the departure

[instar]

Trouble did a very good job of not leaving breadcrumbs leading to the other Animorphs any more than was already inevitable. Still, the cops - who may or may not have been Controllers - talked to Bella just because Trouble has been known to hang out with her; they talked to Renée a little too. Bella thinks she did a good job of affecting ignorance and dismay. Andi didn't, but Andi defaults kind of expressionless anyway even though her braces have been off for a year and a half.

At school - now in its very last days - everyone knows that Trouble borrowed fifty dollars from Amber Jefferson and made off with it. Amber is very gossipy and can afford to lose fifty bucks; he chose well.

Bella hasn't heard from Trouble - or for that matter Aspret - yet.

Comments

[palmofyourhand]

"They seemed to suspect I'd given him a hand somehow, actually. But I'm as clueless as the next fellow. Pity; I'd've liked to get a goodbye kiss."

[pandion]

"The cops said if he sends us a postcard or anything we should tell them," volunteers Andi.

[palmofyourhand]

"Yes, they told me something similar. Not bloody likely. If I get a postcard from Trouble, I'll assume he means for me to set it on fire."

[pandion]

"They kept talking about how we might think we're helping him by keeping quiet but we're really not and it'd be best for him to go home," says Andi.

[instar]

"And we told them we agreed completely and thought Trouble would too as soon as he was safe at home and had a few days to calm down," says Bella piously.

[palmofyourhand]

Ethan snickers.

[instar]

"So apart from our friend the runaway, how are things?"

[palmofyourhand]

"Boring, mainly. And with you?"

[instar]

"Likewise. Lots of writing. We're going to fly up to see Charlie in a week and a half, but we can bump the flight if Robin needs us to in order to come along."

[palmofyourhand]

"Have fun," he says dryly.

[instar]

"We will do our best."

[palmofyourhand]

"Well, don't strain yourself."

[instar]

"We'll do our best at that too."

[palmofyourhand]

He snorts.

[instar]

Trouble still hasn't made contact. By the time school ends and the last final has been taken in and Renée is starting to formulate summer plans for what she'll be up to in the twins' absence, Bella is beginning to seriously entertain the hypothesis that he flew off with his new friend Aspret The Duck, never to return.

[aeskhyne]

And yet, the morning after the last day of school:

<Hi!>

[instar]

Bella sits up a little.

"Trade with me for a minute, Andi?"

[pandion]

"Yeah -"

[instar]

"Sure."

[pandion]

Bella morphs too. <Hi, Trouble! I was wondering if you were ever coming back. What have you been up to?>

[aeskhyne]

<I figured that the best way to make running away look good would be to actually do it. So I did. Got back yesterday. Are you guys alone in there, can I come in and demorph?>

[pandion]

<We're alone in the room, but Renée is home. Maybe stand in the closet and be ready to morph Robin if she comes up the stairs.> And she opens the window.

[aeskhyne]

In comes a pigeon. He makes for the closet.

[pandion]

Bella and Andi remain in each other's shapes for the benefit of thoughtspeech. <Where'd you go?>

[aeskhyne]

"Vegas," says the closet. "Then Forks, in morph, just for the hell of it. Pigeons are really good navigators."