Hey guys! Well, this part isn't as long as I'd hoped it would be... I sort of felt that my humor was lagging in this chapter - sorry about that!
| . Thanks a bunch for your guys' support! I really appreciated it! Hopefully the next part won't take long to finish up. I'm out on SUMMER! Yes!<b>Biged:</b> Thanks so much for your feedback!
<b>Gigo:</b> Well, this chapter doesn't really answer your questions - mostly because I didn't make it long enough, I just wanted to get what I had out so that you guys had <i>something</i>! Anyway, the questions should be answered in Chapter 16! Thanks for sticking around! And for your feedback!
<b>Trude:</b> Thanks for your feedback!
)<b>Neo:</b> Thanks for your feedback, I loved your compliments. Really.
) Thanks, and I'm sorry to have kept you waiting!<b>roswellluver:</b> Thanks for your feedback!
<b>Smac:</b> I'm so glad I made you laugh! And I'm glad that you like this fic! :oD Thanks for your feedback!
<b>Krista:</b> MY CHICA!!!! *tackles* Hey girlie, how's it going? I know what you mean about having no time. It's so crazy, isn't it!? Man! Gah, I definitely don't think you abandoned me (especially with all of your bumps, you are the Bump Queen.... you and Gerry) - if anything it's the other way around!!! Sorry! Love you!
<b>Gerry Carr:</b> I have never heard of that movie! It sounds kind of interesting though. I'll have to look into it! LOL, I love how you went off on a tangent. It made me laugh! Thanks so much for nominating me - you rock my world. :oD And thanks for the bumps!
<b>tabata:</b> Thanks for your feedback!!
<b>RiaRath101:</b> Thanks for your feedback and condolences! I appreciate it!
<b>Lindz:</b> *gasp* You would take me off sweetcakes status? Can you DO that?!?
<b>alienmom:</b> Thanks for your well wishes!
)<b>phyco352:</b> Thanks for the bump!
<center>Goonies Never Say Die
Chapter Fifteen</center>
“How can you double your money?”
“I don’t know.”
“Look in a mirror.”
“Oh. Funny.”
“I thought so. Here’s another one.”
“Oh joy.”
“Is that sarcasm I hear?”
“Yes.”
“Okay,” Kyle paused and looked over at Serena before sighing. “How can you make seven even?”
“Subtract one?” Serena guessed.
“Take away the ‘S’,” Kyle said, “but that was a really good guess.”
“So, are you telling me you two are going to sit here like bumps on a log and do nothing?” Maria asked. It had been over a half an hour since Michael, Alex and Max had gone to look through the tunnel and Kyle and Serena had sat down in front of the tunnel to watch the others. Plus, they both refused to separate.
“You know, I never understood the phrase ‘bumps on a log’,” Serena replied, pulling her hair up into a ponytail. She nudged Kyle. “Do you know what it means?”
“I think it means we’re useless.”
“Oh, I don’t know, I’ve been pretty amused by you ever since I met you. I don’t think you’re useless.”
“It’s only because you don’t know him,” Isabel said, distracted. Her hands searched the walls near Kyle and Serena. “Give it a week or two.”
“Thanks Izzy,” Kyle mumbled, throwing his arm around Serena. “She’s just jealous because she’s stuck with Alex and you’ve got me.”
“Yes, that is so it,” Isabel replied. She sighed and moved on to another part of the wall. “Liz, have you found anything yet?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Either you have or you haven’t. There is no in between,” Serena said.
Liz rolled her eyes and kept running her hands over the walls. “I bet if you two joined in helping us, then we’d find the way up a whole lot sooner.”
“Probably,” Serena replied, “but seeing as how I have a fear of heights and a fear of being pushed down a long, long, long, long drop,” Serena threw a glare in Isabel’s direction, “I think the best result would be for us to go through the middle tunnel so I’d rather not help in this particular search, okay?”
“It’s not like I would push you off this walkway. I mean, we want to go up there this time, not down. There‘d be no purpose in my pushing you. Now if you jumped instead, I wouldn‘t have had to push you and you wouldn‘t have a fear.”
“Thanks Isabel, I feel so much better,” Serena mumbled.
“As long as I helped.”
“While you guys are up and searching and everything… do you think you could look for food?” Kyle asked. The three looks Maria, Isabel and Liz sent him had him holding his hands up. “Forget I mentioned it.”
Isabel bit back a groan and instead, began to grind her teeth together. This was so ridiculous. She was stuck with a complete stranger, Kyle - enough said, and the two rich bitches. Granted, Isabel had to give them credit… they were much better than she thought they would be.
