Post by sox33 on May 1, 2007 0:54:14 GMT
Hey people. This is my story "The Bet". It's about Wally going through a series of bets and there's eight chapters besides this one. And I'm not done it yet at all; I suppose you could say it's halfway through. I know this first chapter is ridiculously long. They're all this long, pretty much. I think this one might be the longest.
This'll be on ff.net in a matter of days, as well as all the other chapters, and an author's note.
Well, enjoy! ^_^
Chapter One: Rainy Day
On this brisk, slightly windy morning, occurred a robbery, where the crime scene was the macaroni art museum. At this point, the five operatives have already resolved the issue, and now prepared to return the noodle-covered artifact. Unfortunately for Sector V of the Kids Next Door, the infrared lasers have been reactivated, leading them to another solution.
“Are you guys sure about this?” asked a short ten-year-old boy in an Australian accent. His layer of blond hair swept in different directions, being pushed by the breeze. He was secured in a harness strapped firmly across his chest and between his legs.
“Yes, Numbuh Four, we’re sure,” a hairless boy replied to him dully for the third time. He was British, apparent by his accent.
“But why do I have to do it?” the Aussie pressed on. The reason of his reluctance to complete the mission was because the harness caused him much discomfort…
“Because,” the leader said, with a tone of annoyance in his voice, “you weigh the least.”
“Going up!” announced a round young man, wearing a pilot’s cap and goggles. He was sitting on a fragment of a bicycle, but it was only part of a complicated contraption that supported an extension cord… and the boy dangling from it. Next, Numbuh Four was shifted over a hole carved roughly in the museum roof, with the valuable piece or art tucked under his arm. His emerald eyes aimed down at surface of a pillar he was supposed to place the vase on.
Very, very slowly he was lowered down into the building. Red lasers beamed across the room, at the height of the vase’s pillar. If even a crumb fell through one of those beams, the alarm would sound. Horizontally inching further and further, Numbuh Four soon came to a halt. He extracted the object from under his arm, with utter caution. Both hands gripped the vase’s neck, and it made a quiet thud when it met its throne. He held out his arm and signaled a thumbs-up to his teammates, and the round, dark mouth of the vase looking up at him grew smaller and smaller as the boy was reeled up. Finally his feet touched the ground, and that pest of a harness was unbuckled.
“Nice job team. Mission accomplished,” said Numbuh One. Then the group of five moved across the roof to their S.C.A.M.P.E.R. sitting in the distance. A drop of water, perhaps it was, fell onto the tip of the blond boy’s nose, and he looked up at the un-colorful grey sky. Another few drops of rain pattered onto his face, and soon the rain progressed until he was soaked. The whole team was soaked. Rain pelted against the ground, and onto their heads, while thunder rumbled far away.
Soon Numbuh Four’s hair was completely flat against his head, while his orange hoodie sagged down and gained weight just as did his jeans. The kids started to jog once the storm got stronger and thunder boomed louder. The aircraft door sided open and the passengers hastily boarded. The pilot, Numbuh Two, raised the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. into the air and then glided forward.
Wally gazed out the window, through the blur of water ushering down it. The sound of the forceful drops hitting the metal surface of the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. was all that filled the inside of the ship. Everyone was dripping wet, and Numbuh Three, who was sitting in front of him, began ringing out her hair. Wally didn’t mind being wet, and suggested to himself that maybe he’d frolic around in the rain when he returns to the tree house. His bangs hung over his eyes, and he looked through the separate pieces.
The ride continued in silence between the members, until they reached sight of their ridiculously large tree house. Hoagie parked the ship in one of the levels of the tree house, and everyone exited.
“Numbuh Five’s gonna go change outta these clothes before she gets sick,” said Numbuh Five, the team member with the most common sense. The leader, the flirt, and the pilot agreed, but the tough guy decided differently.
“Ha, well not me! I’m going outside!” grinned Numbuh Four. Followed by his comment were a flash of lightning and a startling boom of thunder, which didn’t affect his choice.
“Man, you are one crazy kid,” Numbuh Five sighed.
“Proud of it!” Wally said, and continued out the room, until someone grabbed his wrist.
“Numbuh Four!” whined the girl with an oversized green sweater, known by codename as Numbuh Three, “you’re gonna get sick!”
