killing herself.
After walking for some time, Kim came across a cliff. Near the edge of it, was lit candles, teddy bears, flowers, all of those things. Was this? It couldn't be.
No matter how hard she tried to deny it, this was the cliff Ledge pushed her off. After standing in front of the thirty plus items for a while, she finally dropped to her knees.
All these people who placed these things there. She didn't know who did, but she would hug every single one of them if she could. It was sweet, but it made her want to cry. Here she is, alive. In a disguise to hide from fear, and now looking at a small memorial for herself that fans, people who look up to her, made. They shouldn't be looking up to her. She's setting the wrong example for the young children of Cyberspace.
While running away from your problems is something she shouldn't be doing, she is doing something that makes her a good example: Fighting.
Kim is fighting for any hope there is to see anyone again without her wig. To let them know she's alive. She hasn't given up, and she doesn't plan too.
The next day….
"Alright, Motherboard, you're all fixed." said Digit.
"Thank you, Digit." Motherboard said. "You've been such a big help lately."
"It's no problem. You've been holding up yourself pretty good too." Digit said before checking the clock over the door. "I think it's time for the Earthlies and I to head out, we're going to Golftopia."
"You four have fun. And if you see Ms. Fileshare, please give her my greetings."
Digit started walking out not noticing where he was going, "Will do, Mother- WHOA!"
The cyboid tripped over Kim's toolbox that he forgot to put away.
"Are you alright, Digit?" Motherboard asked with concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine." he said. "Hey what's this?" Along with the scattered tools from the toppled toolbox, Digit found a letter.
Matt, Jackie, and Inez walked in the Control Room checking on their friend.
"Didge, you almost ready?" Matt asked.
"Yeah, but quick question: do you guys know anyone named Will?" Digit asked.
"Um... I don't think so." Jackie responded. "Why do you ask?"
"I found this at the bottom of Kim's toolbox, it's addressed to some guy named Will."
"Why would that be at the bottom of Kim's toolbox?" Inez asked.
"It's Kim's brain, not mine."
"Well, open it." Jackie insisted.
Digit did so before reading it outloud, "To my friends and closest people I have to an actual family; I, Kimberly Jean McKenzie, would like to have a final say of what happens after I die. That being said, I would love-"
"Digit, I think this is Kim's will." Inez said.
"That would make a lot more sense." Digit said. "Anyway back to what Kim wrote, "I would love if everyone let me give away some things of mine. Dividing up everything doesn't mean anything, but for what I think is best. Starting off, I'll go for the obvious. My best friend, Slider. You were the best friend a girl could ask for. I just hope you know that Lizzy and her posse will be coming after you once I'm dead."
"Who's Lizzy?" Jackie asked.
"By Kim's definition: she's a stuck-up girl on Radopolis looking for some skater to date her. She doesn't even know how to skate." Digit said. "I believe she was jealous of Kim because of her relationship with Slider and his friends."
"Makes sense." Jackie said.
"Basically what I'm trying to say is thank you. Now I know you are going to want to hold on to me as long as you can, I would too. So I'm giving you my locket and the bracelet you gave me for my birthday. I just remember being super mad at Digit for tricking me into getting Matt, Jackie, and Inez to see me again, and making me join the team. I thought to myself, that if anyone could make me feel better, it was you. And well, you did… for about twenty minutes, before I found out that you were in on Digit's plan, too. I want you to remember the look on my face when you gave it to me, because after joining the Cybersquad and stealing Hacker's wig, that present was the best part of my day. Thank you for being there for me, and thanks... for keeping me sane."
"Wow... That's deep." Matt said.
"I- I- I can't read this." Digit said holding the paper out
"Why not?" Inez asked.
"It feels like she's standing right behind me." Digit said.
"Hey," Jackie said. "We're here for you."
"Thanks, Jax." Digit said. "Well, at least Slider already has her locket."
"What about her bracelet?" Jackie asked.
"It was on Kim's wrist that day." Digit trailed off.
