Marco

Well it was official: I hated my dad's new girlfriend. They had left over an hour ago but I was still disturbed by the images. My dad usually had nice taste; I mean he had my mum and people say I looked like my mum so he must have good taste. But this one was shocking. This woman had to be at least ten years older than he was. She wore a low cut dress that showed more than I needed to know and she smelled strongly of cigarettes. She had horrible looking teeth and her blonde hair was streaked with white.

I was planning to drop on the couch in front of the television and forget that horrible image when I heard knocking on the front door. I sighed and made my agonizing way to the door. I opened it and found the last person I thought would be on my doorstep. Jake.

"Hey man," he said, looking down at me. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," I said, letting him in. "My dad went to the movies with the most horrible looking broad in existence."

He actually laughed at that. I walked into the lounge and he followed me.

"So what brings you to my lovely abode?"

"Had to get out of there," he said darkly. "Do you realise my parents' think I'm taking drugs and want me to see some psychiatrist?"

I let out a low whistle. "That's got to be tough."

"You're telling me," he muttered.

"You want to play some video games?" I asked. "I've got that new Play station game."

He just shrugged and sat down on the couch.

"I'll take that as a no," I said gloomily. I sat down next to him and put on the television. Johnny Bravo was on.

"Did you hear about the Sharing?"

"What about the Sharing?" I asked tentatively. I didn't want to say anything to offend Jake. He was already messed up right now.

"They're holding a picnic day and anyone who attends gets a free membership."

"Free Yeerk! Come and get your free Yeerk!"

Jake didn't laugh. It probably wasn't a very good joke.

We just sat there, watching Johnny doing the most horrible things, then Jake said what I knew had been bugging him.

"How could Rachel do something like that?" he raged. "I mean she would willingly kill me just to gain power. What kind of a person does that?"

"Rachel," I muttered darkly. "But you don't blame yourself, do you?"

I looked at him. He just stared straight ahead. He didn't answer me at all.

"You've got to be kidding me Jake!" I exclaimed. "You still blame yourself for what happened to Tom, don't you?"

"If I had just…"

"No, Jake," I said. "Did Cassie have that soppy talk with you yet?"

"What?"

"You know that gooey talk you guys have when the rest of us aren't around," I explained calmly. "You know after a battle she talks to you about how it's not your fault, yadda yadda yadda."

"Look, Marco," Jake sighed and put his hand through his hair. I swear the guy was growing up way too fast. "The point is I didn't save Tom and Rachel has gone crazy because I hadn't bothered to think about her while we were making plans. I'm sure I should have at least made one of her plans work."

"If you had done that, we wouldn't be speaking at this very moment," I said exasperated.

The thing with Jake is he's too serious for his own good. I mean he's only a kid, but he acts as if he's forty. Not a way to live out your life. I mean everything that goes wrong in his or our lives he thinks it's his fault. He thinks everything is his responsibility. Maybe we did this to him. Maybe we pushed the leadership thing too hard on him and now he feels obliged to step up and take it.

"I'm sorry about what happened last night, Jake, but it's not your fault," I glanced at him, but he suddenly put an expressionless mask on and said quickly, "What's this new game you've got?"

"No, seriously, Jake," I pressed. "This is not your fault."

He just stared at the TV.

"How are you doing, anyway?" I asked.

"Fine."

I got up and opened a cabinet where I kept most of my video games. I took out the one I was looking for.

"Come on," I said, putting the game in the play station. "I was so cut up when my mum died."

"Why are you pushing this?" Jake asked, angrily. "Did Cassie put you up to this?"
"What?"

"Stop trying to do the Cassie thing, will you?"

"Look," I said just as angrily. "That psychotic cousin of yours is somewhere wrecking havoc no doubt, the Animorphs are no more and you watched your brother get killed, I'm just looking out for you."

"Whatever."

The game started and we began playing. I knew Jake wasn't into it and I wasn't either. Suddenly I heard a loud thump from upstairs. Jake and I glanced at each other.

"I'll go and see what it is," I said standing up.

"Do you want me to come?"

"No, it's alright, I can take care of myself, O Fearless Leader," I mocked.

"Don't call me that."

I walked up the stairs slowly. I don't know what I expected, but when you're an Animorph you start to expect the unexpected and you become slightly paranoid, which is a bad thing when you're already slightly paranoid.

I am almost certain that the noise came from my bedroom, so with shaking hands I opened my bedroom door and found myself staring at a red-tailed hawk and an Andalite.