Chapter 2 - Unexpected visit
Since Tawna left, the bandicoots' house was not the same since then. Whenever Crash was with the others, he tried to pretend happiness and normality, but Coco and Aku Aku were not ignorant, they knew that he was still feeling bad about his now ex-girlfriend. Every time they saw him, they tried to talk to him or do some activity together to cheer him up, but he always refused, saying it wasn't necessary and everything was okay. It was all a lie.
Since that sad experience, the young bandicoot was no longer happy and outgoing as before, and his fake smiles were quite forced. Deep down he was depressed, but he didn't like to show it to his family. He didn't want his depression to drag them too, so his only options were to pretend to be happy every time they were present and to be constantly alone before they noticed his true mood.
It seemed that Crash would never be the same again, but he had no idea that all this was about to change.
A month has passed since that sad day. Coco was preparing Wumpa fruit cake with pancakes, Crash's favorite breakfast. She couldn't bear to see his brother in such a bad condition, so she never missed an opportunity that could cheer him up.
"Perfect" Coco said with an air of satisfaction. "If this breakfast does not encourage him, nothing will."
"Are you sure?" Aku Aku asked quite doubtfully. "It is your sixth attempt so far this month."
Those words made her sit down and lean on the dining room table, resigned.
"I'm sorry, Coco" the mask apologized. "It was not my intention to make you feel bad. It's just that every attempt we make is always in vain."
"I know, but I really want to help him. I miss the happy and mischievous brother he used to be. That person who always brought us a smile in bad times" she said sadly, but soon became angry when she remembered a certain tall and blond bandicoot. "I wish he had never met that damn witch. I swear if I see her again, I'll break her face."
"Coco, violence is not the solution" Aku Aku said softly. He understood her anger perfectly. "I know where Tawna is living because I can feel her presence, but going to face her is a bad idea. It could only make the situation worse, especially for Crash."
"But..." Coco tried to think a good argument in her favor, but the conversation ended when they heard someone enter the kitchen.
It was Crash. His face was a disaster, showing that he had just had another bad night. However, he did his best to look happy.
"Good morning, Crash" Aku Aku greeted the newly raised bandicoot. "Your sister has prepared your favorite breakfast. Why don't we all eat together?"
"I would love to, guys" he thanked them. "But it's time for my daily walk. I think I'll take breakfast with me."
Crash put the food in a picnic basket and headed for the door, but Coco stopped him.
"Big brother, please, eat with us" she asked him sadly. "You are much more distant lately. Those "walks" of yours sometimes last an entire day. We just want to help you."
"But… why? I'm fine" Crash said with a forced smile. "Also, I always come back, even at dinner time."
Without further ado, Crash left the house, but deep down he felt terrible about having to lie to his family.
"I wish we could believe you, brother" Coco said as some tears escaped through her eyes.
"Don't worry Coco" Aku Aku tried to comfort her. "We will find a solution. I promise you."
Crash had taken the habit of taking long walks on the beach. They served as an excuse to stay away from his family and prevent them from noticing his sadness.
He had heard that the walks help clear the mind. However, they seemed to have the opposite effect on him. Everything he saw around him reminded him to his ex-girlfriend. In fact, last night, he had a nightmare where Pinstripe and Tawna were having intimate relationships in front of him while Cortex tied him to a stretcher and killed him with a laser beam. It was the worst nightmare so far, although the others from previous nights were no exceptions, since sometimes these were weddings between those two lovers or situations where they're kissing each other.
After walking a few meters away from home, Crash decided to take a rest under a palm tree and eat his breakfast. Even if he was depressed, he needed to feed himself.
While he was having breakfast, Crash turned to ask the same questions he had been asking in his head for a long time: Was Tawna so unhappy with him? Was he a terrible boyfriend? Had he done something to hurt her? All that did nothing but depress him even more.
"Tawna" Crash said softly, trying to hold back his tears. "I miss you..."
Meanwhile, going through the jungle, in direction of Crash's house, engine noises were heard. There were four karts, each driven by a female bandicoot. It was Ami, Isabella, Liz and Megumi, who were formerly known as trophy girls during the racing events of 7 months ago, but now known as the Nitro Squad, the group of racers led by Tawna.
The girls arrived yesterday at Wumpa Island because of business about their group. However, they also planned to take a vacation and rest from their other jobs: Isabella was a famous actress thanks to her participation in the series "Bay Waters", Ami had contacts with teams from numerous racing divisions, Megumi was the executive director of the perfume line "Eau De 'Coot" and Liz was still posing for "Bandiboy" and magazines about entertainment. The Nitro Squad was kind of a second job, but its main reason for existing was the close friendship that united the girls.
