Fall is awaiting its call.
Felix finally reveals his true story. He was born to immigrant parents, who served for a rich family, the Collins. However, his parents were killed on a car accident after they both saved the family patriarch, Ted Collins. Thus, to fulfill their dying wishes, Mr. Collins adapts Felix to his family. Thus, he became Felix Ortega-Collins. Mr. and Mrs. Collins are accommodating to Felix. But their son Miles is cruel towards him, even as they both reach high school.
Eventually, Mr. Ted Collins passed away from a disease. And Mrs. Collins was left to manage his company. When the boys reached senior year, Mrs. Collins had to prioritize for Miles' education; though, she also contributed to Felix's schooling. So, Felix applied a job as a barista to handle half of his tuition. This is also to avoid Miles' spitefulness. Mrs. Collins is against Felix working, but he insists on doing so.
At this time, Mrs. Collins is away for a business trip. So, she placed Miles in charge of the house. Needless to say, he took that duty "responsibly" when he threw a college-senior after party in the mansion. He bribed his servants to not say a thing to his mom.
Consequently, the party came as a surprise for Felix as his stepbrother assumes that he would come home late at 2:00 AM, due to extending his time "playing videogames" in the café. It culminates in Felix being humiliated by Miles by spilling juice on him.
That is when Felix arrived, soaked on magenta-tinted punch. "And that is how I end up like this."
Suffice to say, the entire gang is intrigued by Felix's backstory. Ronnie Anne and Stella relate to his tragic life story. Girl Jordan is kind of moved with her jaw-dropped facial expression. Sid finds the story very affectionate. And at least for now, Lincoln finds himself resolved, now that he has knowledge about Felix's background and that he is half steps away from being a stranger.
"I never expected the barista would have such a deep backstory," Girl Jordan comments.
"All of us have deep backstories like him," Lincoln argues.
"What happened after?" Sid asks.
"Then I got on this room?" Felix clarifies.
Sid admits her mistake, "Oh right. You finished your story here."
"Speaking of which, I thought you guys are supposed to wait inside the truck."
"Well, we got scared of partying zombies who started hurling on your windshield," Ronnie Anne points out.
"Then, there's the jock who sent out a rampaging search party who are hunting down little kids sneaking in the party," Stella adds.
Henry then elaborates, "It was Josh. He was at it with his classroom ramblings."
"He's probably wasted," Felix utters. "At least you guys got here quick. Though, I don't think this is a safe place to stay."
"You mean your room?" Ronnie Anne replies.
"I mean, yes, my room. I meant the mansion really." Felix then notices their clothes soaked and stained after the five of them scourge under a rain drainage line and a dumb waiter with food stains on the metal walls. With concern, he utters, "Oh gosh, kids, you looked so weary and dirty."
"You don't say," Girl Jordan sarcastically responds. "We've been chased away from your truck, retreated to a storm drain and squeezed ourselves in a small elevator. So…yeah…"
From there, Felix feels guilty about leading the kids into this hysterical mess. He apologizes, "Sorry guys. I should have just brought you home. But I swear, this is all on me."
Henry is astonished with Felix's acknowledgment of his mistakes since he never sees it from anyone else. Because of that, he taps his friend on the shoulder.
Feeling empathy for him, Sid admits as well, "No Felix, this is kind of my fault too. I admitted that I wanted our game night to last longer."
Stella agrees alongside her that each of them contributes to what came off tonight. "Yeah, me too. We kind of got overexcited."
Feeling guilty, Girl Jordan also admits, "That goes for me."
Likewise, Ronnie Anne acknowledges her part of the bargain. "Okay, if there's one thing in life I learned, not admitting you are wrong leads you being more wrong."
That strikes a chord for Lincoln, personally, since he thinks this is a subtle nudge on his bit when he and Ronnie Anne are assigned to take care of an egg together. This causes him to hold back from admitting he also took part in encouraging the gang to tag along with a stranger. "Well…uhmmm…" he stutters, trying to get his words across. Instead, he brings up their main yet petty concern in a half-hearted manner, "Uhmmm yes, we are so musty and dirty. Escaping from those hooligan partygoers had us really exhausted and sweaty. If you can, you can help us."
The girls are rather perplexed at why Lincoln jumped from the topic, though not as much frustratingly as Ronnie Anne (in her mind).
