“No way,” I giggled
nervously, “it’s just some look-alike.”
“No, James,” Jessie
assured me. “This is you.” She turned the sign around so I could see it.
“Look.”
Oh. My….it WAS me! I
fell back. The boy in the photo had the same blue hair, the same emerald
eyes….I couldn’t believe it. It was definitely ME.
“James, what’s going
on?” Jessie demanded. I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. This photo was
recent, much too recent. How….?
I snatched the sign from
Jessie. Time-lapsed photo of James Morgan, age 17, it read. If you
know the location of this missing person, please contact 1-878-659-7589. My
blood ran cold when I read the number.
“YOU LIAR! YOU PROBABLY
KNOW THE NAME OF EVERYONE IN THAT HOUSE, AND WE’RE TURNING YOU IN!” Jessie
screamed. I cringed in fear.
“Jessie….why?”
“There’s a reward,
dummy,” she stormed off. “I’m finding a payphone.” I rushed after her. “JESSIE!
NO! PLEASE, JESSIE! DON’T DO THIS!” I waved my arms frantically. “THE TEAM!”
“I’m doing it for the
team,” she replied in an overly calm voice. “If we turn you in, we can have all
that money. You too.” She grinned. “Oh, look. There’s a payphone now.” Jessie
sauntered in and slammed the door. I beat my arms on it frantically. “Please
Jessie, please no,” I was close to tears now. “Please no.”
“Hello? Oh hi, Mrs.
Morgan,” she flashed a wry grin at me, “I’d just like you to know we’ve found
your son.”
There they were. The
fatal words. A shrill scream of delight erupted from the other line. I couldn’t
make out what she said after that, and I doubt Jessie could either.
“Okay, we’ll be right
over,” Jessie said cheerfully. With a loud ‘click!’ she hung up the phone and
flung the door open, nailing me in the head. “Please, Jessie,” I grabbed her
foot. “Please no.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,
James.” Meowth. I had totally forgotten about him. “We’re just gonna grab the
cash and scram.” Even with Meowth’s reassurance, I wasn’t sure that they could
get me out. I shuddered at the thought of being left behind. “Jessie….are you
sure about this?” I whined.
“Yes, I’m sure, James,”
she growled. “Now come on.” I followed reluctantly behind. As usual, I lacked a
better idea.
I hung my head in
sorrow. I’ll have to face Jessibelle, I thought. But maybe that’s the
best way. Jessie will be happy. Meowth will be happy. Mother and Father will be
happy. Jessibelle will be happy…… But will James be happy? I gave a long,
deep sigh, the kind I always gave when something was on my mind.
“James, everything will
be FINE,” Jessie snapped. “You ran away once, you can do it again.” But
could I?
I shuffled my feet
disgruntledly up the once-familiar driveway. There’s no turning back now…but
the pebbles in the driveway below me kept moving backwards. Right then I
would’ve given almost anything to turn into a tiny pebble and start moving
backwards.
“WHOA!” Meowth shouted.
“WHAT’S UP WITH THIS?! IT’S A MANSION!” I looked up. There it was, the mansion.
Where I’d run away from all those years ago….I couldn’t help it. I panicked.
“James, why did you run
away if you were rich all along?” Jessie demanded.
My mind reeled. “Ummm….”
I said desperately. “I DON’T REMEMBER! I HAVE AMNESIA! I DON’T REMEMBER
ANYTHING!” I clutched my head for good measure, hoping it would work.
“James, darling!” The
double doors to the mansion swung open, and my Mother came running out. “Where
have you been all these years? It’s time for you to get married!” She wrapped
her arms around me and squeezed hard.
“Hey, lady! Didn’t you
say there was a reward?” Jessie interjected rudely.
“Yes,” Mother admitted,
“But James here has to get married first so he can inherit his fortune.”
“Alright, James, get
married,” Jessie ordered.
“JESSIE, YOU CAN’T JUST
ORDER ME TO GET MARRIED! I DON’T WANT TO!”
“But I can.” A voice
interrupted. Oh gosh, not her….please, not her…
“C’mon, James darling,
we’re gonna get married!” she exclaimed. I turned around, and my greatest fear
came true. There she was….Jessibelle. Standing proud in that short, red dress,
holding a…whip? Now I was sure I wasn’t going to make it out. I buried my face
in my hands. No, no, no…not again…..
“LEAVE ME ALONE!” I
shouted angrily. “I DON’T WANT TO BE MARRIED!”
