Unbreakable Friendship

[Lucy]

Lucy stood outside Acme wearing her new weatherproof jacket.It felt awesome to be out of her uniform for the day and not have to worry about anything but having fun. She had planned on video chatting with her friends. These friends were spread out across the U.S. and the world. There were friends she still kept in touch with from her elementary school and middle school.

There was also local support at a kind of Clubhouse. This was a place were those who needed some extra support for the issues they were dealing with could go. No matter if they were psychical or mental. It was a peer support network and she'd made a lot of friends there. The plan today was also going to that clubhouse, but Xander called last minute to say he had today off. As soon as she heard that, everything was pushed back.

It had been so long since they could coordinate their schedules and when a rare moment like this came along, they took it. The wind blew so hard, it was tough to keep the hood over her. Rain hit the pavement. Then more and the sky opened up, it was raining cats and dogs.

"Rain drops on roses and whiskers on kittens." She began to sing.

"Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens.

Brown paper packages tied up with strings.

These are a few of my favorite things.

Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels.

Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles.

Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings.

These are a few of my favorite things

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes

Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes

Silver white winters that melt into springs

These are a few of my favorite things

When the dog bites, when the bee stings

When I'm feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things

And then I don't feel so bad"

She suddenly noticed Xander appear with an umbrella.

"Good morning." He said in a soft voice. "It's good to see you, and by the way your singing is beautiful."

Lucy lights up. "Yes. It's been too long." The thought of throwing her arms around him crossed her mind but she stopped herself. Instead she shoved her hands deep within her pockets, keeping pace with him.

".....And thank you but normally I don't have an audience."

"Have you ever thought of auditioning just to see what they would say?"

Lucy shook her head and blushed.

"I could go with you, if you really wanted to try."

"I'll sleep on it." she answered, hesitantly. The thought of going up and being judged was kind of scary but he did have a point. It wouldn't be so scary if she had someone with her. It would actually make her more confident that someone was there to back her up.

Xander lead her to his red Nissan Sentra and unlocked the doors.

"How have you been?" He was turning the engine now. The wet umbrella by his feet, he could still reach the handle.

"Busy, very busy" She answered. "I had a scare yesterday when Luna escaped. Luckily my roommate and my friend Julie helped find her."

"We found her when she was about to get run over. I grabbed her in time."

He pursed his lips. "I'm glad you found Luna but I worry about you"

"My friends were there."

He frowned and shook his head, not wanting to push the issue, then changed the subject. "Would you still like a Frappe? My treat." A chuckle escaped her lips. "Isn't it my turn to pay?" She grabbed her wallet and held it up.

"No. A gentleman pays." He turned into a Starbucks parking lot and cut the engine. He didn't seem to notice Lucy staring at him until then. They got out and before she could do anything, he playfully grabbed her wallet and held it up where she couldn't reach.

"Looks like I'll have to pay" He said coyly.

She laughed and jumped missing it by inches. "Oh come on. Give it back" He shook his head. "Not until after I buy." He said putting it in his pocket. She gave in and followed him inside. He bought two Frapachino's and lead her to the table, sat down and set one in front of her. He also returned her wallet to her.

"Your wallet, madam."

They both took a sip and then stared at each other. The girl returned the wallet to her pocket and stuck her tongue out playfully. He sticks his tongue out at her.

"I like how you are so playful with everyone. It's cute."

Lucy took a long drink and set it down with a clunk. She laughs. "Do you now?" He raised one of his eye brows. Before either of them could say or do anything else, the ground started shaking. Things dropped off shelves and broke, while other, larger things tipped. The lights came loose from the ceiling and fell, narrowly missing Xander and Lucy. Outside, cars moved. Xander grabbed his friend by the arm, and away from the glass windows, a second before they shattered. The whole building moved. A baby cried and the mother did her best to comfort them.

Tables, among other things fell over. Car alarms blared nearby. It was a common thing here but that didn't mean she liked them. In the time that she had lived here, she'd been through a few, kind of something you had to get used to living here.

