Chapter 1: Reaction about Sophie's absence

It was a bright and beautiful Saturday morning in Washington DC. Jason was watching Sonic the Hedgehog and Pals on Channel 49, just as as Cory and Victor were preparing breakfast meals.

"Hey, Cory." asked Jason.

"Yeah, Jason?" replied Cory.

"When does Sophie get back from her trip?"

"Well," said Cory, holding a skillet in one hand and a batch of eggs in another. "The 6 days are over, so I'm guessin' she should return somehow".

Jason, as well as the rest of the good friends and true family members, couldn't wait to see Sophie back. They had felt that it's been as if she's been gone for good, but all they wanted was for Sophie to be back home safe and well rested.

Jason was watching Sonic kick Dr. Eggman's behind, when all of a sudden….

"WE INTERRUPT THIS PROGRAM FOR A VERY IMPORTANT NEWS BULLETIN!"

Back in the kitchen…

"You know, Victor, you always took the time to appreciate Sophie or what she's done for all of us" Cory said to him while mixing the egg, milk and flour.

"Well, Sophie may have been a little hyperactive in the past, not to mention she still is on her best behavior, but I have taken the opportunity to enjoy her accomplishments. Can you please pass the red seasoning?"

Cory handed Victor a container of red seasoning for the turkey bacon he was preparing.

"So you're finally proud you have the good friend you've always wanted?"

"What are you talking about? Jason's right in the living room".

"VICTOR!" Cory said to him while giving Victor a smirk.

"My apologies, Victor, but you are indeed correct. I have always loved Sophie as a good friend. In fact, I sort of miss the good old days of her sneaking right into the kitchen or me always getting her outta trouble."

Dave poured the flapjack batter right onto the skillet.

"That was very nice of you, Victor, and I'm pretty sure Sophie is very proud to have a good friend like you as well".

"Well, at least she didn't cheat her way into summer camp, that's a super good thing"

Cory and Victor both exchanged laughs and finished making breakfast meals. Then all of a sudden, they heard Jason scream in fear just like if he was in trouble.

"CORY! VICTOR! COME OVER HERE RIGHT AWAY!"

Cory and Victor heard Jason's signal cry for help and rushed right over to see what was going on.

"What's goin' on, Jason? are you injured?" Cory asked politely to him and was worried about him as well.

"NO, CORY! LOOK ON THE TELEVISION SCREEN!" Jason replied to him while pointing right at the television screen.

"LIVE FROM SAN FRANCSISCO, THIS IS DISNEY CHANNEL NEWS, WITH HOWARD JONES AND RODNEY JEFFERSON".

"Hi, I'm Howard Jones, and this is Disney Channel News".

"The top story today, 3 weeks right after winning the Butterfly Scouts Awards, Sophie Martinez decided to take a 5-day celebration cruise to Alker Island for some fun and relaxation, but however, once they returned back home, fate took its toll just as their cruise boat mysteriously sunk the entire night of their return. Injuries: none. Fatalities: 1… Washington DC's very own, Sophie Martinez. Here's Rodney Jefferson, live from Los Angeles, with the rescued people as well as the Captain and crew men, to tell you more on last evening's terrifying tragedy".

"Thanks a bunch, Howard. I'm standing right here with the rescued and very depressed captain and crew members, just as they have all but 1 of their best passengers. I'm now here with Sophie's soccer coach, Jack Johnson. Jack, please tell me, how did it happen and why?"

"Well," Coach Johnson said to him, wiping a tear drop from his right eye. "it was pretty much my entire fault. I was alerted that the boat was sinking, so I told all but 1 of them to grab their possessions and immediately head to the life boats. We were all safe and secure… and there he was… standing right on the top deck of the towering inferno. He dropped his things right on the water, and we all told him to jump. She did so, dove right into the ice cold Pacific Ocean in her swimming gear. We waited for a response to see if she made it right back up the surface. We waited and waited… and this is all we could retrieve". Coach Johnson held up Sophie's signature backpack, still wet and not completely damaged.

Cory, Victor and Jason immediately gasped in shock. Tear drops were now piling up in their eyes.

