Saturday afternoon, El Paso, Jaime's world
"Mila-chan?" Momoko called as she headed for the front door. "If you're coming with me, you'd better hurry!" And she was going with Momoko, whether she liked it or not.
"I said just a minute!!" Momoko was just reaching for Jaime's (totally ugly) backpack as Milagro rounded the corner.
"If I’m late, I’m totally blaming you, you know," Momoko snickered, pushing Jaime's sister out the door ahead of her.
"And to think I used to want a big sister," Milagro's eyes rolled.
“Hey! I’m totally awesome! Who’s taking you to the movies later? Me,” Momoko replied with a snort as she closed the door, hesitating only a fraction of a second to make sure she heard the lock click behind her.
It was sixteen days ago that anyone had seen or heard from Jaime or the Blue Beetle. While there had been no ransom, and no related kidnappings or missing persons in the area, Momoko had insisted on certain precautions until they could rule out anything. Milagro was being escorted everywhere, Paco and some of his friends were taking turns working at the shop with Mr Reyes, and Mrs Reyes... well, there were enough people at the hospital that she was only escorted when not actually working.
Traci had gotten in touch with the Teen Titans and informed them of the disappearance of the Blue Beetle, but apparently they had no one to spare: “Something about a sudden increase in unusual activity,” Traci had not been happy when she’d been telling Momoko. “What’s more important? Jaime or some stupid dinosaur showing up in a shopping mall?” Momoko had been torn in her answer, but totally just as mad at being dismissed.
Unable to help with the magic aspect, though she’d tried, Momoko had suggested and arrangements had been made with the college for her to attend Jaime's classes and take notes for him, which she’d started doing on Wednesday. She couldn't perform his labs or take his exams, but he wouldn't be kicked out of school or lose his scholarships. It also meant she could check around more and see if anything at the school had caused Jaime to disappear.
Plus it kept her from going crazy, giving her something she could actually do.
It had been in one of those classes, Friday’s Materials Engineering, that she’d been passed a note:
Hi! My name’s Amanda. That’s Jaime’s bag and books; is he okay? He’s my friend.
After class was over, Momoko stayed behind and was met by a curvy, blue-eyed blonde. Not as tall as Dinah, but tall enough that Momoko was totally wishing she’d worn heels. Polite smiles and introductions passed between them, and Momoko shared the story that everyone had agreed on, that Jaime was away on an urgent family emergency. Amanda hadn’t blinked, replying that he seemed to have a lot of those and hoped everything was okay.
Momoko had agreed, “The school is letting me audit his classes, so he can at least get a grade of Incomplete. He can do the extra work when he gets back to fix them. I don’t know how he does it, he totally didn’t pick the easy classes.”
Amanda’s laugh had been easy and friendly. “I can’t help with all of them, but I can help you make sense of the ones he and I share at least? I’ve got another class to make it to today, but tomorrow? Jaime and I have a standing Saturday date for coffee at the Coffee Pot, you know, the coffee shop on the east corner of campus. If you want, we can meet up at two? I can help you make sense of some of the notes from today.”
--
Which was why Momoko was now sitting at a back table of the Coffee Pot, waiting for Jaime’s date to arrive, Milagro safely deposited at the youth center for the afternoon.
[for one, please. Everything modded with permission. Except for the dog outside the coffee shop. There is no modding the coffeedog.]
"I said just a minute!!" Momoko was just reaching for Jaime's (totally ugly) backpack as Milagro rounded the corner.
"If I’m late, I’m totally blaming you, you know," Momoko snickered, pushing Jaime's sister out the door ahead of her.
"And to think I used to want a big sister," Milagro's eyes rolled.
“Hey! I’m totally awesome! Who’s taking you to the movies later? Me,” Momoko replied with a snort as she closed the door, hesitating only a fraction of a second to make sure she heard the lock click behind her.
It was sixteen days ago that anyone had seen or heard from Jaime or the Blue Beetle. While there had been no ransom, and no related kidnappings or missing persons in the area, Momoko had insisted on certain precautions until they could rule out anything. Milagro was being escorted everywhere, Paco and some of his friends were taking turns working at the shop with Mr Reyes, and Mrs Reyes... well, there were enough people at the hospital that she was only escorted when not actually working.
Traci had gotten in touch with the Teen Titans and informed them of the disappearance of the Blue Beetle, but apparently they had no one to spare: “Something about a sudden increase in unusual activity,” Traci had not been happy when she’d been telling Momoko. “What’s more important? Jaime or some stupid dinosaur showing up in a shopping mall?” Momoko had been torn in her answer, but totally just as mad at being dismissed.
Unable to help with the magic aspect, though she’d tried, Momoko had suggested and arrangements had been made with the college for her to attend Jaime's classes and take notes for him, which she’d started doing on Wednesday. She couldn't perform his labs or take his exams, but he wouldn't be kicked out of school or lose his scholarships. It also meant she could check around more and see if anything at the school had caused Jaime to disappear.
Plus it kept her from going crazy, giving her something she could actually do.
It had been in one of those classes, Friday’s Materials Engineering, that she’d been passed a note:
Hi! My name’s Amanda. That’s Jaime’s bag and books; is he okay? He’s my friend.
After class was over, Momoko stayed behind and was met by a curvy, blue-eyed blonde. Not as tall as Dinah, but tall enough that Momoko was totally wishing she’d worn heels. Polite smiles and introductions passed between them, and Momoko shared the story that everyone had agreed on, that Jaime was away on an urgent family emergency. Amanda hadn’t blinked, replying that he seemed to have a lot of those and hoped everything was okay.
Momoko had agreed, “The school is letting me audit his classes, so he can at least get a grade of Incomplete. He can do the extra work when he gets back to fix them. I don’t know how he does it, he totally didn’t pick the easy classes.”
Amanda’s laugh had been easy and friendly. “I can’t help with all of them, but I can help you make sense of the ones he and I share at least? I’ve got another class to make it to today, but tomorrow? Jaime and I have a standing Saturday date for coffee at the Coffee Pot, you know, the coffee shop on the east corner of campus. If you want, we can meet up at two? I can help you make sense of some of the notes from today.”
--
Which was why Momoko was now sitting at a back table of the Coffee Pot, waiting for Jaime’s date to arrive, Milagro safely deposited at the youth center for the afternoon.
[for one, please. Everything modded with permission. Except for the dog outside the coffee shop. There is no modding the coffeedog.]