Dreams Come True

(Epilogue 2) Red Flad From A Redhead

I paced the Rec Room in worry, most of the others watching me walk back and forth constantly. We all knew the reason for my sudden worry: Izzy had been acting weird, and just admitted she'd been duped onto a new season of Total Drama. Merida left not that long ago to join the Psycho Hose Beast, hopefully to keep her reined in.

"Her texts have been... concerning", Galacta said as he looked over the text chat from a few hours ago. "I could tell Izzy was watching it, but the fact she never responded is deeply worrying."

"Maybe she's just having an off day?" Gretchen said with a dubious frown. "Like, remember when I popped by for a visit and was just not having it?"

"This is different", I said in a worried tone. "Merida told me about her calls with Izzy during and after the Gemmies, and from how it seemed Izzy... wasn't herself. And my best guess is that finding out who she is has finally caught up to her."

That made all the others wince. "Oh, that's not good", The Doctor said fearfully.

"Most of us handled that differently..." Dry Bowser grumbled.

I swallowed the lump that was forming in my throat and looked back down at my phone. Then with a look of determination, I opened up the contact list and pressed Izzy's name to call her phone directly. I held it up to my ear and continued to pace as the dial rang out. Then, to my infinite relief, the call was picked up.

"Hello?" Izzy's voice ran out in my head.

I smiled. "Izzy! Put me on speaker!" I waited a moment, and I heard a very subtle beep.

"You're on speaker now, CC!" The wild child said happily. My heart warmed at the use of one of my many nicknames.

"Hey girls! How's it going?"

"All good here, Caleb!" Merida replied happily. That made me even more relaxed, but I knew I couldn't just leave it there.

"That's great! Contract signed and everything?" I could see the others subtly lean in, hoping to try and listen in to my conversation. Gladius noticed, and shook his hilt with a quiet sigh.

"You got it!" The Dun Broch Princess sounded off.

"Sweet! So, I wanted to call you to let you know something: Zomboss and The Doctor are hacking into your world's satellites so we can watch the show live. Mainly you two." I shot a look at the others, and the two named scientists looked like they had the wind suplexed out of them. They flailed their arms around in frustration, but I shot them a pointed look before returning to the phone call.

Izzy giggled. "Honestly, I can't say I'm surprised. But hearing that makes me feel a lot better."

My heart nervously clenched at the sound of that, as that set several red flags off in my head. But I didn't let it be known as I continued. "Cool. Also, Majima wanted to say good to you both."

"SINCE WHEN?!" The yakuza cried indignantly. "Don't go putting words in my mouth, you jackass!"

"Oh shut it, Majima!" I shouted back with a smirk, pressing my phone on my chest to nullify the noise. "I know you're worried about your partner in crime. Don't act like that." The yakuza grumbled and crossed his arms, making most of the others giggle. I rolled my eyes and brought the phone back to my ear. "Well, I gotta go. We're getting a whole TD watch party set up here, and we need all hands on deck. Talk later, girls! Love you!"

"Love you too, Caleb!" Both the redheads called back through the speaker before Izzy hung up. I put my phone back into my pocket and crossed my arms, the warm smile that was on my face melting away in worry once again.

"Was it bad, CalebCat?" Star asked as she, Marco and Gladius walked up to my side.

"She said she felt a lot better when I told her about the hack", I said. "Just that alone was a massive red flag."

"It might be, but you could have warned us about your plan before you blurt it out like that!" Zomboss whined. "Hacking on that scale is difficult and time consuming!"

"Then get to it!" I barked. "We've got two friends that are going to take part in a death-defying, ridiculous reality show. And I know you all want to show your support." Everyone was silent, before nodding. Even Zomboss did, his expression softening. "Exactly. So let's get this place set up for a watch party!"

Everyone nodded and ran off to do what they could, all while I went to get the TV set up. But the nagging thought of Izzy's well being wouldn't leave my head, and it made me hope I'd see her with that iconic wild look in her eye and not something... darker.

Please be okay, Izzy.

~X~

She shot so high she broke the fourth wall, and now she feels trapped. Trapped in a world filled with paper thin buildings and empty smiles. The same world she called home is now a waking nightmare she has no way of escaping. Even those she called her friends feel nothing like they used to, only coming off as puppets made to perform for a faceless crowd.

Izzy has always wondered, since that fateful day, if her own outline has begun strangling her...

Coming soon in This Is Your Captain Crashing...

~Caleb~