"Well, if you think about it, it's like she has a bit of Slider with her." Jackie said.
"I still can't believe they haven't found a body yet," Matt said. "I mean she's rotting on the ocean floor, She's probably getting bonier and bonier and-"
"MATT!" Inez yelled.
"What?" he asked.
"Just continue, Digit." Inez said.
The cyboid did as told. "It doesn't matter who would play the older or younger sibling when we fought; we would switch on and off from time to time. Either way, I would always love you. Somehow I knew that you would be the one to trip over my toolbox to find this, Digit. So you're next." Digit paused. "I'm not even going to ask how she knew how I found this."
"Just keep reading, Digit." Inez said.
"You were just so loveable that I could never hate you. No matter what. I can ever remember the first day we met. Again, I'm sorry."
"What is she sorry for?" Matt asked.
"Do you guys remember when I told you about the time Kim flung me against the wall?" Digit asked.
"Not in full detail." Jackie said.
"When I came to Motherboard from Hacker, Dr. Marbles showed me around Control Central. I lost him during the tour and I accidently found Kim's room. When I walked in all I saw was this nine-year-old girl squirming on the couch. I tried to wake her up and that's when she grabbed me and threw me against the wall over the couch. After she woke up she brought me to Motherboard, saying that I was a trespasser and that I was going to betray them, if they let me stay. Eventually, Motherboard and Dr. Marbles convinced her otherwise and she apologized. I realized three things that day. One: She's stubborn. Two: Never wake her up from a nightmare. And three: She has a soft side. It's like one of those candies when they taste sour at first, then they turn sweet." Digit explained.
"Kim's nice, but sweet? Really?" Matt asked.
"Yeah, she has that side." Digit said. "Um… had… But yeah, she would be occasionally. When her smile was warm and her eyes were gentle, then that's when she's sweet."
The Cybersquad's faces suddenly showed sorrow.
"Hey, you three okay?"
"Just continue reading." Jackie said.
"There was another day that I remember that leads to what I'm giving you. I was ten, taking a break from the kidnapping case I was working on. So I was in my room, and it was almost nine when you came in. You asked why I was up, and that I should get to bed. Then you asked what I was doing. For my break, I played my ukulele. I asked if you knew how to play, and you said no. I told you that I would teach you one day. I did, but only a few lessons before more important things came around. So I hope that you eventually learn to play, because I'm giving you my uke. Just don't do anything sappy with it, like write a song for me. Girls like musicians, Digit. I want you to be happy with one. Just don't dedicate the first thing you play to me. Who knows, maybe you will anyway, I just want you to have it. Thank you, Didge... for being my brother. That just sounds weird now, doesn't it? But still… you get the point."
"Hey, are you okay, buddy?" Matt said.
The cyboid sniffled and wiped his watery eyes. "I'm- I'm sorry, it's just-" he sniffled again. "I didn't know that's how she felt."
"We miss her too, Didge." Matt said. "Do you think you can still read, or do you want one of us to do it?"
"Kim would want me to stay strong. I'll read." Digit sighed before he continued. "I only have three more things to give, so this should be self-explanatory on who's next. Matt, Jackie, and Inez; three people of my kind. To give each of you a speech like I gave Digit and Slider would be too much for Digit to read, if he is still reading this after what I wrote about him. Either way, I had a lot of fun following the three of you along with Digit, though I think he knew I was following you guys. I've watched you three grow, and can I say that you three are pretty much the smartest kids I know. I didn't tell you guys this, but I actually wanted to be there in Control Central when Motherboard got infected with the virus. That way I could join you guys on the first mission. It lasted for about couple months before I realized how much of a threat I was to everyone. So moving on to when I actually saved all of you and joined you guys, I want you three to know that I couldn't have been happier. Best birthday ever! Anyway, I had fun living with you guys, playing games, defeating Hacker. By the way, let him know that he will never defeat you guys, and that I will haunt him for the rest of eternity if he hurts any of you three again. Maybe I already am. Who knows? I'm not sure how this whole dead thing works*. And okay, he didn't really hurt you guys, but he almost did and I was willingly about to tell him how to get into Motherboard's system. Good thing I thought about giving him a virus on the spot. Back on topic, I had a lot of fun with you guys. I hope I can relive those memories in death, and that you don't forget the things we did together. This is probably getting sappy now, so I'll just give you three the things I've chosen for you. All with good reasons. The saying 'ladies first'... Yeah, I'm throwing it out the window, Matt's first. What I am giving you, Matt, is my beautiful, cybercoop. You seemed to have a lot of interest in it, so it's yours now."
