Congratulations to BTRlover1122, Little Red Riding Brat, lz2cool4u, and LabRatsFan for answering correctly! Davenport did call himself The Interrogator! Whoo to you guys!

Also, a special shout out to aaa3007, Luv2Luv, raenbc, and 88keys for leaving me with some of the most touching comments! Thanks! You guys are awesome ;)

Okay. Just a brief explanation for my inability to post lately: I have written a fifth chapter weeks ago, but I didn't feel comfortable posting it. It involved a level of bullying that would have kicked the ratings up to what it is now. I didn't like it, so I wrote another one, which is the one you are about to read.

Any questions that you guys may have afterwards should be answered within the next two or three future chapters. I hope you guys enjoy this!

Episode Tag to: Robot Fight Club

Chronicle 005

Chapter: Covalence

Password: *************

Date: 04.07.13

Time: 8:17 PM

It seems to be a thing for me now to get stuck in contained spaces with women I don't particularly want to be stuck in there with. First was Principal Perry inside the school elevator, and that in itself should be telling on how nightmarish that turned out. Then a few days ago, I get locked in a huge freezer truck with none other than Caitlin, Bree's best friend slash brother stalker.

To be fair to Caitlin, though, it wasn't all that bad. If you overlook almost freezing to death and the arguments and the awkward version of Twenty Questions, it was actually okay. We were in the midst of crates and crates of grapefruit, I discovered that someone else dislikes Eyebrows, and I get to visit another state for free.

Before I take this any further, let me back up from when our unfortunate adventure began. The following Friday after Chase and I won the robotics tournament, we decided to go to the mall to spend the money we won. We got some more extra dough, too, because Mom was very pleased over the fact that the local newspaper wanted to interview her and Big D. You know, parents' perspective and things like that. It didn't hurt either that it was a big payday for her.

That worked out well for me and Chase.

Chase was hunting for hiking gear, while I wanted a new pair of Air Jordans. I know exactly why Chase wanted the ropes, the harness and everything else, but I let him believe that I have no idea what he's planning to do with them. Secretly, I enjoyed enabling him. I wanted to see how his Adam payback plan would flesh out.

I, on the other hand, wanted a new pair of kicks for the simple reason that I've worn out a few pairs in running away from a few people. That included Principal Perry, Trent, and Eyebrows. Evil just lurks in every corner of the school, sadly.

I feel stupid now to admit this, but Eyebrows dangled a very obvious bait in my face, and I took it. I mean, free pint samples of Haagen-Dazs in a strip mall crawling with people? And I didn't figure out how much of that spelled 'another attempt to finish you off, Leo'?

In my defense, we do live in a sunny state. It's hot, so ice cream will always sound good. Plus, come on. It's Haagen-Dazs! It's like a bit of bliss on a spoon.

So after I saw a fake sign announcing the free ice cream at the docks, I broke off from Chase with the excuse that I was going to check out something else. He was too engrossed with the array of shoes I introduced him to that he just said okay and waved me off without even asking the protocol five questions he usually asks me before letting me out of his sight.

I followed the signs and saw a truck full of boxes. I assumed that it was what I was looking for. There was no one else in there, so I thought it was self-serve. I got in, and the next thing I know, the doors were shut.

I started banging on the door, yelling for someone to let me out. Nothing happened. I thought of calling Chase but as circumstances would always turn out for me, I didn't have my phone. Bree borrowed it for her date with Owen tonight. She's gone way above her minutes, so Big D and Mom took her phone away.

There was nothing else I could do but keep at knocking against the door and think of creative ways to make Bree feel guilty about it later on.

It startled me when Caitlin suddenly appeared beside me, frantically calling for help and beating on the wall. I guess I was too cold and scared out of my wits to ask her where in the world she came from and what she was doing in there. We desperately tried our best to get out, even when the truck's already driven a distance away from the mall and probably into the interstate.

We were just like Pascal, when Mom accidentally placed him inside Grandpa's snake's cage a while back.

"There's no use. No one can hear us anymore," Caitlin hopelessly said before sitting on top of a smaller crate.

"We have to try," I remember telling her. "There's no way I'm going to turn into a frozen Leo on a stick."

She sighed. "Whatever, okay? I'm just trying to get you to stop wasting your energy."

"Well I wouldn't have had to waste any energy if you didn't close the doors," I accused her.