"We cried out her name some more," Coach Johnson continued. "… but nothing. We figured that she would be out there, someplace, but we never got a response back." Coach Johnson immediately lost it and broke down sobbing silently, "I'm terribly sorry, Sophie, I'm terribly sorry."

The entire soccer team had been sobbing silently as well, knowing they were also to blame for Sophie's passing.

"Let's not forget that Sophie was named Most Outstanding Soccer Player when she led her team mates to win the entire game. She was also, as well as her good friends, known for best responsible person in town. Sophie is, or in this case was, also the longtime daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Martinez. Here with me now is George Thompson, longtime good friend and teammate of Sophie." finished Rodney.

"Back on the boat, Sophie had shown me a Mickey Mouse Pez dispenser and told me that she planned to give everybody some of them once she got back. I raided her suitcase and all I found were clothes and things she had bought back on the island. I think she told me she was gonna give this to Cory, said George, who was holding up the Donald Duck Pez dispenser Sophie bought for Cory at the Gift Shop of the aquarium they visited. "I will be most proud to give it to him, if she doesn't mind".

"With all of that said, it seems as if Sophie went down with the ship. Sophie was also the princess of the universe, by helping everybody find homes and earn an education as well. Yes, Sophie is loved around the universe by the marvelous things she did to help everybody out.

So there you have it, Sophie Martinez, a brave young girl, is deceased at the age of 19, reporting live from San Francisco, I'm Howard Jones, Disney Channel News; Back to you Kathy".

Cory turned the television screen off, a million thoughts racing right in his head. He was just about ready to break into tear drops. He had lost his good friend and neighbor.

"C-Cory?" asked a weak and tear stricken Jason. "She's gonna make it back here, isn't she? ISN'T SHE!?"

"I don't know, Jason, I just don't know."

"This cannot be happening….This CANNOT be happening!" said Victor, who was also about ready to lose it.

Just then, the wireless telephone rings. Victor picks it up. On the other line was Mr. Martinez.

"Victor! Newt and I were just watchin' the news! We heard everything and we can't believe what just happened!"

"I know, Mr. Martinez. This certainly cannot be true!"

"Oh, Victor, Mrs. Martinez is not gonna like this."

"Not gonna like what?" replied Mrs. Martinez, just as she had just woken up and headed right downstairs where her good friends and neighbors were.

"Mona!" Mr. Martinez and Newt both yelled out while also faking smiling faces. Mr. Martinez was also hiding the wireless telephone right behind his back. "HEY, MONA! SO HOW'D YOU SLEEP LAST EVENIN'!?"

"Terrible and horrible, Toby, I had dreamt that somethin' terrible had happened to Sophie."

Sweat was now pouring right down on Mr. Martinez and Newt's faces.

"What a coincidence", said Newt. "you know, me and Mr. Martinez were just watching the news and found out that team had just made it back".

"THEY'RE BACK ALREADY?!" yelled a surprised and excited Mrs. Martinez. "Well, we should all head right down there right now. I would love to hear about Sophie's trip".

Newt couldn't think about anything to say. "Actually, Mrs. Martinez, they made it back on life boats".

"What are you sayin', Newt? and what was it you guys were talkin' about that I'm not gonna like?!" Mrs. Martinez demanded to know what they were hiding.

"Well, she….she…you see, Mona, it's quite complicated to explain, but-"

Mr. Martinez let out 1 big heavy sigh just as he had to tell his wife sooner or later.

"MONA, SOPHIE'S DECEASED!"

Silence was in the living room right now.

"W-Wh-What?" Mrs. Martinez said to them weakly.

"The boat sank, and Sophie went down with it", replied Mr. Martinez, who was tearing up a bit.

"S-Sophie's d-deceased?" asked Mrs. Martinez.

"I'm terribly sorry that you had to find out this way." replied Newt.

Mrs. Martinez couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"You're… You're fibbin'!" she said to them.

At that minute, Newt had turned the television back on to Disney Channel News, where there was a live report.

