March 22, 2016
Two days later…

In the early night, a four-door car is rolling down the streets of Del Mar’s residential area. The headlights are shining ahead of its path, illuminating the asphalt roads and reflecting off of other parked cars.

Inside the car are the two best friends and goalie buddies: Matt Hackett and Ryan Faragher. Ryan is the driver; Matt is the passenger, sitting patiently while looking out at the road.

“I’ll cook for us when we get home!” he announces with a sweet smile.

“When we get home?” Ryan knits his thick eyebrows at the road. “We’re not going home.”

Matt’s eyes widen with uncertainty. “Wait, we aren’t…?” He slowly turns to see him. “So where’re we going?”

He purses his lips without tearing his gaze away from the road. “It’s actually...a surprise.”

“A surprise?”

“Yeah.” Ryan nods his head.

“Okay…” Matt turns away from him and resumes looking out at the rushing road.

A few moments later, the car arrives in familiar territory. Ryan guides the car toward the curb in front of a house and puts it in park.

Matt gazes to his right, spotting the house they are parked next to. “Oh, we’re at Monty, Crammer, and Ritch’s house!”

“Yeah!” Ryan exclaims as he undoes his seatbelt. “Let’s go!”

The two goalies get off from the car and make their way down the path that cuts through the lawn of the front yard. They go up the steps to the porch and halt in front of the black front door.

Ryan nods to Matt. “You go in first.”

“Okay…” Matt warily eyes the door before grabbing its silver handle and turning it while pushing it open.

He slowly steps inside, quickly noticing it that it is completely dark, except for the wall of the foyer, which is reflecting the moonlight. He shuffles to the left and into what he believes is the living room. “Hello?” he calls out into the darkness.

Suddenly, the lights flick on, deluging the vast room with warm lights, and most of the teammates from the San Diego Gulls pop up from behind furniture with their hands in the air.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!” they all shout in unison.

Then one thrilled Gull in particular, Bryan Moore, glides in front of Matt. "IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY!!!” he bellows, pointing to him with both fingers.

He then launches into his birthday chant along with hand motions:

He signals the letters he cheers out with his arms above his head. “H! To the A! To the double P, Y!” He then slides perpendicular to Matt and begins scooting backward with his arms rocking up and down. “B-I-R-T-H-D-A-Y!”

Bryan spins back to face the goalie and points to him multiple times to the beat. “Happy Birthday to you! You! You! You!” He then throws his hands in the air shakes them while hollering: “YAY!!!”

Matt clutches his fist against his chest. “Awww, thank you guys!!!” Tears begin forming in his eyes.

One of the residents of the Monarossabergie House, Joseph Cramarossa, steps up to Matt. “Happy birthday, Hacker.” He then pulls him into a firm hug.

“Thank you, Crammer!” Matt throws his arms out and wraps them around him.

Joseph then pulls away from him as another resident of the household, Brandon Montour, strolls up to them.

“Yeah, happy birthday, Matty Hack!” Brandon pats his shoulder. “I know, we’re three weeks off, but this was the only time we could get all of the guys together!”

“Yeah, I even found Jaycob for this party!” Shea Theodore shouts from the dining room. He pulls his friend, Jaycob Megna, back next to him as he was beginning to wander away. “He was all the way by the Salton Sea!”

“The more, the merrier!” Joe Piskula, the captain of the Gulls, exclaims as he skips past the birthday boy and his teammates.

Matt peers back at Brandon with glassy eyes. “That’s fine...!” He then sniffs as tears roll down his cheeks. “Thank you so much for this…!” he squeaks out.

Bryan gawks at the teary goalie. “Oh no, is the party not happy enough? Wait, I think I know why…” He narrows his eyes at Joseph. “Mood killer.”

Joseph crosses his arms with a haughty look. “No, it’s actually you-- You’re too happy, you’re sucking all the happiness out of here.”

“No, no…” Matt shakes his head, diverting the attention back to him. “I love this party…” He then uses the sleeve of his jacket to wipe the tears from his cheeks. “These are tears of joy.”

Bryan’s eyes light up as he throws an index finger into the air. “Ah, the ironic tears!”

In the kitchen is the newest member of the San Diego Gulls, Kalle Kossila. He has blond hair hanging over his forehead along with gray eyes and light stubble; his attire consists of a black hoodie, jeans, and tennis shoes.

He shouts in his sweet Finnish accent to the partygoers: “The cake is ready!”

From the sofa, Nick Ritchie, the last resident of the Monarossabergie House, perks his head up from the cushion. “Cake…!” He pushes himself to his feet and lumbers over to the kitchen.