“Whatever,” Wally muttered, and continued to the door.
He dragged his feet across the wooden floors of this mansion of a tree house. His clothes were heavier than usual because of all the water set in them. By the time he reached the elevator, his clothes actually began to dry. They wouldn’t be dry for long, though.
The elevator doors parted when he pushed a button, and he stepped inside. On the inside was a row of buttons, and he pressed the one with “Front Door” labeled next to it, and soon moved down. As he descended through the many, many, many floors of the tree house, he began to hum a song he was fond of. It was the tune of “Aliens Exist” from Blink 182. About time when the second verse ended in his head, the elevator doors opened once again, to a wooden stairway and a door at the end.
With no one in sight, he began to mumble the words. Not in a singing tone, just in his regular voice but following the melody. Wally continued down the stairs, reaching that door that would detect his presence and allow him outside in the pouring rain, which he could hear even in the narrow staircase. Soon he was running, and sloppily wiped his hand across some hi-tech panel installed next to the door way. It spoke his name, and then the wooden door opened for him.
And, in front of him, of course, was the motion and sounds of rain shooting down to the street and sidewalks and every other spot of the earth. Because it was November already, the wind wasn’t warm, and actually would be classified as cold. That made the rain freezing when it hit him, and replenished his clothes with wetness. Once again, his hoodie sagged down and his jeans gained weight, and his hair was immediately soaked, overlapping his eyes flat, but he still managed to see.
Oh, what should he do first? Prance around in the puddles, or go home, get his bike, and zoom through the street to make the water part in two? Maybe he could just run in the middle of the street, or even get his skateboard! So many choices... Numbuh Four began walking away from the tree house, and in only a few steps tripped, flat on his face.
“What the crud?” he muttered, looking behind him to see that his foot was caught in a small ditch. He pushed himself to his feet, and looked at his torso. Mud was splattered across his clothes already. Though, when he looked at the ground in front of him, his eyes widened.
The biggest puddle he’d ever seen lay ahead. No, it was so big; you’d have to call it a pond instead. Before any second thoughts or the words that Numbuh Three said to him processed through his mind, he jumped into the chilly water. He pounced around in it, marched, and any other movement that you could label him crazy by. The pond was up to his knees, and that’s rather high for someone of his measurement. Although he wasn’t quite a good swimmer, the pond was okay with him as long as he could stand.
Too bad he was ignoring his sniffling, which would probably lead to a cold. But did a boy as brash and persistent as him take note of it? Of course not! Soon he tired of the puddle, and decided to get his bike. He stepped out of the water, and spotted out his house at the far, far, far end of the street. So, to make the trip more enjoyable, he ran into the street, and dragged his feet alongside the curb where a flow of water flooded into the sewers. Immediately, water filled his shoes and socks and when he walked it sloshed around in his sneakers.
Only thunder rolled around in the skies above him, no flashes of lightning. On the walk to his home, Wallabee didn’t have much to think about. No missions, no exciting events (besides the winter holidays, but that was far off from now), no new releases of any video games or action figures, and of course he wasn’t going to think about girls.
To him, girls were ‘cruddy’, although that was normal for a boy his age. But secretly, he wasn’t sticking to his reputation. Of course, he had friends that were girls, which are not a problem. The problem was that there was a certain girl, which he wanted to be with more frequently. And whenever they were together, whether it is alone or in a group, he would feel warm, and flushed, and extremely cautious not to embarrass himself. And of course, he didn’t want to feel that way. He thought this girl was really causing him to be all mushy and romantic, something he wasn’t. And she wasn’t even trying! It was just because of these feelings for her, he knew. What he didn’t know, was what it was.
Moving along in silence and no one beside him or walking along the streets as well, he could soon see his house clearer. He decided to step out of the stream of rushing water and into the middle of the street, predicting that all of the cars would slow down enough in time for him to move.
Now he was stepping up the driveway, where a car was not parked. Wally knew his mom was taking Joey for a physical check-up and of course his dad was working. So, there was a key under the welcome mat for him to use, and he did. With a click, the doorknob twisted, and Numbuh Four pushed the door open.