“But James, dear, you
have to or our whole fortune goes to charity,” explained Jessibelle. “Surely
you don’t want that.”
I collapsed on the
ground. “I don’t know what I want anymore! I’m just so confused!” I burst into
tears. “Just don’t make me marry, Jessibelle!”
Just then a limousine
pulled up, and out hopped three of the last people I wanted to see at the
moment.
“Hey, what’s going on?”
yelled the doof with the Pikachu.
“It’s Team Rocket!” said
the redhead. Duh, I thought.
“James, we were just looking
for you!” my father emerged from the driver’s seat.
“Where’s Brock?” I asked
stupidly, stalling for time. Ash shrugged. “He left with some woman at a
restaurant. Now, what’s going on here?” He stepped forward.
“James is just about to
get married!” replied Jessibelle happily. “James, come on now,” she grabbed my
foot and started dragging me away.
“NO! Do something, PLEASE, I DON’T WANT TO BE MARRIED!” I pleaded. “PLEASE!SOMEONE!” “James, do it for theteam.” Jessie nodded. Oh yeah, Jessie. She was still there. “Please, Jessie,I’m begging you,” I clasped my hands. “Don’t make me get married…” “James, it’s no bigdeal,” replied Meowth. “You’ll be fine. Just…do it for the team. For all ofus.” “Do it for the team,James,” Jessie repeated. I gave up and allowedmyself to be dragged away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Shouldn’t we help him?”Ash suggested. “Even if he is our enemy, he shouldn’t have to marry if hedoesn’t want to.” “You’re right, Ash,”Misty agreed. “Let’s go!” Ash and Misty took offrunning. Past the mansion, the fountain, the bench… All of a sudden theyheard a loud banging. “What’s that?” asked Misty. “It’s coming from overthere!” Ash pointed to the doghouse. They approached it slowly. “Something’s….in there,”said Misty nervously. “Stand back,” Ash firmlygripped the door handle. “1……2……3!” he flung it open. “Huh?” “Growl!” a Growlithecame running out, paws outstretched. It scrambled down the driveway with itspuppylike gait. “Groooowlithe!” “What was that allabout?” Ash blinked his eyes in confusion. “Who cares, we should follow it!” Misty exclaimed. “Come on!” Ash and Misty took off after the Growlithe, creating a rather odd parade with James and Jessibelle in the lead. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jessibelle had drug meall the way across the estate to the wedding chapel. Strange as it always was,we had a wedding chapel just for this occasion. “Stand up nice and proper James!” Jessibelle instructed. Jessie slapped some duct tape on my mouth and held my hands together behind me. “Jessibelle, do you takeJames to be your lawfully wedded husband?” Father began. “Of course I do!” shesaid matter-of-factly. I would have screamed had my mouth not been taped shut. “And James, do you takeJessibelle to be your lawfully wedded wife?” he looked at me expectantly. “Mrrmph!” I shook myhead violently. “He says yeah,” Jessietranslated falsely. “Then I now pronounceyou, man and-“ “GROOOOOWL!” a Growlitheburst in. “Grooowl!” it cried before performing a flamethrower attack onFather. He collapsed on the floor. “James-“ he stuttered. Jessie dropped my handsin surprise. I quickly seized the moment and ripped the duct tape away. “Growlie!” I shouted happily. “Thank you.” “You disgusting littlething!” Jessibelle cringed. “Get away from me!” “Growlie, Flamethrower!”I grinned broadly. “GROOOOWL!” burning flames erupted from his mouth. Jessibelle gaped inhorror at Growlie. “What did you do?” She slowly became aware of a burning sensation on her butt. “YAAAAAH!” she fled from the chapel through a hole that Growlie had made. I saw her streaming down the boardwalk, a fiery blaze ofbutt. “JAMES! You ruinedeverything!” screeched Jessie in disgust. “We would have got you out.” “NO,” I said firmly, “you couldn’t have. You don’t know Jessibelle as well as I do, and I’m telling you, for a FACT, that could NOT have got me out of here.” “James….” Jessie trailedoff. “You can come back to the balloon. Or you can be married, and then come back to the balloon. It’s your choice.” She glared at me coldly. “But I know you, James, and I know you’ll do the right thing.” With those last words, she strode off to the balloon. I stared out at theestate. The boardwalk, the fountain, the balloon in the distance….It’s timeto decide, James, I thought. The decision you’ve been putting off foryears. Once again, I looked out at the estate. Which way will it be? Istared at the boardwalk one last time, and made my decision. Do it for the team.