Sure enough, on the countertop is an exquisite vanilla cake covered with white frosting with dapples of frosting dotting its edges and twenty-six Gulls-coloured candles protruding from the surface.

Not too far away from the cake is Nick, who has hungry eyes on it.

Kalle immediately spots the danger. “Voi voi!” He pulls the cake closer to him by its stand. “Get it before it gets eaten by this hungry fellow!” He points to Nick, who is now next to him with eyes on the cake. Oh dear!

The rest of the Gulls clamour over to the kitchen, huddling around the island. Kalle hands Matt, who is now standing next to him, the cake knife.

“Wait!” Bryan bellows from the other side of the countertop, leaning over it with his hands plastered against its surface. “We first need a birthday song! I already did my birthday chant!”

His best friend, Stu Bickel, frowns at him. “Really?”

Then the starting goalie of the Gulls, Anton Khudobin, whips out his dombra and strums a chord on it. He then begins plucking its strings to the tune of the “Happy Birthday” song as the rest of the team sing the lyrics off-key:

Happy birthday to you…
Happy birthday to you…
Happy birthday dear Matt--Matty Hack--Hacker…

They say Matt’s multiple names over each other at the same time, making it sound like they are mumbling nonsense.

Happy birthday to you…!

“Blow a wish! Blow a wish!” Bryan chants, slamming his hands against the countertop.

Matt looks up in deep thought. He then peers down at the cake, leans toward it, and blows at the candles’ flames.

The flames go out.

“Yay!” Everyone cheers as they clap.

“Sooo, what did you wish for?” Bryan asks Matt with a smirk.

Matt gazes at him. “Oh! I wished--”

“Don’t tell listen to him!” Stu tells Matt, slapping a hand over Bryan’s mouth. “If you tell him, then your wish won’t come true!”

Matt’s face drops. “Oh okay.”

Ryan picks up the cake knife from the countertop and holds it out to his best friend. “Here, Hacker, you can cut the cake!”

Matt turns to him. “Okay!” He takes the knife and cuts out a perfect slice.

Nick eyes the cake in awe. “Can I have a piece?”

Matt smiles at him. “Sure!”

With an excited expression, Nick takes hold of the rest of the cake with two hands and lifts it up to his mouth. He takes a mighty big bite from its side. “Mmm…” He then begins lumbering toward the living room with ninety percent of the cake.

Joseph whirls to face his wide back with a mad stare. “COME BACK HERE--!” He begins charging at him.

“Ptruu!” Kalle shouts at him; he halts and turns to him. “I got another cake!” He pulls up another cake from behind countertop. Whoa!

The cake he is holding up is made up of four mini cakes stacked on top of each other. It is completed covered with dapples of coloured frosting: the bottom layer is black, the second layer is sky blue, the third layer is white, and the top layer is orange: Gulls’ colours!

Joseph whirls back around and grumbles as he strides back to his teammates. Nick resorts to sitting on his sofa, consuming the rest of the vanilla cake.

Matt happily begins cutting the grand cake and serving the vanilla-layered slices to his teammates.

Bryan frowns at his friend. “Aw, come on, I wanted to know Matty Hack’s wish!”

Stu takes a saucer with a cake slice and holds it out at him with a fork. “Cake.”

Bryan’s eyes light up at the pastry. “Ooo!” He takes the plate and fork and digs into the cake.

Matt gives two saucers of cake to Shea and Jaycob. They receive the slices contently.

Ryan peers at his friend, noticing that he has not served himself any cake yet. “Why don’t you have some yourself?”

Matt lays another slice of cake on an empty saucer. “I want to give everyone a slice. I’d feel bad if I eat cake before everyone does.” He hands the saucer to Brian Cooper.

Ryan smiles at him. “You’re just too nice.” He pulls him into a quick side hug.

Matt serves another slice on a new saucer and holds it out to Kalle. “Here you go, Kalle!”

Kalle gives him a small, sweet smile. “Oh, thank you!” he exclaims lightly. He takes the saucer, picks up a fork, and takes a small bite.

Matt peers up at the partygoers to make sure that everyone has a slice of cake. Once he sees that everyone is content with their own slices of cake, he serves himself a slice and takes a bite.

His eyes light up at the sweet, vanilla, buttery flavour. “Wow! This is very good!” He turns to Kalle. “Where’d you get it from?”

“Mr. Conway made it!” Kalle exclaims, beaming.

“Conway…” Matt turns away with knitted eyebrows.

Ryan eyes him with bewilderment. “Who’s that, exactly?”

“Scott Conway! He’s my...eh…” Kalle tilts his head from side to side with a shrug. “...he’s my roommate, per se. Just got signed with me--he’s a great cook!”

“Definitely!” Matt takes in another forkful of cake.