Then as quickly as it started, it stopped. People asked each other if they were okay. One stood out in particular, this boy in the corner who looked to be around the age of 10. He looked terrified.

"Luce. Are you alright?"

Xander put his hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, but what about you?"

"I'm fine,"

Lucy climbed to her feet and slowly approached the boy. She was in the middle of asking how he was, when the ground began to shake one again. The agent put one arm around him and grabbed the leg of the table nearby. The boy trembling in fear made her tighten her hold and hug him. He seemed to be calmer when she started talking him through it. After several minutes it stopped, everyone checking to make sure others were alright again. The 10 year old turned to her and smiled. "Thank you ma'am" then gave her a hug. She was delighted when his mother appeared and they hugged.

End Part One

 

[Chase]

Nicely done, Lucy. This was an enjoyable read. Will there be a part 2?

 

[Lucy]

I didn't plan a part two, but we might see Xander in the future....

 

[Invader]

This was very touching.

 

[Lucy]

I do better with visuals so just for fun, this is what Zander looks like.

 

[Lucy]

(Part 1 got such a positive response I decided to continue it.)

Co-written: Julie/Lucy

Part Two

Student Dorms
San Francisco
​

Lucy is greeted by an intermittent fire alarm. The sound pierces through her ears and she instinctively covers them with her hands. In single-file lines, her classmates exit the dormitories and gather nearby. The streetlights would usually illuminate the sidewalk and streets but not tonight; The only light came from the fire alarms and student flashlights.

The agent’s eyes were drawn to the first aid kits carried by most people as she came closer. Sanchez played with the strap of her backpack remembering hers was still in her dorm. She stopped to let students by, one was hobbling and had his arm around the other one’s shoulders while they moved. A second student was being carried on a stretcher. A dog followed close behind the stretcher as all of them made it across the street and disappeared into another building.

“Luna," she thought. "I need to make sure she's okay." Lucy thought

Sanchez pulled out her worry stone from her pocket and rubbed the smooth surface with her thumb. She had owned the stone since she was eight years old. At that point, her mom realized her daughter's anxiety was getting worse. For a long time, Arista thought it would help a bit. As a result, it was chipped and discolored.

“Lucy!” a voice called. It was her friend Ariel from Self-Defense class. They did kick-boxing together during their free time. The girl was dressed in pink two-piece pajamas with dogs and cats all over them. The two friends were the same height, 4’ 10” and that was one of the biggest reasons they were friends.

“Where are you going?” Ariel asked.

“ My cat is in there.” Lucy responded.

“It’s dangerous to go inside. You need to come to the infirmary with the rest of us,”

She and Luna had been through everything together. All those stressful days, her furry friend would make it all better. Luna had been there for her when she was a rookie and she was scared. They had rescued each other and blossomed because of it. The feline also appeared in Sanchez’s office out of nowhere during the day, although the agent hadn’t figured out how her friend was getting in yet.

There were also times that Luna wandered away and showed up in Julie’s office, as well as other friends. Julie and friend always enjoyed the cat’s company, making sure to bring her back to Lucy so she didn’t worry too much. The cat usually could be found somewhere on campus. No. There was no way she would leave Luna in there all alone without knowing whether or not the cat was okay.

“I’ll meet you at the infirmary.” Lucy finally answered.

Ariel had a look of surprise and said nothing for a minute or two.

“Lucy please.” She tried to grab Lucy’s hand but her friend pulled away. The agent had made up her mind and wasn’t going to be swayed otherwise.

“I promise. I’ll meet you at the infirmary.” Lucy repeated. Then she turned and disappeared inside.

She moved through the threshold and discovered emergency lights on in the hall. Backup power. What else did she expect from a company as large as ACME? At least she couldn’t hear the lights buzzing. The fire alarm noise was already getting on her nerves. All she could do was tune it out the best she could.

The shiny floor was covered in debris and glass that crunched under her feet as she moved. The pictures that usually hang on the walls were strewn about. The windows were shattered, and the air was thick with smoke and charred wood smell. She could hear sirens in the distance and flames crackling as she walked down the hallway.