"Close the doors? I was sitting behind there!" she pointed towards a tall crate. "You're the one who was closer to it. Maybe you're the one who did it!"

"Why would I do that?"

"I don't know. Because you're you?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"What do you think it means?" she snapped back.

For a girl who's going to need me to get to my brothers, she's pretty sassy.

I just rolled my eyes and shook my head. "Just—whatever. Let's agree that there's a possibility that none of us did it," I said.

"Yeah," Caitlin said sympathetically. "I've noticed. Mr. and Mrs. Davenport seem to disagree a lot lately."

Oops. I think somewhere after my truce speech, I accidentally told her about Big D and Mom's constant arguments that has been going on a lot lately. I don't really know why they do, and I don't want to get into it. All I know is that I'm never going to let them find out that I've told someone else about a problem that's supposed to be private.

"How'd you know about that?" I asked her still.

She grinned, showing how much her teeth were chattering. "Uh, Leo. Your brothers are hot," she said. "I thought by now you'd have known that sooner or later, someone's going to hang around and watch over them."

"And…that someone is apparently you?"

"Duh."

I stared at her, and then I despaired over the fact that I was about to die with a stalker. "Yeah. That's not weird at all," I told her. "I'm guessing that's why you're in here. You're…following Chase, aren't you?"

She shrugged.

Then that gave me an idea. "You know, if you want, I could trick Chase into g-going on a date with you," I said.

She lit up. "You'd d-do that for me?" she asked.

"If we get out of here, I'll make sure it…happens," I said.

This one is for your turn-Leo's-white-shirts-to-pink prank, Chase.

Caitlin then deflated. She said it's not very nice of me to give her false hopes since it's clear that we were going to die in there soon.

Yep. Not only obsessive but also depressing. That's Caitlin for you.

I started getting really cold after a while. Caitlin wasn't in too bad a shape. As it turns out, she has a 'boyfriend kit,' which is basically a backpack full of stuff she needs when she's 'looking after' my brothers. She had a jacket and an emergency blanket inside, which came really handy in that situation we were in.

I had my mind made up to call the police on her. Her obsession was bordering unhealthy and terrifying. I thought about telling her, but I needed her to share her stuff with me.

Caitlin did not need to be asked. After finding her place away from the cold air, next to what seemed like a tiny hole on the truck, she offered me half of her blanket. I accepted, and soon both of us were just sitting quietly in that little corner.

"I have an idea," she said after some time. "Maybe we can keep awake by playing Twenty Questions. My l-little brother likes this game."

"S-sure," I nodded. Or shivered. I yawned.

"Okay." She closed her eyes, and then smiled. Then she looked at me. "I have something in mind. You g-go."

"Is it an an-animal?"

"Uh uh."

"Is it a pers-son?"

"Yes."

"Is it a m-man?"

"Yeah."

"Is he…is he famous?"

"N-no."

"Do I know this g-guy?"

"Mm—mm-hmm."

"I s-see him a lot?"

"Yeah."

"D-does he have freckles?"

She thought about it. "A, a little bit. On the b-back of his s-shoulder."

"Chase has f-freckles at the back of his shoulder?"

She turned towards me, smiling. "You didn't know that?" she asked.

I frowned at her then scooted slightly away.

"Oh, c-calm down," she said. "I overheard that i-information from Adam when h-he was teasing Chase."

At that point, it didn't really matter to me. She had set off all kinds of awkward. I don't get it. Is it really a chick thing to talk about the guys they like with every other person? I get that they do that with their friends, but there must be some line when it comes to the guy's brother.

But I guess I shouldn't really expect boundaries. We're talking about a girl who crosses all kinds of lines, especially if Adam or Chase is on the opposite side.

I was still curious why. If she's really that invested, there must be a deeper reason. "Why do you l-like my brothers so much?"

"What do you m-mean?"

"The forced d-dates? The stalking? The boyfriend kit?"

"Why do y-you want to know?"

"It's gotta be more than the looks. You…you're really into them."

She tilted her head to the side while she thought about it. "I don't know," she said. "Adam…is nice. He-he's not the smartest, but he cares a lot ab-bout everyone. I especially like the…way he treats you."

"What do I have-have to do with it?"

"You remind me of my little b-brother. Very q-quirky," she smiled the best she could. "And I don't know. I guess I just t-think that he'd t-treat him the same if they ever met. It'd be a change."

