Chapter eleven: Reunion and a New Life
At Mike's house, Lucy and Richard sat in the dining room, their faces conveying worry.
Lucy: (on her phone) Alright thank you, we will. (hangs up and looks at her husband) His teachers haven't seen Mike all day!
Richard: What?! I can't believe this.
Lucy: (frantic) What was he wearing last? Do you even remember what-
The two adults stop talking when they hear the door open. It was Mike.
Lucy and Richard: (relieved) Mike!
Richard: Oh, thank goodness!
Lucy: Oh, we were worried sick! Where have you been? It's so late!
Inside HQ the emotions listen to the adults ask Mike a million questions, while Joy looks at Sadness. He approaches the blue emotion. Sadness turns around and sees Joy holding the core memories, he holds them out to her. Sadness slowly reaches out and takes the core memories, they turn blue. Shame approaches Sadness and looks at the now blue core memories. He and Sadness look at Joy. Joy looks like he has tears building in his eyes as he gives a small nod. Shame and Sadness approach the recall tube and place a core memory into it as it's projected on the screen. It was the Friendship Island core memory.
As the memory plays, Mike's expression turns sad. Shame and Sadness put in the other memories, the Family Island core memory, the Goofball Island core memory, the Soccer Island core memory, and finally the Honesty Island core memory. With each one, Mike gets even sadder. Sadness approached the console slowly and pressed a button (the console turns blue). Mike lets out a few stuttering gasps and starts sobbing.
Mike: (sniffles) I-I know you don't want me to but, (sniffles) I miss home. I miss Minnesota.
Richard and Lucy, concerned, quietly listen to their son.
Mike: You need me to be happy, but….(sniffles) I want my old friends, and my soccer team. (sniffles) I wanna go home. Please don't be mad. (looks down and sniffles)
Richard and Lucy look at each other.
Lucy: Oh, honey….
Richard: (shakes his head) We're not mad. (pauses for a second) You know what? I miss Minnesota too.
Mike looks at his parents.
Richard: (off-screen, con't) I miss the woods where we took hikes.
Lucy: And the backyard where you used to play.
Richard: The spring lake, where you first learned to skate.
Mike cries harder as he remembers.
Richard: Come here.
Mike is then pulled into a hug by his parents as he continues to cry. Inside Headquarters, Joy looks at Shame and Sadness. Joy gives a small smile as he pulls one last thing out of the bag: the blue core memory. Shame and Sadness stare in surprise and take the memory. Joy turns to walk away but Sadness takes his hand and places it on a button on the console, causing the console to glow blue and yellow. As that happened, Mike, still in an embrace, does something he never did before, he smiles through his tears.
The emotions watch the whole thing, suddenly a soft "Bong!" enters the room.
Everyone looks towards the wall at the sound of a new core memory being made. The core memory rolls out, it was a combination of blue and yellow. The memory rolls into the floor and is inserted into the holder. A new light line extends out the back of the HQ tower and it forms a new Family Island, bigger than the original. Joy and Sadness return their attention to the screen as Mike and his parents continue to hug. Shy and Excitement, who were confused by the whole ordeal approach their brother.
Shy: I don't understand, why did you let her do it?
Excitement: Yeah. Why did you let Sadness drive?
Joy: Everyone has a purpose. (he smiles as he looks at Sadness) Even if you have to be sad.
Two days later, Mike approaches his school while messing with his new braces that he had installed yesterday. As he enters the school yard, Brett looks up and sees him as uncertainty spreads across his face. Brett's emotions look at the screen nervously.
Brett's Fear: There he is!
Brett's Worry: He looks kind of better. But I'm still not sure if we're ready.
Brett takes a deep breath and approaches Mike slowly. Inside Headquarters, the emotions are talking to each other. Sadness was busy looking at a new core memory that was made yesterday by her and Shame. The memory was dark blue and light blue and it made new Honesty Island.
Disgust: (annoyed) Ugh, I can't believe we got braces!
Shame: (with a new paper bag on his head) Yeah, we look hideous.
Joy: Come on guys, we'll only have these for a few months. By 'few' I mean 'a long while.'
Smartness: Yeah. Before you know, we'll have them removed and Mike's teeth shall be nice and straight.
Mike stops picking at his braces when he hears his cell phone vibrate. Curiosity immediately approaches the console and pulls a lever.
Mike: Who's texting me? (pulls out his phone and reads a message from Sam) "Hey, I just want to say that I'm sorry if I sounded like I was replacing you when I mentioned the new kid. Also, I have some exciting news!"
Curiosity: (reading the text to the others) "Because of my advanced knowledge in geology and excavation, I'm being transferred to Berkshire Middle School! See you in a couple weeks!"
