It was the last day of school before summer vacation and that was enough to lift everyone's mood. "Last day of school. Whoo!" Jerry ran up to Milton, Jack and Azalea who stood by their lockers. "Until summer school. Whoo" he added less enthusiastically.
"I've gotta find a way to get my Venus Flytrap home for the summer" Milton told them.
"It's just a plant, dude. Take it home," Jerry said.
"I've been growing it hydroponically with a synthetic photosynthesis light since the first day of school and it's pretty huge" Milton explained.
"It's not even eating flies anymore. It's eating meatballs," Jack added.
Jerry scoffed, "Right. A plant that eats meatball," he walked over to open Milton's locker only for the plant to burp meatballs at him.
"That is a sight I never thought I would see," Azalea grimaced as Jerry started tasting the meatballs.
"Yeah, that's definitely a meatball."
"Hey, did you guys get your end of the year career evaluation from the guidance counsellor," Kim asked as she joined the group.
"Yes, I did, and they are a joke," Milton said grumpily, "Mine says I'm best suited to be a farmer. I'm allergic to cows, terrified of hay, and seriously" he slid down his cardigan to reveal his not so muscled arms, "do these shoulders look like they can hold up overalls?"
"You thinks your is bad?" Azalea scoffed, "Mine said I would suit as a therapist. I'm allergic to hearing people whine about their problems, I would probably punch someone who came in to complain about their fear of hay and seriously — I would probably laugh in the wrong situations."
"I didn't even pick mine up. No one believes a word those things say," Jack said.
"I just got my career evaluation. I believe every word that this thing says!" Eddie ran over to them with an excited grin.
"Look how happy no one is, Jackie" Azalea bumped his shoulder.
"Really?" Kim asked sceptically.
"Yup," Eddie said, "You are looking at a new Eddie. I'm gonna be an archaeologist, baby! I'll be discovering lost cities, travelling the high seas, navigating the globe and now — to Spanish class."
"Eddie, honey," Azalea stopped his as he marched away, "Your Spanish class is that way."
"I knew that."
☆★☆
"Hey, you know what?" Rudy said to Eddie as the rest of the gang entered the dojo, "I have the hat and bullwhip from the Bobby Wasabi classic The Stinks and the Sphinx. You can totally have it."
"What? Thanks!" Eddie said gratefully and Rudy walked into his office to get it.
"Eddie, are you still talking about your career evaluation?" Jack asked him, "I told you, it doesn't really mean anything. I mean, the day Zalee becomes a therapist we should all check in on an asylum for the insane."
"Naw, thanks," Azalea said sarcastically, punching his shoulder, "I can say it, you can't."
"Seriously? Archeologists?" Kim asked in disbelief, "You come from four generations of accountants."
"That is not true," Eddie told them, "My grandfather was a urologist."
"Eddie you are not exactly the explorer type" Milton tried to tell him, "Remember that Easter egg hunt? You didn't find any eggs and you lost your basket."
"I didn't lose it," Eddie defended a little dejected, "Someone stole it. And ate all my Peeps."
"Eddie, man, maybe you are just looking at it all the wrong way," Jack said, oblivious to the fact that Rudy had exited the office with the hat and whip, "Accounting can be exciting. Oh, and don't even get me started about the thrill ride of urology."
"Personally I think Eddie should follow his dreams. If he wants to become an archeologist, let him, after some very thorough training so you don't get lost in the desert or something. But don't let one evaluation decide what career you chose," Azalea said, wanting to cheer up the boy.
"Maybe you guys are right," Eddie said a little disappointed, like he hadn't heard Azalea, "I don't know what I was thinking. Thanks anyway, Rudy, but I won't be needing that."
Eddie walked away with a sad expression and Azalea sighed loudly, "Am I invisible? Because I feel like my advice always gets overlooked despite the fact that it's clearly the best!"
"What was that?" Rudy asked loudly, gaining there attention. He crossed his arms over his chest and actually looked really disappointed by them.
"Hey, I said he should follow his dreams," Azalea said walking over to stand next to Rudy, "So I'm just gonna stand here where it's nice and I don't get scolded for being a dum-dum."
"What?" Kim asked confused, not understanding what the siblings meant.