"Kim's coop? Yes!" Matt exclaimed.
"Next up, Jackie. I don't need to remind you to get a chapstick like mine. The one I have is yours. After all, it is the ultimate accessory."
"No argument there." she said, slightly laughing at Kim's comment.
"Last, but not least: Inez. If I recall, you were the one on the keyboard in: Operation: Break into Kim's laptop. I'm not sure if it was your idea or not, because I believe it was Matt's, but it's yours now."
"Hey, how come you get her laptop?" Matt asked.
"So, you don't want her coop?" Inez asked.
"I do, but why did she give her laptop to you?" Matt asked.
"I don't know, it's what she wanted." she responded.
"And speaking of which, can I continue?" Digit asked.
"Yeah, go ahead." Inez said.
"I guess this the last thing I have to say. Technically I wrote this when I was alive, so it's not the last thing I'll actually say, but still. My secrets will die with me, and I hope that Cyberspace will be at peace one day. No Hacker, no evil, just peace. But if I did become a ghost with supernatural powers, I'd do what I do best. Sabotaging Hacker and messing with Buzz and Delete. Maybe even keep you guys safe from danger. Either way, I'll miss you guys, and I hope you miss me as well. Just don't forget about me. That's what I ask of all of you. Don't remember who I was, remember me for who I am. What I did with all of you and what I did to all of you. Don't forget any of that. Please. Thank you. For everything."
Silence filled the room pretty quick. It was almost haunting.
"Hey, there's more," Digit said. "Okay, so I'm not done yet. In addition to the things I've given each of you, I also give the five of you… FIVE THOUSAND SNELFUS!"
"Whoa, are you serious?!" Matt exclaimed.
"Each of us, get that much money?" Jackie asked.
"All of it is from Kim's bank account." Digit said. "Not only that, she said we can withdraw from her account only when we need it."
"Kim said that?" Inez asked.
"She did. I don't believe it." Digit said.
Meanwhile…. On Radopolis….
"Nice job, Slider. That new board must be really working out for you."
"Thanks, Andy." he responded.
"Oh, great. Here comes the princess." Ryder said.
"Come on, lets go to point dune before this turns-"
"Hey, Slider." said a girly voice, cutting off Adam.
"I'll get rid of her." Slider said before turning around. "What do you want, Lizzie?"
"Oh, come on, Slider. I just wanted to check up on you." the girl said.
"Really?" Slider asked. He didn't believe Lizzie was 'checking up on him.' She hated Kim.
"Yeah, so anyways, I was wondering if we could see a movie tomorrow night." Lizzie said.
"I'm busy." Slider responded.
"You can make room for me, can't you?" she asked sweetly. "I was hoping we could see 'Yesterday Roses.'"
"Sounds dumb." he didn't care if he sounded mean, the title just sounded like a chick flick, and Kim hated those. Thus giving her a reason to love horror movies.
"It's not dumb. It's about a girl who falls in love with a-"
"Yeah, that sounds like a dumb movie." Slider said. "Besides, horror movies are better."
"But those are so stupid." Lizzie protested.
"Maybe you should try them." Slider suggested.
"Slider, just because that girl is dead, doesn't mean you should distance yourself from me." Lizzie said.
"You were never on the friend level. This is normal." Slider said, trying to knock some sense into her like Kim always wanted to.
