Author's Note: Hey everyone! For Mother's Day, I gift you my second chapter update in two days, woo-hoo!
Things are about to get really intense, and we are now only a few chapters away from the end of this story. Hang in there with me, guys, the next few chapters are gonna be a bumpy ride! In this chapter, Bucky and the rest of the squad prepare to perform for Shore Day, while Addison makes an important discovery.
Love to you all!
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Bucky inhaled, taking in the excellent combined smells of fair food and the nearby sea. The air was also filled with the scents of fireworks. as little children all around played with smaller firecrackers and smoke bombs. The entire beach was also thick with the sounds of music coming from the nearby stage, the continuous crash of the ocean waves, and hundreds of overlapping voices. On the pier, he could hear the screams of joyful Shore Day celebrants as they rode the roller coaster and various other rides.
A cool wind ruffled his hair as he stood besides the entryway to the pier, taking it all in. He pulled his "president" varsity jacket closer around himself. It was a bit chillier than he'd expected, but he was enjoying all of the sights and sounds of Shore Day, nonetheless. However, the sight that he had enjoyed the most so far today was seeing a certain man with a head of long white hair. Bucky had actually felt his mouth drop open earlier, when Qamar had lifted and moved rocks that no regular guy would ever have been able to lift without some sort of heavy machinery.
He was definitely the strongest guy Bucky had ever seen. Bucky wondered if, now that Lunites would be joining Seabrook High, Qamar might consider joining the cheer squad. He'd be an excellent base, and would probably have no issues picking up the choreography. Not to mention, Bucky would have an excuse to see and potentially hang out with the Lunite on a daily basis. He smiled at the thought.
"What are you grinning about?" Asked Addison, jolting Bucky's wandering mind back to the present. They were currently standing outside the main entrance to the pier, as the rest of the squad talked animatedly amongst themselves about their own plans for Shore Day, once their performance was over. There was a band playing ahead of them, and then it would be their turn to take the stage and wow the citizens of Seabrook.
"Nothing," Bucky said sternly, shooting her a look of mild annoyance. "I'm concentrating on the performance, of course. You should be, too." He scolded as an afterthought.
"Whatever" Addison said, rolling her eyes. "The whole squad could do this routine in their sleep. We're going to rock this."
Bucky didn't reply, but he had to begrudgingly admit that she was right. Thanks to his excellent coaching skills, the squad was a well-oiled machine.
Well, he supposed that Addison being captain had also helped. A little.
"So what are you gonna do after the performance is over?" Addison asked. "Maybe you could talk Qamar into riding the roller coaster with you. It'd give you an excuse to sit really close together, huh?" She waggled her eyebrows in mock flirtation, and he laughed in spite of the faint blush he felt coloring his cheeks. He decided to ignore the suggestion.
"You are such a weirdo." He replied instead, shaking his head. In the past, Addison would have taken that as a great insult. But now, to Bucky's continued confusion, she seemed to embrace her own strangeness, and even seemed proud of it.
"Yeah, and we're related." Addison said, nudging him. "So what does that say about you?"
They both laughed at that, and looked out at the group of assembled cheerleaders as the squad members continued to chat animatedly.
While he wouldn't say it out loud, he really was proud of Addison. She'd grown a lot in the past few years, and the dynamics of their relationship had shifted a great deal. It was still a little jarring, to see her so vibrant and full of confidence. Back when they were younger, she'd been so focused on fitting in and not making any waves. Now, Addison had embraced the idea of standing out. All while promoting equality and celebrating differences.
She had definitely changed for the better. And, just maybe, Bucky was changing for the better, too.
As they stood and continued to converse casually, Bucky found his eyes drifting over to the cove where a large boat bobbed in the water, decorated with pink and green balloons and streamers. This was the boat that held all of the pyrotechnics equipment for tonight's firework show.
Bucky was particularly looking forward to the fireworks display after dark. It was probably a bit childish, and he'd never admit it to anyone, but he had always loved a good firework show. Especially when he and Addy were little kids. He would jump up and down with each pop and bag, and exclaim his wonder with many "Ooohs" and "Ahhhs."
Of course, he wouldn't embarrass himself nowadays with such a childish display of joy or wonderment. He did, after all, have a reputation to uphold, at least to some extent. He may have been a new-and-improved, more accepting version of himself, but he was still the great Bucky Buchanan!
