Mike's POV
I staggered out of Brick's truck, staring at the huge mansion in front of us.
"Zoey, I'm loving the help, but Brick and Jo are the only ones who are allowed to tag along after this," I told her, glaring at the uninvited guests.
Brick and Jo followed me out of the truck, rolling their eyes. "Hey! Be glad that you HAVE our help. Without us, you would be nowhere, fuzzy brain," Jo snapped.
"I'm just saying, I never planned for you two to come with us," I replied, making my way to the massive front door. Zoey fell in step with me.
"Well it's nice that they're helping," Zoey said thoughtfully.
"Whatever," I said. "But from now on, we're a team of four. No more, no less."
We were visiting mega-jock Lightning's mansion, hoping that he'd have some memories for me. I'd argued that I'd never interacted with the guy, but Zoey told me that it was better to be safe than sorry. So there we were, waiting patiently at the door after ringing the bell.
"Sha-BAM!" Lightning cheered at first sight of us. "Lightning hasn't seen you guys in a whole YEAR! Lightning is glad you could make it to his sha-birthday party!"
We all froze on the front step. Sha-birthday party? Oh crud, I hoped he didn't expect a-
"So where's sha-Lightning's gift?" he asked, looking at us expectantly.
"Oh…uh….it's still being delivered!" Jo lied.
"Uh…yeah! We…uh…we ordered rush delivery….but…I guess it got…l-lost!" Brick piped up, jabbing his finger in the air. We all sweated and nodded. Lightning studied us with curiosity for a second, but resumed his normal hyper-active behavior.
"Sha-Lightning is glad his friends could make it!" he beamed at us. "Come on in! Sha-Anne Maria and Scott are already here!"
I could feel my face harden at the names Anne Maria and Scott. I knew I had quite a history with both of them and was not too keen to see them. Lightning gave us a grand tour of the mansion (Consisting of ten bedrooms, five bathrooms, an indoor pool, an outdoor pool, a mini gym, a basketball court, a trophy room, and a game room.)
We could see Anne Maria and Scott talking to each other when we entered the game room. I was surprised when Lightning wrapped an arm around Anne Maria's thin waist.
"Sha-Lightning and Anne found out they had a lot in common after the show," Lightning said proudly. "Now Sha-Lightning has someone who can cheer him on at his basketball and football games."
"Congratulations guys," Jo commented neutrally.
"So how's it going you guys?" Anne Maria asked.
"Well…Mike here has lost his memories, so we're kinda trying to get them back," Zoey explained. Scott cocked his head at her.
"Wait, wait…he's lost his memories? Ugh, first it was MPD, now he's gone and forgotten everything. What a retarded loser!" he said, sneering at me. I tried to ignore him, but the truth of his words stung me. What was wrong with my brain? Why couldn't I be like everyone else?
Lightning frowned at Scott's comment. "Sha-hey now, that wasn't very nice," he said. To my surprise, Scott hung his head.
"I'm sorry…It's just that…Dawn said she wouldn't date me last night…so I'm a little angry and sore about that…" Scott said sadly.
Lightning patted him on the back. "Sha-bam brother, it'll be alright…"
So far was his voice from the one he used in the finale.
"Nice suitcase! Is Cammy-bear running home to Mommy? Ha ha ha!" Lightning commented.
"Nope! Heh heh heh….That's your job!" Cameron said, kicking the suitcase. A suit of technological armor attached itself to Cameron, making him look like Iron Man. "Game on!"
Lightning looked a little shaken by Cameron's suit, but his powerful stance never faltered.
Suddenly, the scene changed.
"You see any clues, Vito baby?" Anne Maria asked flirtatiously.
"Eh, what's a clue?" Vito barked.
The scene changed again.
"Here's the deal; you help me in today's challenge, and I won't tell Zoey the truth about all your funny characters," Scott said.
"How do you know about that?" I asked incredulously.
"Sorry…" Cameron whimpered, appearing beside me.
"Mike! Mike! Mike!" Zoey yelled. I cracked open my eyes. Above me hovered Zoey's concerned face. Somehow I had slumped to the floor, probably moaning and crying out.
"Did I…Did I…?" I tried to ask.
"What did you remember, Cadet?" Brick asked eagerly.
"I…I remembered the finale…a-and a whole bunch of other stuff…" I choked out. Zoey extended her hand out, which I gratefully used to pull myself up.
"Geez, you don't look so good," Jo commented. "You're all clammy and shakey…"
"I'm…I'm really tired…." I said. My head felt light. It was as if I had taken a major nap.
"We should probably head back anyways," Zoey said, checking her watch.
"Oh yeah! Jo, we should leave now so we can catch that movie you wanted to see!" Brick said checking his own watch.
Jo blushed. "Why did you have to announce it to the whole room?" she complained.
"Wait- you're going to go to a movie with Brick?!" Scott snickered.
"W-Well…Okay…so maybe I agreed to go on a date with him! Big deal!" Jo grumbled. But I swear, I think I saw them holding hands once we climbed back into Brick's truck.
Zoey's POV
Brick dropped Mike off first, seeing how tired he was.
"Poor guy," he commented. "Just remembering tires him out."
"Yeah, it's terrible. Good thing he's got us to support him," Jo said.
"This is all my fault…" I said after a long silence. Jo turned around in her seat to stare at me.
"What makes you say that?" she demanded.
"If I hadn't rejected him, none of this would have ever happened…"
"Yeah but….at least you've been patient! Hell, if Brick lost his memories, I would slam the door in his face!"
"Hey!" Brick exclaimed. Jo patted his hand.