Excitement gasps before letting out a long high pitched shriek of happiness.
Shy: Sam's coming here?! I can't believe it! Can any of you believe it?!
Excitement: I know right?! Nothing's going to ruin this day for me!
Mike: (suddenly trips) WHOA! (falls on top of a girl)
Brett freezes in his tracks. He saw that one of Luke's friends had caused Mike to trip. Brett's emotions gasp in shock.
Brett's Anger: WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?!
Brett's Frustration: I don't believe it. (serious) Alright boys, remain at your stations. I really don't want to activate the explosion.
Brett's Worry: (nervous) Boss, you can't be serious!
Brett's Frustration: I am. (to Peace) Recall every calm memory you can think of.
Brett's Peace starts pressing a button repeatedly and tons of calming memories pour into the room. Brett takes a deep breath to calm down.
Mike: (to the girl) Oh my god! I'm so sor-! (gasps)
Mike had just stood up and got a good look at the girl, it was his old friend Katrina. Katrina stares at Mike in disbelief as the camera zooms in on her head so we can see HER emotions. All of them, minus Joy, Love, and Surprise, were running around screaming as an alarm shouts: "BOY! BOY! BOY!"
Katrina's Joy: Oh my god! (presses a button at the same time as Surprise)
Back to Mike and Katrina….
Katrina: (smiles) Mike?
Mike: Katrina!
The two hug each other and laugh. Suddenly, Luke, Mark, and Phoebe approach as they scowl.
Luke: I have my friend trip you and you start making out with my girl?
All of Mike's emotions watch dumbstruck.
Boredom: What did he just say?!
Anger: "His girl"?! WELL FOR YOUR INFORMATION, SHE'S NOT YOURS BUB!
Katrina approached Luke with irritation on her face.
Katrina: Since when did you say that I was your girl? And second, what's your deal with Mike?
Luke: Since I first laid eyes on you. And because he's a weak scarfaced crybaby.
Frustration: (snaps) Oh, that's it! (Slams a button)
Mike: (annoyed) Well. Have you seen a crybaby do this?! (punches Luke in the face)
Luke: (holding his face) Why you little! I'm going to enjoy this!
Cut to Brett, his eyes widen in shock.
Brett's Contempt: I'm picking up a high threat level here!
Brett's Frustration: Activate ALPHA-11!
Brett's Anger: (excited and enraged) Alright!
An alarm starts to go off as paneling on the console moves to reveal large glowing levers, which Brett's Anger grabs a hold of as he begins to steam up.
Brett's Frustration: Launch in five, four, three-!
Brett's face begins to turn a deep red as he looks at Mike and his now ex-friend.
Luke: (to Mike as he raises his fist) Anything else to say wimp?
Inside Mike's head, Frustration grabs the two levers and pushes them forwards as she yells in irritation.
Mike: (annoyed) YOU'RE THE REAL WIMP HERE!
Luke: That's it! (pulls back his fist)
With Brett's emotions….
Brett's Frustration: Cover your eyes!
Everyone looks away as Brett's Anger pushes the two large levers forward as his WHOLE body explodes into fire.
Brett's Anger: (enraged) AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Brett: (snaps) LEAVE HIM ALONE!
Luke glances at Brett. Mike's emotions stare in shock and confusion.
Joy: Hey, what's happening?
Shy: Huh?
Brett: (to Luke) You think you have a problem with that boy!? He was just a boy who wanted to have her own happy place back, the real reason he cried in class, is because he wasn't in his happy place back then! I'd never been able to get my own happy place throughout my entire life! How would you like it if someone out there made fun of you just because how sad you got when you lose your happy place!? Huh!?
Back with Mike's emotions….
Joy, Sadness, Shy, Laughter, Peace, and Excitement: Whoa.
Pride: (amazed) That's quite the amount of courage.
Luke: (lowers his fist) Calm down Smalls! We're doing you a huge favor. Giving you a happy life.
Brett: (points at Mike) Is THIS how you should help me have a happy life!? Making other kids, including the newer ones having miserable lives, and bullying them!? It's clear to me that you'd never know anything about how to make others truly happy, Luke McGraw! As of now, consider this acquaintanceship over!
Luke scowls in response.
Luke: Fine. But you don't even know anything about this kid that makes him cool.
Inside HQ, the emotions look at each other.
Joy: Anyone have any suggestions?
Fear: We could say that we have good grades.
Pride: (smiles) Actually, I have a better one. (presses a button)
Mike: Well, I play an instrument. That's fun.
With Brett's emotions….
Brett's Joy: (gasps)
Brett's Worry: Is something wrong?