“Have you two found anything yet?” Isabel asked, her voice tired.
“No,” Liz replied, sounding defeated. “Maybe the others were right. Maybe we weren’t supposed to actually go up.”
“Then why would the symbols be there?” Isabel asked. She shook her head. “No, we definitely have to go up there.”
“Oh! Guys! Oh!” Maria was practically jumping. “I think I found something!”
“What’d you find?” Isabel was excited and grinning. “Show us.” She and Liz immediately made their way over to stand next to Maria.
“Well, I don’t know if it’s anything but as far as I can tell the rest of the walls are flat. Not exactly smooth, but flat with no indentations. Right here are five circles into the wall. Like… in the shape of a ‘v’ or something. And look,” Maria pushed in on one of the circles only to have to glow until she took her fingers away. “The same happens for each of the circles and they have to glow for a reason, right? Now, I’m guessing if we maybe press them all together, at the same time, something might happen.”
Isabel blinked. “Since when did you become intelligent?”
Maria ignored her. “Let’s all just try it at once, okay? I’ll get these two, Liz you get the two on the far right and Isabel, you get the one in the middle, okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay.”
“On the count of three,” Maria looked from Liz to Isabel and then to the circles. “One.”
Isabel’s hand inched towards the middle circle and she could see Liz move her hands into position as well.
“Two.”
Maria moved her own hands closer. She thought she heard Kyle and Serena stand up to see whether or not it would work. She hoped it did.
“Three!”
All three immediately thrust their hands forward, pressing on the circles. For a few seconds nothing happened… then there was a pulsating beneath their fingers and a loud explosion rocked the walls, before all three were thrown onto the ground. Light burst through the circles, brighter than when Maria had touched them one at a time. There was a shifting noise, as if rock was being dragged along, and there was a loud scraping sound. It lasted mere moments before it ended and everything was quiet. Really quiet.
“Well,” Kyle finally said, “at least I didn’t do it this time.”
“Did it work?” Maria asked, slowly sitting up. “Are there stairs?”
“No.”
At Isabel’s flat tone, Liz sat up. “You mean I got thrown onto my back for nothing?”
“Not one word, Kyle,” Isabel said, when she noticed him grinning at Liz. She nodded to the wall. “Not stairs, a ladder.”
“Thank God!” Liz fell back to the ground and covered her eyes.
“I think I’ll go get the other amigos… wouldn’t want them to miss out on all the fun and PMS-age.” Kyle smirked and ran from the room.
“’PMS-age‘?!?!” Maria snapped. “Like he even knows a thing about it!”
“He reads Cosmo,” Isabel stated, as if that explained it, and stood up. “Let’s start climbing.”
Liz stood up and waited, lending Maria a hand. Isabel walked towards Serena to do the same.
“What?” Serena asked. “Why do I have to climb it? Why can’t I be a bump again?”
“Get up.”
“You know,” Serena took Isabel’s hand and let her pull her to her feet, “you have a real problem with bossing people around.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah… the guys tell me that all the time, but they don’t complain.”
“Isabel, no offense, but I think them telling you that you’re bossy, is them complaining,” Maria replied.
<center>***</center>
“God, I think I could spend the rest of my life here as long as there was an endless supply of food and drinks,” Max stated. He leaned back against the rock and closed his eyes.
“Me too. It’s quiet. It’s peaceful. No one screaming at us to shut up, move or dodge lasers, and no offense man,” Michael nodded to Alex, “but no Isabel either.”
“None taken,” Alex waved his hand, “although to make things fair Maria was the one dodging lasers - not you.”
“Hey,” Michael sat up straight, his brown eyes narrowed on Alex, “I ran after her!”
“Yeah, well, that makes you crazy and in a strange way, over protective and stalker-ish. Nothing to brag about, dude,” Alex shrugged and then leaned back.
They’d only walked for ten minutes before they’d come to this cavern. The ceiling was low, but the room was incredibly wide. There was only one other exit from the room and Michael, Max and Alex had decided to relax and let the girls search a little bit longer before crushing their hopes - besides they were perfectly content to relax in the room, despite the dirt.
“Do you really think there’s alien treasure?” Max asked.
Michael sighed. “I don’t know. The map seems legit, and it can’t hurt any… us looking for it. If there is treasure then none of us will have to move from Roswell. If there isn’t - we had a close to death experience. What’s better than that? Plus we rescued that Serena chick, right?”
“True,” Alex nodded, “but speaking of Serena… what do you think of her?”