"Just kidding! You know I wouldn't do that!" she assured him. Brick smiled and concentrated once more on the road. Once he had turned away, though, Jo mouthed a silent "I really would slam the door," to me.
I waved to Brick and Jo after unlocking the front door. The day had been crazy, and I was aching to fall into my bed and take a long deserved nap. I barely managed to stagger upstairs before blacking out.
When I woke up two hours later, the house held an eerie silence. I checked the time; 9:00.
"Dad?" I called. Usually the evening news droned on downstairs at this time of the day. There was no reply. I started to panic, wondering if he had turned to drinking again.
I stepped out in the hall, hoping he just hadn't heard me. "Dad?" I called, louder this time. I stood at the top of the stairs, dread piercing my stomach.
"Hello?"
I tiptoed into the darkness of our kitchen. The smell of alcohol swirled around in the air.
"Oh no…" I moaned. I groped the wall for the light switch. I could see a large mass seated at the table. I managed to find the switch and flipped it up. As soon as light flooded room, I screamed in horror. Dad's eyes were glazed over, his body lifeless.
Immediately, I ran over to him, shaking his body, not accepting the possibility of him being…dead…
"Dad! Wake up!" I screamed. Gasping with tears, I seized the house phone and dialed 911.
"911, what's your emergency?" the operator asked in a cheery tone.
"I need an ambulance! My Dad isn't moving! I...I think he's dead!"
The next hour was a blur. The paramedics arrived and loaded him into an ambulance. I sat through a tedious waiting period until the doctor called my name from a little clipboard.
"How is he?" I gasped. He took my hand.
"I'm so sorry…"
Mike's POV
My dream was interrupted by three sharp knocks on my door.
"Come in," I groaned. Mallory pushed the door open.
"Phone for you, big bro," she said, pushing the phone into my hands. "Be quick though, I'm expecting a call."
"What call are you expecting at this hour?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. She blushed.
"None of your business…." She mumbled, turning around and walking out of the room.
"Hello?" I asked into the phone.
"Hi Mike…" Zoey said.
"Is everything okay?" I inquired. She sounded stressed out and a little…depressed.
"I…no…no, nothing is okay…my Dad is…is…" she stuttered.
"What's wrong with him?"
"He's….dead…." she finally cried. The news stunned me.
"H-huh?" I feebly asked, my brain frozen.
"He d-died of kidney failure…." She sniffled.
"Zoey…" I whispered. "I'm so…I'm sorry…Do you need a place to stay? We've got plenty of room at our house."
"Would your mom mind? I've got nowhere else to go…"
"She wouldn't mind a bit! She loves helping people in their time of need…." I said. I wasn't too sure if my mom would be 100% okay with Zoey staying at my place, but this wasn't the main concern.
"Okay…I just don't want to barge in unwanted…" she said wearily.
"It's fine! You've been helping me a lot lately! Now is the time to pay you back for all of your kindness," I swore.
"Alright…I'll be there soon…" With that, she was gone.
Immediately, I ran down the hall to my mom's room.
"What's up?" she asked.
"Zoey's dad just died," I replied, looking down.
She set her book down. "Oh no…"
"Can…can she stay here for a while…?" I requested. "She doesn't have anywhere else to go…"
Mom's lips pressed together for a second. Finally she said, "O-Okay…But she will be staying in the guest bedroom."
"Of course!" I chirped, relieved that she had obliged so easily. I turned out of the room, waiting to greet Zoey's arrival.
Zoey's POV
As soon as I entered his house, Mike pulled me into a big hug. That was it for me. A flood of tears and pain exploded from my eyes. I had wet his t-shirt, but Mike just pulled me closer.
"I know….it hurts now….I know…" he whispered, making me feel a bit better.
"I…I had finally gotten him back!" I sobbed. "For the f-first time in years, he a-actually loved me! He w-was g-getting better! H-he was doing s-so well! Why…why would he d-drink again? H-How could he do this?!"
Mike held on to me as if his life depended on it. A lone tear rolled down his face and onto my head.
"Zoey…I know it hurts…but you can't break down…you can't slip…I lost it when my dad left…I don't want you to go through the same thing…" he told me. Then, carrying me bridal style, he took me to the guest room.
He laid me on the crisp white sheets. "I'll be back…" he promised, running out of the room.
Ten minutes later, he walked back in with a small smile on his face.
"You have visitors…" he said. Behind him emerged Brick and Jo. "And they have something to tell you," he smirked.
Jo shot him a warning look. "Go on…" Mike urged.
"Me…and…Brick….are…going…out…." Jo mumbled. My face broke into a tiny smile.
"That's great!" I whispered.
"Anyways," Brick said, his face somber. "We heard about your dad…Sorry Zo…"
I smiled at the cadet. "Thanks Brick. You're a real sweetheart!"
"I'm her sweetheart," he laughed, grabbing Jo planting a kiss on her head. Jo didn't object, just triggered yet another blush.
For the rest of the night, we all talked and tried our best to laugh. After my dad's death, it seemed impossible for me to feel as good as I did that night, but there I was, smiling at Brick, Jo, and Mike. Eventually the events of the day caught up with us, making us feel drowsy. With a huge yawn, Brick stretched, settling himself on the floor.
"Good Night guys," he said. Jo curled up next to him, glaring at us as if to say, "If anyone talks, I'll shoot you."
Mike stood up and brushed his lips with mine.
"Good night Zoey…" he said.
"Good night Mike…" I answered, pulling the covers around my shoulders. "And good night Daddy…"
"Good night Zo…"
