Drake woke late in the day, comfortably content. Aware he didn't have to play that night, he rolled over, ready for a couple hours more of sleep, then perhaps a trip to the gym, then maybe call up some buddies…

Realization slammed into him, shattering his calm the way a brick destroys a glass window. Drake moaned as he shoved his hands over his face.

He had kissed Jade.

How utterly stupid.

He threw the covers off of himself, wincing at the sunlight as he caught a face full of the brightness of his bedroom window. "Jade!" he shouted, long before he had even opened his bedroom door. "You here?"

She wasn't.

Great. Drake sighed, falling back onto the couch. The guitars remained where they had been left. He picked one up, playing last night's song back to himself. "I'm done with all your bitchcraft, gotta get my soul back…"

That reminded him. He needed to call his manager.

X

He didn't see Jade for two days after his mistake. He finally caught her late one night, as she was settling back in from going out. He had just arrived home from a show. Tired from playing, he had almost been hoping he wasn't going to run into her. He just didn't have the energy for a confrontation. Yet, there she was, enjoying the last bit of frozen yogurt straight from the carton. She met him with a flat, disinterested gaze as he threw his keys aside on the table by the door. Licking the last bit of flavor from the spoon, she dropped the utensil in the sink, and the carton in the trash.

"Jade," Drake began. "We need to talk."

"About how you're secretly in love with me? Yeah, no thanks."

As Jade tried to push her way past him, Drake made himself an obstacle in her path. "It's not like that, okay? I got caught up in the moment. I don't have feelings for you. I'm so sorry I did that. It was stupid, and I wasn't thinking."

She didn't seem to buy it. "That's what you would say." With a huff, she tossed back her dark curls. "Can I go now?"

"Look, I was tired, and really happy about the song… just know it meant nothing, and it won't happen again."

The tension in her shoulders relaxed, just a bit. But, it was something. "You'd better make sure it doesn't."

"Will Beck come beat me up?" Drake joked, attempting to smooth things over.

Her laugh was disturbing to say the least. "Yeah. Sure. It's Beck you'd have to worry about." With a light eye roll, she disappeared into her room, leaving Drake wondering if he was going to wake up in the morning after all.

X

5:27 AM.

Drake didn't even know such numbers were possible in the morning. His phone screamed at him, his ringtone uncomfortably loud for such an early time in the morning. Just before he threw it against the wall to shut it up, he caught Josh's name on the screen. Instantly awake, he swiped to answer.

"Josh!"

"He's been spotted in Disneyland." The words tumbled from Josh's mouth in a rushed jumble of excitement. "Dad rode Splash Mountain or something, and someone recognized him in the photo. They sent it to me. You should have it by now."

Drake switched apps. He opened Josh's text to see the photo. The sight of Walter having the time of his life made him smile. His expression was tinged with sadness, however. He was grateful for the update, but Drake just couldn't understand why Walter wouldn't just go home.

"That's a great picture."

"Yeah, it is." Drake could hear the same wistfulness in Josh's voice. "I got two other tips he was in Disneyland as well, but it was too late to go get him."

"Well, he's going to turn up. Don't worry."

"I am worried." Josh admitted. "I talked to Mom, and she doesn't even know why Dad left in the first place. They didn't have a fight. Things were going normally at work. Megan's in college so she wasn't an issue. There were no signs. One day, he just didn't come home. And now, he's wandering around wearing that poncho, doing things and sleeping in weird places."

"More people are looking for him. Helen's helping," Drake pointed out, unable to recall if he had told Josh that before. "And even Jade put the word out to her followers. She's got like, a million, so that's good."

"Yeah…"

Josh's voice faded to silence on the other end. Drake didn't know what to say, either. The whole situation seemed pretty hopeless to him, but he wasn't about to tell Josh that. "Anything else?"

"No. Just the Disneyland thing."

"…You couldn't have waited until noonish to call with that?"

"Drake!" Josh snapped, exasperated.

"Sorry, sorry." Drake sighed. "I know. This is important."

X

"They saw my dad in Disneyland." Drake said to Jade through a mouthful of cereal a few hours later. Still in pajamas, he poured himself another bowl.

"Can you repeat that without being disgusting? I can't hear through your food."

It was only coffee and fruit for Jade that morning. She had a big shoot later in the day, for a commercial. She had gotten the part of the mysterious and possibly deadly mermaid for a product that Drake had never heard of. Some perfume, probably. Siren Scents. Sounded exotic. She hadn't said anything, but Drake could tell she was nervous. She had never been filmed underwater before. If she nailed the part, it could lead to bigger things. It had to go right. Drake was sure she'd be fine. She practically screamed 'deadly mermaid.' Especially with that crazy good singing voice of hers.

Drake swallowed, then repeated, "They saw my dad in Disneyland."

"Oh, yeah?" She took a sip of her coffee. "That's something."

"Josh called me at like, five freaking thirty this morning to tell me someone sent him a photo of Dad on Splash Mountain. He's still wearing that same stupid poncho."

"Poncho?" Jade's brow quirked. "Does he have a beard?"

"I think so."

"Can I see that photo?" She studied off of Drake's phone for a moment. "Okay, don't kill me, but…"

Suspicion rose in Drake like rage. "Did you kill him?"

"You're such an idiot! No, dumbass, I didn't kill your stepfather! I think I saw him a few weeks ago. But I thought I was seeing things."

"Where?!"

"Parking lot. I would have told you if I thought it was important. He was there one second, and gone the next. I thought I had just imagined it, since Beck and I were just talking about him."

"Oh. Well, thanks anyway."

"I'll keep my eyes peeled, promise."

Drake nodded. The semi-truce in the house since the song writing night and his apology for his dumb mistake had been nice. It was strange, to have peace around Jade, but it had been like a vacation to Drake. He was relieved it could happen at all. He was grateful the kiss could be forgotten about in the first place. He needed to start giving Jade a bit more credit.

He finished his cereal, dumping his dish in the sink. "Good luck filming today."

She smiled a tight smile. "Thanks."

"I'll wash this later. I gotta head out." Drake poured himself a mug of coffee to drink as he finished getting ready for the day. One sip turned his face sour. "How do you drink it like this?"

"I think it's delicious."

"Good for you." Drake let it pour down the drain, leaving the mug with his bowl and spoon.

"You're so weak." Jade snickered, earning a glare from Drake. "I might be out this weekend. I'm possibly going to go spend it with Beck."

"Okay."

Drake vanished again, shutting his door behind him so he could get dressed. His phone rested on the table. Jade glanced at the door, then took Drake's phone in her hands. She flipped through his recent calls, just to make sure Carly's name wasn't among them.

When she was satisfied, she returned his phone to its place.