Room 307, Monday Morning

[dollpocalypse]

Okay, fine, the subject heading was a lie. It was pretty much afternoon by the time Topher opened his eyes, blinked rapidly, stared at the ceiling, and pulled his blankets tight around him.

"I'm never getting up," he announced in a barely-coherent mumble, and then he rolled onto his side and dozed off again.

For the record, he kept his word for an hour and forty-five minutes. Then he got out of bed for long enough to stand up, open the door as if considering going into the hall, and then return to sit on his bed with the door cracked open. Baby steps.

[[door cracked, post open!]]

Comments

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

Not even for inappropriate starches? 'Cause Kenzi had a bag of Ranch Doritos in her hand, and bottle of Mountain Dew in the other. "Dude. You look like death microwaved."

[dollpocalypse]

Oh god, inappropriate starches. Yes.

"You look like a meta for Force ghost," Topher announced, reaching out gratefully for the snacks. "In a good way."

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

Kenzi popped open the bottle and held it out, grinning. "See, I kinda feel like one of those house elves from that books series. Bringing joy and goodies." She sat down on the desk, legs swinging. "Glad you're back, this was the most boring week ever. And I was kinda freaking out."

[dollpocalypse]

"I died," Topher offered, because he felt that that was a trump card. After taking a long swig of Mountain Dew, he acknowledged, "Okay, maybe that makes me the Force ghost here. That would be pretty cool, actually."

Right.

"What kind of stuff happened after, like, the second day?"

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"Seriously?" Kenzi boggled, eyes huge. "Holy crap. How? And yeah, it would be. Especially if you got special powers out of it... nothing happened!" Kenzi threw her hands upward. "I thought at first that I just missed a party somewhere, or a trip to outer space. Then I listened to the Radio and heard Jono disappear, and then there was nobody around at all. The squirrels were getting people off-island to do the Radio and the place was empty."

[dollpocalypse]

"Hang on, wait, you mean you weren't there?" Now you were getting it, Topher. "Dude, not fair! How come I got stuck being attacked by statues without any cell service and you didn't?"

Thaaaat wasn't nice.

"These statues chased me and Ace around a parking lot and zapped us or something," he added in response to her question. "Then I woke up in the woods yesterday, which is apparently five days after the statue thing."

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"Hell if I know. Maybe I wasn't asleep when it happened?" Not impossible, given Kenzi's night owl habits. "Maybe they don't like girls with black hair?" She paused. "Wait, so you got there, hung out for two days, then got taken out by statues? That so blows. You should've at least got to blow something up."

[dollpocalypse]

"That would explain why I didn't see Kate around," Topher granted. "But yeah, no explosions for me. It totally sucked. I'd rank it somewhere between the grey monsters one and the one with the evil witch."

Because ranking BDEs was just a thing he did, apparently.

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"I hated the evil witch one. Gah!" Kenzi dug into the pocket of her jacket and brought out a bag of M&M's that she broke open, pouring some onto Topher's bed. "The weekends we turn into different people are way more fun... But yeah, all the teachers being gone too meant no classes, and everyone who'd buy drinks meant no work, so. Just hung out with Petra and Arietty. And Grace Winchester."

[dollpocalypse]

Kenzi seriously was a house-elf. An amazing, candy-bearing house-elf.

"Thanks," he said, very gratefully, as he promptly began to scoop up the green M&Ms and separate them into a smaller pile for himself.

Then he tilted his head. "Who's Grace Winchester?"

Real aware of his surroundings, this kid was.

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"Principal's kid. She's seven." Kenzi popped a candy into her mouth, humming. "Not bad for a kid. She was going around to the Perk and J,GOB and all, telling them to give her food, her mom would pay for it when she got back. Gotta admire that." She snickered. "Plus we had fun decorating the Security Chief's office in pink and sparkles." Bo loved that! Really! "So what was the place you were at like? I didn't get any deets from the Principal."

[dollpocalypse]

"Garden-variety underground dungeon," Topher reported. "Kind of maze-like. Different creepers in different rooms. That kind of thing."

He paused, contemplating what else was important to share.

"Everyone was in their underwear, which pretty much sucked."

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"Everyone, everyone? Teachers too?" Kenzi's expression was between fascinated and appalled. "That had to be awwwwkward. Or possibly pervy."

[dollpocalypse]

"Some lady had to run for a bag or something to wear when she woke up naked," Topher reported. "It was very gross."

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

Only you, Topher. But Kenzi was amused by that by now.

"Well, you missed nada here, although our esteemed Mayor was... less than helpful. I kept wondering what Peter would do to solve this. 'Cause I knew you'd build a robot, and there was no way I was going to pull that off."

[dollpocalypse]

"I miss Peter," Topher decided matter-of-factly. "I don't know if he was even there. I didn't see him."

On account of getting zapped so early on in the week, and all.

"We should find him and bug him sometime," he said. "Get some survival tips for next time. It'll make him feel all competent."

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"Yes! And maybe bring him food." Kenzi liked sticking with her strengths. "And yeah. Political tips too, for making people look for anyone who vanishes... was Billy in there with you? 'Cause I didn't see him around here."

[dollpocalypse]

"I didn't see him 'till yesterday," Topher said. "But apparently yeah, he was."

Pause. "I'd ix-nay the political tips, though. It's probably usually teleportation-or-bust."

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

Kenzi cocked her head, taking that in. "Mmmm, okay. You know what we need? A pocket portal to exit whatever scenario the Island inflicts on us without warning. Magic or science, I don't care which."

[dollpocalypse]

Huh.

"Like a failsafe," Topher mused. "That's pretty good. I like that. Wide-range might be hard, but maybe if it was, like, just for the three of us, or something. And Billy."

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"Sure!" And maybe Toby, hmmm? "I mean. It wouldn't have to go that far. Just off the island or whatever, because the evil witch chick shut everything down, didn't she?" Those memories were kind of fuzzy. "Just so we can get awaaaaay." No shame in that! "And get a rescue party. Of course."

[dollpocalypse]

"You and Peter could handle the rescue party," Topher said. "Premature dibs on bailing and heading for Disneyland."