Though he also is perplexed, Felix moves on anyway. "Okay."
Felix then offers the gang a change of shirts. He has the girls change in his walking closet, which he used mostly as a storage room for boardgames and cardgames. He then locks the bedroom door.
Lincoln takes off his orange shirt and dons a gray shirt. "I look like a loner."
"Everyone's a loner when they feel like it," Henry comments as he sets up Felix's synthesizer. "Besides, you look cool on it."
The 11-year-old does not know if he should be flattered about his supposed compliment or be suspicious. "Thanks, I guess?"
For five minutes, the girls step out of the closet with newer shirts: Ronnie Anne is on a black tee, Stella is on a red tee, Girl Jordan is wearing an orange-and-blue volleyball jersey and Sid is donning a woolen turtleneck.
"It's like I am wearing my brother's sweatshirt," Girl Jordan reacts. "Though this is better."
"Why would wear his shirts?" Ronnie Anne asks.
"Whenever it is hot and sunny, that would be my option."
Felix then speaks to all, "Okay, so I guess we'll be having game night here for the meantime. The guys outside are too rough that I didn't even know why they are inside. Miles will need some explanation. Now, we can continue our UNO games. Or we could do One Night Werewolf."
Hearing that suddenly prompts Stella to be excited. "One Night Werewolf? I always wanted to play that game!"
"Well, Werewolf it is," Felix concludes, "If I can find the case." He searches for the cardgame in this closet. But after five minutes or so, he still has not searched for it, which makes the gang antsy. "I know it is here somewhere."
"You sure you know where it is?" Stella asks him.
"If it's not here, then it's probably in the study room."
Sid points to another door, which is open, adjacent to the window. "This is one is the study room?"
Felix confirms, sticking his head out. "Yes."
"I'll help you." Sid then enters the room, which triples as a mini-library and a pet room, and opens the light in it.
"Be careful. I have my fragile stuff in there." After he arranges his stacks of boardgames in the closet, Felix joins her in his study room.
Not wanting to set a dead air in the room, Henry switches the synthesizer on and presses the keys. "Well, while they are searching for your game, why don't we jam for a while?"
"You know how to play the keyboard?" Girl Jordan asks him.
"Yeah, I used to play synthesizer for the Royal Woods College orchestra." As he presses a key, Henry asks them, "So any requests?"
"Maybe something romantic but not romantic," Stella suggests.
"Okay, how about this?" Henry starts playing the iconic first chords of "A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton. It excites both Girl Jordan and Stella that they join him in jamming along.
Back at Sid and Felix, the barista searches their game from his other shelf of boardgames. Meanwhile, the 12-year-old spots his aquarium and the pet reptile residing in it.
"Hey Felix, what's in the aquarium?" she asks.
"A newt. I call her Newtilda," he answers.
"Why did you call it Newtilda?"
"From the book Matilda. There's a newt in the story. So, I combined the names: newt and Matilda."
"Oh, I kinda like that! Clever wordplay."
"Yeah." Felix then gets down from the shelf.
"Do you like newts?"
"Not exactly. I like the book. It kinda had a sentimental memory on it."
"Really? Was there something in the book that changed you?"
From there, Felix gives Sid another story slice.
While that is going on, Lincoln steps out to the patio from Felix's bedroom and tries to call Lori from her phone, but he only receives her recorded messages. He attempts to dial her again, to no avail. "Dang it!"
"She's not answering?" Ronnie Anne asks.
"Yeah," Lincoln answers. "How about Bobby?"
Ronnie Anne looks back at her cellphone and sees it still dialing to Bobby's phone. "He's not answering. I thought those two are gonna call us."
"Well, they are here. So, they are probably 'not' busy and 'are' on their way home," Lincoln grunts. "Lori ruins it for us."
"Bobby too." Ronnie Anne attempts to call him again, but she slams her back to the wall. "They ruined their day for us. We shouldn't even be here."
It is refreshing for Lincoln to see Ronnie Anne upset. It has been a while that she has returned to Royal Woods from her visit during last Thanksgiving. Thus, he reaches out to her, "Hey, I am happy that you are here."
Touched, Ronnie Anne smiles back.
Just as they are in the moment, Bobby's phone answers her call.
"Hello?" Ronnie Anne replies to him. But she hears a different voice.