“Home sweet home!” he said to himself, and entered the welcoming hallway. Since he was soaking wet, he left a trail of water along the carpet as he walked to the garage. As he passed the kitchen, he couldn’t help but step backwards and maybe grab something to eat. After raiding the cabinet, he found a box of pop-tarts, and removed a package. Then he sat on the counter and split the pack open, and slipped one of the pastries out of the foil and kept the other in its package.
He popped the flat snack into his mouth and took a bite, and then proceeded to the garage. Once in the dark room, he flipped the light switch and stepped over unorganized sports equipment, until he reached a blue and silver chrome BMX Mongoose. No he didn’t know how to do any tricks on it, but it still looked cool.
He twisted the garage door handle and slipped the house key in his pocket. Then, he lifted up the garage door and pushed it the rest of the way. A spider web fell on his head, and he brushed it off. Next, Wally lifted the bike and gripped the handle bar with one hand. Steering it outside, he flicked down the kickstand and returned to the garage to shift down the door, before he forgot. He positioned himself on his transportation. At last, he rolled down the driveway and into the street once again in the pouring rain.
Nothing about the weather had changed all day. It was gloomy, and cold and wet, but it was still fun. That didn’t quite make sense to most people; then again Wallabee Beatles didn’t make much sense in himself. You see, he can enjoy things even when they’re like days such as these. He likes a girl despite the fact that he isn’t fond of feminine things one bit. He sometimes used numbers to spell words, but that was because he isn’t exactly the brightest crayon in the box. And you’ll soon see that he will do something, not for attention, or for no other reason that could be suggested, but he’ll do it to remember that he did it.
Zipping through the neighborhood streets, with the taste of that pastry lingering behind in his mouth, was Numbuh Four still soaking wet. Where ever there was a pool of rain sitting on the ground, he would ride through every one, and make it part to each side as the bicycle wheels cut through it.
His activity was interrupted when someone shouted his name,
“Hey Wally!” He pulled his fingers around the brakes under his handle bars and put his foot down in a puddle. Looking around, he saw a girl with long black hair and an oversized green sweater standing in the rain with no one with her. Wally felt a shade of pink arise in his face, followed by warmth that heated the inside of his body while his soggy, heavy clothes were so cold against his skin. It equaled out, to him.
He hopped back on his bike and pumped his sloshing wet sneakers up and down on the pedals. He stopped when he was next to her. She stood on the curb while he was still in the street right next to it.
“Hey Kooks,” he breathed, and looked at his friend. She smiled at him, which made his heart skip a beat or two.
He looked at her face, mostly her eyes. They’ve always been less like eyes and more like pools of violet to him. He suddenly looked away and buried his nose in his hands to release a sneeze. Numbuh Three glared down at him when he turned back to her, with an expression that said ‘I told you so’.
“Look at you! I bet you caught a cold out here!” she accused. Then, she moved aside his bangs and placed her sleeve-covered hand across his forehead. Looking the other direction from his face, she then moved it across both his cheeks and to his neck. When she was finished inspecting him, she moved his bangs over his eyes again, in a cute taunting way.
“What made you come out here anyway, silly?” she giggled. It seemed that she wasn’t quite worried after all. Kuki looked at him, and he looked up at her eyes, just observing how interesting they are. It seems they stick out to him, for an unknown reason, as if they are more than just eyes. He looks to them to see how she really feels, because sometimes her expressions are blank or deceiving.
“Hmm... I dunno its fun. Why did you come out here?” Wally asked. She looked aside, unlocking his eyes from hers.
“Lookin’ for you…” she responded in a suspicious tone. “Oh, well, I’m not going to stop being in the rain just to come and play cruddy rainbow monkeys with you,” he assumed that’s why she came all the way in the rain, just to have her hair flattened and her sweater to be pressed down and darkened by the storm.
“No! It wasn’t that! I’m trying to remember what Numbuh One told me…” he objected, and stared past Wally to think. A feeling of relief sunk into him, because he really disliked those Rainbow Monkey plush toys, if anything. “C’mon, Kuki, think! What, is it hard or somethin’?” he smirked.