Brett's Anger: Didn't you hear him? He plays an instrument!
Brett's Boredom: So?
Brett's Frustration: (remembering) We played an instrument.
Brett's Joy: Yeah! (recalls a memory)
On the screen, a younger Brett Smalls is shown in a rock star outfit while playing a drum set.
Brett's Boredom: Oh yeah! That's right!
Brett's Contempt: (sits back) We knocked our family dead with our solos!
Brett: I played an instrument. (smiles) I still have that drum set.
Mike: Nice. I got an electric guitar.
Mike and Brett: (in unison) I've been playing a lot of AC/DC./My favorite band is AC/DC.
Mike and Brett look at each other and gasp. They like the same band.
Mark: (off-screen) Hey sis, look at these!
Everyone turns around to see Mark looking at one of Mike's journals, which had fallen out of his backpack.
Mark: (to Mike as he looks at the pictures) What are you an artist or something? (Phoebe arrives just in time to see Mark turn to a page with a Hideous Zippleback picture on it, causing the twins to gasp)
The camera zooms in on Mark's head to reveal HIS emotions. All of them look at the picture in absolute awe. The camera cuts to Phoebe's head as it zooms in to reveal HER emotions. Just like her brother, they were in absolute awe.
Mark: (smiles) Hey this is pretty good!
Phoebe: Look at this! He's written down every little fact about the dragon!
Luke stares in disbelief. Seeing that his friends had practically denounced their coolness he and his remaining cronies walk away. Mike approaches the twins.
Mike: (shyly) Do you guys like it?
Mark: We love it!
Phoebe: Look at this! (gestures to the drawing) This just simply amazing! The Zippleback is the best breed of the franchise!
Inside HQ, Joy cracks his knuckles as he approaches the console.
Joy: Oh really? (presses a button)
Mike: Actually, the best breed you'll find is the Night Fury.
Katrina: I agree with Mike, but Deadly Nadders are the best.
Brett: Hogwash! Monstrous Nightmares are the best!
Mike: (to the twins and Brett) You guys watch How to Train Your Dragon?
Brett: Yup! (suddenly concern) Oh! I didn't ask, but, are you alright?
With Mike's emotions…
Envy: Can we trust this guy?
Worry: (nervous) Yeah, what if he's just pretending?
Joy: Don't worry you guys, we'll just take it nice and slow.
Shy: Well then, my time to shine. (turns a dial)
Mike: (little bit shy) Um, yeah.
Mark and Phoebe look at each other, knowing they had done some damage in the past with Luke.
Mark: Hey, we're sorry about Luke.
Phoebe: He made us just like him, picking on the ones we thought were uncool and weak.
Brett: Same here. And I just want you to know that I know exactly how you feel. I used to be pretty happy when I was little, but times have changed.
Mike: You moved to Berkshire too?
Brett: Yeah, my family is sort of going through hard times and it's kind of hard to stay positive.
Mike: Tell me about.
Mark: Hey, what's your name again?
Mike: My full name is Michael Isaac Parker, but please call me Mike.
Brett: Nice to meet you Mike, I'm Brett Smalls.
Katrina: You guys probably already know me, but just in case you don't, I'm Katrina Ford. I'm an old friend of Mike.
Phoebe: I'm Phoebe.
Mark: Hi, I'm Mark. (gestures to his sister) And I'm older than her.
Phoebe: (gives him a playful shove) By 90 seconds.
The group continued to talk. Inside Brett's mind, a sudden thought came Brett's Curiosity, causing him to press a button.
Brett: Hey, Mike, where were you on Friday?
Shame heard what Brett said and he pulls a lever in response.
Mike: (ashamed) I, uh, almost ran away back to Minnesota.
Mark: Well, I'm sure glad you decided to stay.
Mike: Thanks.
Brett: (awkwardly) So, do you guys want to be friends?
Inside Mike's mind, Shy and Excitement ran towards the console eagerly.
Shy/Excitement: Heck yeah we do! (pushes a button, causing the console to glow lilac and gold)
Mike: (with a big smile) I would like to be your friend!
Katrina: Same.
Mark: Well then, I guess that means we can restart on making friends! Right Phoe-?
Mark stopped when he saw that his sister disappeared. He then sees her by the school entrance.
Phoebe: Well, come on new friends, we're going to be late!
As soon as Phoebe said that, inside HQ…
SFX: a soft "Bong."
Another core memory rolls into the room. This time it was a swirl of lilac and gold. The emotions watch as it is inserted into the holder. The lightline then extends outside and it forms a much larger Friendship Island. The scene then changes to the school entrance to show Mike and his new friends enter. It was clearly the start of a beautiful friendship.