"Tell me, what did she have that, I didn't?" Lizzie asked.
"She knows how to ride a skateboard, hates chick flicks-"
"Wait, what? What kind of girl hates chick flicks?" Lizzie said.
"Kim."
"Why?"
"She thought they were stupid." Slider said. "And Kim was right, you are desperate."
Harsh? Maybe. But necessary? Definitely. He could never find anyone to replace Kim, and even if he tried to search for one, Lizzie would be the farthest from her.
Slider started to skate away from her, but she wasn't done yet.
"You should just forget about her and go out with me! I'm way better than that sl-"
Slider was on her before she could finish her sentence. Grabbing the front of her shirt. "Kim is not a slut. She's better than you one-hundred percent. She's smarter, stronger, and prettier than you, and if you ever talk about Kim like that again, I'll-"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Slider, cool it. Let her go." Andy interfered.
Slider glanced at him before he let go of Lizzie. Andy pushed him towards Ryder and Adam.
"Look, Lizzie. Slider kind of lost it when Kim died. So, I think it would be best for all of us, if you leave him alone." Andy said.
"Whatever." Lizzie snorted before she walked off.
"Thanks." Slider said after cooling off.
"No problem. She's bitch anyway, so I'm kind of glad you did it." Andy said.
"I am too, but don't you think that was a little harsh?" Adam asked.
"So what if I was?" Slider said before he heard in his voice that he was. "I just miss her."
"We know you do." Ryder said.
The boys heard thunder. They said their goodbyes and headed home before it started raining.
Slider got back to his garage, just in time before the rain started pouring. He took the time to himself to think about what happened between him and Lizzie.
Kim isn't a slut. How could she say that? It was only one time, and it was his fault for leaving the garage door open for his dad to come home. Kim wasn't even raped, some guy just decided to touch her. She doesn't even know that it happened, she thinks it was a dream. Still, Kim was violated and it was his fault.
Slider looked at the pouring rain outside. He didn't want to remember Kim like that. Sad, depressed, scared. And yet, the rain helped him remember Kim when she was nine.
"Kim, you're nuts!"
Slider watched from inside the garage as Kim tilted her head up to the sky and opened her mouth. She was weird, but he loved her. Even when she's drenched.
"Come on, Slider it's fun!" Kim yelled back.
"You're the weirdest person I've ever met!" Slider yelled.
Kim walked towards him. "Maybe I should drag you out here. Then you could be weird with me."
"You do that, and I'll throw you in a mud puddle." Slider said.
"If you do, I'll pull you down with me."
"Alright, stay outside, but if you catch a cold, I'm not taking care of you."
"You wouldn't have anyway." she said with a laugh.
Just then, lightning struck the ground a few cyberyards away. Kim yelped before jumping towards Slider. He wrapped his arms around her wet body before looking at the spot where the lightning struck.
"You still want to play outside?" he asked her before pulling her in the garage.
"Shut up." Kim said.
Slider shut the garage door. Soon after, they both heard thunder and lightning before the power went out from the garage. The garage door need power to open, so they were stuck in here until the storm was over. The garage at least had a skylight, so they had a little bit of light.
After thirty minutes of bad weather, Slider started to notice Kim rubbing her arms every now and then as well as her lips turning blue. Since the power was out, so was heating the garage. She's wet, so she's probably freezing.
"Kim, are you okay?" he asked her.
Kim just nodded.
"Are you sure?" he asked before reaching out to her arm. "You're really cold."
Before Kim could say anything, he started taking off his hoodie.
"Slider, don't…" Kim said with her quaking voice.
"I'm not letting you freeze." Slider said.
"I'm not that cold." she responded, her voice not a bit convincing.
Slider slid his hoodie over Kim's head. Once her head was through, she looked up at him.
"You didn't have to do that." she said. "I'd rather freeze then have you get cold."
"Still, I need to take care of you for doing dumb things." Slider responded.
