Collision Course [+ Additional Levels]

Level Eleven - Forgetful Times

So, instead of telling Karan his crazy theory—which was the driving force of his research at this point—he gave him a shrug. "I just... I just want to find out what really happened to him, to make sure that he's one hundred percent okay," he replied truthfully, feeling uncomfortable about lying.

Karan eyed him a little skeptically. "Well, you've been on this for about a week now."

Andrew didn't look up at him and continued to write in his notebook.

Karan paused, watching him. "Aaaaand you've woken up, just how many mornings"—he feigned a cough—"er, afternoons"—he corrected himself with another feigned cough—"with your notebooks on your bed and a pencil in your hand?" he asked, lifting a brow knowingly.

The pencil in Andrew's hand froze.

Karan folded his arms across his chest with a tilt of his head. He was about to add the fact that one of those times Andrew had been found on the couch, instead of his bed, but he figured he'd gotten his point across. "Yeah. That's what I thought."

"It's all right, man."

They both looked up at a person leaning against the wall, peeling a banana—he'd be eating an orange, if it were not on Mira's shopping list; he'd been hit with a craving for them, and now they didn't have any left. He was dressed in a white tee shirt that was baggy despite his broad shoulders, white socks and black and green plaid pajama pants. He broke a small piece from the top of his banana, and popped it into his mouth. His left hand was gloved with a long strip of white cloth wrapped around it.

"I mean, I kind of did get bitten by a cool snake," he said with a shrug. "I'd love for him to research all about it."

"You think getting bitten is cool?" Andrew asked him incredulously.

Moe frowned, chewing. "No, I didn't say that. I said the snake was cool." He swallowed and looked down to pop another piece of banana into his mouth. "Not everyday you see an emerald lookin' snake."

"Green? I thought you said it was red and white," said Karan, looking suspicious.

"Oh?" He raised his brows, chewing. "Did I?"

"And there was also a man," Karan continued slowly. "You said that he was dressed in the same colors. Mira mentioned that maybe he was the one that let the snake loose."

Andrew watched Moe as he stopped chewing, giving Karan a funny look. "When did I say this?"

"Almost right after you woke up," Karan replied, watching his reaction almost as closely as Andrew was.

He waved a hand dismissively, and went back to peeling more of his banana. "Dude, I was still out of it. You can't take my word right after I wake up from somethin' like that."

"But—" Karan began.

"There was only a stray snake, okay?" Moe looked up at them. "I ended up being in the snake's territory, the snake ended up being pissed at me, and I ended up getting bitten. Alright? That was it. There may have been some hallucinations involved, but otherwise..." He lifted his shoulders and his eyebrows, and shook his head silently at them, letting it speak for itself.

Karan paused, but after a few uncertain moments, he gave in. "Alright." His friend sighed and dropped his shoulders. Karan looked back at Andrew. "See? Nothing to worry about."

"Now, I didn't say that," Moe went on with a sly grin, peeling his banana a bit more.

Karan whirled his head around at him. "Eh?"