"I have never seen Eddie more alive than when he was talking about being a treasure hunter," Rudy said, "And what did you do? You told him he was destined to be an accountant."
"But, Rudy, you don't understand," Milton defended them, "He thought those career evaluations were real."
"It doesn't matter if they are real or not," Azalea told her friends, "What really matters is that they are real to him. If he didn't want to be an archeologist he wouldn't force himself to be excited about it. But now he really wants to be an archeologist and as his friends we should support him no matter what. In the same way you'd have to support me if I decided to become a therapist," she finished, earning a loud snort from her brother, "Shut up, Piggy."
"Lea is right. Friends build each other up. They don't tear each other down," he slowly started to walk away but dramatically looked over his shoulder, "I thought I taught you better."
☆★☆
"Okay, when Eddie gets here we all have to act excited about the gift," Milton told them as they waited for Eddie in the dojo.
"That gift is lame, yo," Jerry said unenthusiastically, "I'll 'whoo' but my heart won't be in it."
"You'll 'whoo' like you always do or your heart won't be in your body either," Azalea told him.
"Do not tell a grown man how to 'whoo'!" Jerry said taking a step closer to her.
"I'm not telling a grown man when to 'whoo', I'm telling a teenage boy what to do," Azalea narrowed her eyes at him but Jack stepped between them to stop it from escalating and Jerry from getting hurt.
"Look, guys, we owe it to Eddie to get him excited about his future again," Jack said and then the door opened and Eddie walked in.
"Hey, guys," he said a little sadly.
"Eddie!"
"Hey, Eddie!"
They ran over to greet him and Kim took the lead, "You know, we were thinking — Maybe you could be a great treasure hunter and find all kinds of stuff. And you know why?"
"No, why?" Eddie asked.
"Pbbt," Kim said awkwardly, not coming up with anything good, "You found your way here, didn't you?"
"And Jerry can't always do that," Jack jumped on Kim's disastrous attempt save herself. "So, we all chipped in and bought you this."
Jack handed over the gift to Eddie while Milton started explaining it, "It's a hand-held geocaching unit."
"Geocaching?" Eddie asked confused.
"No, it's not geocaching," Milton said mockingly at his unenthusiastic tone, "It's GEOCACHING! High-tech treasure hunting."
"Everyone is doing it!" Jack added before reading the instruction note, "This GPS device leads you on a journey using clues and coordinates to find a hidden treasure. Fun for ages 9 to 99. That's you," he grinned and pointed at Eddie.
"You guys really think I can do this?" Eddie asked hopefully.
"Yeah, man."
"Of course, honey."
"Absolutely."
"This might be the best gift I've ever got," Eddie said happily.
"Eddie, let your adventure begin," Jack patted his shoulder.
"We are really excited for you," Azalea grinned, "Aren't we, Jerry."
"Yeah. Sure are, man," Jerry with an unenthusiastic whoo, but when Azalea pulled his ear he let out a loud, "Whoooo!"
☆★☆
The gang minus Eddie ate lunch in the mall outside the dojo, celebrating the beginning of summer. "Finally school is out!" Jack exclaimed happily, "First day of summer vacation. We should not waste a single second doing anything we don't wanna do."
Eddie ran over to them with a large duffel bag, "I hope you guys know your latitude from your longitude. Because Saturday we go on a geocaching romp!"
"Come again," Azalea straightened up in her chair, "Did you say we, as in not only you but the rest of us too?"
"Yes, I did. 6:00 A.M sharp" Eddie told them with a wide smile, "We set out to find three secret locations and in the last one we'll find our hidden treasure."
Everyone started blabbing at the same time, delivering excuses to why they couldn't come which caused Eddie to look at them in disappointment, "It wouldn't be the same without you."
"Sorry, Eddie, I can't," Jerry lied, "See — see the thing is, uh, mu aunt Carlita, who is a clown — in the circus. She — she — she fell of an elephant into — until one of those tiger cage things, so — I've got to take her to a doctor's appointment. Yeah."
"Great job, man," Azalea said sarcastically.
"Jerry, we've all gonna do this for our friend who we support," Jack looked pointedly at all of them and the rest of them reluctantly agreed.
