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"Dakota! I'm going out for a morning stroll! Will you be alright?"
It's been a month since the whole sphere of calamity event, and a month since Dakota finally found Cavendish. They had finally properly made up but Dakota was still anxious anytime Cavendish left.
"Um, yeah I think so," Dakota replied nervously.
"Alright" Cavendish said. "I should be back in about thirty minutes"
"Oh, thirty minutes isn't so bad," Dakota thought. He gave Cavendish a small smile. "Just be careful."
"I will. I promise." And with that, Cavendish left for a quick morning walk.
"What am I so worried about? He'll be fine," Dakota thought as he grabbed a bag of chips from a cabinet. "Right?"
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Cavendish took his normal route through the park. He was listening to music when he came across Milo, Zack and Melissa.
"Oh hi Cavendish! How are ya?" Milo asked enthusiastically.
"Hello Murphy, and others! I'm doing well! How might you be?"
"We're great! Just enjoying the beauty of the park!" Suddenly, a small branch from the tree right next to them snapped, hitting Milo on the head. "Ow!" He rubbed his head where the branch hit and thats when Cavendish noticed the odd looking bracelet Milo was wearing
"What is that, Milo?" Cavendish pointed at Milo's wrist.
"Oh, that? It's a bond touch bracelet! Zack and Melissa lifted up their wrists to reveal that they too were wearing them."
"Bond touch?" Cavendish was curious.
"Yeah whenever I tap mine, the other bracelets vibrate, no matter how far away you are," Milo explained.
"Yeah! Watch," Melissa tapped her bracelet.
taptap tap
Milo and Zack's bracelets vibrated.
buzzbuzz buzz
Milo and Zack both got playful offended faces. "Melissa! How could you say that," Zack asked in a dramatic, yet playful tone.
"What? What did she say?" Now Cavendish was very intrigued.
"She said that cheese pizza is gross"
"Well it is," Melissa argued.
They seem to have formed a secret code using the vibrations of the bracelets. It didn't make any sense.
Cavendish got an idea. He can get bond touch bracelets for him and Dakota! He'll be so excited!
"Where did you buy those bracelets?," Cavendish asked.
The're having a sale at the tech depot! All wristwear is sixty percent off!"
"Wonderful! Well, It was nice seeing you three and thank you. Cheery bye!" Cavendish ran off on his way to the tech depot.
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Dakota was on the couch, eating chips. He was all alone with his thoughts.
"Gee, what's taking Cavendish so long?" Dakota put a chip in this mouth.
Cavendish would go on walks every other morning, leaving Dakota alone. Dakota was trying to learning to be okay with not being by his side all the time so they could live their own lives. Cavendish going on walks was good practice, but he should have been back twenty minutes ago! This was making Dakota very nervous.
Dakota's breathing started to get heavy. He tried to eat another chip, but even the thought of eating right now made him sick.
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Cavendish made it to the tech depot. An employee walked up to him
"Hello sir how may I help you?"
"Ah yes, does this store happen to carry bond touch bracelets?"
"Oooh! You're in luck sir! We're having a sixty percent off sale for all wristwear! They are just right over there." The employee pointed to the direction of the wristwear tech.
"Thank you" Cavendish walked to the wristwear section where "Perfect!" He found a stack of touch bond bracelets. He grabbed one and quickly purchased it.
"Hmm, while I'm at it, I should get the two of us some food! Then Dakota will be twice as excited!" Cavendish giggled at the thought, and made way to the diner downtown to pick up some breakfast burritos. As he was walking out of the store, he walked past a shelf full of clocks. They all read 11:00. Cavendish left at 9:00.
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What if he got hurt?
What if he went rogue again?
What if he's dead and I can't save him?
Dakota's mind was swirling with what if's. Obviously, Cavendish hadn't died in months, but he was so oblivious to his surroundings that anything could still happen.
What if he came across Milo and some sort of distaster happened?
Dakota didnt like to think about the kid like that, but he knew that it was still possible.
Cavendish walked in the food and braclets behind his back but quickly set them on the table when he noticed Dakota.
He had his face buried in his knees, and he was slightly shaking.
"Oh no! How long was I gone?!" Cavendish looked at a clock on the wall. It read 11:30.
"crap."
Cavendish sat next to Dakota, placing a hand on his shoulder. Dakota didn't notice Cav walking in, so he was slightly startled. But, one he saw who it was, Dakota quickly grabbed onto Cavendish hugging him.
"Shhhh... just breathe," Cavendish said quietly. Dakotas breathing became less irregular as they sat there quietly.
"I'm sorry, Dakota. I didn't realize I'd be out so long."
"Where were you?"
"Well, I was walking through the park when I saw Milo and his friends. I greeted them and noticed they were wearing-" Cavendish remembered his gift. "Actually I think it might be better if I showed you." Cavendish got up to retrieve the box with the bracelets inside.
"What are these?" Dakota asked.
"They're bond touch bracelets," Cavendish answered.
"Bond touch?"
"Yes, when one of us taps our bracelets, the other bracelet vibrates!" Cavendish took the bracelets out of the box to give one to Dakota, and one to himself. They both put them on.
"So, when I tap my bracelet, yours will vibrate?" Dakota tapped his bracelet to see if it would work.
Cavendish's bracelet buzzed. Then he decided to tap his bracelet in return. Dakotas bracelet buzzed.
"Oh that's cool!" Dakotas face brightened up.
"Indeed! And I also brought some food!" Cavendish grabbed the breakfast burritos off of the table and handed one to Dakota.
"Gee, thanks!" Dakota started eating immediately.
A few minutes passed as they finished their food in silence.
"Hey Cav?"
"Yes, Dakota?"
"I'm sorry for panicking."
"You don't have to apologize for anything, Dakota."
"Yeah but I should have known you were alright! You haven't died in months and here I was, worrying that something might have happened."
"It's okay, Dakota. It was my fault I was gone for so long and my fault for making you so anxious. I should have let you know that I would be gone longer"
"Heh. I guess we both have things we need to work on..."
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The two spent the rest of the day messing with their wristbands, creating secret codes.
Four short taps meant there was an emergency
One long tap and two short taps meant "I miss you"
Two short taps meant "are you okay?"
And two long taps meant "I'm okay"
-------
That night, they were lying in their shared sofa bed, when Cavendish's bracelet buzzed.
buzzzz buzzbuzz (I love you)
Cavendish replied.
buzzz buzzbuzz buzz (I love you too)
Dakota looked over at Cavendish and smiled. Cavendish smiled back softly. They slowly drifted off to sleep.