The next morning I woke up with a major headache and a desperate need to find Robert. Le Frog had purchased a bottle of wine for us to share, but since I was still below the legal drinking age, he had to drink it all himself when I would not let him climb into the same bed with me. He was a happy and silly drunk, though, which was what had kept me up all night and giving me a headache.

I left the bedroom, walked down the hallway, and knocked on Steelbeak's door. "Steelbeak, open up!" When he didn't answer, I knocked a little harder. "Steelbeak, I'm not going to kill you or anything. I just need some asprin and I need to see Robert."

Steelbeak opened his door. "Oh, so now you're on first name basis wit your English teacher, huh?"

I sighed, frustrated and not in the mood for his annoying little ways. "Steelbeak, just tell me where he is so I can be sure you're keeping your end of the bargain."

"You don't trust me?"

I glared at him. "I wouldn't trust anyone who would kill a cop in cold blood."

He knew he was defeated and sighed. "He's in de room next ta yours. I told him he would be free ta move around de mansion and all, but if he tried ta escape, we'd have ta kill him."

"Steelbeak, you wouldn't!"

"It doesn't matter if I wanted to or not," he told me. "I have ta follow orders, Mia, and if dat includes killing Robert English, den dat's what I'll have ta do. I'm sorry, but tings have changed a lot since you disappeared. I can't manipulate High Command anymore, now dat de Great One has taken over Animatown."

I would have questioned him about this Great One, but he closed the door before I could. I turned away from his door and started walking down the hall to Robert's room. I crept silently past my bedroom, hoping Le Frog would stay passed out for a very long time. I knocked on the door next to mine. "Mister English? It's me, Ang . . . Mia."

Cautiously, Robert opened the door. When he could see for himself it was me, he hugged me and said, "Oh, my God, Angelina! I mean, Mia, oh whatever! I thought you were hurt or dead . . . or worse." He let go and said, "And by the way, you're not my student anymore, so just call me Robert, okay?"

"Um." Normally, I refused to utter that sound, but this was rather akward and he had caught me off-guard. "Okay, then, Robert, are you alright?"

He let me inside and he shut the door behind me. "Physically, I'm fine. However, I'm worried about Amora and Mary Lynn. They must be worried about me."

"Both of our families must be worried, Mister . . . I mean, Robert," I said, sitting in the chair across from his bed. I tried to think of a way to cheer him up. "Look on the positive side, Robert. At least you don't have to share your room and you have the opportunity to talk to any cartoon you wish."

"Yeah, that is kind of cool." He paused for a moment then shot a quizzical look at me. "What do you mean by 'At least you don't have to share your room'? Are you sharing yours?"

"I don't have a choice in the matter," I informed him. "I'm supposed to be Le Frog's girlfriend, so he and Steelbeak decided that he and I should share the same room. Luckily, nothing happened last night, but I don't know how desperate he may become." When Robert shot me another quizzical look, I explained what Le Frog had done last night. "I think he did it to gain my sympathy," I told Robert.

"That's very possible," he agreed. He walked over to the desk on the opposite side of the room, on which a new and rather expensive-looking laptop sat. It was on and apparently Robert had spent some of his time in the room working on the computer and researching. "I've been trying to contact someone for several hours, but no one I know is on right now. The only people on are some college students and I'm not sure who . . ."

"I recognize these usernames!" I sat down in the chair next to the desk. "It's David Aple and Jeanne Guin!" I furiously began typing, then stopped when a large realization hit me. "They're not going to believe we're trapped in the cartoon dimension and look like a couple cartoon characters right now."

"That's true." He glanced down at his hands, as if he still wasn't quite used to the idea of being a cartoon. "Just tell them . . . I had to leave for a special Literacy Conference in . . . France and . . . I needed you to come as a translator. That should keep it cool, right?"

I shrugged. "It's worth a try." I turned back to the computer screen and typed Robert's message to Jeanne and David. Jeanne believed me instantly, which wasn't a big surprise.

David, however, replied; Angelina, are you okay? When I saw those cartoon characters, I thought I was seeing things.

I had forgotten David was the one who had spotted us as we were leaving. I replied: Mister English and I are okay. We're being held prisoner here, and as long as I do what I've been ordered, no one will get hurt. However, I need a way to get at least Robert out of here because I'm sure he'll be the first one they attack.

There was a slight pause. I'll do whatever I can to help you, Angelina. I just have to find a way into that dimension.

I pulled up a web browser, in which it had a description of the opening between Animatown and Earth, which was simply called the Tear. According to what Robert has researched, the opening only opens on brick walls because of some sort of joke and . . . it can only be opened from the outside (meaning Earth) by some one who has been in Animatown before.

What is Animatown?

That's the name of this dimension, David. Now, please stay focused, because I need you to do something for me, alright?

I'm paying close attention, Angelina.

First of all, my real name is Mia Angelina Démone, not Angelina Leets. I changed my name to protect my foster family and friends. You can see how well that worked.

Yeah.

Second of all, I need you to contact Mrs. English. Tell her Robert had an unexpected conference he had to attend in France and he and I left immediately so he wouldn't miss it. I went as his translator.

Understood.

Third of all, I need you to keep an eye out for any multi-colored circles on brick walls. These circles could be entrances to Animatown and that could be our ticket out of here.

Alright, and Mia?

Yes?

What am I supposed to tell Nate Dink? He's been looking all over for you.

I paled. I had totally forgotten about Nate returning to Corry after the semester at college. He had promised to come see me so we could spend some time together until he had to return to the New York Film Academy. So much for that plan. You have two options, David. You can either tell Nate the story I am telling you or the story Robert is telling his wife. I know you're not good at lying, so if you tell him Robert's story, try your best to keep a straight face and look him right in the eyes, okay?

Straight face, look him in the eyes . . . gotcha. Anything else?

Tell Brady Dink I was able to go twice to the one place he wanted to go once in his lifetime. He'll love that. Oh, and one more thing, David.

Yeah, Mia?

Please be careful. Le Frog and his henchfrogs saw you leave and I have a feeling a villain will be sent out there to get you. I don't want to get you too caught up in this massive mess.

There was a slight pause. I'll be careful, Mia. Right now, though, I'm more worried about your safety than my own. I don't know what I'd do if you were hurt.

I don't know what I'd do, either, I joked. I'd better go. Try to contact me later tonight around seven o'clock, okay?

Okay. Bye, Mia.

Goodbye, David. I logged off and glanced up at Robert, who was smiling that weird little smile of his. "What?"

"You have a chance to be absolutely incorrect with your spelling and grammar, and you still type as if it's an English paper." He sighed. "I just don't understand you, Ang . . . Mia. Man, that's going to be annoying."

I smiled. "After a while, you'll get used to it."

While we were keeping our conversation positive, I could sense the worry he felt for his wife and daughter. What if he never saw them again? It would be all my fault because I dragged him into this. Me, I was better off in Animatown, where I couldn't drag anyone else into this web of problems. All I could do was hope it wouldn't become any worse.