"Oh! I got some really cool gear for you guys to wear," Eddie said excitedly, "It's in this duffel bag. So, I will see you Saturday. Our first location is at the bottom of Crescent Cove at the beach. Let the adventure begin!"
"Yeah!"
"So excited!"
"You know," Azalea said once Eddie was out of earshot, "We wouldn't have to do this if you weren't unsupportive assholes before. Just saying."
Jack was about to respond but was interrupted when a clown limped towards them. "Ooh! Sorry, Aunt Carlita. No can do."
☆★☆
"Hold the rope tight, y'all. I'm coming down!" Jerry screamed from the top of the cliff. It was the day of their great adventure, yay, and they were well, climbing down a cliff. Everyone was down except for Kim and Jerry who was the one sliding down the rope in the moment.
"Man, I still don't get why he's wearing a dress," Jack said. He was dressed in shorts, hiking shoes a white tank top and a salmon shirt that was unbuttoned.
"It's a caftan. It's a traditional desert wear," Eddie deadpanned dressed as Indiana Jones.
"Well, we are not in the desert, are we?" Azalea asked sarcastically before cringing when she looked up like the boys did.
"Would it kill him to wear some traditional underpants?" Jack grimaced.
Jerry finally reached the ground, "Kinda like wearing this thing. It lets the rest of Jerry breathe."
Eddie's GPS beeped which caught their attention, "Oh, ho! This must be the spot. The GPS is flashing us a clue."
"Hopefully it's not as traumatising as what Jerry flashed us before," Azalea muttered, trying to erase the image from her head.
"You are doing well. You're on the case. What you seek is between a rock and a hard place," a voice said from the GPS.
"Whoo! This is ever so exciting," Milton said in a British accent sense he was dressed like some British explorer from the early 20th century. "It reminds me of the long, cold nights in the Congo where the only thing keeping us warm were a sleeping bag and a hyena."
"If you don't stop doing that voice I'm going shove that monocle up your nose," Jack threatened him.
"I love it when someone else threatens people," Azalea grinned, "Makes me feel nicer."
"I'm sorry. I'm just trying to get into character for Eddie," Milton said, "I suggest you do the same" he said before switching back to the British accent, "Americans. So obnoxious."
Azalea rolled her eyes before realising they were one person short. She looked up to see Kim climbing down but it seemed like she had stopped midway, "Kim, why have you stopped?"
"Guys, I found a falcon's next. It's full of little baby falcons," Kim cooed, "Ooh, you are so cute. Yes you are."
The sound of another bird screening caught their attention and Milton started to speak in his new, and terrible, British accent again, "Kim, darling, their mummy's back and she appears to be a tad peeved."
Kim started to scream as the falcon attacked her, "Aah! Get off me! Stop it!"
"Oh dear," Milton said as Kim let out a loud scream when she fell. But luckily for her Jerry was there to break her fall, both fell with a thud and a groan to the ground.
Azalea laughed as Kim was coughing up feathers, "Those cute baby birds messed you up, didn't they?" she cooed teasingly, "Yes, they did. Yes they did."
"Why don't you shut it," Kim threatened but it only caused Azalea's laughter to increase.
"Guys, I think I got it," Eddie yelled as he picked up a device, "Cool. Our next coordinates" he said before the machine beeped, "It looks like our next location is over in Kramer Woods. Come on, let's go."
The sound of squelching caught their attention just as they were about to walk away, "Ew" Kim grimaced, "What are those disgusting things?"
"By Jove, I do believe those are giant springing jellyfish," Milton exclaimed, walking a bit closer, "Ooh, they must have washed in with the tide."
Jack walked closer as well, "Why do they call 'em, springing?"
A jellyfish flew through the air and attached himself to Jack's face and the boy started scream for help while trying to rip it off his face.
"I'm guessing that's why."
☆★☆
"Way to go, Jack," Kim said as they walked through the woods. Said boy's face was covered in red marks from the jellyfish and his hair was slicked back from it's slime, "Your first kiss was with a sea creature."
"Thanks," Azalea muttered as Jack stuck out his tongue at the blonde girl.
"Touché, old girl," Milton smirked.
