The Life Of A Franz Ferdinand Reference

25

The melted frappuccinos were long gone and we were all huddled around Strawberry's laptop. Nick had stayed quiet for the past hour and seemed not blacked out but also not spaced out. No one mentioned it. We were letting Rowan do that once she returned.

For now, we were getting lost on YouTube. First it was try not to laugh challenges, then iPhone videos by 11 year olds, then the elusive dumpster diving community.

Alex was first to realize how bad of an idea watching those videos was. He gave this entire speech about how it could trigger something in Nick's memory, and then we'd have to deal with that until Rowan got back. Nick somehow didn't hear any of this from the blanket nest/mountain thing, which had somehow moved from the bottom bunk to the floor.

After a few more rounds of searches, someone started knocking frantically on the front door.

"Who's responsible enough for this?" Paul asked after 13 seconds of silence and knocking.

"Well I guess-" Strawberry started.

"Nope. I'm going." Bob rushed to the door and let in whoever was outside.

As expected, it was Cassiopeia and Rowan.

"This is some strange pattern that whenever I leave you six weirdos somehow manage to wreck everything in sight." Rowan laughed.

I looked over at Alex, knowing he was already waiting for my reaction.

"Let's Portal Bomb back to the apartment." Strawberry suggested.

"What exactly happened last night?!" Rowan asked.

Strawberry and I told our story about the previous night, and how we met Calesta.

"Yep, we're going back." Rowan decided.

Cassiopeia was already holding a sparkling pink portal bomb.

"You ready?" She asked before dropping it onto the ground before anyone could respond.

And then we were zipping through the void and into Insetile City, right next to the apartment.

"I'm taking Nick back to the hospital and then Cassiopeia is gonna check with the HQ... Glasie and Alex, please don't come with us... It's gonna be a very boring few days and I'm gonna have to fake a job there, so it's best if you stay..." Rowan attempted at carrying Nick out to the jeep, but gave up and ended up dragging him there. Cassiopeia followed.

Once inside the apartment, Alex flopped on the empty couch bed. The corner next to the wall was strangely vacant. I didn't like this.

"Ever think about how much there is out there?" Alex asked after a strange silence filled by Strawberry and Paul scampering around the apartment like little kids and Bob undeniably face palming behind them.

"Yeah, I guess... Like behind the city?"

"Sometimes I wonder what you do all the time... Just sitting... Watching..."

"I describe things." I shrugged.

"Yeah, like in 5th grade language arts class."

"Well sometimes I can't calm down, so I focus on something and just describe it..."

"Come on. Let's go on an adventure." Alex dashed out of our room towards the front door.

I had no choice but to follow him behind the city and into the forest. At first it wasn't much, but then Alex found a creek and jumped over it.

"I can't make that jump." I called across.

"Yeah you can." Alex was suddenly next to me.

"Have you ever seen your legs?! They're like 2 miles long. I can't make that jump."