Patrick was freaking out. “My bats are gone! They’re not just animals; they’re part of me!” He paced back and forth like a vampire dad who’d lost his keys, his fangs catching the light with every word.
“Maybe they just needed some fresh air,” I said, trying to calm him down.
“Fresh air where?!” he snapped. “This is serious, Isiah. If something happens to them—”
Harrison, sitting on the couch, waved him off. “They probably flew off because they’re tired of your whining.”
Patrick whipped around. “You don’t get it, Butker! They wouldn’t just leave me!”
From her spot on the floor, Haddie crunched on a chip and shrugged. “They’re in my room.”
Patrick stopped mid-pace. “Excuse me?”
“My room,” she said casually. “They showed up last night and wouldn’t shut up. So, I let them stay.”
Patrick’s jaw dropped. “You let them stay?! Haddie, do you know what’s in your room?”
She smirked. “Yeah, Pops helped me set it up. Pretty nice, huh?”
I groaned. “Haddie, is there something you’re not telling us?”
She shrugged again. “They found some vanilla cake I left in there. They seemed into it.”
Patrick gasped. “You fed my bats cake?”
“I didn’t feed them anything. They helped themselves. Smart little guys.”
Patrick buried his face in his hands, groaning. “If they get sick, I’m blaming you!”
When we got to Haddie’s door, Patrick froze. “I’m not going in there,” he said, crossing his arms.
“It’s your bats, man,” Harrison said, smirking. “You gotta face the jungle.”
Patrick glared at him before slowly opening the door.
Inside was a full-blown rainforest. Trees stretched to the ceiling, vines hung down like curtains, and the ground was covered in moss and dirt. Birds chirped from branches, a small waterfall trickled into a stream on the side, and somewhere in the distance, I swore I heard a monkey.
“This is…” Patrick trailed off, staring at the scene in front of us.
“Ridiculous,” Harrison finished, shaking his head.
Haddie brushed past us, stepping over a log like she was on a casual stroll. “It’s not that bad. You guys are just dramatic.”
“This is where you live?” Patrick asked, looking around like he expected something to attack him.
“It’s cozy,” Haddie said.
“It’s a jungle!” I said, ducking under a vine.
“Exactly.”
We followed her deeper into the chaos until we found the bats. They were perched on a low-hanging branch, happily munching on a vanilla cake that was somehow sitting on a mossy rock.
Patrick’s jaw dropped. “They’re… eating cake?”
“Yup,” Haddie said, leaning against a tree. “Told you.”
Patrick stormed forward, waving his arms. “Get down here! You’re not supposed to eat that! You’re bats, not dessert critics!”
One of the bats hissed and took a bigger bite.
Harrison laughed, leaning against a tree. “Your bats have good taste, Mahomes. Vanilla’s a solid choice.”
Patrick glared at him. “This isn’t funny, Butker!”
I couldn’t help but laugh a little as Patrick flailed around, trying to catch his rogue bats. “Haddie, you couldn’t have mentioned this sooner?”
She shrugged, plopping down on a mossy rock. “They’re fine, Pops. I mean, look at them. They’re thriving.”
“Thriving on cake! This is why I can’t have nice things!” Patrick yelled as one bat chirped at him and flew to a higher branch with its slice of cake.
“Parenting’s a wild ride, huh?” Harrison said, smirking at me.
I sighed, shaking my head. “Don’t I know it.”