"I thought you said that you wouldn't take care of me, though."
"I wouldn't have taken care of you if you got sick. You're just cold."
Kim smiled before moving closer to him and leading her head on him. "Sorry, my hair might be a bit... wet."
"Three years, and I have no idea why I'm friends with you." Slider said before wrapping his arm around her.
Soon they both fell asleep. When they woke up the storm was over. Kim handed Slider back his hoodie before hugging him goodbye.
Slider smiled from the memory. He remembered when Kim was the funny, smiling, amazing girl, who would always put himself over her.
Now all he had left of her was a locket.
He pulled it out of his hoodie pocket and opened it. He looked at the picture Kim put inside before she died. He would wonder from time to time why she would replace the picture of her family with one of herself. Her family meant everything to her, even though she didn't have one any more. Kim had her sister, but who knows what Madison actually thinks about her. More importantly, where Kim is.
"Slider?"
The teen closed his friends locket and put it back in his pocket. Slider turned his head to the source as saw Digit fly in before the cyboid tried to dry himself off.
"Hey, Didge. What's up?" Slider asked.
"Well, the earthlies and I are on our way to Golftopia, but we figured that we'd drop this off. I think Kim would have wanted you to keep it." Digit said pulling a folded piece of paper from his chest hatch and giving it to him. "I'll leave you to it." he said before flying out.
With curiosity, Slider opened the paper and read. He felt himself back up into the wall of the garage and slide down. After weeks of feeling empty without his best friend, it's like he can finally hear her voice in the words she wrote on the paper. In her will. Even though it was supposed to be touching, he just smiled. It felt like she was alive.
Even though Slider is Kim's best friend. Even when she says it in her will, he still can't remember her favorite flower. Why has that become a goal for him? To find her favorite flower.
Slider got up and pulled out a radio before turning it on. He's been listening to it more ever since Kim was pushed off a cliff. What he wouldn't do to see Kim again.
Just as Slider goes over the will again, time feels as if it stops as a song came on. Triggering a memory. The last time they spent a certain, so-called holiday together.
Slider heard the phone ring. He picked it up before talking into it.
"Slider, hey."
"Hey, Kim." he said.
"Look, about today…" she trailed off.
"Please don't tell me you're backing out already." he responded.
"It's not that, it's just… I…" Kim was trying to say something.
"Kim, spit it out." Slider said.
"I can't do it today." Kim said.
"What do you mean?"
"The Director of the R-Fair City police called me to help out on Mallopolis. A six-year-old girl with asthma was abducted.* I was requested to go. I tried to tell them I couldn't but…"
"Kim, it's alright, go save some lives."
Kim sighed. "Out of all the days, it had to be today." she complained. "Can we do this tomorrow?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Alright, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah…"
"Bye."
"Bye."
Slider hung up. For once he was actually excited for this day. It was Valentine's Day, he and Kim had plans to go to Golftopia and play. Loser buys dinner. Since Kim never was a big fan of today, they made plans to do this today as friends.
Now what was he supposed to do?
Slider was on his way to Control Central. Digit called and said Kim came back from a rough case, so he thought that Slider could cheer her up.
Besides he still wanted to do something for her.
Upon arriving at Control Central, he saw Kim tinkering with her coop. After a stressful day, she's working on her coop rather than relaxing.
Kim's head popped up from the engine and turned to look at the coop that just arrived.
Slider took a deep breath and exited the coop with the gift behind his back as he approached her. Kim wiped her hands with a rag before making her way over to him.
"Hey..." Slider greeted.
"Hey..." Kim said back.
"How was the case?" He asked.
"I don't want to talk about it. It was just messed up." She responded.
"I'm sorry."
"I just can't help but think if one of the kids were in that position."
"You do that for all of the case, though."
"I know, but this one... Got to me..." Kim trailed off. "So what are you doing here?"
"Well, since our plans got canceled, I thought that I should do something. I know you are not the biggest fan of Valentine's Day, so if you hate it I don't blame you, but..." Slider pulled the flower from behind his back and presented it in front of Kim.