The door to her room at the end of the corridor was ajar, and she cautiously stepped inside turning on her flash-light. "LUNA!" she yelled. Lucy coughed as she walked to the middle of the room. She checked all the usual hiding spots and some unusual ones but her furry companion was nowhere to be found.

A sense of defeat swept over her and she slumped down in the middle of the room. At that moment she felt something touch her shoulder and spun around. Julie Justice stood there. They’d heard it a million times, always having backup because a situation could turn bad in the blink of an eye.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure your cat is okay.” Julie told her.

She stood and grabbed an emergency bag from the closet, then turned back to Julie. Sanchez looked at her roommate's closet to find it open and clothes all over the floor. Did her roommate forget a ready bag? The agent distinctly remembered a lesson from class about how to put together a ready bag. She now knew it was good that she’d taken the time to put one together.

Suddenly the ground began shaking again and Julie snatched her under a nearby table. The two friends held the table legs while the lights in the hall flickered. Lucy clenched her jaw. As if sensing Lucy's anxiety, Julie grabbed her hand, and squeezed it. They'd been friends long enough where Julie just seemed to know when anxiety was bothering her. It was a blessing to have someone understand her definition of anxiety.

Lucy felt something vibrate and checked her wristwatch, then pushed a button to accept it. On the face of the watch was static for a moment, but then a familiar face popped up. It was her friend Kendra and she was coughing.

“Kendra?” the agent asked.

“Louise and I are trapped in an elevator!” Kendra coughed hard. The other woman was coughing loudly in the background too.

Lucy heard what sounded like the chandelier jingling around from the lobby. It sounded like an enormous wind chime. She’d heard the original came down in an earthquake many years ago, and the one hanging now was a replica made of fiberglass. The aftershock stopped and things went mostly quiet, except for the fire alarm.

“Where are you?” Julie asked.

“We’re stuck between the second and third floors.” Louise blurted out.

Lucy glanced at Julie. They would need to check if the stairs were safe before climbing them but it was possible to get up there. She remembered reading rules after natural disasters, and knew they were already breaking one by being here.

"O.k. We're coming." Lucy announced. They ran to the stairwell, carefully checking the stairs and went to the next floor, and as soon as they arrived an awful smell hit them. It was a kind of fishy and plastic smell, the kind she'd never smelled before.

There was a light source up ahead and the horrible smells were getting worse. The agent thought back to their classes, she was positive they'd studied types of fires and how to put them out. Her thoughts were interrupted when she bumped into the back of Julie. Why had her friend stopped walking?

End Part Two
TBC​

 

[Lucy]

Part Three
Cowritten: Julie/Lucy

In the silence the young agent thought she heard something.“Do you hear that?” Lucy asked. Julie nodded. Sanchez walked over to the elevators and put her ear to the wall. The noise wasn’t coming from the first elevator, so she moved on to the second one; but it wasn’t from the second one either. Lucy checked the third one and stopped. This was the one it was coming from.

... --- … “S..O...S” She said out loud. It was Morse code. Lucy seemed to remember the dits and dahs. They had just studied the history of communications throughout the world wars.

Lucy answered: .- -. -.-- -... --- -.. -.-- / .... ..- .-. - ..--.. (Anybody hurt?)

There came an answer: -. --- / --- -. . / .. ... / .... ..- .-. - (No one is hurt)

Well, that gave her relief. None of her friends had been injured, but now they needed to escape. “O.K. Tell them to try the buttons first.” Julie said.

Lucy looked up at her friend confused. “The buttons?” She asked.

“Yeah. Try the open button first.” Julie told her.

“.... --- .-.. -.. / - .... . / --- .--. . -. / -... ..- - - --- -.” (Hold the open button.) Lucy tapped.

They waited a moment to see if it worked, but nothing happened. It was back to the drawing board. She looked back over at her friend. “Try to push a button for the floor below them next.”