“What do you mean? Like, is she hot?” Max asked.
“No. What do you think of her? I mean, she just sort of agreed to go with us, you know. And, like… run away from her family. Who does that?”
“A chick who’s family has locked her up in a room,” Michael replied.
“I’m being serious,” Alex said.
“Me too,” Michael said seriously. “Her family is insane!”
“Well, how do we know that? We don’t even know her family!” Alex crossed his legs and leaned forward. “For all we know they could be nice people.”
“Nice people who lock one of their family members in a room? For a long period of time!? With only deliverance of food and drinks?!” Michael shook his head. “Alex… these people are not good people. I mean… that Nicholas guy - he’s killed people!”
“Okay, so he’s not a cool guy, but Serena’s sister can’t be too bad.”
“Look, Alex, it’s cool for you to try and make them out to be good people who just… are a little bit psycho, but any chick who let’s her sister be locked away is seriously damaged.”
Alex held his hands up. “All right, all right… I get it. I just thought it was weird because we knew nothing about her.”
“Well, it’s not like we’ve really had the time to sit around and have a pow wow, getting to know each other,” Max stated.
“True, oh well, it was just a question-”
BANG!!!
“Did you guys hear that?” Alex whispered.
“Hear what? Oh, you mean that loud bang that sounded like it came from the other room? Is that what you were talking about?! Of course we heard it!” Michael stood up, forgetting about the height of the ceiling.
His head connected with the ceiling at the same time that Max and Alex‘s hands closed about his legs. He groaned and moved his hands to his head and began to feel the floor fall from underneath him as his legs were pulled out from under him. He didn’t realize he’d hit the ground, face first, until he inhaled a mouthful of dirt. Coughing, he turned over onto his back and tried to glare at Max and Alex.
“We tried to help,” Max said.
“In the future, please stop yourselves,” Michael groaned. “Man, my head hurts.”
“It should. You knocked it pretty hard on that ceiling.”
“Oh, really? Here I was thinking it was a completely random headache!” Michael shouted.
“God, you’re cynical today.”
“Sorry, it must be the whole ‘I’m-trapped-underground-with-no-way-out‘ thing,” Michael replied sarcastically. He sat up to face the others, and his jaw dropped with what he saw. Kyle was crawling into the room with a really low ceiling. Kyle, smiling, was crawling into the room with a really low ceiling. Kyle, smiling and shirtless, was crawling into the room with a really low ceiling.
“Kyle man… where the hell’s your shirt?” Michael asked. Max and Alex turned to look at Kyle, not having noticed him before.
“Oh yeah… well it ripped on the way here so I took it off. It’s in my back pocket.”
“Whatever,” Max replied. “What was that big bang about earlier?”
“That was Maria, Isabel and Liz playing around with the cave wall. You know, I told them it was useless but they had to go and glow the place up.”
“Glow the place up? You don’t mean ‘blow’ do you?” Alex asked, anxiously. “Is Isabel okay?”
“What about Liz? Is she hurt? Is she bleeding? Is she still in one piece? Does she want me?”
“Uh, what tearjerker, three hour movie is that scene from?” Kyle shook his head. “Everyone is fine. The girls found a way up though so I told them that I’d come and fetch you guys.”
“You’re sure Liz is okay?” Max asked as he crawled out of the room. “And Isabel?”
“Dude, would you move your ass Max?” Michael snapped. “You’re whooped on Liz, we get it… news flash; we. Don’t. Care. Now go. C’mon, mush.”
Max, scowling, moved quickly from the room followed by Michael. Alex began to crawl forward, then stopped and looked back at Kyle.
“What?” Kyle asked.
“You didn’t rip your shirt on a rock did you?” Alex laughed. “You ripped it before you came in here, didn’t you?”
“It ripped on a rock!” Kyle insisted.
“Which rock? Max, Michael and I were fine.”
“Okay, so I ripped it by myself but Alex,” Kyle threw his hands into the air, “I’m a stud. I know it, you know it… but Serena is resisting my studly charms! Yesterday she was fine, now she’s all… weird. I had to do something to get her attention.”
“Oh, oh yes…” Alex broke into laughter and he continued to crawl through the exit, “this was the exact solution. She’ll totally notice you now… STUD!”
Kyle hurried after him, “Dude, buddy… you won’t tell anyone right? Hey, Alex! Wait up!”
I love you, you know! You're always there a bumping. You are too cool. (By the way, do you still need a beta?? I miss the funny quotes in your sig!)
LOL! You rock, thanks for your feedback!!