Chapter 9

"Wait, I don't get it…" Keifer said, shaking his head. Lava sighed at him and turned to face him and Kyle. They were walking down the street to where Linus lived.

"I need to figure out what's going on before it makes sense." She repeated to him as she walked backwards.

"Uh….don't get it." Keif replied, nodding. Kyle rolled his eyes and smacked him on the side of the head.

"Then shut up until you figure it out!" He said and Keifer clamped his mouth shut. Cami laughed at them.

"Don't worry, LG, you'll get used to them." She said, nodding and grinning slightly. Lava shrugged and turned around, starting to walk forward again. Just as she turned, she ran into a stop sign pole.

"Ow!" She yelled as she fell back onto her butt, holding her head with her hand. She rubbed the sore spot and glared up at the pole. Kyle, Keifer, and Cami were all staring at it. Lava stood up and examined the pole. Then she gasped. "That's from me!" She said, fingering the black, imprinted hand marks burned into the pole. She turned and saw Linus' house. "Maybe everyone is there!" She said with excitement, running over to the door and ringing the doorbell repeatedly. No one answered. Lava's big smile soon faded.

"Lavagirl?" Lava turned to look at Kyle. She felt tears slowly coming to her eyes.

"Their not here…" She whimpered, her bottom lip quivering. If only she hadn't gotten her hopes up…Kyle looked at her sympathetically and Lava seemed to fall into his gaze, because the next thing she knew, she was sobbing into his shoulder, his comforting arms wrapped around her,

"YES!" Sharkboy jumped up and down…something her never did. "This is it, guys!" He yelled over the whirling wind. Never in his life had he longed to see his best friend this much…never was he so…bubbly.