To his side, Addison scooped up her robin's egg blue megaphone, reaching out to switch on the speaker. He was glad she was finally using it, especially since he'd had it custom made for her to congratulate her on making captain. Though she could definitely stand to be a bit more forceful with it. She never even turned it up to full volume.
"Hey, everyone!"Addison called into the speaker, drawing the attention of the squad as their chattering quieted.
"The current band is gonna be finishing up their set in just a minute, and then we'll be taking the stage. I don't know about you guys, but I am way fired up!" Addison exclaimed.
Her enthusiastic statement was immediately echoed by each and every cheerleader. Several in the little squad lept up and down, cheered, and waved their poms into the cool air. As they cheered, a gentleman in a bubble gum pink shirt and a matching bandana tied around his head approached her and Bucky, waving his clipboard to gather their attention.
"The band just finished!" The man in pink said. "They're clearing the platform now. You guys are on in five!" He held up five fingers to accentuate his point, and then rushed back towards the stage.
"Okay guys!" Addison said excitedly into the microphone. "Lets do this! Hands in, everyone!"
At her command, the squad lurched forward into a tight circle, each person reaching their arm inward towards the center. After a pointed look from Addy, Bucky rolled his eyes and added his own hand to the center of the circle.
"'Go mighty shrimps' on three!" Addison instructed. "One, two—!"
"GOOOO MIGHTY SHRIMPS!" The squad shouted, joining their hands together for a brief second before raising them skyward, several silver poms glittering in the vibrant daylight.
Then, they all began to march towards the stage, ready to take their place and entertain the citizens who were gathered before the stage. Even from this distance, Bucky found that he could easily spot Qamar just a few rows from the front, looking in his direction as the squad approached the stage. Their eyes met, and Qamar smiled at him and offered him a thumbs up. Bucky felt himself grinning like an idiot, and quickly recomposed his features into an expression of businesslike concentration.
Don't go all gooey-eyed right now! He chastised himself. Focus on the performance. He just smiled at you, for cheer's sake!
No one had ever had such an effect on Bucky's concentration, before. Normally, before a performance, he was laser focused on doing his best and ensuring that every detail went smoothly. But then again, he'd never met a person quite like Qamar before, either.
The squad took their place behind the stage, and waited for their cue. He could hear the crowd cheering in anticipation, easily able to hear Zed bellowing out 'GO ADDISON!' as he and the others stood and waited for the performance to begin. Next to Bucky, Addison snickered, clearly able to hear her boyfriend's cheers as well.
Bucky was sure that Aunt Missy and Uncle Dale would be somewhere in the crowd, too. They never missed a single game, performance or competition. He wondered, fleetingly, when the last time was that his parents had bothered to show up for anything he did. Nothing came to mind, which was sad but unsurprising. He pushed the depressing thought away, focusing resolutely on the cheer routine instead.
Bucky inhaled through his nose, closing his eyes and exhaling through his mouth.
Focus, Bucky. He told himself. You are the School President. You are a Cheer Rockstar! Everyone loves you! Everyone wishes they could be you! You are the great Bucky BUCHANAN!
Bucky nodded to himself, feeling the soothing sense of self-confidence wash over him. Much better. Overhead, he heard the intro music for their routine, and grinned. Turning to Addison, he offered her a broad smile.
"C'mon, Baby Cuz." Bucky said. "Let's show 'em how it's done!"
Together, followed by the rest of the squad, they ran with their poms waving onto the stage as the music swelled and the crowd roared.
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Addison smiled as she soared through the air, before being caught in mid flight by Bonzo and another squad member. She loved flying. Not as much as Bree did, but it was still definitely one of her favorite things to do in cheer.
As the routine continued, she found a small part of her mind wandering as she looked around the crowd. She saw Zed wink at her, and felt her smile widen as she turned to do a cartwheel across the stage. Next to Zed, she briefly glanced her sister, who was watching the entire performance with rapt attention. Mayar was cheering her on, and clapping enthusiastically with each new move or maneuver.
Addison could feel Mayar's regret at missing so much of her life, and her joy at being here to show her support, now. Mayar wanted so much to be a part of Addison's life. She was definitely a good big sister.