"Quiet, guys," Jack ordered when the GPS beeped again, "It's our next clue."
"You are in the right area. The moment yours to seize. The tin with the coordinates is hidden amongst the trees."
"Well, how are we supposed to find that?" Jerry asked looking around, "There's like a million trees around here."
"We'll find it. We just need to split up," Eddie said, "Kim, you come with me. And you guys look around here."
"Hey guys," Jack pointed up in a tree as Kim and Eddie walked away, "Look up there."
"Where?" Jerry asked.
"Right up there," Jack pointed, "Look, there is something shiny in that knothole, I bet it's the tin box."
"Good show, old chap," Milton exclaimed, "But how in the figgy pudding are gonna get up there?"
☆★☆
Jack, Azalea and Jerry held down a branch while Milton climbed up, "All right," Jack said, "So, we will hold the branch down, while you crawl up it to see if the box is there."
"Brilliant," Milton said in his annoying accent, "But do hold it steady. There is a good bit of tension on this branch."
"If you don't stop with that accent I will purposely let go," Azalea threatened him, "You are ruining the British accent for me."
"We got it Milton," Jerry assured him, followed by the sound of a chipmunk squeaking. "Okay, that's not good."
"What's your problem?" Jack asked.
"Uh, I think a chipmunk just ran up my dress," Jerry said a little freaked out.
"No, that poor animal," Azalea said and then Jerry let go of the branch to try shake it off which left her and Jack to hold it down.
"It's foraging, and not in a good way." Jerry started to shake around to get rid of the chipmunk but in the process he managed to stamp on Azalea's ankle and twist it which made her let go off the branch as well, to clutch her ankle in pain.
"Guys, I'm losing my grip," Jack said while Milton was about to lose his balance and a second later Jack let go which caused Milton to get catapulted into the air.
"Blimey!"
"Whoo! Jack," Jerry jumped around, "Help me get this chipmunk out of my dress, man. Ow! Ow! Ah!"
"I'm — I'm good, thanks," Jack grimaced before realising Azalea was still on the ground. He quickly ran over and crouched down beside her, "Are you alright?" he asked worriedly.
"I am," Azalea assured him, "But Jerry won't be in a few seconds."
Jack sent a glare towards the boy but he decided that getting a squirrel into your dress without any underwear was punishment enough. Instead he helped her stand up, supporting her as she took a step and winced.
"It's not that bad," she said confidently, "Let's go."
When she winced again Jack stopped her, "Come on, I will carry you."
"Piggyback ride?
"Piggy back ride," Jack confirmed her, trying to hide his smile at her happy tone.
Azalea jumped up on his back, allowing her legs to wrap around his waist and her arms to hang loosely around his neck, "I love you," she grinned, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"I know."
"Did you just Han Solo me?"
☆★☆
After a very long walk, for everyone except Azalea, they reached a warehouse by the docks. "Uhm — Eddie, are you sure we re in the right place?" Kim asked as all of them looked around, "We are in a dockyard."
"Yeah, it really doesn't look like the place for anything," Jack agreed with the blonde until Eddie'a GPS beeped, "Eddie got this. Pssh! Doubting him," he wrapped an arm around Eddie's shoulder after Azalea jumped off his back.
"You've found the dock succeeding beyond all measure. Near one of these crates lies your hidden treasure."
"All right," Azalea looked around them, "Where do we start?"
"Okay, here is what we are gonna do," Eddie said, "Kim, Milton-"
"Check it out, guys," someone said and they turned around to see four men standing a few meters away, "Another bunch of losers down here on our docks looking for their little box," the leader continued while shaking the little box, "You are not getting it."
Eddie shared a look with the others before taking a few steps forward, "Mister, my friends and I've been through a lot to get that. And I know it seems like a silly game to you, but — we are not leaving without it."
"Really?" the leader towered over Eddie with at least one head, "And what are you gonna do to get it," he poked Eddie on the chest and the boy glared up at him.
Eddie twisted his arm and pushed him away. "Okay," Jack said, "It may be time to dance."
"Uh, Jack" Jerry said, "I don't think that's a good idea. I think we should fight these guys. I'll dance with you later though."