They knew that the island was Crash's home, so they decided to give him a surprise visit. After almost half an hour driving from Wumpa City, the girls parked in front of the Bandicoot siblings' house.
"Are you sure this is the right place, Ami?" Isabella asked as they got off their karts.
"It should be" Ami checked the address Coco had given her long ago. "Otherwise, they won't want to deal with me. If someone lies to me, they pay dearly."
"I think the house is pretty" Megumi said while looking at it. "I know it's not very big, but it looks cozy. Besides, it is next to the beach."
"Maybe, but there's a lot of moisture here" Liz complained, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "I hope my hair doesn't end up spoiling."
"Please, Liz, don't behave like a diva" Ami laughed at her friend's attitude. "You should already know that this is not Malibu, but surely you missed Polar and Pura."
"I am NOT a diva!" Liz protested, whose little anger disappeared when she remembered the two pets. "But you're right about one point. I adore those two hairballs."
"I know!" Megumi said as she jumped from the emotion. "I can't wait to see them again. I've missed them a lot."
"You missed everybody... or somebody?" Isabella looked at her with a sly smile. "And you know who I'm talking about."
"Isabella, shut up!" Megumi complained, whose face turned red with embarrassment. "We're just friends, nothing more."
"Bothering her with the same thing again, Isabella?" Ami said to the blonde bandicoot before heading to the blue-haired one. "Megumi, we know how much you like Crash, but remember that he is Tawna's boyfriend. We must respect her private and sentimental life, not only for being our leader, but also for being our friend."
"I know, Ami. Don't worry" Megumi said with a sad smile. "It is just a passing thing. I will get over it."
Megumi was not entirely sure of those last words. Since she met Crash, she has been in love with him. The outgoing and cheerful personality of the young bandicoot, although somewhat silly, had captivated the heart of the smiling scientist.
However, no matter how similar their personalities were, Crash always saw her and the other three girls as friends because who he really loved was Tawna. Megumi understood perfectly, and that's why she supported the relationship between these two. Both were her friends and she wanted them to be happy, even if it meant never confessing her feelings to Crash and that he was happy with another girl.
"Who's there?" The girls heard a voice from the house. It was Coco, who had noticed them talking outside.
"Coco, open the door! It's us!" Isabella called her.
When Coco and Aku Aku opened the door, they were very happy when they saw who the visitors were.
"Isabella!" Coco ran to hug her. Of all of them, she was her closest friend. "What a joy to see you."
"Hello, girls!" Aku Aku greeted them. "What brings you here?"
"We're visiting" said Ami. "We came to the island because of work and we wanted to say hello."
"I'm glad to hear that" Coco said sincerely. "Please, come in. You're welcome."
"Thank you!" the girls said.
Coco let the four bandicoots into the house. Before going to the kitchen, she directed them to the living room, where the three mascots of the Bandicoot siblings were playing with a ball. When Polar and Pura saw a certain brown-haired bandicoot, they ran happily towards her.
"Hi, little ones!" Liz knelt down to hug the two pets. "I missed you too."
"How are you, big guy?" Ami said to Baby-T while petting his head, a gesture he happily accepted.
After the girls finished greeting Polar and the others, they took a seat while Coco reappeared with a tray carrying four Wumpa fruit juices.
"Well, girls. Tell me" she said as she handed each girl a drink. "Are you only here for work?"
"Not really" Isabella replied as the others drank the juice. "We were also thinking about taking a vacation. We will make the most of it because we only have a month."
"It's good to hear it" Aku Aku said. "Our island is a very beautiful place, so your vacation will be more than pleasant."
"By the way" Coco said. "What is that work you were talking about, Ami?"
"Well, we are opening a new racing circuit here, in Wumpa Island" she explained. "It is sponsored by our group, the Nitro Squad. Our economists think that opening it here would generate great profits, since the island is home of the only and famous Crash Bandicoot."
"Speaking of Crash... where is he?" Megumi asked curiously. "Why hasn't he and Tawna come to greet us?"
That question took Coco and the others by surprise, except the four girls, because they didn't know anything about what happened a month ago.
"What did you say?" Coco asked dumbfounded. She didn't know how to answer those questions. Remembering that traumatic experience for her brother was also too much for her.
"Coco, what's wrong?" Liz asked worried. Both she and her friends noticed the others' change of attitude.
"Girls" Aku Aku decided to take the reins of the conversation after seeing Coco's state. "Have you talked to Tawna recently?"
