Title: What Friends are For
Fandom: Eerie, Indiana
Rating: G
Length: 455
Author notes: For the amnesty round prompt 'triangle'
Summary: Simon's just helping Marshall keep busy.

“Did you know,” Marshall said, emerging from Lake Eerie and tromping up the beach in his flippers and wet suit, ignoring Dash’s laughter. “Did you know that Lake Eerie contains a secret portal to the Bermuda Triangle?”

“It does not,” Dash said between guffaws. “You’re definitely reaching now, Slick.”

Marshall shook his head. “It’s down there,” he said. “I know it. I just. Have to find it.”

Beside Dash, Simon was hunched over a chart of the Lake, marking off sections as Marshall searched them.

“There’s no portal,” Dash said. “You’re wasting your time.”

“Yeah? Then how come so many people disappear during swimming season?” Marshall countered, his flailng hands sending droplets of water splattering over Simon’s careful chart. The younger boy stopped writing and sighed, setting the chart off to the side, out of range of more water.

“That’s the lake monster and you know it,” Dash said. “It gets hungry.”

“Actually,” Simon said, standing and brushing sand from his pants. “The lake monster is pescetarian.”

Dash looked at Simon, eyes wide. “Gesundheit,” he said.

Simon rolled his eyes. “It means she only eats fish,” he said. “And the ghost pirates won’t recruit you unless you’re already dead.” That had been an interesting summer, Devon and Melanie trying to explain to dead pirates that yes he was a ghost but she wasn’t and since they shared a body they couldn’t join the crew, much as Melanie wanted to.

“So the only logical conclusion is a portal to the Bermuda Triangle?” Dash chuckled. “That makes even less sense than your usual nonsense.”

“No one asked you to be here,” Marshall countered.

“Actually…,” Simon started, trailing off under Marshall’s glare. He shrugged. “I didn’t want to be the only one looking for you if something went wrong,” he explained. “Or if you found the portal and went through.”


Marshall turned his gaze back to Dash. “And you came?” he asked.

Dash shrugged and sat down in the sand, pulling a bag of popcorn from some inside pocket in his coat. “You two are always good entertainment,” he said, opening the bag and offering some to Simon, who sat beside him and took a piece. “Just pretend I’m not here.”

Marshall groaned.

“Zone 427 is next, Mars,” Simon said, pulling his chart back over to him. “Unless you need a break.”

Marshall shot Dash another glare before marching back down towards the water.

“You don’t really think he’s going to find anything, do you?” Dash asked.

Simon shook his head. “No, but we haven’t had any other cases this month, and he gets kind of cranky if he’s not investigating something weird.”

Dash stared at him. “You’re a good friend,” he said. “Sneaky, but a good friend.”