Matt didn't know the vibration from his phone was the notification of a call from his Dad. It was hours later before he knew it was from him, and that moment realized something definitely was wrong.
That day the squad did not assemble to head back to the cyberworld, but focus on the schoolwork that would soon pile by the days. Matt invited Inez over for a study night, as well as to escape from the intensity of the situation for a moment. He wasn't run away; he needed to step back. He clutched the phone that rested on the table when he was reminded of the missed call from his father.
"Matt? Is everything alright?" Inez asked as they sat at a table crowded with textbooks, binders, and refreshments. He glanced up and met Inez's eyes as she stared back at him. He shook his head and tried focusing on the problems from their Statistics class on the newer lesson.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He realized that he hasn't experience any headaches for a few days, and wondered if the medications ever really helped the migraines go away permanently. Seems not.
"You're worried about Slyder." Inez thought. He flinched, his eyes shifting to his Physics textbook.
"He said Digit would be fixed by tomorrow. It seems like forever." Matt admitted. "Let's hope things go well when we do..."
Inez placed a hand over his as he exhaled. She gave him an assuring smile.
"We'll sort things out. It always does." Inez said confidently. She only hoped Matt wasn't hiding anymore from them than he did before. He knew a lot about the past, hard to realize just a while ago he had no clue what happened in Cyberspace. Who's to say he's holding back something? Something personal.
He got up and walked to his kitchen for a glass of water. Inez sat as she watch him sip from the glass and stare at his wall.
"Matt, would you hide any secrets from me?" Inez wondered. He turned his head and stared at his girlfriend.
"Well, are we talking about deep dark secrets? Maybe maybe not." Matt smirked as he sat back down beside her and held her hand in his.
"I guess. Mostly any secret...no matter how bad it is I want to know." Inez said. "Even me."
Matt smiled, "I'm glad that I like you." As he placed his hands on her face and held it, she stared back at him with the brightest smile.
"Me too." As they both leaned in and kissed each other.
/
Jackie returned home, still feeling out of place without having to see Slyder in days. It wasn't that she was clingy; she was worried of his safety. Worried that Hacker would launch his attack and his drones would pick up Slyder's whereabouts in Radopolis.
It wouldn't be that hard; seeing that there's supposely any civilians that could hide them away. They were vulnerable.
Jackie stood up, "I gotta believe in Slyder." As she made way to his infamous swivel chair and got on his laptop; doing more work.
/
"For you." Slyder reached down and picked up a cherry blossom that fell from a tree nearby. He carefully placed it in Jackie's hair as she opened her eyes. Slyder felt this heart skip a beat. He looked at Jackie that moment, and saw more beauty in her than he always did. It gave him, jitters.
"Why thank you Mr. Hayden." Jackie smiled as she moved a strand of jet black hair behind her ear. She curled up against Slyder, feeling warmer with the orange sky seem to glow the park.
"Jackie..." Slyder tried to form his words. "What do you think,...about us right now?"
Jackie turned to stare straight in the grey eyes of Slyder. Was this a trick question?
"We're absolutely fine." Jackie smiled. "Aren't we?"
"Of course." He held her hand. "But...that's not what I meant..."
"Thennnn, what do you mean?" She raised a brow.
Slyder sat up, "How far we've been in this relationship...I mean, how long it's been." He smiled, "It's going to be a year soon."
Jackie's smile wavered, "Yeah,...are you worried that, we're not really...making progress?"
Slyder stared at his girlfriend. And then suddenly the thought grew as he realized and frantically gestured, "No! Not that of course!" As he broke into a laugh. "I was worried...that it was for you..."
Jackie began to smirk, "Never Slyder. Besides, even though it's a year, we still have a lot more to go..."
Slyder felt his heart muddle and soften up as he embraced his girlfriend tightly, smiling in her hair. "Yes, and we'll be there for each other every step of the way." Slyder locked his pinky in Jackie's as they locked eyes. She returned a smile as she leaned over and gave Slyder a long kiss.
/
Dr. Terabyte groaned in frustration as he could not get through to his son. He needed him to pick up the phone.
Then it hit him.
Maybe he's ignoring me. He thinks I had abandoned him and don't love him anymore.
Dr. Terabyte felt his humanity strike him at his low. He banged his fist against the metal wall as his laboratory echoed the clank. He panted, the tears burning his eyes.
"Matt...I'm sorry..." He said in the darkness. With one last hopeless attempt, he redialed the number and hoped that his son might pick up.
Ring...
Ring...
Ring...
Dr. Terabyte's hopes lifted when he heard the sound of someone retrieving his call. But, he was not expecting to speak to her.
"Hello?" As Inez answered the call. Dr. Terabyte was mortified. He recognized the young girl Inez. It brought back memories of the three kids; small and playful as he sat with the other parents enjoying the summers and talking amongst each other. But those days were gone. In the past few years, the kids' parents have mostly divorced or are too busy with jobs far apart so that they're basically living on their own. They learned to grow up fast.
He could not speak or breathe.
"Hello?" Inez groaned when she couldn't get an answer and hung up. The call was disconnected as Dr. Terabyte sunk into his chair, rubbing his face and combing his hair with his fingers. He knew now there was no way he was going to give up contacting Matt ASAP.