"Yeah, a few days ago" Ami said. "She told us that she is negotiating with an important investor about the circuit. She didn't give us his identity, but said he is willing to contribute a considerable amount of money. In fact, today she is going to meet him in the VIP area of the circuit, but she didn't want us to go. That's really strange in her."
"I see" The old mask now understood everything. "So you don't know what happened here."
"What do you mean, Aku Aku?" Isabella asked while starting to get a bit scared. "Where are Tawna and Crash?"
"Please" Megumi said worriedly. "Tell us what happened."
"Tawna... She..." Coco was hesitant, but she managed to gather enough courage to speak. "She broke up with Crash."
"WHAT?!" The four girls shouted in unison. They did not expect that statement.
"It's a long story" Aku Aku said sadly. "Let me explain…"
The mask proceeded to tell the four bandicoots the events that began a month ago: Tawna's abandonment, her rupture letter, the engagement ring and the depression that Crash still has today. The only thing he didn't say was the content of that paper.
The reactions of the girls were varied.
Ami felt uncomfortable about what she was hearing, to the point that she felt a bit nauseous. She didn't expect Tawna, her leader, to be that coward.
Liz tried to think of some reasonable explanation regarding the breakup, but couldn't find it. The two always seemed the perfect couple for her. What went wrong?
Isabella felt sadness for Crash. She was in charge of giving him and Coco trophies every time they won a race a long time ago, so they had been very close friends.
Megumi was the one who took it worse, to the point of crying. Just thinking that Crash had been so cruelly rejected and that he has been suffering all this time broke her heart.
"I cannot believe what you're saying" Ami said quite uncomfortable. "This is too much."
"Do you still have the letter and the ring?" Liz asked still perplexed by everything that happened.
"Here they are" Coco took both objects out of a closet and left both in the juice tray. Liz grabbed the ring to see it closely while Ami took the letter to read its content.
"Oh, my!" Liz said quite impressed. "It must have cost him a fortune."
"Actually, I bought it" Coco admitted. "I haven't told Crash, but I have a very important job with which I can buy expensive things."
"Really? What is it about?" Isabella asked.
"You see, it's about ..." before Coco continued, she was interrupted by an angry Ami.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" the green-haired bandicoot shouted after reading the whole letter. "SHE CAN'T DO THIS TO US! SHE'S CRAZY!
"Ami, what happens?" Liz asked.
"It's Pinstripe!" Ami replied still very angry. "He is the investor with whom Tawna is negotiating, and what is worse: our group is bankrupt."
"WHAT?!" her three friends shouted in unison.
"And not only that" said Coco, who was getting angry at the remembrance of Cortex's henchman. "Pinstripe is also the reason why Tawna left Crash. According to her, he seems more mature and successful than my brother. It puts it written there."
Ami handed the letter to the others so they could also read it. When they finished doing so, Liz and Isabella's faces said nothing but anger. Megumi was the most discreet about her mood, but the truth is that, deep down, she was furious.
"But who does she think she is?" Liz felt betrayed. "Do we not have a vote in the decisions?"
After her friends released the letter and the ring to criticize Tawna, Megumi grabbed both objects and left the house without anyone noticing. Everyone was distracted by the reproaches of Isabella and Liz.
"This is not going to end like this" Isabella said very annoyed. "That selfish woman and her current lover will listen to us right now."
"I agree" Ami said. "If it is true that he is the investor, it is likely that both are meeting in the VIP area of the circuit."
"Very well, let's get going" Isabella was about to go to the door, but she realized that a certain person was not with them anymore. "Wait a minute. Where is Megumi?"
Just at that moment, the roar of a kart was heard outside the house. When everyone went out to check what was happening, they only heard that sound moving away while there was a trail of dust where Megumi's kart used to be.
"Oh, boy..." Ami said a little worried. "Not this again."
"What are you talking about?" Aku Aku asked.
"It's Megumi" Isabella replied. "She may be a sweet and kind girl, but when someone deliberately hurts the people she cares about, she has no mercy. She becomes somebody totally different."
"We have to reach her before she commits something stupid, especially with someone like Pinstripe" Liz said worried about her friend. "We are the only ones she listens to while in that state. Let's go."
"I want to go with you. I also have pending issues with my brother's ex" Coco said.
"No, Coco. You and Aku should stay here" Isabella said. She didn't want to involve them in the matter. "If Crash is as depressed as you two say, he might need your help."
"We can take care of ourselves. Don't worry" Ami said. "We will return here at sunset."
With that last sentence, the three bandicoots went out to chase Megumi in their karts. Apparently, they will have to make another surprise visit but, unlike the first, the second will be quite bitter.