The morning has arrived and it is a beautiful start of the day in Sunny San Diego. The sky is crystal clear and the sun is radiating from up high; the birds are fluttering past the Monarossabergie House, including the neighbourhood cars.

Brandon strolls through the narrow hallway in his outfit consisting of a white polo shirt, jeans, and socks. He passes by the opening in the hallway, yet does not peek through the other end to see the kitchen. Instead, he passes through the foyer, makes the turn into the living and strolls down the room.

His eyes naturally land ahead, catching sight of a rare scene: He spots Joseph facing the stove, humming as he is cooking up something on the heated top. Joey cooking? Brandon knits his eyebrows in confusion. He doesn’t cook for us--he has never cooked for us! Is it him actually cooking or am I just seeing things?

Brandon brings down his strolling to a wary padding. “Joey…?”

Right on cue, Joseph spins about to face his roommate. He has a large, sweet smile on his face, making his already-rounded cheeks appear more rounded. “Good morning, Monty!” he greets happily. “You want pancakes?” He then pulls the skillet off from the stove’s top and holds it out toward him.

From the other side of the island, Brandon peers down at the restaurant-perfect pancakes his roommate is baking. “Ummm…” His eyes lift to Joseph, who is still smiling. “Sure…” He then slowly takes his seat at the island.

“Perfect! I’ll have them ready in a jiffy!” Joseph then spins back to face the stove and continues humming and baking.

Brandon gradually turns away from him, becoming very unsettled. Why is Joey happy? He has never done this before. He never acts that way. What is going on…? He then spots Nick lumbering down toward his direction.

Brandon follows his friend with his eyes as he plops himself next to him. Nick takes a look at the merry cook, then at him. “I wonder what’s for breakfast...”

“Cranberry pancakes!” Joseph exclaims right on cue.

The two perk up at him as he slides plates of flawless, golden pancakes spotted with red dots toward them. He then whips out a can of whipped cream and squirts the creamy substance on the pancakes, creating happy faces on each of them.

With a small, kiddish smile, Nick pulls a plate of happy pancakes to him and begins munching on them. It seems like Nick is used to having Joseph so blithe.

On the other hand, Brandon switches from gawking at the cook to gawking at the pancakes. They’re both happy. He shakes his head and mumbles, “I’ve lost my appetite.”

---

After a painful breakfast, according to Brandon, and all is cleaned up, Joseph hops over to the foyer. “It’s time to go to practice!” He holds onto the door knob, swings himself out in a showy fashion, facing his two roommates. “Let us go!” He then throws the door open and sprints out.

Brandon eyes Nick with uncertainty, trying to see if his friend is noticing the same thing he is noticing. But of course he is getting nothing from him; Nick treating this whole experience like as if it’s a mundane thing.

With a sigh, Brandon ambles out of the house with Nick behind him, closes the front door, and makes his way to the Jeep. He spots that Joseph has already happily taken the driver’s seat, so he goes to the passenger’s seat while Nick takes the back.

“Everyone buckled up?” Joseph asks as gazes at his two teammates.

Brandon clicks his seat belt into place. “Yup.”

“Alright!” Joseph starts the car, then carefully reverses out of the driveway.

Brandon peers through the window at the empty residential street where they are to drive down next. Yet, he feels the car being turned away from the street, facing the opposite direction.

And Joseph drives the car down the opposite end of the way they are suppose to go.

“Wait!” Brandon hastily turns to the content driver. “You’re going the wrong way!”

“Nope!” Joseph remarks in a joyful tone with his eyes on the road. “We’re going to pick up some lovely fellows!”

Brandon eyes him with a shallow degree of disgust. “Who?”

---

And those lovely fellows turn out to be the goalies.

“Hi, hi!” Matt Hackett exclaims as he climbs into the back and closes the door.

“‘Sup,” Ryan Faragher remarks as he slides in from the other side, pushing Nick into the middle seat.

Joseph twists his back to face the two newcomers. “Hello, Matt! Hello, Ryan! Ready for practice?”

Matt smiles sweetly to him. “Yes, I am!”

“Alrightie! Let’s hit the road for the show!” He then turns back to the steering wheel and pulls off onto the road once again.

Brandon stares ahead, lost in his swirling thoughts of confusion. Why did Joey bring Matt and Ryan along? I thought he hated a crowded car. I thought he hated riding with Matt because of his hamster. I never likes carpooling with other teammates. He just likes to go straight to the rink… He runs his fingers through his hair In growing distress. Who is this person and what has he done with Joey?

“Mr. Ernie!” Matt exclaims with delight from the back. Brandon peers over his seat to see what Matt is doing.

Sure enough, perched in Matt’s hands is a scruffy, small, brown and white hamster whose name is Mr. Ernie. The critter is munching on a sunflower seed.

Joseph peers at the rear view mirror with raised eyebrows. “Mr. Ernie came along for the ride?”

“Yeah, he did!”

“Oh, goodie!” He tilts his head toward his shoulder. “Let me say hi to him!”

With a happy gasp, Matt leans over and places a clueless Mr. Ernie on Joseph’s shoulder.

Joseph’s smile grows largely as he is driving the car down the freeway. “Hey, little fella! How’re ya doing?”

Mr. Ernie responses by twitching his tiny nose and nibbling on his sunflower.

“Oh, I’m glad you’re doing well!” he replies like as if the hamster actually responded to him.

From the passenger’s seat, Brandon is pressed in the corner between the seat and the door, eyeing the driver with with fear and concern. There is definitely something wrong with Joey.

Notes

E.3 "Happy-rossa"
Part 2/4
Episode 3/20