A/N: Thanks for the reviews, peoplez! Anyways, I hope you guys had a happy Thanksgiving, filled with turkey…and...other food!
The Explaining
"Oh my…" Pebbles covered her mouth. "What are you guys doing in my room?"
Erik looked from Amanda/Archer to Pebbles and back. "You two look like you might be related," he said thoughtfully.
Pebbles rolled her eyes. "Well, that's because…"
She stopped mid-sentence. How was she going to explain to these people that they weren't real, let alone she herself created the other Amanda, Holli, and Cricket? Most importantly, how was she going to explain it to her parents?
No. Her parents couldn't find out.
"Alright, just…take a seat," she said, waving her hands. "Everyone. All of you."
After looking about for a few seconds, everyone grabbed a place to sit. Willy Wonka sat on the floor, Holli behind him on the footstool near the bed. Erik nabbed some of the pillows and sat on them, with one leaning behind him, and Amanda grabbed the beanbag chair and dragged it over with the others. Victor, who was thoroughly unsure of what to do, sat next to Cricket on the bed, still trembling.
Pebbles sighed and gazed around the room at everyone in turn.
Finally she said, "This may sound crazy, but…" She pointed to Victor. "Victor here is possibly the only one who knows what's going on."
Victor made a face and stopped trembling. "Why me?"
Pebbles explained to him that he was the only fictional character in the room that knew he wasn't really existent, which was sort of an understatement considering that he was sitting on the bed right in front of her! Holli put up a bit of an argument when she was told that Pebbles created her, but eventually she grasped the fact and fell silent again. Pebbles also explained the confusing topic about how Erik was considered to be real in some people and fake in others, but his "version" of the Phantom of the Opera was thought the most to be fake.
After she was done explaining, Willy took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. "That's weird," he said quietly.
Amanda looked up. "You've got a funny haircut," she giggled.
Pebbles and Willy spoke at once, "I do NOT!"
They glanced at each other.
Holli shrugged. "Well, we might as well make ourselves at home here."
After about an hour of arranging things, everything was set. Pebbles had grabbed enough pillows, blankets, and cushions to make a bed for each of the characters. Erik, who didn't sleep often, had a bed tucked away in case he got tired. Amanda slept in the corner with Holli. Cricket slept in the other corner across from them. Victor was straight in front of the dresser, the bed on his left. (So the dresser is on the right, the bed on the left, and a small walkway in the middle. That's where Victor is.) Willy slept in the corner next to the desk.
All in all, everyone was comfortable.
But then the phone rang.
"Guys, guys, be quiet!" Pebbles said, reaching for the phone. "Hello?"
"Amanda! It's Dad!"
"Hey, Dad! What do you need?"
"Just wanted to check up on you and to say that we'll be home in about five minutes!"
Victor, who had overheard the phone, asked, "Five minutes?"
"Amanda, who was that?"
"Um, that was just the TV," she replied sweetly, casting a shut-up-please-hun look at Victor.
"Oh…so, five minutes."
"Okay. See you then."
She pressed the "Off" button on the phone, a hollow look on her face.
"What? What happened?" asked Cricket uneasily.
"My dad'll be home in five minutes."
There was a silence for 10 seconds, and then Amanda shouted, "Well, let's hide ourselves!"
Even when it had taken them an hour to set up, they quickly tore down each bed and stuffed it in Pebbles' walk-in closet. After a moment of hesitation, Pebbles suggested that they hide in there, too.
"Is there air?" Willy asked hesitantly, eyeing the closet with suspicion.
"Yeah, of course!" Pebbles told him, ushering him into the closet and closing the door slightly as her parents unlocked the front door.
"Amanda! We're home!"
Pebbles ran out of her room to greet them. "Oh, hi! How was dinner?"
"It was…okay," her mother said, bending down to greet Dello, who was leaping at their feet. "Did she go out?"
"Yeah, I took her. Can you take her out again?"
"Yes, dear."
Pebbles breathed a sigh of relief and walked back up to her room, quietly shutting the door and opening the closet.
Erik walked out and took a deep breath. "It's VERY crowded in there," he said, brushing himself off.
"I'll say!" Holli replied, walking out behind Willy.
Pebbles made a shh-ing gesture. "Keep it down until my parents are asleep, all right?" she whispered. "Then we can have a party."
A/N: What will the party be like? We can only guess…that is, until next chapter! Review!
