::: Chapter 4 :::

I'll skip the part where I turn back into a spider... I was on the floor next to the gate, on the other side, and thought-spoke to Cassie. She came out of the room and walked over to the gate.

Cassie, watch where you're stepping. I'm not on the gate, you know.

I heard her give a half-laugh. I think she was looking around, but I wasn't sure. She said in a whisper, "It's okay now. You can demorph."

I demorphed, mumbling to her as I put my clothes on. "Ax is such a fricking bitch. I never thought I'd live to see the day where I insult him like that. But honestly."

She took the clothes from the other side of the gate, and I pulled on my large jersey.

"What'd he say?" Cassie asked.

We started to walk back to the room. "He's prejudice against third-class."

Cassie didn't say anything and I looked at her.

"What's wrong, Cas?"

She opened the door to our room and went in. She sat on the couch. "I don't know any of these people anymore," she said.

"You're wrong." I closed the door behind me and sat down next to her. "Our friends are there. They're just in a costume. We just have to pull it off."

She looked at me and shook her head in disbelief. "We can't pull it off."

"Jake saw Tobias when we were entering the ship. He said that Tobias looked vaguely familiar when they never met in the past. Now, you tell me if we can pull it off. They're in there, Cas. You just can't see. That's what the Ellimist wants us to believe. You know how he's like. He's always trying to fool us."

"He sure fooled me."

I took a long look at her. She was staring off at space, her elbows on her knees and her hands were clasped together. I knew why she was acting like this.

"It's Rachel and Jake, isn't it?"

She buried her face in her hands and I wished I hadn't said that. We still needed to find Tobias. "Rachel and Jake are my best friends. I love them both. I hate to say this to you, but I love them more than the others. Rachel's been my best friend for a long time and Jake... Well, you know about us."

I nodded. "I guess I don't blame you. If I saw my mom and dad like that, I'd freak out too. I'd probably coop myself up here until the ship sinks. No use living without the people that you love."

"Amen," she said.

*

Cassie was too much in a shock, so I decided to find Tobias instead of her. She wasn't in a good state to be in third-class. She would probably end up complaining to me how unfair the third-class are living and how unfair the Ellimist is for letting Tobias on third-class. I could picture it now:

"Marco, did you EVER see third-class? Did you?! Do you know how poorly their rooms are compared to ours?! For crying out loud, I only saw two bathrooms. Do you know how unjust that is!? And do you know what food they eat!? And do you know that's how Tobias is going through?! If no one kills the Ellimist for treating Tobias like trash, then I will."

Well, maybe Cassie wouldn't be that angry, but it'd be along the lines of that.

Cassie did help me with the whole morphing/gate thing. That was the most she could've done for now. When she's feeling better, I'll be the one shoving her the clothes and telling her to hurry up and get dressed before an old man passes by.

I was already demorphed and on the other side of the gate with a normal cotton jacket and jeans. It was pretty cold, since it was already dark. No one was walking around that much outside, probably because they were afraid to catch sickness. Most third-class passengers wanted to go to America and they weren't allowed in if they were sick. Having two bathrooms didn't help that.

I had no idea where Tobias was, so I wished for luck. It was past dinner time, so I'd figured that Tobias would be in his room. I knew that Tobias wouldn't be caught up in this Titanic mess. If he was still the same old Tobias, then he wouldn't have to live on third-class. I'd bring him up with me to second-class, introduce him to Jake, and then have Tobias meet Rachel and Ax.

I did have a map, but it didn't help that much. There were lots of rooms on third-class since, well, there were a lot of immigrants.

I was wearing a leather worn-in jacket that was in my suitcase. I didn't want to look out of the ordinary, since I wanted to blend in. I stuffed the map in one of the pockets and I started to wander around third-class. I guess there was no other way for me to find Tobias. I had no clue where he was, except that he was in third-class. I hoped that he wasn't in morph. That would triple the confusion of finding him.

I passed a small group of little kids running across the deck with their guardians watching them from a bench. The little kids were screaming their heads off as they chased one single boy around the hallways. I looked out towards the sky and the moon was bright and glowing. The stars were twinkling and new stars would appear out of no where.

I kept walking along the deck and I never saw a teenager. All I saw was little kids and adults.

I passed a couple who was arguing with each other near the rail.

They were speaking in poor English... I don't know why, though. If they couldn't speak English, then they should've spoken their native tongue.

"Take him, I don't care. I never wanted him anyway," said the lady in a flat tone.

"What are you saying? He is your brother's son! You will take him and keep him!" yelled the man in a drastic attempt.

"I won't and you can't make me!"

He took hold of her shoulders and stared at her face. She looked away. "You will not understand what will happen to him when we get to America. He will not know what to do... No place to stay. Do not let him wander around the crazy land like a wandering idiot. You do not want to make a fool of family member. Now do you?"

She shook her head no.

There was a click and the two adults turned towards where the sound came from. I looked, too and saw Tobias peeking from the door.

I saw him staring at me. I was staring at him.

"Tobias, don't come out or open the door. It is too cold," said the man.

"I heard," Tobias said. It was good to hear him again.

The two adults looked at each other and started whispering.

I sneaked to the door and Tobias hissed at me, "What are you doing here, Marco?!"

"I'm here to take you away," I hissed back, looking at the two people in case they found me.

"You can't."

"What?" I gave him a glare. "You better not be staying down here, Tobias."

He nodded towards the two who were still arguing. "If they find me missing, then they're going to come search for me. I'm the only next generation they have and if they can't find me, their family's dead. They'll do anything to find me. And I mean anything."

I was shaking my head the whole time he was talking. "Tobias, just morph yourself into a flea or something, hop onto me, and I'm taking you to second-class. Jake's up there."