The music swelled again, building towards the big finale. The bulk of the squad joined together, forming a massive double pyramid as the tumblers cascaded across the stage in precise yet fluid movements. Bucky was currently at the center of the stage, performing one impressive stunt after another. The crowd was going wild.
Addison stood in place at the top of one side of the double pyramid, holding hands with Bree at her side as they looked out over the cheering spectators. Addison laughed with joy, surveying the crowd and their surroundings.
At the edge of the stage, she noticed several nautical decorations set up around the corners of the platform and up above the crowd. There were several oversized green and pink starfish and seahorses, to really drive home the ocean theme. But the thing that caught her eye was the glittering fishing net, which had been hung up along the sides of the stage and above the audience. It hung in swagged panels, each section of netting accentuated with a vibrant starfish or seahorse.
Again, Addison had the strangest notion that she had seen that netting pattern somewhere, recently. Another strong breeze rippled through the open space, causing the netting to sway back and forth, as though it were rocking along with the waves of the ocean.
In her mind, Addison suddenly recalled Charon's vision of his moonstone hiding place. Dark and dingy, with the moonstone rocking back and fourth, suspended from old ropes. In the background, there was a crisscross pattern that Addison and the others had believed to be chain-link fencing. But maybe the pattern wasn't a fence. Maybe it had been netting.
Maybe the moonstone had never been hidden in a building at all.
"Boat," Addison gasped. "The moonstone is on a boat!"
"What?" Asked Bree, brows dipping down slightly in confusion.
Then, the performance was over. They both yelped as the pyramid folded in, nearly falling due to their dual distraction. The crowd was roaring with applause, but Addison was already pushing her way through the group of celebrating cheerleaders. Bree was right behind her, and as they headed towards the stage, Addison bumped into a beaming Bucky.
"Hey, cuz! We really rocked it out there! Where are y—"
"Come on," Addison insisted, grabbing him by the sleeve and tugging him along.
"Addy," Bree asked. "What's going on?" Behind her, Bonzo appeared, looking confused.
"We need to find the others." Addison insisted. "I figured out where the moonstone is."
As if on cue, Addison spotted their group of friends rushing towards them, looks of happiness on each of their faces as they approached the four cheerleaders. Wyatt was holding hands with Mayar, Qamar was grinning broadly as he walked between Wynter and Willa. To Willa's side, Eliza and Zed brought up the rear of the group. As Zed caught sight of Addison's expression, his face fell slightly.
"Ads?" He asked as they all reached one another in front of the stage. "What's wrong?"
"I think I figured out where the moonstone is." Addison exclaimed, and watched as everyone's eyes widened in surprise.
"Where?" Eliza gasped, squeezing Willa's hand tightly.
"It's on a boat." Addison said. "That's why it was rocking back and forth in the vision Charon accidentally showed us. Because of the water. And it wasn't chain-link fencing in the background like we thought, it was fishing net! It has to be here, somewhere."
"If the moonstone is here somewhere in one of the boats, then the beach may not be the safest place to be right now." Bree gulped, looking out along the shoreline at the various boats as they bobbed up and down in the waves. "What if he still has it rigged up to do something?"
"Oh, brains." Zed said. "We have to tell everyone to leave!"
"Hold on!" Qamar said, holding up a hand. "How are we supposed to figure out which boat has the stone in it? There's a hundred of them all along the cove!"
"I know which one it'll be on." Bucky said, in a shockingly confident voice.
Everyone paused, looking at him with incredulity.
"What?" He asked. "If you want to make an impression, you go for the boat that's gonna give you the biggest show."
Bucky pointed his index finger out towards the cove, where there sat a large boat, gaudily draped in pink and green banners and balloons.
"The firework boat." Eliza groaned. "Of course. Charon was in charge of setting up the fireworks display this year!"
"We've got to warn everyone!" Addison said, and began to run towards the microphone that had been placed back onto the center of the stage. However, she didn't get more than a few steps towards her goal before her had, Chief Dale, rushed up and onto the stage, phone still in hand.
"ATTENTION, EVERYONE!" Chief Dale's voice boomed over the sound system. "Charles Moon has escaped from Seabrook County Jail. His whereabouts are currently unknown, but we believe him to be highly dangerous! Until he is caught, I suggest that you all return to your homes in an orderly fashion—"
Cutting him off, several people in the crowd began to scream with panic and fear. Rather than departing in the orderly fashion that Addison's dad had recommended, the entire crowd seemed to erupt into chaos. People, wolves, zombies and Lunites were running frantically, screaming and knocking one another over in their haste to get to safety. Her dad continued to try to shout out instructions, but they seemed to be falling on deaf ears.
