Voulez-vous is French for "Would you".

Chapter Seventeen

Talk the Truth and Only the Truth

At the lake…

Antauri was waiting for Melodie. Then he heard a noise from the bushes.

"Melodie?"

"Ow! Oh, you-! Ow!" And out from the bushes came Cali/Mandra and Ronald/Mandarin.

"Mandarin! Mandra!" Antauri got his ghost claws out. "What you doing here?"

"Will you get off of me?" Mandra shouted.

Mandarin had gotten up then helped Mandra up.

"I repeat, 'What are-"

"We heard the first time! And we're here to warn you." Mandra said.

"About?"

"About Melodie. I think she's losing interest in you." Mandra answered.

"Lose interest…in me?" Antauri repeated questionably.

"Yes. Antauri, Melodie is losing interest in you, isn't she?" Mandarin asked.

"How exactly?"

"Well, for one thing: when was the last time you two kissed?"

"Well, not since we came here, but-"

"Oh no. That's a bad sign. Melodie might be getting over you. Poor, poor, poor Antauri. Someone you love is starting to not love you back."

Antauri shook his head, getting that horrible thought out of his head.

"You're lying." Antauri said, so calmly.

"Are we?" Mandra asked.

Then they walked away, leaving Antauri pondering over this. He couldn't tell if they were really lying or not. And after about ten minutes Melodie came through the bushes. She stood there, more beautiful than ever, carrying a small box. Melodie noticed that Antauri was thinking deeply about something. She walked over and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey."

"Oh Melodie. Hi."

"Well, should we go?"

"Yes." Melodie started climbing in the canoe when something caught her. "But I must ask you something first."

Melodie climbed back out.

"Yes Antauri?"

"Do you-Are you…um-"

"Yes?"

"Are you…losing interest…in me?" Antauri stuttered.

"Losing interest in you? What's that supposed to mean?"

"It sounds…out of character of me, but are you thinking about…breaking up with me?"

"What? Antauri! What are you saying?"

"I'm not saying anything."

"Well, it sure, like fire, sounds like you wanna break up."

"No, no. I don't! I just wanted to know if you were thinking about it! I would never dream of it!"

"How am I supposed to believe that?"

"Um…uh-"

"You know what? We're through! You hear me? Through Antauri!"

Melodie stood there and started getting tears in her eyes. Antauri went to hug her when she threw the box down on the ground and ran away.

"Melodie! Wait!"

Antauri bent down and picked up the box. He stood back up and opened the box. There was a letter.

"To Antauri: Happy two year anniversary! I brought these with me for today. Hope to be with you forever. Forever love for you, Melodie." Antauri read aloud.

Antauri put the letter back in the box and looked at what else was there. There, in the box, were the Ying-Yang necklaces Melodie made exactly two years before. Antauri took his out of the box and put it on. Then he closed the box and stuffed it in his jacket pocket. Antauri ran to camp to find Melodie.

Back at Camp…

"And then…I don't know…I just-" Melodie finished her explanation of what just happened.

She was sitting with Elella and Seala.

"Melodie? Melodie?" Antauri was calling. Then he saw her. "Melodie!"

Antauri ran over but only to be stopped by Seala and Elella.

"Go away. She doesn't want to hear anything more from you." Elella said.

"Please. I just I want to say-"

"You're a big jerk to our mom?" Elella shouted.

"Elella, please. Calm down." Seala insisted.

"Thank you Seala."

"Antauri, please. I advise you to not talk to Melodie right now. She's really hurt."

"It's alright you two." Melodie said. "Why don't you two go on ahead and I'll meet you in the Mess Hall."

"Are you sure Melodie?" The two asked.

"Yes, I'm sure."

Then the two walked off. Melodie sat back down on a log and Antauri sat next to her.

"Melodie. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen."

"You didn't want to break up?"

"No. Never."

Melodie noticed the necklace.

"You-You're wearing our necklace. But I had it in the-the box. I have it-"

"Right here." Antauri handed Melodie the box. "That was a very nice card. And happy two year anniversary to you too."

"Oh, Antauri."

Then they kissed.

At the Mess Hall…

"And then we left." Seala finished.

"You just left?" Gibson asked.

