A/N: This chapter brings us to 10k words woohoo

I'm on a Zoey-protagonist-energy-kick as of late apparently, not sure why but we're gonna roll with it. This chapter hurt my brain less than the next chapter of MCS does so it's done first, you're welcome?

Special thank you to TDfan12, pitras . sawicki, Kitkatkatester, and the three guests for reviewing the last chapter( where'd y'all come from I never get this many reviews on TD stuff hello-) :)

Enjoy!

"I can't believe it! This has got to be what I think it is!" Cameron slammed his book onto the table next to Zoey at lunch the next day, wiping sweat off his forehead. Her friends gave him looks of confusion and slight disgust.

She half heartedly looked up at him from her salad but her gaze quickly shifted back down and she sighed. "Whatever it is, I don't really want to hear it right now, Cameron…" she said honestly, trying to get him to take a hint.

Cameron raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? I really believe this is what you were looking for-" he's started paging through the book.

"Yes, I'm sure!" Zoey replied quickly, clearly irritated. "I…want to eat my lunch, I don't want to think about him…them, whatever, right now, okay? I'm sorry," she apologized, not looking him in the eye.

Cameron appeared hurt, strenuously hoisting back up the book. "O-okay, then, maybe another time…?" No response. "I'll just…go." He turned and doggedly walked away with the very heavy book.

"Who's the little nerd kid?" one of the girls across from Zoey asked between sandwich bites.

Zoey didn't respond, opting to finish her salad and leave lunch early to the murmurs of those who she'd thought would maybe have asked if something was up by now, but…she must have expected too much of them.

She felt eyes on her as she got into her car after the art club was over, the hood of her jacket up since it had started drizzling. Checking her surroundings, she saw nothing out of the ordinary…until-

"Crikey, that's one helluva prowler right there!" a strongly accented male voice spoke from behind her car, giving her a jump. "Looks real sturdy-like, could maybe use a spot o' paint there on the bonnet."

Zoey blinked and quickly got out of the car once again.

Fedora perched just right to shade away the uglier parts of his face, shirt half-tucked and extra wrinkly with the sleeves pushed up, sturdy boots covered by beat up jeans and a few spots of dirt, there Mike was…not. He wasn't there, this was someone else entirely. What was his name again…?

"Ah, the beauty's driven by a fine Sheila, is it?" Manitoba said the obvious with a jovial smirk and a tip of the hat. "Can't say I'm shocked."

"Thanks…?" Zoey did her best to be polite when she was really quite frustrated by the whole day and really wanted to go home and lie down, especially now that she was getting a bit wet from the rain. "I'm going home now, so it'd be great if you could move…"

"O' course, my bad, Sheila," Manitoba apologized, swiftly moving out of the way. "Was looking for something myself, see, or someone, one of the two, right, and got a bit distracted."

"What are you looking for?" Zoey asked out of slight curiosity.

"Got a note to delivah for…a friend. Was told to come 'ere to 'is school," Manitoba explained, walking over to stand across from her; she could almost see a tint of green in his clear brown eyes. "Sumn' of an adventure gettin' 'round with no wheels, but that's what I like, Sheila, bit o' excitement while I'm out here!"

…Mike's house is like…ten miles from here. He really walked that whole way?

He looked at Zoey a bit closer under the hood, his excellent sight taking notice of the smallest strands of red hair loose from their ponytail. "Blimey, it might just be you I'm meant to give it to." He took a piece of paper from his jeans pocket and read it quickly. "They call you Zoey by chance, miss?"

Shocked, Zoey nodded slowly. "Yeah, that's my name…" Whose note was it? she couldn't help but wonder.

Manitoba grinned. "Now ain't that ace! M' quest has come good after all." He offered the paper to her in its rolled up form, tightly sealed in his hand. "Just need to retrace my path…" The rain had started coming down harder as he began to leave.

Zoey took the note before deciding she'd feel bad letting him go off on a second long hike in this weather. "I could drive you wherever you're going," she offered.

"Aw, that's awful sweet! Not that I couldn't dog it all the way there, but, if you really insist…" Manitoba accepted with another smirk, reversing directions.

"Don't make me regret this," Zoey advised with a sigh as she got back in the car. "You're in the back seat."

"If you insist."

The first five minutes were silent but for the tapping of the rain on the windows and the classic rock music blaring softly from the speakers. Zoey kept her eyes on the road while occasionally checking the rear view mirror, in case Manitoba did something weird.

Soon enough Manitoba started weaving tales of his time in his home country of Australia as he stared out the foggy glass. When he got to the part about fighting a big spider and a giant snake the same time was when Zoey spoke up again. "When was the last time you were home, Manitoba?" she asked.

Manitoba's face quickly fell. "It's been some time, miss, I'll admit…" he said a bit nervously.

"Where do you live now?" Zoey asked as she temporarily parked in front of the house.

"…you're a strange one, Zoey, anyone told you that?" Manitoba remarked carefully before getting out of the car. "'Preciate the lift." He tipped his hat again and soon disappeared through the rain and behind the front door.

Zoey watched the rain pour down for a while longer before remembering to check the note, hoping it was from who she hoped it was. The handwriting looked rushed and fell off towards the end.

Hey Zoey,

Sorry about the other day. It's been a weird move and I don't always have a handle on what's going on…

Thanks for the homework, I really appreciate it. When I feel more like myself again maybe I can say it in person, and we'll catch up, like you said last week I think? Yeah.

-Mike

Zoey read it once, then twice, three times. She actually felt a tear in her eye that she hurriedly wiped. This was his voice on paper, she just knew it.

Mike's still there. He's real, he has to be…

She carefully tucked the note back into her pocket before pulling out of her spot and driving herself back home, where she promptly fell into bed and stared at the ceiling until dark, unsure what to feel other than something akin to relief alongside her ever present frustration that she still couldn't talk to him without someone getting in the way.

She hadn't heard the collapse that soon followed Manitoba's return home or the body's unfortunate host, who couldn't know that his hastily written note had been received, eventually waking up on the floor…again.

Sure do love a chance to learn some new Aussie slang from the internet…

I started school again this week. Updates will come if and when they do, still.

While I have your attention, I really do recommend giving Mike's Cinderella story a try if you haven't and you like this story. It's much longer, has many of the same characters, I actually put thought into the plot… okay enough self promotion.

Reviews are always appreciated. :)

'Til next time folks *swings away on a vine*