Ryan raises his slice of cake to his eye level, examining the clean-cut layers of Gulls’ coloured frosting against vanilla sponge bread. “How the heck did he get all the tools to make a cake so precise?”

“I’m not sure, but his kitchen is massive,” Kalle tells him, scooping a bit of cake into his fork. “If you see it, it’d make sense!” He pops the bit of cake into his mouth.

Ryan lowers his saucer to look at the skater. “How big, exactly?”

“Mmm…” Kalle peers around his surroundings of the kitchen, dining room, and living room with pursed lips; he swallows. “I’d say as big as this entire room.” He lands his gaze on the two goalies.

Ryan’s eyebrows shoot up. “From kitchen to foyer?”

“Including the hallway.”

“So the whole house?”

Kalle puts on a small smile. “If you count the freezer!”

Matt’s eyes widen with surprise. “Wow! Where does he live in, a mansion?”

“Yeah!”

Matt steps back. “Really? I was only kidding…”

“No, you are right--” Kalle lifts his cake-filled fork in the air. “A mansion!” He takes in another bite of cake.

Matt is in complete awe. “Wow!”

From the living room, by the television, Bryan yells, “LOOK WHAT I FOUND!!!”

All of the partygoers turn their attention to him.

Bryan is standing next to the television, holding a microphone in his hand. “Who wants to do some karaoke?” he sing-songs loudly.

“No one wants to sing, squirrel!” Joseph snaps at him from his reclining chair.

Bryan faces him from the other side of the coffee table. “Wow, I didn’t know you were the spokesperson for the team!”

“Yeah, you can say I am.” He shoots him a proud expression.

Bryan raises his arched eyebrows. “And who hired you?”

“Myself.” He takes in a piece of cake.

“Laaaame!” Bryan hollers at him with a thumb down. “That’s invalid!”

Stu steps up to him. “Mooresy, um--”

Bryan immediately whirls to him. “Ooo, Pickle Stew! Do you wanna do karaoke?”

“Well, ummm…”

“He doesn’t want to,” Joseph says matter-of-factly.

Bryan turns to him a fuming expression. “I didn’t ask you, Grumpy Cat!”

“You should see that he doesn’t want to, chatterbox!”

“It’s okay, I’ll sing,” Stu states calmly, holding his hands out at him. “We’ll do a duet, how’s that, Mooresy?”

Joseph’s eyebrows lower over his eyes. “Really?”

“YES!!!” Bryan exclaims with glee. “I LOVE THAT!!!” He hops up and down while clapping excitedly.

Joseph rolls his eyes. “Who gave this guy cake?” He then slides off from the reclining chair and pads away to the kitchen with his empty saucer.

Bryan turns on the television and pulls up the home page of the karaoke station. He spins to face his tall best friend. “Alright, which song do you wanna do?”

“A duet…,” Stu forces out.

Bryan picks up the karaoke system’s booklet of songs from the coffee table and begins flipping through it. “I don’t see any…” He stops his flipping and his eyes light up. “Ooo, here’s a sweet one!” He tosses the booklet back in its place and dials in the number of his chosen song on the number pad of the microphone.

The television’s screen then fades into a picture of an ocean as the majestic introduction of “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion is heard.

Stu shoots his friend a flat look. “‘My Heart Will Go On’?”

Bryan gazes up at him with excited eyes. “YES!” He then faces the screen as the lyrics appear with a countdown.

He begins to sing in a silvery, clear voice along to the slow, calming music:

Every night in my dreams,
I see you,
I feel you!
That is how I know you go ooooon…!

Bryan whirls to Stu and holds the microphone up to him. “Your turn, Pickle Stew!”

Stu hesitantly takes the microphone. He then sings in a thick voice with uncertainty:

Far across the distance…
And spaces…
Between us…
You have come to show you…
Go on…

He quickly hands Bryan back the microphone.

Bryan receives it with delight and belts out:

NEAAAAAAARRRR…!
FAAAAAAARRRR…!
WHEREEEEEEEEVEEER YOU AREEEEEEEE…!
I believe that the heart does go oooooooon…

He holds the microphone up to his friend. Stu dubiously sings:

Once...more...you--

Bryan sings into the microphone to help out his friend:

--open the door!
And you’re here in my heart,
And my heart will go on and on…!

The music fades off into its sweet melody.

Joseph is back on his reclining chair; he has sharp eyes on the “singers.” “Who let squirrel and company sing?”

Bryan spins around to face him. “You’re just jealous that you can’t sing as good as us!”

“No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are!”

“No, I’m not!”

“So why don’t you wanna sing?” Bryan places a hand on his hip.

“Because it’s pathetic!” Joseph spits out.