No one had time to respond to Jerry's idiocy because they were attacked by the men. Jack started to fight the leader who kicked him into a wall. Azalea ran towards him and took a swing but he dodged it.
Instead she continued to run towards Jack who picked her up by the waist, allowing her to run on the wall before kicking the leader of the men in the face, knocking him to the ground.
The two high fived and Jack stole a quick kiss in victory. The others had also managed to defeat their guys and Eddie was standing on a higher level when the other five circled the leader who stood up.
"You guys want this box so bad, you should fish it out of the ocean," he turned around and threw it away. Eddie ran after it and jumped down the ledge he was standing on which was followed by the sound of water splashing.
"Eddie!" the gang shouted as the man ran away.
"Poor bloke," Milton said in all his Britishness, "Never even had a chance. He didn't even have his floaties."
Someone coughed behind them and they turned to see Eddie walking towards them covered in some sticky fluid, "Oh! Oh! Come on!" he mumbled.
"Eddie!"
"We thought you fell into the ocean," Kim said and they ran towards him.
"I wish," Eddie grimaced, "I fell into a barge filled with fish guts."
"Lucky," Jerry said in jealousy.
"I can't believe we came this close to getting our treasure," Jack said in disappointment, "And all I got was a close encounter with a jellyfish."
"Yeah. It would have been a real shame to have gone through all of that without ending up with-" Eddie said in fake disappointment before pulling the box out of his hat, "this!"
They all cheered and moved forward to hug him until they realised he was covered in fish guts and they took a few steps back again. "You know, hugs are overrated," Jack said awkwardly.
"Open it! Open it," Kim said eagerly. Eddie opened it and they gasped at the sight inside.
"That's awesome!"
"Isn't it amazing?"
"Love it!"
"Yes!"
"Wait a second," Jack said turning towards Azalea, "Speaking of nothing, weren't you injured."
"I was," Azalea said with an innocent smile, "For like five minutes. After that I was just too lazy to walk."
Jack let out a dramatic gasp, "And here I was nice, carrying you on my back for hours because I thought you were hurt while you laughed your ass of when I was attacked by a jellyfish. I think I deserve a reward."
"I don't think you do-" Azalea was silenced when Jack kissed her for a few seconds before pulling away with a smirk.
"You are so cute!"
"Why does Jack always get the girls?."
"I'm still not used to that."
"What the fudge?"
Azalea let out an amused chuckle at the last one, "Right, Eddie, you didn't know. Surprise!"
"How — What?" Eddie said confused.
"Don't even try, man," Jerry said, "You don't want to know."
"Does that mean that everyone knows?" Kim asked with a large grin, "So we can finally talk about it in public."
"Rudy doesn't know" Jack pointed out, wrapping an arm around Azaea's waist.
"And to make sure Jack lives we will keep this from him, for the time being," Azalea said, "We don't want to give him a heart attack and murder charges at such young age."
☆★☆
"Hey guys," Rudy greeted them when they entered the dojo, "How was geocaching?"
"Well, I got covered in fish guts."
"I was attacked by a falcon."
"I had a chipmunk run up my dress."
"I had a crazy guy with a chipmunk in his dress almost breaking my foot."
"I was a human cannonball."
"And I got to first base with a jellyfish."
"That sounds horrible," Rudy exclaimed, looking at all of their appearances.
"No way. Best summer vacation ever," Jack said and everyone agreed.
"And, check out our treasure," Eddie said showing Rudy the small rubber rabbit they had found.
"Is that it?" Rudy asked unimpressed, "It's a — crummy rubber rabbit. Oh, there is more inside, right?"
"No," Eddie said, "The rabbit is the treasure. A reminder of the adventure I went on with my friends."
There was a few seconds of silence before Rudy broke it, "But there is money in it, right?"
"You know what, Eddie?" Jack asked, wisely ignoring Rudy, "After today, we will follow you on any adventure you wanna go on. Right, guys."
"Absolutely."
"Definitely."
"Depends on when."
"Thanks guys," Eddie said, climbing up to place the rabbit on a beam where Rudy sometimes placed his trophies. "Now come one, guys. Falafel is on me."
"Oh, I like falafel, let's do it" Rudy joined them.
__________
Azalea's Outfit: