Tall l.h.

113.

"Okay, so pizza?" Calum asked after opening and closing the cabinets in his kitchen three or four times. I laughed and shrugged. He had no food in his house. He grabbed his phone and made the call while I went hunting for my children. I hadn't seen them since we got back on dry land. Come to think of it, I hadn't seen Luke either, though he was an adult for the most part. 

I found Andy with Honey. She was cuddling and kissing on him while Gordon and Abbey played in the floor together. I went outside through the screen door and found the other three guys standing around talking. Pippa happened to be in the middle of them. 

I walked up next to Luke and put my arms around him as Pippa jumped from Ashton to Mikey to Luke. I didn't quite understand what she was doing, but no one was really paying much attention to her. 

"What's for lunch?" Ashton asked me, knowing I was helping Calum figure something out. 

"Pizza." I said picking up Pippa so she'd quit stomping all over everyone's toes, "Cal just ordered it."

"I feel like all I eat is pizza." Ashton said scrunching his nose. "We don't even have it that often." I laughed at him as Calum came outside to us. 

"Pizza will be here in like thirty minutes." he said, clapping his hands before he held them out to Pippa who let him hold her. She was getting much too big to be carried around like we did. "You want some pizza, cutie?" She nodded and Mikey suddenly gasped loudly. We all looked at him as he grabbed Pippa from Calum, who frowned and started to pout, before he kissed her cheek. 

"You didn't tell me how many Pokemon you had!" He said, like he suddenly remembered she'd promised to tell him. She just looked at him. "Come on Pippachu! I'm dying to know if you've caught them all!" 

"Pokemon isn't real." She said shaking her head, "It's just a cartoon." she looked at me and Luke and Mikey frowned at us. 

"I know." He said to her, "But you were gonna catch 'em all on your game."

"Well I don't play that game anymore." she shook her head. I had no idea she'd quit playing it on her game boy. Mikey looked a bit sad for a second.

"Why not?" He asked sadly.

"Because." she said squirming out of his arms, "It's not real Mikey." She said before she ran inside. Mikey's eyes got wide and he looked at us like we'd killed his puppy in front of him. 

"What was that?" he asked almost loudly. 

"Well, she asked for a Pikachu the other day and we had to make sure she knew that Pokemon was a cartoon." I said slowly, "She didn't take it very well."

"Yeah." Luke said narrowing his eyes at him, "She said you told her she could catch them all. While she was crying. Because Pokemon isn't real." 

"She cried?" He asked, his eyes big and sad. I swear he was an anime character sometimes. 

"Yeah." I said scrunching my nose.

"She called me Mikey." He said rolling out his lip. 

"It had to happen sometime, man." Calum said shrugging. Mikey crossed his arms and shook his head. 

"Oh no, you cant tell me that." He said seriously. 

"Mikey, do you really think she was going to call you Pikachu forever?" Ashton asked laughing, "It's a cartoon character." 

"Oh so you're telling me that is Pippa quit calling you Smash one day you'd just be completely fine?" He asked rolling his eyes. Ashton's smile faded and Mikey nodded, "Yeah, you wouldn't like that."