Core Four Fun | Location : Earth | TMC |

|12| The Last Day

"Up and at 'em, soldiers!"

"Weargh?"

"Last day of Disney, guys, c'mon! We have to make the most of it, so we have to hit all the parks we want to go to again before our flight." Dix launched a pillow at Alex's face. Lightning fast reflexes pushed it back towards Dix and started an impromptu morning game of hot potato.

"CHEESE STICKS!" Jordan bellowed from outside. "Give me back my cheese sticks now, dude, I'm so hungry it's not even funny, Bear."

"Yeah, give the boy his cheese sticks, Bear!" Alex echoed with a cheeky grin. Dix took the opportunity to whack her face in with her own pillow.

"Breakfast in ten, let's go! Otherwise I'm not packing Cheezels or hot cups for the shuttle, people!"

"Yes, Mother Dix." chorused the rest of the Core Four cheekily. Alex fell off her bed, rubbing at her eyes to glance at the window above her bed.

"Dixy, the sun isn't even up! No way breakfast is going to be ready for us." Alex complained loudly. Dix shouted back from inside the bathroom, her voice echoing like a ghost.

"That's why I have breakfast bars and these things called...Capri Sun? I don't know much about it, but it seems to have enough sugar to keep Jordan awake until the sun comes out. I pulled some strings to get us early access into the parks."

"Woah, I thought I was the one pulling strings? Dix, what did you do?" Alex asked suspiciously, waiting outside the bathroom door. When Dix finally emerged, her red curls tightly braided back into two Dutch braids, there was a sly grin on her freckled face.

"Nothing you need to know right now."

"Fine, I guess I won't tell you my surprise," Alex sniffed haughtily, prancing out of their bedroom with her head held high. "It's amazing."

"As good as getting us into the park early, churros, and a special behind the scenes of Rise of Resistance?"

"Okay, maybe not as good for you and Sparky." Alex admitted, leaning against the doorframe.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nuh-thing!"

"Fine, you keep your secrets. Can you get Bear out of the bathroom? His hair does not need to be perfect when he calls Dec today."

"Yeah, sure." Alex crossed back to bang on the boy's bathroom. Bear made a muffled 'mhm' that meant he'd be another ten minutes before ready, and Jordan was already bouncing by the door, sucking on a grape Capri Sun packet.

"Alex, Alex, Alex, have you heard of these thingies called Capri Sun? I have so much sugar in my body right now, I could run a marathon and not be tired and then I'd eat a thousand of those tiny energy bars and then I'd—"

"How about we get that early access, Dix?" Alex's pained smile begged for escape. Dix snorted behind her hand as Bear finally appeared.

"Sounds good to me."

o o o

Alex tottered out of the back entrance on wobbly legs, nearly tackling Jordan as she tripped over someone's bag. Her nose went crack! against the pavement, and a warm trickle of blood began streaming down from her nose like Niagra Falls. Really, her only thoughts at the moment were ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, blood. Pushing herself up, Alex tried to focus on one spot that wasn't blurry as she leant her head against the wall.

Jordan pulled a face, handing Alex some tissues from Dix's to-go bag. Bear squatted beside him, patting Alex's shoulder carefully.

"You good, Alex?" Jordan grinned, running a hand through his hair. Alex shot him a glare, desperately trying to stop the blood flow.