He gave me a look. I knew what he was thinking.

"And Rachel's in first-class."

*

Ever since I told him about Rachel, he's been hysterical. He started morphing right then and there into a fly or whatever he was trying to morph into. I didn't know that he had already finished morphing. He morphed into a fly and clung onto my pants leg. I started walking away from the two people and they never noticed me.

I walked to the gate and made sure Tobias was still with me. I was glad that he was sane and not some Italian-speaking immigrant. I figured Ellimist wouldn't be that hard on us.

Through the whole time, Tobias has been asking me, How's Rachel? Is she all right? Does she know about us? I would love to see her again. I can't wait to see her.

"Tobias, get off my leg and fly across the gate."

I watched him fly across the gate's bars. I looked around, saw no one, made sure again, and started to morph to a spider. I walked across the gate.

Tobias, where are you?

I'm on the wall, he said.

I'll demorph then you will.

I demorphed into my normal self and I saw a fly land on the ground. Tobias started demorphing and I looked away. I didn't like seeing insects morphing into humans. It sort of makes me queasy.

Tobias walked in front of me, but he only had his boxers on. His clothes were probably still in his room. I gave him my leather jacket and he put it on. I looked around and saw a couple walking by. They were pretty young and they were heading towards us.

"Fuck!" I hissed.

"What?" Tobias asked. "Let me see."

I moved over to let him peek across the corner. He snapped his head back against the wall. "We can't let them find us like this," he said.

"Give me the jacket."

He did.

"Now morph into something small and make it quick."

I put on the jacket and Tobias was morphing into a mouse behind me. If he would be able to morph half his size, I could hide him.

I saw the couple past by us and I leaned against the wall, making sure not to smash Tobias into mouse mush.

They walked towards the rail of the deck, leaned against it, and started talking to each other. They were about five yards away. I prayed for them to look away for just one second.

I whispered very quietly, hoping Tobias could hear me. "Are you morphed into a mouse yet?"

Yeah.

I kneeled down and felt around the dark for a fury body. I found Tobias, picked him up, and put him in my pocket.

This pocket stinks.

I felt him squirming and I walked past the couple, never looking at them, and walked back into my room.

*

I opened the door to find Cassie on the couch with none other than Jake. He smiled at me and Cassie looked so happy. I thought Cassie had refreshed Jake's mind while I was away finding Tobias.

"Hey, Marco," said Jake. Apparently, I was right.

I stared at Cassie. I was mixed with feelings that I forgot Tobias was still hidden in my pocket.

Uh, Marco... You're forgetting me.

I shook myself out of my thoughts and let him go on the floor. He demorphed and he looked around.

"Where's Rachel?" was the first thing that came out of his mouth.

"I told you, she's in first class. And here, put on a shirt and some pants. You look insane." I handed him a plain t-shirt and some slacks. He put them on.

I looked over to Jake. "Jake, how's those Yeerks?"

"Dead," he replied. He grinned. He also lost that British accent.

"Cassie, you're a God!" I ran to her and hugged her while Tobias was finishing zipping up his pants.

Jake coughed and I let go of Cassie.

"Thanks, Marco," she half-laughed. "Jake came over when you just left and he asked me what the Yeerks were. Then I sort of told him everything then he just remembered everything like a flash. I don't know how he could've remembered it so fast." She looked at him.

"Maybe it was because it was you. You know that I love you and when fake Jake was reminded of the fight, the real Jake, or me, sort of... broke through."

She smiled.

"You two aren't going to kiss or anything, right?"

They both gave me a slight glare.

"So, Tobias, how did you come on this ship?" prompted Cassie, changing the subject.

He sort of looked off to the ground. I thought he didn't hear her and was daydreaming of Rachel. Then he said, "I woke up in this bed and there was a lady over me that was pouring water over my forehead. She kept telling me how God was going to cure me and that I was going to be much better. I sat up and she started thanking God and doing the Catholic cross thing. I asked her what happened and she told me I fell and bumped my head pretty hard. She called me by Tobias Esgar. She said that I had a chance to go to America with my aunt and uncle, but they didn't want to bring me along 'cause it was their honeymoon or something. I asked her what day and year it was. She told me, and I sort of freaked out. I also panicked 'cause I was by myself."

"Tell me about it," I interrupted.

"I didn't know where you guys were... Then she told me that I was going to go to America by the Titanic and I thought that if I returned to America, or try to live through Titanic, I could go home. I didn't see any of you until this night."

He looked like he was about to cry.

"I thought I was going to die on the Titanic," he said. "I mean, what's the chance of us surviving? You know how many people died on the Titanic? And do you know what's the chance of us surviving? Besides, we can't change the course of history."

I scratched my head and looked at Jake.

"What do we do, oh-fearless-leader?"

"We get Ax and Rachel. Tobias, you refresh their minds since you are the closest to each of them."

I muttered to myself, "So I'm closest to no one..."

Jake heard me and said, "You're my best friend, Marco. So shut up."

Tobias nodded to Jake. Then he insisted, "Can I talk to them both?"

"They're half-cousins, dude," I said.

Tobias cocked an eyebrow. "Great," he said in a long drawl of sarcasm.

I thought about what he meant... Tobias was in love with Rachel and Tobias's related to Ax... And Ax and Rachel are related at this moment so...

Ew.

I don't like the idea anymore.

:::

So, you met Tobias! Enough said. I'm sorry if he doesn't talk much... I think he seems OOC but hey, Rachel's back so why not make him perky? I'll be working on Chapter 5 where we revise Rachel and Ax. And, yes, refreshing their minds is easier than it seems. I only made it that way so I don't have to be more creative. Why? Because I'm lazy. =) Oh yeah, I love the reviews. Thanks! =D