Kim took the flower in her hands and smiled. She seemed she really, really liked it. "Slider, you're the best!" She exclaimed before hugging him. "How did you know I loved irises?"
"I don't know... Lucky guess?" He responded. He went to a florist in R-Fair City for half an hour, just to find one iris. The florist asked him some questions on what Kim was like then suggested that he'd get her a rose. After telling the florist that she hated roses, he then suggested an iris.
"Well, I love it." Kim said as she released him. She slowly twirled the flower in her hand as she looked at it with a sweet smile.
She looked amazing, even more than ever. The iris brought out the blue in her beautiful eyes making them shine.
She actually looked adorable.
"Well, I'm glad you like it." Slider said. "Hey, shouldn't you be relaxing?"
"Huh?" Kim cut her stare from the flower to look at him.
"You said you had a stressful case, and you're working on your coop."
"I'm just trying to clear my mind before I go to bed. Sometimes I get bad dreams from cases I worked on." Kim said after her small smile faded. "They're not often like my nightmares, but... It still haunts me."
"Oh…" Slider was honestly surprised. She gets nightmares just from the cases she works on. It's not a problem like her other ones, but he can't remember the last time Kim sounded scared and weak. Just the fact that it haunts her all day scared him a little bit. "Do you need any help?"
"What?"
"With your coop."
Kim's smile came back. "Yeah, sure."
The two started walking to Kim's cybercoop. Slider could hear Kim's radio get louder and louder even though it the noise was faint.
"What about the flower?" he asked.
"Do you want to drop it off in my room?" she asked, handing him the flower.
Slider took the flower and did as she asked. When he came back, he found her head in the engine. "You still need any help?"
"If you could get me the small screwdriver that would be great." She said.
He picked up the tool from the toolbox and handed it to her.
"Thanks." Kim responded with a smile.
She continued to work on her coop, humming the song 'Bitter Sweet Symphony' as the radio played it. Slider wrapped his arms around her waist from behind her, resting his chin on her shoulder. He could feel her smile.
"You better not fall asleep on me." she said.
"Don't worry, I won't." he responded.
Together, Kim and Slider worked on her coop. They were almost done, all they need to do was wait for steam to blow from the engine once before Kim decided it was enough for tonight. So Kim was leaning against her coop while Slider stood in front of her, talking about whatever came to mind as they waited.
After a while of talking, a song came on the radio. Kim paused for a moment before turning it up.
"Something tells me that you like the song." Slider said sarcastically
"You have no idea how much." Kim responded. "Take a guess on what it's called."
"I don't know, tell me."
Kim smiled at him, almost as if it was ironic. "Iris."
"Are you serious?"
"I have no idea why, they don't even mention irises in the song, but I still love it."
Her blonde hair started falling in her face, tempting to cover her blue eyes. Slider moved the hair behind her ear, he loved her eyes, he could look at them forever if he could. His hand moved down to her cheek, holding her head up. Kim's hand pressed the one caressing her head, before she moved hers down his arm and to his shoulder.
All of a sudden, something changed. It wasn't the song, it wasn't anything, but Slider felt something change. Kim must have felt it too.
They started moving closer to each other. The music playing in the background couldn't have been more perfect. Did they know what was going on? What would happen if this proceeded? What would they do if it happened? They didn't care about what was happening as they slowly pulled themselves closer and closer to each other.
Suddenly the questions faded as the steam blew from the engine. They both turned to look at the engine. Kim tinkered with it a bit more before shutting the hood while Slider went to put her toolbox away in the Control Room. It didn't happen, and they didn't care.
When Slider walked in the Control Room, he passed by Digit who looked almost steamed.
"Hey, Didge." he said. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I just finished watching my program and two of the characters didn't confess their feelings to each other, yet." the cyboid responded.
