As Friday afternoon rolls around, Andy and Steven find themselves arriving at the Palm Woods simultaneously with Lucas and Audrey, much to their dismay.
"Ugh! What are you two losers doing here?" Lucas sneers.
"The same could be asked of you and Audrey," Andy retorts sharply. "We're not letting your toxic vibes ruin our day. Come on, Stevie, let's show our real friends your new toy."
They step into the Palm Woods and take the elevator up to Apartment 2J, blissfully unaware that Lucas and Audrey are tailing them, only to rudely push past them to enter the apartment first.
"Rude! You didn't have to shove them!" Kendall exclaims.
"We just wanted to see the toy this kid has," Audrey replies dismissively.
"That's no reason to shove us aside! If you want to see it, then ASK NICELY!" Andy responds, exasperation creeping into his voice.
"Just ignore them, little dude. What's the new toy you've got?" Logan asks, trying to lighten the mood.
"It's not mine; it's Steven's. He just got a brand-new, super advanced Rubik's Cube with his allowance and wants to show it to you guys," Andy explains. "Unlike the classic Rubik's Cube with nine squares on each side, this one has 25 squares per side, and he's going to solve it right now."
"Ha! Yeah, right! That's impossible! He can't solve it! He doesn't have the brainpower!" Audrey scoffs.
"Are you implying that just because he's autistic, he can't solve a Rubik's Cube? How dare you question his abilities! You still see him as just an autistic kid! He's so much more than that! Stop belittling him! Stop trying to put him down for being different! You two treat autism like it's a curse! It's challenging for him, but he inspires me every day with how he handles it! So just be quiet and quit bullying him!" Andy exclaims, fiercely defending his brother.
Lucas and Audrey finally make their exit.
A collective sigh escapes the room. "At last! Now, Steven, you can tackle your new Rubik's cube. Carlos, could you grab it for me? I left it on the counter," Andy requests.
"Sure," Carlos replies, heading over to the counter. "It's not here."
He spins around, eyes wide with concern. "What do you mean it's missing? I just set it down five minutes ago! How could it possibly disappear?" Andy exclaims.
Carlos shrugs, peering beneath the counter. "I have no idea. It's not on the floor either. We need to pause and think this through. We're all here, caught up in Lucas and Audrey's drama. They just left. Who was nearest to the counter before they went?"
"Audrey. She must have taken it," James suggests.
"That little thief!" Andy retorts, frustration bubbling over.
"I want my Rubik's cube back," Steven signs, his expression serious.
"You'll get it back, I promise," Andy signs in response.
"Come on! We need to track down Lucas and Audrey right now! It's 5:30. Mr. Mark will arrive in 30 minutes to take them home. We have to find them before he shows up!" Kendall urges.
"We have no clue where Audrey and Lucas might be hiding. The Palm Woods is an enormous and sprawling place. We'll need to search every nook and cranny. Time is not on our side right now. If only we could split up and cover the areas where they're most likely to be. Hmm, Audrey is definitely the girly type, right? Let's check out the Palm Woods spa. Lucas could be in the game room. Let's get moving!" Logan exclaims, darting out of the apartment with the others trailing behind.
They head to the spa first but find no sign of Audrey. Camille spots them and asks, "Are you all here for an appointment?" looking puzzled.
"No, we're on the hunt for a sneaky thief who swiped Steven's beloved colorful cube," Andy replies.
Camille blinks in confusion, then turns to Logan for clarification.
"We suspect Audrey took Steven's brand new Rubik's cube," he explains.
"Why do you think that?" Camille inquires.
"Because she was the closest to the counter where I left the Rubik's cube before we had to kick her and Lucas out of the apartment," Andy responds.
"Wait, why were they kicked out?" Camille asks, her curiosity piqued.
"We're in a race against time, Cami. I'll fill you in on everything that happened," Kendall says, ready to share the details.
"Wow. That's just terrible," Camille replies, shaking her head in disbelief.
"The next spot on our list is the game room," Logan announces.
"I'll join you all. My appointment just wrapped up, and I was only sitting here waiting for my nail polish to dry," Camille replies.
They step outside and head toward the game room, but Lucas is nowhere to be found.
"This is becoming absurdly frustrating. Audrey's not at the spa, and Lucas is missing from the game room. Where on earth could they be?" Kendall exclaims.
Tyson suddenly starts growling at someone in the distance.
"What's up with him, Andy?" James inquires.
"I have no idea," Andy responds, glancing in the direction Tyson is fixated on. "He spots them! Audrey and Lucas are heading to the parking lot! Let's go!"
They dash outside after them.
"Stop right there, thief!" Andy shouts.
Audrey and Lucas turn around, bewildered by the accusation.
"Thief? Who's a thief? What are you talking about?" Audrey asks, scanning the area.
"Look in the mirror!" Andy retorts.
"Are you accusing Audrey of stealing?" Lucas demands.
"Absolutely! She took Steven's Rubik's Cube! She needs to return it immediately!" Andy insists.
"I didn't take anything! This is ridiculous!" Audrey protests, clearly offended.
"Yes, you did! It's in your bag! Hand it over!" Andy insists.
"I don't have it! I swear I didn't take it!" Audrey argues back.
"Yes, you did! Give it back right now!" Lucas chimes in.
Their voices escalate, each growing more exasperated as the argument intensifies.
