AAOOOSC!: Gulls' Adventures!

A few hours later, Brandon, Joseph, Matt, Ryan, and Stu are at the Monarossabergie House in their regular attire: Brandon with his black V-neck shirt and matching shorts; Joseph in his gray T-shirt and black jeans; Matt wearing his white T-shirt and black shorts; Ryan with a gray cap, blue T-shirt, and khaki shorts; Stu in his white backward cap, T-shirt, and shorts.

In the living room, Joseph is lying on the sofa by the window with Matt kneeling next to him.
Across the room in the kitchen, Brandon and Stu are standing behind the countertop with Ryan on the other side by the oven.

“I never knew I'd be so glad to be back home with you guys,” Brandon tells the three of them. It is strangely comforting to be back in a place that once had its eerie moments.

Ryan strolls up to them. “The more the merrier!” He then holds up a pan of steaming lasagna between his two mitten-covered hands.

Stu peers at the messy, Italian goodness. He then tilts his head to a side with a frown. “Awww...it's lopsided!”

Brandon flicks his hand at it. “We're gonna eat it anyway. It's not decoration.”

Ryan then gazes beyond his two teammates to look at his goalie buddy with the blind skater. “Okay, Matty Hack and Joey-- Dinner is ready!”

With that, the five Gulls gather around the circular dining table and begin munching on lasagna with glasses of water.

While cutting his piece of lasagna, Stu turns to his right, where Brandon is sitting. “So, Monty, you said that Dustin and Ritch...work together?”

Brandon swallows then turns to him. “Uh, yeah, they do.”

“How do you know?” Joseph asks from his other side, pawing his hand on the table aimlessly with his eyes staring ahead.

“That's who Dustin led me to when he took me away from you guys,” Brandon explains. “He led me to Nicky.”

Matt grabs Joseph’s hand and guides it to grasp around his glass of water. “And what did he say?”

Brandon taps his fork by the edge of his plate. “That he wanted to take over the Ducks. And rename them to the ‘Ritchies.’"

Joseph spits out the gulp of water he just took in. He bursts into hysterical laughter, slamming the cup thankfully on the table. “THE ANAHEIM RITCHIES?!” he bellows deliriously. “THAT'S THE MOST STUPIDEST NAME I'VE EVER HEARD!”

“Whoa, step back!” Stu retracts from the table, the palms of his hands facing Brandon. “Ritch wants to take over the Ducks?!”

“And the Gulls,” Brandon adds in. “And Grizzlies.”

“Not my team!” Ryan cries out from between Matt and Stu.

Brandon gives him a concerned expression. “I'm not joking.”

“Why does he want to do this?” Matt asks him with fright, moving Joseph’s glass away from him.

“I dunno, to be honest; it's his dream.” Brandon shrugs carelessly. “That's what he said.”

Joseph takes in deep breaths, calming himself down. “And how is he going to make the ‘Anaheim Ritchies’ an actual thing?” he asks in a raspy tone, staring ahead at Ryan even though the question is for Brandon.

“By trading most of us,” Brandon answers with his eyes on him.

“Like Dustin,” Ryan breathes out in realization.

“That's why they're working together,” Brandon concludes with his hands out in front of him.

“Wait, ‘most of us’?” Stu knits his eyebrows at Brandon. “Who does Ritch have compassion for if he wants the whole Ducks’ organization?”

Brandon shifts in his seat, stuffing his hands underneath him. “Um...me.”

“He said he'd trade everyone except for YOU?!” Joseph snaps, his head slightly turned toward Brandon’s direction, his eyes on Stu now.

“Yeah,” Brandon squeaks out with a grimace.

“What does he want to boot us out of here except for you?!” Joseph narrows his eyes with a growing scowl. “What makes you so special?”

Brandon cranes his head so that he can lock eyes with him. “He just likes me as a friend.”

“Oh, and not us, okay.” Joseph huffs.

“Yeah, he talked to me from the bottom of his heart,” Brandon continues on. “Said stuff I never thought was in his mind. Especially about Maxi.”

“He traded Maxi too?!” Joseph furiously slams his fist against the table, inches from hitting the pan of lasagna.

“Yeah, to get Dustin.” Brandon purses his lips, bracing himself for his roommate’s reaction.

Joseph expands his hands, latching his fingers onto a nearby napkin and pulling it back into his fist. “When I see him…”

Ryan gawks at him. “Uh, Crammer…, you can't really see--”

“WHEN I SENSE HIM!” Joseph growls louder, correcting himself.

“Why did he trade Maxi?” Matt cries out. “He was so nice!”

“Nicky claimed he wasn't nice to him,” Brandon answers, pointing his fork at him.

“Oh, so we're not nice to him either?” Joseph snaps, his eyes still on Stu. “Is that why he's gonna trade us too except for you?”

Brandon sits still for a moment while processing the question. “Yeah.”

Matt peers down at his plate, his mouth quivering as tears build up in his eyes.

Ryan has an incredulous expression. “Where did we go wrong?”

Stu places his hand on his chest. “I'm nice to him.”

“I thought I was nice too…,” Matt croaks out as the tears spill down his cheeks.

The rest then turn to face the blind man.

“I feel you guys staring down at me,” Joseph states sternly, his eyes not wavering an inch.

“Ritch has a really good reason to trade you,” Stu tells him grimly.

“Whatever, I'll be lounging in Greece with my people.” Joseph retracts his hand back to his lap.

Ryan stares at his plate in deep contemplation. “Wait...that-that doesn't add up…”

Brandon turns to him. “What?”

He lifts his eyes up at him. “Dustin said that you were supposed to be on a flight. Yet you said that Ritch wants to keep you here, right?”

“Yeah…” Brandon nods his head. “...that's why I didn't understand him.”

“Are Dustin and Ritchie on the same page?” Ryan knits his thick eyebrows.

“No one is on the same page as that bear,” Joseph grumbles with his eyes glued on his plate.

Brandon stares ahead in deep thought. Are Dustin and Nick actually working for each other?

Notes

E.18 "The Ones Behind It All"
Part 6/8
Episode 18/20