AAOOOSC!: Gulls' Adventures!

Joseph finally stop storming with Nick at the end of the hallway and lets go of him. He then stares up at him solemnly.

"Don’t tell them where Monty is," he growls to him.

"Why?"

"Because it’s an absurd thing to say!" He throws his hands in the air. "He’s stuck in the TV, it’s impossible for one to be stuck inside a TV!"

"Monty’s stuck in the TV." Nick nods his head toward the television’s direction.

"Still." Joseph huffs with his eyes casted down and his arms crossed. "I don’t want them to think we’re weird or we have something up our sleeve, because we don’t." He reverts his gaze at his roommate. "Don’t tell them anything about Monty in the TV, just play along."

Nick lets out a sigh. "Okay…"

Joseph then breezes by Nick, stalking back into the living room. Nick trudges behind him.

"Monty’s stuck in his room," Nick tells the two as he enters the living room after his roommate.

"We can invite him down here," Stu tells them cordially from the sofa.

Joseph halts back in his place behind the sofa. "That won’t be needed. He’s trying to keep away from people…" He then murmurs, "…like what I want to do."

Bryan frowns. "Oh well, he’s missing out on all the fun!" He points his controller-occupied hand toward the television. "He has to see this quarterback that looks like him though, he’d love it! You know what, I should take a picture—"

"Aren’t you gonna play?" Joseph snaps at him.

"Oh right, I can play!" Bryan turns back to the screen. He starts up the drive, which ends up in an immediate sack.

"Ouch!" Brandon exclaims as a digital defensive end slams him against the bright grass.

Stu narrows his eyes at the screen with his mouth shaped as an "O." "Oooh…not a good formation, Bryan, not a good formation…"

"BUT!" Bryan shouts. "I have a second chance!"

"Just about ten yards more back," he adds on.

With that, Bryan starts the drive for the second down. He leads Brandon to hand it off to the halfback. Right after the halfback gains possession of the ball, he is instantly tackled to the grass, popping the football onto the grass.

Stu’s thumbs quickly fly across the controller as he steers his player to recover the football and run it down to his end zone.

After the extra point, Stu turns to his friend with a slight frown. "Sorry, Bryan."

Bryan sinks in the sofa as his eyes are glued on the score change and the ending of the first quarter. It is fourteen to fourteen, a tie.

"You’re not losing," Stu points out, trying to get his friend to see the bright side of the game.

Bryan clutches the controller close to him. "I was winning. I wanted to keep the big lead."

Joseph rolls his eyes from behind the two. "Woo-hoo, fun’s over, go home."

Bryan quickly clamours his knees on the sofa to face Joseph comfortably. "No, no, it’s the end of the first! I’ll be back--nature calls!" He then climbs off the sofa, tosses his controller aside, and speeds through the foyer.

Bryan enters the narrow hallway with darting eyes, actually having the intention of finding Brandon to join in on the fun.

"Monty!" he calls out. "Monty!" He peeks into the first bedroom in sight, which is Nick and Brandon’s bedroom. "Nighthawk! Monty Muffins!" He scans the bedroom from the single bed on the ground to the hole in the wall.

He then reenters the hallway. "There’s a quarterback that looks a whole lot like you!" he calls out. He then peeks into the next bedroom, which is Joseph’s bedroom. "He’s nameless! You gotta see him!" He quickly scans the bedroom from carpet to ceiling fan, then slips back into the hallway.

"Monty!"

Bryan then sadly retreats back into the living room with his head hung down.

"Monty’s nowhere in the house," he announces sadly.

"Yeah, he’s in his room," Joseph points out.

Bryan stops in front of him. "I checked his room. He’s not in there."

From the sofa, Stu covers his eyes with his hand. "Oh man."

Joseph’s eyes flash in ire. "You snooped around the house without letting me know—‽"

"It’s what I do—!" Bryan cuts in, placing his hands on his chest. "I want more company, have Monty join in on the fun!" His face drops. "But he’s not here…."

"He’s in his room," Nick tells him dully.

Bryan gazes up at him. "No, he’s not. I checked every single bedroom!"

Joseph glares at him. "Which one’s his?"

"The hole in the wall. Not the first time I came here!" Bryan crosses his arms with a raised eyebrow and a flat mouth.

Silence then takes over the conversation.

Stu eyes the three that are standing behind him. "So, where is he?"

Bryan turns to him. "Not in his bedroom, nor in the living room—"

"Probably went out," Joseph interrupts. "Took the side door to avoid us." He shrugs.

From the screen, Brandon is staring at his roommate with disbelief. "Oh man, good going making me look like a hermit, Crammer…" he mutters to himself.

Stu makes an incredulous expression. "Since when did Monty want to avoid people?"

Joseph replies by shrugging.

"Or…" Bryan starts off with suspense. "…is Monty actually right there?" He calmly lifts his hand, directing his index finger at the television.

Joseph and Nick both gawk at the screen with massive eyes.

Notes

E.5 "Trapped!"
Part 4/6
Episode 5/20