Lucy nodded. She hoped this would work. “ - .-. -.-- -... ..- - - --- -. --- ..-. - .... . ..-. .-.. --- --- .-. -... . .-.. --- .-- -.-- --- ..-” (try button of floor below you)

The two friends waited again but nothing happened. Lucy glanced up at Julie. Was there anything else they could possibly try?

Julie rummaged through her pockets for a minute. She seemed to be thinking. “O.k. step back.” She finally said. Sanchez does what she's asked. Julie pulled a strange looking key device out of her pocket. “Well, I finally get to test this new device from the ACME tech department.” She told her young friend.

Lucy watched as Justice inserted the strange looking key in between the doors and released something, then the door opened slightly. Julie pushed them open further and there were Lucy’s friends. They waved happily.

“Lucy!” cried Louise.

“Oh, she’s brought a friend,” Kendra called.

Lucy smiled glad they were okay. Julie noticed a panel on the inside of the elevator, with the numbers for floors and at the very bottom there was a big, red button. “Open Panel” near the red button. “Hey, press that red button on the panel” Julie called.

Kendra looked at the panel and eyed the button, then pushed it. The whole panel came off instantly and fell on the ground. There were now exposed cables coming from the place the panel used to be. Ariel then pulled out the cables and tied them around the three of them. While her friend was doing that, Lucy took her flashlight and looked about the elevator shaft.

Her light stopped when she caught something on the opposite wall of the elevator shaft. She took a deep breath, feeling her heart speed up. "Ferere Jaques, Frerere Jaques! Domez-vous? Domez-vous! Sonnez les matines! Sonnez les matines!" Lucy sang to herself nervously.

Lucy carefully steps on the top of the elevator and as soon as she does, feels it move slightly under her. Sanchez waits a moment and realizes it stopped and is stable, so she moves quickly, grabs the ladder and then joins Julie back in the hall.

The young woman works to open the ladder and then pushes it down to her friends. All of her classmates climb the ladder one at a time and then untie themselves from the wires.

“Let’s get out of here.” Louise said. The others nod in agreement and then head out.

***
Amid the commotion of the medical center, everyone received treatment for minor smoke inhalation and was discharged. The agents settled in for the night after finding empty cots. It had definitely been a long day. Lucy tossed her backpack at the end and flopped down on her back; letting out a tired moan.

Xander suddenly rounded the corner looking around and then when he spotted Lucy, approached them. Luna sat on his right shoulder. Sanchez jumped up and let out a long sigh of relief.

“There you are!" she exclaimed. Her furry companion jumped onto her owner's shoulder, rubbing against her. The student was happy to hear the soothing sound of purring again.

“Little thing turned up in our vet's office.She must have followed us to our little outing at Starbucks,” Xander said, sitting next to her on the cot.

Lucy’s friends squealed. “You guys spent time together and you didn’t tell us?”

Both Lucy and Xander blush, then he stands up. “I have a birthday gift I meant to give you at Starbucks.” He pulled out a small, blue bag from his pants pocket and gave it to her. Sanchez stared at the bag that was a little bigger than the palm of her hand before undoing the strings and looking inside.

There were six tiny dolls made of string and dressed in traditional Mayan fashion. Also included inside the pouch was a printable that said: "Worry dolls come from Guatemala. They are made from tiny pieces of wood and scraps of thread. According to Mayan legend, when children tell their worries to the worry dolls and then put them under their pillows at night, the worry dolls have taken all their worries away by morning."

Sanchez looked up and noticed he was disappearing around the corner again. How sweet.

The End

 

[Tenchi Masaki]

Well, this was a good story. I love sequels as long as independent storytellers are telling the story and not greedy studio execs.

 

[Lucy]

umm I wanted to clarify:

(1) they'd have to push the button in the elevator several times before it would pop out like that. So anybody can't just go in there and do that.

(2) the "Key" I was talking about is difficult for me to describe but it's not really a "key" of sorts and It isn't a "lift key" (yes, it is from a Star Trek episode)