Mrs. Martinez saw it with her own eyes. There it read: SOPHIE MARTINEZ PRONOUNCED DECEASED RIGHT AFTER A CRUISE BOAT SANK in big blue letters. She also saw Coach Johnson being interviewed about what just happened.

She was just about ready to get into a grief-stricken mess.

"Mona, my dear sweet wife," said Mr. Martinez. "you gonna be alright?"

Mrs. Martinez could do nothing more than nod her head. She cannot believe she had lost their dear sweet daughter. Immediately, she slowly headed right back to hers and Mr. Martinez's bedroom. She was just fine, closing their bedroom door very gently, 'til… she slammed it with such force that it nearly broke apart.

She began tossing and throwing things around in their bedroom, such as her pillows. She was also sobbing silently.

Newt and Mr. Martinez heard what was going on and went upstairs. They opened the bedroom door and found her trashing their bedroom by throwing everything.

"MRS. MARTINEZ, STOP!" yelled Newt, but Mrs. Martinez would ignore her and continue sobbing silently and trashing.

"YOU'RE GONNA INJURE YOURSELF, MONA!" Mr. Martinez cried out, but it was way too late.

Mrs. Martinez would continue sobbing silently some more, then she came to a stop, just as Newt and Mr. Martinez were holding her down.

"SOPHIE, N-NOOO!" Mrs. Martinez cried out just as tear drops were coming right from her face. She loved nobody except Sophie. Now that she was gone for good, they didn't know what to do about it.

"Mona, stay calm!" Mr. Martinez said to her. "We're just as depressed about this as you are!"

Mona immediately calmed down and began sobbing silently on Mr. Martinez's right shoulder. Mr. Martinez and Newt finally let out the tear drops they were holding back when they saw the live report on the television screen. They now lied there in a messy bedroom, with Mr. Martinez and Newt consoling her.

Meanwhile, Victor was still on the wireless telephone, but could hear everything that was going on at the Martinez residence. He then hung the wireless telephone up and turned his attention over to Jason who was sobbing silently like he never cried and wept like that before. He and Cory went over there to calm their good friend down.

Chapter 2: The aftermath

It was a silent but cloudy and breezy day on the streets of San Francisco, just as good friends, true family members and everybody was paying homage to the recent passing of Sophie Martinez.

Many good neighbors would hold up candles and flowers as well as picture frames with photographs in them.

The streets were paved with other people paying respect for not just Sophie but to the Martinez family members, who had lost a true family member and the others who had lost a good friend.

Cory had planned a traditional public burial at sea ceremony for Sophie. He invited everybody he knew, those who Sophie knew. He also invited Mayor Katzenberg to speak on behalf of Sophie's terrible loss and departure.

The young boys and young men were dressed in black suits with white dress shirts. The young girls and young women were dressed in black dresses with Mr. and Mrs. Martinez dressed in mourning attire.

Mayor Katzenberg took the podium and began speaking right into the microphone.

"Fellow citizens of Los Angeles County and Washington DC, exactly 1 day ago, our very own Soccer Player won the award, led by their star point guardian, Miss Sophie Martinez."

A great big applause then swept right through the entire crowd.

"Exactly 2 days ago, there was a day in which we would all live in true friendship. Sophie had lost her entire life in a daring disaster strike at sea. My people, Sophie didn't just pass a young teen, she passed away, brave and heroic!"

Another great big applause swept through the entire crowd, louder than the last 1.

"I now ask all of you to bow your heads, remove your caps and please refrain from speaking for 1 minute of silence."

Silence…

"Thanks a bunch. I would now ask if Mr. Toby Martinez could come up to the podium and speak right in honor of his and Mona's daughter." said Mayor Katzenberg.

Mr. Martinez took the podium, bit his lip a bit, then began speaking right into the microphone.

