Chapter 2
“No way,” I giggled nervously, “it’s just some look-alike.”
“No, James,” Jessie assured me. “This is you.” She turned the sign around so I could see it. “Look.”
Oh. My….it WAS me! I fell back. The boy in the photo had the same blue hair, the same emerald eyes….I couldn’t believe it. It was definitely ME.
“James, what’s going on?” Jessie demanded. I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. This photo was recent, much too recent. How….?
I snatched the sign from Jessie. Time-lapsed photo of James Morgan, age 17, it read. If you know the location of this missing person, please contact 1-878-659-7589. My blood ran cold when I read the number.
“James, that’s you, right?” Jessie asked anxiously.
I finally choked out one word. “No…” I peeped.
“YOU LIAR! YOU PROBABLY KNOW THE NAME OF EVERYONE IN THAT HOUSE, AND WE’RE TURNING YOU IN!” Jessie screamed. I cringed in fear.
“Jessie….why?”
“There’s a reward, dummy,” she stormed off. “I’m finding a payphone.” I rushed after her. “JESSIE! NO! PLEASE, JESSIE! DON’T DO THIS!” I waved my arms frantically. “THE TEAM!”
“I’m doing it for the team,” she replied in an overly calm voice. “If we turn you in, we can have all that money. You too.” She grinned. “Oh, look. There’s a payphone now.” Jessie sauntered in and slammed the door. I beat my arms on it frantically. “Please Jessie, please no,” I was close to tears now. “Please no.”
“Hello? Oh hi, Mrs. Morgan,” she flashed a wry grin at me, “I’d just like you to know we’ve found your son.”
There they were. The fatal words. A shrill scream of delight erupted from the other line. I couldn’t make out what she said after that, and I doubt Jessie could either.
“Okay, we’ll be right over,” Jessie said cheerfully. With a loud ‘click!’ she hung up the phone and flung the door open, nailing me in the head. “Please, Jessie,” I grabbed her foot. “Please no.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, James.” Meowth. I had totally forgotten about him. “We’re just gonna grab the cash and scram.” Even with Meowth’s reassurance, I wasn’t sure that they could get me out. I shuddered at the thought of being left behind. “Jessie….are you sure about this?” I whined.
“Yes, I’m sure, James,” she growled. “Now come on.” I followed reluctantly behind. As usual, I lacked a better idea.
I hung my head in sorrow. I’ll have to face Jessibelle, I thought. But maybe that’s the best way. Jessie will be happy. Meowth will be happy. Mother and Father will be happy. Jessibelle will be happy…… But will James be happy? I gave a long, deep sigh, the kind I always gave when something was on my mind.
“James, everything will be FINE,” Jessie snapped. “You ran away once, you can do it again.” But could I?
I shuffled my feet disgruntledly up the once-familiar driveway. There’s no turning back now…but the pebbles in the driveway below me kept moving backwards. Right then I would’ve given almost anything to turn into a tiny pebble and start moving backwards.
“WHOA!” Meowth shouted. “WHAT’S UP WITH THIS?! IT’S A MANSION!” I looked up. There it was, the mansion. Where I’d run away from all those years ago….I couldn’t help it. I panicked.
“James, why did you run away if you were rich all along?” Jessie demanded.
My mind reeled. “Ummm….” I said desperately. “I DON’T REMEMBER! I HAVE AMNESIA! I DON’T REMEMBER ANYTHING!” I clutched my head for good measure, hoping it would work.
“James, darling!” The double doors to the mansion swung open, and my Mother came running out. “Where have you been all these years? It’s time for you to get married!” She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed hard.
“Hey, lady! Didn’t you say there was a reward?” Jessie interjected rudely.
“Yes,” Mother admitted, “But James here has to get married first so he can inherit his fortune.”
“Alright, James, get married,” Jessie ordered.
“JESSIE, YOU CAN’T JUST ORDER ME TO GET MARRIED! I DON’T WANT TO!”
“But I can.” A voice interrupted. Oh gosh, not her….please, not her…
“C’mon, James darling, we’re gonna get married!” she exclaimed. I turned around, and my greatest fear came true. There she was….Jessibelle. Standing proud in that short, red dress, holding a…whip? Now I was sure I wasn’t going to make it out. I buried my face in my hands. No, no, no…not again…..
“LEAVE ME ALONE!” I shouted angrily. “I DON’T WANT TO BE MARRIED!”
