Jealousy

Chapter 10

A couple of days had passed, and Maddie didn't talk to Sportacus about bailing on her, since he himself didn't bring it up, so she decided to leave it behind as well. But then it was Sportacus' turn to get ditched. Stephanie faked Maddie's handwriting perfectly, and that's what she wrote:

"Sportacus my love,

I want to invite you this afternoon

For a hike and a picnic with me.

I will meet you next to the tree house at 4:15PM,

Don't be late!

With love,

Maddie (SWAK)"

Sending it up high to his airship, Sportacus unfolded the letter and excitedly read it. He couldn't wait for this date! He even started to prepare some fruit salad to bring to their picnic.

*****

It was 4:00PM, just 15 more minutes for Sportacus' "date" with Maddie. She chose the perfect day for this plan – Maddie was rehearsing on her 4th of July concert with some guys from her school, three guys who formed a band called "Fantasy Monsters". That's all she had been doing for the past week, and so she will be in the next one until the concert.

When it was time for their date, Stephanie and the rest of the kids came to the field "by chance" and asked Sportacus if he's willing to join them for a basketball game.

"Sorry, guys, but I'm waiting for Maddie to go on our date," he said. Once the kids turned their backs to him they started to laugh as their plan was working.

*****

A couple more hours passed, it was 6:30PM and Sportacus finally gave up and went back to his airship.

"Why would she do that?" he thought out loud.

"Maybe she regretted? Maybe all these wedding-talks freaked her out?" he kept asking himself.

"No, we're almost three years together, and she would told me if she wanted to break up. But this can't be, she loves me, I know it. Maybe something just popped up or she simply forgot."

*****

Step one is successfully done, it's time for step two!

The next day, Stephanie gathered her team again in Pixel's house.

"It's time for step number two, guys! Here's the plan:

When Sportacus will park his airship on the hill today, Trixie, Stingy and I will go to greet him and make sure he doesn't have a chance to close the door, and then you Pixel, will sneak into his airship and delete Maddie's voice command from the airship's computer, and then you'll sneak out as if nothing really happened. Got it?"

The group nodded and went to start their plan.

*****

"Sportacus!" Trixie, Stingy and Stephanie greeted their hero as he landed his airship on the hill.

"Hey, kids!" he greeted them back.

"We came to see if you want to play baseball with us," Stephanie said.

"Sure I want!" he said and the kids quickly managed to catch his arms and started to drag him to the park. But not before he called very loud to his door to close.

'I hope Pixel will find a way to open it...' Stephanie thought to herself.

And that's when Pixel came out of the woods to sneak into the airship. He saw everything that happened, and managed to record Sportacus' shout to the door. So he approached the airship, turned up the volume of his recording machine to the max, and once the computer heard the word "Door!" in Sportacus' voice, it opened. After trying to hit some buttons on the floor and walls of the airship until he managed to open the control system of the airship. Doing some tapping and typing, he managed to delete Maddie's voice from the system. He went out, played Sportacus' recording again and the door closed.

*****

Later that day, around 5:30PM, Maddie wanted to go to the airship and talk to Sportacus, knowing from Stephanie he was there (and of course, it was part of her plan), and maybe figure out some things.

"Ladder!" she called from the ground, as she looked up at the airship.

"Maybe it didn't hear me? LADDER!!" she shouted louder this time, but still nothing.

"Did he... did he deleted my voice commands? I can't believe this! That... That... URGH!! Unbelievable!" she ran away from there and started to cry.

She stormed into the house and rushed to her room, ignoring her father who asked what was wrong.

And that's when Stephanie knew – step three is on!