"What can I say about Sophie? well, he was very bright and she was always honest and noble and her bravery is what I really loved the most about her. I remember days of her comin' back home from school with a good grade in her backpack, or days where I would receive a telephone call from her school informin' me that she's done somethin' good again. Just as the years went by, I've seen Sophie mature and grow more sophisticated. She's grown to do her chores and tell the truth, some things she's always wanted to do as a young kid. That Sophie... she always said she wanted to reach the stars some other day…" suddenly Mr. Martinez was tearing up a bit, "And she made it. A brave young heroine in all of us. We must never forget about you, Sophie, we really love you like the daughter we've always wanted, and you roam in our hearts and minds. Thank a bunch!" Mr. Martinez left the podium wiping his eyes and feeling very lightheaded.

Cory, Newt and Jason now took the podium to speak on behalf of their loving and caring good friend and neighbor.

"Sophie," said Newt. "well, she was always the cleanest girl, if you know what I mean."

"But we really loved her more than anything." said Jason.

"Her true friendship kept all of us safe and secure." finished Newt.

"And her ideas of helping me with April Fools jokes on April Fools Day." finished Jason.

They would explain about Sophie and her good behavior a bit more and spoke about the swell times they all had in their entire lives. They also said that they were so proud to have a good friend and neighbor like Sophie and left the podium.

Next up was the Mrs. Martinez and Meena. They, too, talked about the good things Sophie did in the past years.

"Sophie, you will always be our young talented singer and dancer!" said Mrs. Martinez. "We now ask you all to turn your attention to the entire building right behind you just as we will share with you all of our beautiful memories of Sophie."

Everybody turned their attention to the big corporate building right behind them, placed with a super big screen, just as they were gonna be showing a full slide show of all of the good times they shared with Sophie.

"And while you all enjoy the slideshow clips, I will be playing a super good song dedicated to my dear sweet daughter."

Mrs. Martinez turned on the stereo while they played the slideshow clips.

[Music In Background]

So lately

been wondering

who will be there to take my place

when I'm gone

you'll need love

to light the shadows on your face

if a great wave shall fall

and fall upon us all

then between the sand and stone

could you make it on your own

if I could

then I would

I'll go wherever you will go

way up high or down low

I'll go wherever you will go

and maybe

I'll find out

a way to make it back someday

to watch you

to guide you

through the darkest of your days

if a great wave shall fall

and fall upon us all

then I hope there's someone out there

who can bring me back to you

if I could

then I would

I'll go wherever you will go

way up high or down low

I'll go wherever you will go

run away with my heart

run away with my hope

run away with my love

I know now

just quite how

my life and love might still go on

in your heart

in your mind

I'll stay with you for all of time

if I could turn back time

I'll go wherever you will go

if I could make you mine

I'll go wherever you will go

I'll go wherever you will go…

Just as Mrs. Martinez walked right offstage, she wiped the tear drops she was holding back from her eyes.

Later, though it was still early in the year, Mayor Katzenberg awarded them with an award for Sophie's memories. It was the Player of the Year Award, just as he felt that Sophie truly deserved it. He would give the award to her parents at the end of the year when the award itself was completed.

The ceremony would continue for another three hours, when Mayor Katzenberg launched the signal for the releasing of the mourning doves.

Lucas was carrying a large carrier filled with mourning doves. Mayor Katzenberg gave him the signal and Lucas opened the carrier, releasing dozens of beautiful white doves as they flew in the skies of the evening time. A tear drop came from Lucas's right eye.

Last but not least, Mr. Martinez would carry a super big box and place it right onto the shore. The box read, IN MEMORIAM: SOPHIE MARTINEZ, A DEAR SWEET DAUGHTER, GOOD FRIEND AND NEIGHBOR, WE'LL NEVER FORGET ABOUT YOU. FAREWELL AND YOU'LL ALWAYS LIVE IN OUR HEARTS AND MINDS.

Just as soon as everybody placed their items in the box, Mr. Martinez sealed it and released it right into the ocean, leaving it to drift away right into the ocean.

Meanwhile, Sophie who they thought was deceased, but wasn't, was packing up her things and helping a Hawaiian pilot invent a bamboo helicopter.

"And when we're finished building this bamboo helicopter, I'll finally be back home in Washington DC in the nick of time." Sophie said to the Hawaiian pilot.

"Good thing, 'cause they're probably worried about you by now."