“And why is it pathetic?”

All Joseph can do is return to him a fuming glare.

“Because you can’t sing,” Bryan finishes off for him.

To save himself, Joseph says, “I can sing--”

“So let’s hear your glorious voice, Oscar the Grouch!”

Joseph takes on the challenge: He jumps out from his chair and storms over to him. He snags the microphone from his hand and firmly presses some buttons on the microphone.

The scene displayed on the television changes to a city skyline at night as the upbeat, spooky electric guitar riffs for the introduction of “Ghostbusters” emits from the speakers.

Joseph clears his throat and begins singing in a forced, soft voice:

If there’s something strange,
In your neighbourhood,
Who you gonna call?

Brandon rushes up to him.

Ghostbusters!

Joseph then hands him the microphone; Brandon takes it and begins to sing in a loud voice:

If there’s something weird,
And it don’t look good,
Who you gonna call?

From the sofa perpendicular to them, Nick shouts with his mouth full of cake:

FOHFUSFER!

With that, the rest of the partygoers begins grooving to the 80’s electronic music, making their way to Joseph and Brandon.

Brandon holds out the microphone toward them. Shea takes it and holds it out the group as they all shout:

I ain’t ‘fraid of no ghost!

They continue boogying to the music; Shea hands the microphone to Jaycob. They then shout once again:

I ain’t ‘fraid of no ghost!

Nick then leans over to the microphone, which is in Ryan’s possession, and sings in a lilt, yet sheepishly voice.

If you’re seeing things,
Running through your head,
Who can you call?

Everyone responds:

GHOSTBUSTERS!!!!

Ryan then sings the next stanza in a deep, full voice:

An invisible man,
Sleepin’ in your bed,
Ow, who you gonna call?

Everyone hollers back:

GHOSTBUSTERS!!!!

Ryan gives the microphone to Joe who gives it to Kalle. Kalle hands it to Stefan Noesen, who passes it over to Harry Zolnierczyk. Harry ends up handing it over to Ryan once again.

I ain’t ‘fraid of no ghost!

They shout again after a moment of groovy 80s music:

I ain’t ‘fraid of no ghost!

Ryan then shouts into the microphone:

Who you gonna call?

Everyone replies loudly:

GHOSTBUSTERS!!!

Ryan then hands Matt the microphone. Matt gulps in nervousness, but manages to sing in an ethereal, squeaky tone:

If you’re all alone,
Pick up the phone,
And you call…

Everyone bellows back:

GHOSTBUSTERS!!!!

Matt then hastily hands the microphone to Nic Kerdiles, who is next to him. Nic passes the microphone to Ondřej Kaše. The microphone continues being passed around to see who the next singer is.

During that, everyone cries out while moving themselves to the beat:

I ain’t ‘fraid of no ghost!
Ooo, I hear it likes the girls!
Hm, I ain’t ‘fraid of no ghost!
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!

Jaycob, who has the microphone back, then screams:

WHO YOU GONNA CALL?!

Everyone shouts back:

GHOSTBUSTERS!!!!

Shea receives the microphone and sings in a confident, ringing tone:

Mmm, if you’ve had a dose of a,
Freaky ghost, baby,
You better call--

Everyone says:

GHOSTBUSTERS!!!!

Ryan belts out:

Ow!

There is a bit more dancing to the drumming music.

Brian is then handed the microphone. He sings in a husky tone:

Lemme tell ya something,
Bustin’ makes me feel good!

Everyone continues grooving to the groovy music.

I ain’t ‘fraid of no ghost!

They continue their boogying.

I ain’t ‘fraid of no ghost!

Brandon gets the microphone from Brian and shouts into it:

Who you gonna call?

Everyone yells back:

Ghostbusters!

Bryan tilts the microphone over to him:

Louder!

Everyone shouts:

Ghostbusters!

Joseph then pulls the microphone back to himself:

Who you gonna call?

Everyone bellows one last time:

Ghostbusters!

The song then ends. The team erupts in cheers, claps, and whistles.

Brandon chuckles and turns to Joseph. “You did great!” He playfully punches his upper arm.

Matt bounds up to them. “That was so much fun! Thank you for letting us sing!”

Joseph looks at the goalie coolly. “No prob, Matty Hack.”

“Ah-ha, atta, boy, Crammer Slammer!” Bryan exclaims, giving him a thumbs up.

Joseph smirks down at him. “See? Told ya I can sing.”

“Then that makes the two of us!” Bryan shoots him a massive grin then whirls around and rushes away to his friend.

Joseph immediately scowls as the small skater. He growls, “Grrr…” and smacks his forehead.

Notes

E.13 "Sing!"
Part 1/4
Episode 13/20