"D-does he go to our school?"

She shook her head. Then she tried to explain, but I think it's either she was too cold or too heartbroken to get all the words out. "Palsy" was all she said.

I felt like a complete jerk after that, especially with the jokes and the things I've thought about with her. It made sense why she was always hanging out with Bree and not really wanting to go home at certain days. Seeing someone you care about in a bad state is pretty sad, man. It makes you feel powerless and helpless.

"I'm s-sorry," I said. It was all I had to offer her.

"It's-it's all good," she said.

"But you know, y-you really shouldn't be hanging around like you do," I told her. "It's only a-a matter of time un-til Big D catches you."

"Yeah. I know," she agreed sadly.

"Why not wait?"

"For what?"

"The guy. Y-your guy. You shouldn't run after them. The r-right one will come to you. He will be nice to you and your…brother, and whoever you want h-him to be nice to."

"Really?"

I nodded. "If he's that in-to you," I said.

"Aw. Thanks, Leo," Caitlin smiled, and it's like she was optimistic about the world again even if we were about to get iced. She leaned her head on one of the crates beside her and then closed her eyes.

By this time, I was getting sleepy, too. I remember looking up before closing my eyes, and on this one crate I saw a small recording device similar to the one that I found attached inside Big D's new car after the Pacific Ocean incident. That's when I knew that Eyebrows was in on it.

But nap time is nap time. So I just went along with the program.

"Why are you on your siblings' s-side when they sell you out easy-ly to that jerk, Marcus?" she asked.

That was pretty much the last I remembered from that truck ride. When I woke up, I was on the ground somewhere in Arizona (I caught a glimpse of the ambulance's license plate), covered with a yellow tarp-like thing and inhaling some good stuff, which I later found out to be oxygen. I was a little disoriented, and I keep hearing Mom and Chase talking somewhere in the haze. For a minute there I seriously thought that I was being experimented on.

At least now I know how those rats in biology class feel like.

Caitlin turned out okay, too. She came over the other night, scared the heck out of Adam and Chase. She said she just wanted her Polish nuns DVDs back. After I gave them back to her, she just smiled, letting me know that she took my advice.

Well, maybe. For now.

Then she left.

I know I left her question unanswered. It was on my mind for a long time until this afternoon, when it came to me in the form of a Chemistry review worksheet.

There are two main types of chemical bond—two that's mostly mentioned anyways: ionic bond and covalent bond. An ionic bond forms when a negatively charged atom 'donates' an electron to another atom that is more positive. Together they become a bit more stable, and their bond becomes strong. Sodium and Fluorine, for example, could form this bond.

It's also like when Bree had her phone taken away. I had a phone that I let her borrow. When I did that, our bond as siblings, I'm assuming, became a little stronger.

A covalent bond forms when two atoms come together to share an electron or two so that they are a bit more stable. Two Hydrogen atoms, forming a hydrogen bond, is a good example.

When Caitlin let me share her emergency blanket with her when we were in the truck, we become slightly more okay with each other. It's not like the relationship Bree and I have as sister and brother, but it's still all good.

The conclusion I came to with Caitlin's question frightens me a bit. Although the degree of bonds is a wide spectrum, Adam, Bree, Chase, and I, even Big D and Mom, seemed to have hit the easier separable covalent bond. The only main link that holds us together now is this mansion. We are still attached to each other through the average things, like me and Adam getting stuck doing chores or me and Chase teaming up to win the robotics tournament; I even help Bree sneak out when she wants to see Owen. Other than that, we are all slacking off. They don't trust me enough to believe me that Eyebrows is bad news all over, and I guess my loyalty to them comes into question, too, that I don't tell them that he's a threat. I'm not sure now if I'm being selfish that I don't want to be hurt, or if I'm being selfless that I don't want them to be hurt.

I don't know. I really don't know. It's hard to decide for five people that you care about more than anything in the world when you can't ask anyone for help.

It's times like this that I wish older me could come back and tell me what to do.

Signed,

Leo Francis Dooley

End of Chapter Covalence

Re-Enter Password: *************

Date: 04.07.13

Time: 11: 51 PM

In Robot Fight Club, what did Chase name the robot he and Leo built? Answers are optional as always. Reviews are very much appreciated! :D