"Yeah. What'd you want us to do? If we refused to leave then Melodie would've Mind Screamed us." Elella said.

"It's true. And Elella and I found that out the hard way. Let me tell ya, it's not a very cool move if it's used on you." Carbon said.

"No way." Nova said.

Melodie and Antauri walked into the Mess Hall, hand in hand. They walked over to the table and sat next to Chiro.

"I thought you two were over." Sprx questioned.

"A misunderstanding Sprx."

"Yes. It was my fault."

Karalynn, Starr, and Melissa all ran in and over to the table.

"GUYS! WHERE'S GIZMO!" The three shouted.

"Hey calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down, boy." Karalynn hissed.

"Alright?"

"Ignore her. Karalynn's not a very good sport when it comes to boys." Starr said.

"Well, why do you need Gizmo?" Nova asked, quickly changing the subject.

"We need Otto too." Starr added.

"We over heard Cali and Ronald." Melissa stated.

"They said the whole tight-rope accident was because they shook the pole and made Otto lose his balance." Karalynn added.

"No way!" Elella and Nova said at once.

"That was weird." Sprx said.

"No kidding." Nova said.

"Well, where are they?" Starr asked.

"The infirmary. Otto's been helping Lea out all day just so he can stay with Gizmo." Chiro answered, getting up from his seat.

That's when everyone left the Mess Hall and ran to the infirmary. When they got there, Otto was in the waiting room pacing.

"Otto!" Starr and Melissa shouted as they ran in and hugged him.

"Starr, Melissa. Hi. Um…why are you hugging me so tightly?" Otto asked.

"Oops sorry." Melissa and Starr let go of him.

"It's okay. Hey, did you come to see Gizmo?"

"And you." Melissa said.

"What about? Did I do something wrong?" Otto asked.

"No, Otto. Karalynn, Starr and Melissa all overheard Cali and Ronald talking and they said they made you get all off balance on the tight-rope." Seala explained.

"They did?" Otto asked.

Everyone nodded.

"We gotta tell Gizmo!" Nova said starting to run to the back. Otto caught her hand right before she turned the corner. "Otto? What's wrong? Don't you wanna tell her?"

"I wish I could."

"What in the world are you talking about?" Elella asked.

"Gizmo's blood pressure went up to high and fast."

"Oh no. Gizmo's-" Seala couldn't finish her sentence.

"No, no. She's just in a deep sleep, as Lea put it. Lea said it's like Gizmo's in a state of hibernation."

"For how long?" Melodie asked.

"Lea didn't say."

No one spoke until Lea came out.

"What's going-Oh, hello."

"Hi Lea. How's Gizmo, I mean Saw?" Nova asked.

"Her blood pressure's back to normal, but Gizmo, the poor thing, she'll be asleep for sometime now."

"Otto, may Melodie and I talk to you?" Antauri asked.

"Sure."

"Alone, please." Melodie said.

Everyone started leaving and Nova said they'd met at the Rehearsal Hall later. Lea started walking to the back room.

"Lea. Can you stay in here please?" Melodie asked.

"Of course dreary." Lea answered.

Then everyone sat down and talked, Melodie started.

"Otto." She touched his hand. "Antauri and I, we talked it over and I've noticed a big change in Gizmo's attitude since you two broke up."

"So, she's happier. That's what I want her to be. Is happy."

"But she's not happy." Antauri said.

"What?"

"It's true. Gizmo's in a state of depression." Melodie said.

"Depression?"

"Really, really sad." Antauri summed.

"Oh, but how?"

"Well, she doesn't eat, doesn't sleep, and Gizmo's slow and always sad now." Antauri said.

"But what does that have to do with me?"

"Well, it started the day after the Circus." Melodie answered.

"Our break up. Alright. But I don't see why Lea, no offense, had to be here."

"Because, Sweety, there's a way to wake Gizmo up and let her not be depressed anymore." Lea said.

"How?"

"To talk to her." Melodie answered.

"Talk to her? But how? She's asleep."

"Yes, but only the ones who truly love you will wake up to your voice." Melodie said.

"Really?" The three nodded. "Alright. I'll go talk to her." He started walking to the back room, but stopped at the corner. "Ying, Yang?"

"Yes Mech?" Antauri asked.

"Thanks." Then he disappeared into the back room.