"Okay, then." Slider set the toolbox down by the control panel before he made his way out. While doing that he noticed the tv screen over the door showing footage from one of the cameras on the landing bay. More specifically, he could see Kim waiting for him by her coop. Was Digit spying on them this whole time?
Ignoring the question, he walked out of the control room and to his friend.
"So, I guess you're done." Slider said.
"Yeah, pretty much." Kim said.
"Well, I'll see you around." Slider said before walking towards his coop.
"Slider," Kim yelled before he opened the door to his coop. "Thank you."
Slider smiled before he started his coop and took off.
All of those moments that happened on the landing bay with Kim hit him, and hit him hard. They almost kissed and they never spoke of it afterward. Like it never happened. But how could he remember it if it didn't happen. The memory was real. The moment was real. Kim was real. It felt like they had all the time in the world together, but now she's gone. He blew it. He lost her.
Time started up again and the song started to play.
'And I'd give up forever to touch you,
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow,
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be,
And I don't want to go home right now,
And all I can taste is this moment,
And all I can breathe is your life,
'Cause sooner or later it's over,
I just don't want to miss you tonight,
And I don't want the world to see me,
'Cause i don't think that they'd understand,
When everything's made to be broken,
I just want you to know who I am.'
Even if it's for five seconds, he just wanted to hold her again. He didn't care if it was the last time he would, he'd tell her that she was the world to him
Meanwhile…. On Solaria….
With work only hours away, Kim had time to herself. In that time, memories flooded back to her. She was stupid, and she lost everything. So there she was, in her cave, just like she was after finding out she was 'dead.' Crying. Her head buried in her knees with her arms wrapped around them. She hated this.
She broke down earlier today after she ate breakfast with the money she had left from paying back Jerome for her new disguise. Kim hasn't even left the cave yet.
Thanks to her radio addiction, she started crying after listening to 'Just a Dream' by Carrie Underwood. How she wishes it was.
Kim would have cry attacks- as what she calls them- after composing herself for a good amount of time. This was her fifth one today. She just hoped she could compose herself long enough when it was time to go to work. Since that wasn't until a few hours she could work on getting to stop crying.
Her cry attack started when a certain song played. As the song played, memories flooded her mind, making it the most painful cry attack, yet. Even though it made her cry, she still loved the song with all that remained of her broken heart.
It was 'Iris' by The Goo Goo Dolls. She held in her cries and weeping as best she could just to listen to the song. Kim didn't care if it was painful to do so, it was worth it.
'And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming,
Or the moment the truth in your lies,
When everything feels like the movies,
Yeah, you bleed just to know you're alive,
And I don't want the world to see me,
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand,
When everythings made to be broken,
I just want you to know who I am.'*
Why did this happen? When will everyone else know? What would they do if they found out? Should she just give up?
Kim thought about it so many times today. Giving up. Leaving everything behind. Let them finally find her damned body. But she denied it every time. She said no to the idea. Deep down, she knows she has the upper hand. She has the advantage, even though it was the smallest sliver of hope. It existed, just like she did.
Even though she told herself no when the idea of giving up surfaced her mind, she pushed it to the back of her mind. Kim wasn't going to let the darkness consume her, even though it kept on trying to make her give in.
But why did it keep trying? Why was it getting closer to her every time it tried?
A/N: YESTERDAY ROSES IS A FAKE MOVIE! I AM 99.5% SURE OF THAT! Anyway I am finally done with this chapter. I have an idea for the next three/four chapters so brace yourself for more intense shit, 'awe cute!' shit, and other kinds of shit. Yep. So the word count for this chapter: 9,603. Thank you and don't forget to comment and give me your love! :)
*- Cyberchase episode 701 (Gone with the Fog)
*- All Avril Lavigne songs/lyrics/references. Please listen to all her songs for they may be referenced in another chapter (And for you to love her like I do).
*- Thirteen Reasons Why.
*- Criminal Minds- Episode: Seven Seconds.
*- Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls. If you have never heard this song before, I suggest you listen to it right now.