"We have to get to that boat." Addison said loudly, drawing back the attention of her friends.
"Eliza, you come with me. You're the only one smart enough to undo whatever it is that Charon has set up."
"Right," Eliza said, tapping at the corner of her beloved laptop in her grey and maroon cross-body bag.
"No!" Willa said instantly, grabbing Eliza's other arm. "You aren't going anywhere without me."
Eliza sighed, and reached up to run a hand ever-so-gently across Willa's face.
"Willa," she said, "I can handle myself. And you're the pack leader; you need to make sure that the rest of the wolves get to safety."
She stretched up on here tiptoes, offering Willa a short but sweet kiss.
Willa looked torn, and Addison saw her grasping at the little ring box that she knew rested in her vest pocket.
"Don't worry Willa," Wyatt said as he kissed the top of Mayar's hand before releasing it. "I'll go with them to make sure they stay safe."
"Thanks, Wyatt." Willa nodded. With a final look towards Eliza, she and Wynter turned and rushed into the crowd.
"We're going with them," Mayar said, holding Qamar's hand. "We need to make sure that all of our people get safely back to the Crater."
"And I have to make sure that the cheerleaders and students get home safe." Bucky said. "I'm the president; they'll listen to me." Bucky looked worried but resolved as he and Qamar made brief eye contact across their group of friends. Then Bucky, Mayar and Qamar melted into the crowd as well, shouting out directions to their respective groups.
"Addy," Bree said. "I'm coming too. I know how to conn a boat. We need to get that thing as far from Seabrook as possible, until it's safe!"
"That's a good idea." Zed said, and grabbed Addison's hand. "Come on, let's go!"
"No!" Addison nearly shouted, and everyone looked at her in surprise. "You stay here, Zed. You need to help make sure that the other zombies get evacuated safely."
In truth, the thought of Zed going onto the boat with them filled her with a sense of dread that she didn't fully understand. The dream of Zed, lying dead in the ambulance, flashed again in her mind. Somehow, Addison just knew that if Zed were to get on that boat, something bad would happen to him.
"No way," Zed insisted, grabbing both of her hands. "If you go, I go, Addy. We're a team. And besides, I can help."
"You'll be able to help more here!" Addison insisted almost frantically. "And we don't have time to argue about this. Stay here, Zed!"
She had assumed he would get mad at her insistence that he stay behind, but instead, he simply smiled and shook his head.
"Sorry," he replied with that adorable half-grin of his, the one that made her heart melt. "But I'm staying with you. Always." He pulled her in close, offering her a brief but passionate kiss.
Addison sighed as she pulled away slightly, suddenly realizing what she'd have to do to keep him safe.
"I'm sorry too, Zed." She said, kissing him lightly on the cheek.
Zed looked down at her, confused.
"What are you sorry fo-o—"
Suddenly, Zed stopped talking, blinking tiredly. Then, he dropped like a stack of bricks to the pavement.
Addison had successfully knocked him out, using her powers.
"Addy!" Bree gasped, as Eliza, Wyatt and Bonzo looked on in shock. "What are you doing?!"
"I'm throwing him to safety." Addison said, thinking back to the story of Ainar and Liviana. Zed was going to stay safe; even if he would be furious at her for it, later.
"Bonzo," Addison instructed. "Take Zed, and get as far away from the beach as you can. We'll meet up with you guys later."
Addison had never seen Bonzo angry, but he was definitely glaring at her now as he scooped up his best friend's limp form. She could feel the anger and worry pulsing out of him, and she knew that he and the others definitely didn't approve of her plan to keep Zed safe. But as long as he was alright, they could all think whatever they wanted.
With a quick kiss from Bree, Bonzo bolted with Zed's limp form towards the direction of Zombietown, bellowing out directions in Zombie Tongue to his fellow zombies as he ran.
Addison watched them go, feeling relief that Zed would be safe. She'd worry about the repercussions of her actions later. For now, she turned back to Eliza, Bree and Wyatt.
"Okay guys," She said with determination. "Let's go save Seabrook."