As Sky stepped through the portal and out of the Nether, he could hear a door fly open, and the sound of footsteps thundering down a staircase. On the other side, he blinked. "Hi guy—
"What the hell?" Mitch yelled. "Sky's back! And he has a girl!" Of course that was the first thing Mitch would notice.
"Sky got a girl to come with him? No way! No way in hell!" Jerome shouted, running downstairs and almost trampling Mitch. He pulled Sky into an enormous, furry hug.
"Mmph," Sky groaned, face buried in Jerome's thick fur.
"She's hot!" Husky announced. "Way hot! TDB hot!"
"Third degree burns hot? This I gotta see!" Ian said, running down the stairs and colliding into Jerome's fluffy back.
Ember was staring at the chaos, looking slightly alarmed. "Fluffy, a little air?" Sky choked out.
"Oh! Yeah, sure," Jerome said, releasing Sky from the stranglehold. "Dude, that chick is cute."
"I'd noticed." Making his way over to Ember, he tapped, her shoulder, causing her to jump. "Em, are you okay?"
She took a deep breath. "I'm not used to so many people. And I just keep thinking about Jason. How are we going to tell them?"
How would Sky tell the team that one of their oldest friends was dead? He looked around for Ty-Deadlox- and saw him standing in the corner, alone. Poor Deadlox. It was times like this that he and Jason would be in their element, goofing off, teasing, fighting with the rest of the guys. But now that would never happen. Ever.
"I don't know. And in case you didn't hear, the entire Team thinks that you're hot. Be prepared to be flirted shamelessly with."
"Do you think I'm hot?" Ember asked, cocking her head to the side.
"No. I think you're beautiful," Sky said, catching her hands. She met his eyes for a moment, and then they were kissing.
After all that had happened, it felt so good to be able to still be alive, to still be together. Ember wrapped her hands around his waist, pulling him in closer. Her mouth was cold, her lips soft. She smelled great, like the blossoms of the cherry tree in the back yard that bloomed every summer. It was probably about time for that tree to flower now, Sky thought as they kissed.
When he pulled away for air, he realized that the room was silent. Sky thought he could hear a thud as Mitch's jaw dropped.
"You all didn't know? Sky didn't bring a girl; he brought his girlfriend," Deadlox said into the quiet, awe-struck room. Jason would have added on, saying something like, "Yeah, noobs!"
Forget it. Jason wouldn't say that, he'd say something cleverer. Something that Sky would never think of. There was no replacement for Jason.
However, the fact that Jason would have said something did not go unnoticed by the team. It was Jerome who broke the uncomfortable quiet as they waited for Jason to shout something.
"Where's Jason?"
"Did he get lost?" added Ian.
"He still owes me a game of checkers!"
"Well, Sky?"
This was the moment he'd been dreading. "Guys, Jason—
"He got lost! I knew it!"
"Th-that's not what I was going to say," Sky stammered.
"Well, do tell, then. Did he find a girlfriend?"
"No…"
"I know! Umm… I get three guesses, okay? One is…"
"No! Guys, he's dead! Jason! Jason is… he's dead." Sky felt tears rise up to his eyes again. "He's freaking dead!"
Mitch stared at Sky, then burst out laughing. Sticking his head through the portal, he shouted, "Jason! Nice prank! Now get out here!" Smirking, he turned to Sky. "How'd he get you to go along with it? You look kind of like you're crying. How are you doing that?"
"He might have onions in his pockets," Husky suggested.
"Guys, this isn't a joke. I wish it was. I really, really wish it was. But it isn't."
"Sky, seriously? You don't need to drag this out. We called the trick, now tell Jason to come back."
Sky could feel the dam that his tears had been gathering behind burst, and he was sobbing. He'd never felt so much like punching Mitch ever before.
Ian was the first to realize that something was really wrong. "Sky, hey, Sky, it's alright. What all happened?" He turned to the others. "Let's get upstairs." He steered Sky up the steps, Ember and Ty following in his wake.
"Ian, don't fall for the trick!" Mitch moaned as he and the rest of Team Crafted trailed upstairs behind them. Ian shut him up with a glare.
Sky, Ember and Ty sat down on a couch. Mitch and Jerome were sitting practically on top of each other in a chair, arguing about who had sat there first. Ian and Husky flopped on the other couch. There were three spaces left. "Seto's missing, Jason's, well, wherever he is, and Bonks is out sketching," Husky said in response to Ember's questioning look. "And Mitch is always fighting with Jerome over the chair, so we've never needed to get more seating."
"It's my chair, I tell you! Mine! Get off, Fluffy!"
"You don't want it. I've gotten fur all over it now," Jerome retorted.
"Oh, so that's my fault?" Mitch growled.
"Just a little caveat," Jerome rumbled.
"Oi! Shut up, you two!" Ian shouted. "Or you will leave me no choice!" He fingered the edge of the glasses that barely contained his Derp Side.
Mitch and Jerome instantly shut up. "Fine."
"Much better. So, what happened?"
Sky took a deep breath, but before he could speak, Deadlox cut him off. "Let me put it in English. Jason. Is. Dead. My best friend is gone. And I'm out of here," he snarled, sliding off the couch and running up the stairs to the second floor. Up to his room. The one that he had formerly shared with his roommate. Jason.
Hey. So, no bean dip. I am currently being held hostage by the hot pink bunnies. They are ordering me to obtain a ransom of ten followers for this story. I said, "Impossible!" but nooooo, I must have ten followers. Yeah... Can you guys help me out? I would really appreciate it! More chapters as soon as I'm able... I don't know when that will be. I must go. The guards are getting suspicious. Thanks!