First Entrance Bobby was bored. Warren was off who knew where, getting some airtime, Scott and Jean were pretending to study, but were really making goo-goo eyes at each other when the other wasn't looking.
Man, Scott is so dense! if I had a girl that hot crushing on me? I'd be all over that!
"Don't you have someplace else to be, Bobby?" Jean was giving him a pointed look. He could pretend he didn't get the hint, but making Jean mad could result in Bad Things Happening.
Hank really was studying (as usual), and didn't even hear Bobby's pointed hints that Warren had left the keys to his car unguarded.
The Professor...
Yeah right, like I'm just going to go hang out with ol' Chuck! Ha!
"I can hear you, you know, Mr. Drake."
"Gah!" Jeeze! How does a guy in a wheelchair sneak up on people so easily? "Sorry, sir."
"Mr. Drake, if you're bored, you could always get started on the report I assigned you for...."
"Sorry Proffessor...I just remembered...something! Gotta go!"
He thought about taking Warren's keys, but instead made an ice sled and took himself to the edge of town, then walked toward the local college hang out, Coffee[a]Go-Go. Maybe Zelda would be there...
"Hey, Bobby! On your own today?"
He brightened up at the sight of Zelda behind the counter, took a seat at the bar and gave her is best smile.
"Just me! everyone else was busy." Did that sound too lame? That was lame, wasn't it?
"You're not even wearing a coat! You want something hot to drink?" She walks over and puts a hand on his. "You're freezing!"
She's holding my hand (sort of)! That's a good sign, right? Don't say anything stupid, Drake!
He flips over his hand to capture hers. "Funny, I don't feel cold, now."
She studied him for a second with a shrewd look before gently tugging her hand away. "Smooth. I'm impressed!" She's smiling as she says it. "What can I get you?"
"Iced Mocha would be great. Please. And maybe one of your famous banana nut muffins?"
"Sure thing, though I don't know how you drink anything cold on a day like today."
He pumps the air with his fist the moment she turns her back, then arranges his face in a casually interested expression (he hopes) before she turns back. He spots a partially finished wooden puzzle of some kind on the counter a couple of seats away, but no one is sitting there. When Zelda sets a warm muffin down in front of him, she takes a bite and nods toward the pile of puzzle pieces.
"Working on something to pass the time?"
"Some guy was in earlier working on it for more than an hour. He got mad when he couldn't figure it out, and left it behind when he left. I thought he'd come back for it, but that was...a couple of hours ago."
She turns to make his drink, and Bobby goes to have a look at the puzzle. Interested, he slides onto the stool in front of it and examines it while breaking off a piece of muffin and devouring it. He picks up one of the oddly shaped pieces and before he knows it, is intently working on solving it.
Zelda slides his drink in front of him, and leaves him to it, going to help other customers.
It's nearly an hour before he looks up, triumphant. "Zelda! Check it out! I think I've got it figured! One more piece!"
He slides the final piece into place, and then suddenly, he's someplace else, entirely. The cube he'd just constructed out of puzzle pieces is gone, and in it's place is...
He looks around at what looks like a posh hotel lobby. Maybe someone redecorated the mansion while he was gone?
"This is isn't the coffee shop! What the heck just happened? Professor? Jean? Hank?"