the ground beneath me is cold, and wet. i continue onward through the caves, sticking close to mouth. mouth seems to be the only sane person down here, which is saying something.

"do you think we'll find anything?"

"i pray that we find something, otherwise i'm walking in dinosaur remains for no reason," mouth groans in response.

up ahead the group is being lead by mikey. it isn't a shocker.

in all honesty, this is exactly what mikey deserves. he's been waiting his entire life for an adventure like this. sure, it's not exactly what he imagined but it's close enough. pirates, treasure, best friends. what else did he need?

apparently he needed a light because he tripped for the third time on some rocks, getting help from brand each time he slips.

"mikey- mikey doesn't have an idea of what we're doing. does he?" i ask mouth, turning to look at him.

"not a clue. i cant believe he convinced me to stay down here to rot with the worms. it's not like i'm the one moving hundreds of miles away. he's trying to save his own ass, not mine,"

i furrow my brows at mouth. if mikey is his best friend isn't this saving him as well? we're here to keep our friendship alive, not to bash it.

"hey. don't say that. mikey's trying to help all of us. data is on the line here. you wouldn't want data to move away, would you?"

"oh yeah. i'd be just devastated if i never saw data again," mouth replied with sarcasm falling off his speech. his eyes roll before he glares ahead of him.

"i know you put on this gig where you pretend to hate all of us deeply, but i know you care mouth. without us, you'd be clark," i reply before walking faster to catch up to the walsh brothers.

"hey," i grin as i peer over their shoulders at the group trying carefully not to fall among rocks.

"hey,"

"how much longer do you think we have to walk?"

"no idea. i'm not the pissbrain that brought us into this," brand replied to me as he shrugs my hand off his shoulder. i drop my other hand off of mikey's as well and keep walking with them. i can't help but feel abandoned while down here, as if there's always someone better to discuss anything with.

the children surrounding me look like something out of an action comic and i wished with all my might that i could just wake up in my bed with a choose your own adventure book lying next to me.

i stop in my tracks and observe the area. dirt and pebbles crunch under the weight of teens and whispers are heard as they progress past me. the situation was bizarre.

7 kids and a lot of dirty tunnels? 1 boy, 3 murderers, and the police? multiple worried parents? math is solid and all but i'm pretty sure the outcome of those factors aren't more numbers.

"nicky! are you coming or what?"

i snap out of my thought process and look up to mouth standing at an entrance way with his arms crossed.

"of course!" i yell towards him as i stumble to the spot he stood in.

"are you okay?" he asks with genuine worry. the entire time here i've been nothing but quiet, but mouth shouldn't worry about me when he's been the same way. this journey was too much for someone like me and him to handle. you can't make jokes when you're practically dying. it's more suffocating than the thin air down here.

"i should be asking you the same thing," i reply with the quirk of an eyebrow.

"seriously. i don't know what it is but being down here has made me more....aware?"

"i know how you feel. i'm noticing every tiny detail about this—this stupid quest!" i reply with a frustrated tone. it's been hours since the last time i've eaten food and the walking is making me severely thirsty. nothing about being down here is fun and the movies are a huge lie to the public. i demand a lawsuit against every indiana jones movie made.

"so then is that why you're not all next to mikey? because he's all up on andi?"

"i don't care if mikey is touchy with andi because i don't like him," i narrow my eyes at mouth and watch him roll his eyes while tilting his head. small pieces of dirt are splattered against mouths face that even i could see in the dim lighting of this place.

"yeah right. nicky i know you like him, you don't have to pretend,"

"i don't like him mouth! let's leave, our group is too far ahead of us now," i reply as i start to walk after them. mouth follows and we step into a silent march onward.

"if you like mikey you should tell him,"

"i don't like him mouth, let it go,"

"you were just holding hands with him an hour ago,"

"i was scared,"

"yeah, sure. when i'm scared i don't hold hands with someone,"

"that's because you only watch scary movies with your mama," i reply with a shove as i climb over a small valley of rocks.

"funny nicky!"

"wasn't kidding clark!"

i get over the small area of loose rocks and find sight of the group mouth and i lost touch with.

we walk closer to them as they turn to us with relieved looks.

"where were you guys?" mikey questions with squinted eyes and an open mouth. the light shines against his metal coloured braces as he steps further into the light.

"we were talking," i retort as i glare at the group. if they were so worried why didn't they search for us?

"we thought you were captured by a trap or killers! don't do that to us," andi yells at us with a hand slapping into her open palm, like a cutting board and a knife.

"wasn't aware that you guys were our parents," mouth replies with an annoyed face.

"we were worried while you guys were off and....making out or something!" stef declares causing my eyes to go as wide as the moon. mouth coughs in surprise and i look to him. his cheeks are as red as mine and i couldn't help but think this is the first time i've ever seen mouth that embarrassed.

was i truly that bad?