“But James, dear, you have to or our whole fortune goes to charity,” explained Jessibelle. “Surely you don’t want that.”
I collapsed on the ground. “I don’t know what I want anymore! I’m just so confused!” I burst into tears. “Just don’t make me marry, Jessibelle!”
Just then a limousine pulled up, and out hopped three of the last people I wanted to see at the moment.
“Hey, what’s going on?” yelled the doof with the Pikachu.
“It’s Team Rocket!” said the redhead. Duh, I thought.
“James, we were just looking for you!” my father emerged from the driver’s seat.
“Where’s Brock?” I asked stupidly, stalling for time. Ash shrugged. “He left with some woman at a restaurant. Now, what’s going on here?” He stepped forward.
“James is just about to get married!” replied
Jessibelle happily. “James, come on now,” she grabbed my foot and started
dragging me away.
“NO! Do something, PLEASE, I DON’T WANT TO BE MARRIED!” I pleaded. “PLEASE!
SOMEONE!”
“James, do it for the team.” Jessie nodded. Oh yeah, Jessie. She was still there. “Please, Jessie, I’m begging you,” I clasped my hands. “Don’t make me get married…”
“James, it’s no big deal,” replied Meowth. “You’ll be fine. Just…do it for the team. For all of us.”
“Do it for the team, James,” Jessie repeated.
I gave up and allowed myself to be dragged away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Shouldn’t we help him?” Ash suggested. “Even if he is our enemy, he shouldn’t have to marry if he doesn’t want to.”
“You’re right, Ash,” Misty agreed. “Let’s go!”
Ash and Misty took off running. Past the mansion, the fountain, the bench…
All of a sudden they heard a loud banging. “What’s that?” asked Misty.
“It’s coming from over there!” Ash pointed to the doghouse. They approached it slowly.
“Something’s….in there,” said Misty nervously.
“Stand back,” Ash firmly gripped the door handle. “1……2……3!” he flung it open. “Huh?”
“Growl!” a Growlithe came running out, paws outstretched. It scrambled down the driveway with its puppylike gait. “Groooowlithe!”
“What was that all about?” Ash blinked his eyes in confusion.
“Who cares, we should follow it!” Misty exclaimed. “Come on!” Ash and Misty took off after the Growlithe, creating a rather odd parade with James and Jessibelle in the lead.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jessibelle had drug me all the way across the estate to the wedding chapel. Strange as it always was, we had a wedding chapel just for this occasion. “Stand up nice and proper James!” Jessibelle instructed. Jessie slapped some duct tape on my mouth and held my hands together behind me.
“Jessibelle, do you take James to be your lawfully wedded husband?” Father began.
“Of course I do!” she said matter-of-factly. I would have screamed had my mouth not been taped shut.
“And James, do you take Jessibelle to be your lawfully wedded wife?” he looked at me expectantly.
“Mrrmph!” I shook my head violently.
“He says yeah,” Jessie translated falsely.
“Then I now pronounce you, man and-“
“GROOOOOWL!” a Growlithe burst in. “Grooowl!” it cried before performing a flamethrower attack on Father. He collapsed on the floor. “James-“ he stuttered.
Jessie dropped my hands in surprise. I quickly seized the moment and ripped the duct tape away. “Growlie!” I shouted happily. “Thank you.”
“You disgusting little thing!” Jessibelle cringed. “Get away from me!”
“Growlie, Flamethrower!” I grinned broadly. “GROOOOWL!” burning flames erupted from his mouth.
Jessibelle gaped in horror at Growlie. “What did you do?” She slowly became aware of a burning sensation on her butt. “YAAAAAH!” she fled from the chapel through a hole that Growlie had made. I saw her streaming down the boardwalk, a fiery blaze of butt.
“JAMES! You ruined everything!” screeched Jessie in disgust. “We would have got you out.”
“NO,” I said firmly, “you couldn’t have. You don’t know Jessibelle as well as I do, and I’m telling you, for a FACT, that could NOT have got me out of here.”
“James….” Jessie trailed off. “You can come back to the balloon. Or you can be married, and then come back to the balloon. It’s your choice.” She glared at me coldly. “But I know you, James, and I know you’ll do the right thing.” With those last words, she strode off to the balloon.
I stared out at the estate. The boardwalk, the fountain, the balloon in the distance….It’s time to decide, James, I thought. The decision you’ve been putting off for years. Once again, I looked out at the estate. Which way will it be? I stared at the boardwalk one last time, and made my decision.
Do it for the team.