“No, it isn’t!” she batted his shoulder playfully. “Then just try to remember already,” he said. He found it rather cute that she forgets things so easily, and that she’s usually in her own world and such. But he shook those thoughts off immediately. Numbuh Four didn’t want to notice these cute little traits about Kuki’s attitude and personality. A guy like him really shouldn’t have to worry about feeling this way, at least he thought.
Wallabee continued staring at her face, while she was trying to figure out the reason she came all the way out of the comfort of the team’s tree house and to tell him.
“Now I remember!” she exclaimed, obviously delighted that she finally discovered what she had to say. “We’re all going to the diner, so come on!” Kuki said.
Numbuh Four sneezed again, followed by an intense cough that left his throat sore.
“Oh…” Numbuh Three sighed disappointed. She once again felt Wally’s forehead, concerned for him. Then, she moved her hand and rested it in the same places as the first time.
“‘Oh?’ What’s that mean?” Wally asked.
“I think you caught a cold,” she looked down disappointed. Then Wally, who’d, spent two, or maybe three hours in the chilly rain, just realized he had not been paying mind to his sore throat or sniffling.
“So? I can still go” he said impatiently. Kuki was probably correct because she was medical officer of Sector V.
“I don’t think you should...” she said, still looking down. She really didn’t want him to get even sicker than he already was, so that must mean that he couldn’t attend the meal at the diner.
“C’mon, I’ll be fine,” he objected. She looked up, and at his eyes. Wally did what he automatically does whenever he catches those two pools of violet. He read that she was feeling concerned, which made him feel even warmer on the inside, if possible.
“No, Wally, I can’t let you get sicker!” Numbuh Three argued. He understood, of course, but he didn’t want to be left out and stuck at the tree house without his friends.
“I can take care of myself,” he said in a tone that showed he didn’t want to be pitied. “I don’t want you getting any sicker, so I’m not letting you go,” she folded her arms stubbornly.
“What? You can’t tell me what to do!” he growled, his voice slightly rising, “you guys seriously can’t just go somewhere and leave me behind!”
“Fine, then we won’t go,” she looked into his eyes sternly. “I don’t want you guys to be stuck home with me! Just let me go with, and quit acting like my mum,” Wally said sourly. Kuki looked up at him, seeming rather mad. Not in her she-devil mad way, though, luckily for him.
“Okay… just don’t be too crazy and when you get home you have to rest on the couch or in your room,” Numbuh Three finally eased up. Numbuh Four flashed a proud smile, glad that he won their small argument. Still, his throat was sore, and he had no hope of breathing through either of his nostrils, not to mention that his state affected his voice too.
She began to return to the tree house, which was definitely visible from their location because of its size. Numbuh Four followed slowly on his bike. The rain was still pouring just as heavily, and the sky was still colorless. They moved in silence, thunder still greeting them loudly now and then. And the raindrops still pelted against the surface of the ground, some falling and being collected into puddles.
Whenever Numbuh Four coughed or sneezed, it made his throat burn intensely, and Kuki would glance at him and pause. Soon they reached the wooden mansion and Numbuh Four threw his bike against the tree. Numbuh Three gave him a certain look, and he grinned stupidly.
They gained access to the tree house and entered it, then the elevator, where Wally began humming “What’s My Age Again” at some point out of habit. Soon, they found the others grouped in the TV room.
“Hi everyone!” Numbuh Three exclaimed happily, as if she hadn’t seen the three of her friends for years. She greets everyone that way each time she sees them, Numbuh Four had noticed. Both of them had cold drips of water falling from their faces, hair, and clothes and pattering softly on the floor.
Numbuh Four opened his mouth to greet his friends, as well, but sneezed instead, which made his throat burn.
“Numbuh Five knew you were gonna get yourself sick,” Abby said, shaking her head slowly. The three were sitting on the couch.
“I’m not sick! I just sneezed...” Wally lied. “Okay, well, are we going or what? I’m starving!” Hoagie stated, patting his stomach and changing the subject.
“Wait, I gotta change into dry clothes!” Numbuh Three cried. The other four watched her scurry to her room, and then everyone’s look set on Wally.
“What?” he asked, really not understanding why people always look at him in that way. He looked at each one of them.
“Nothing,” said Numbuh Two, and he turned back to the TV screen as did Numbuh One. Abby still looked at him suspiciously.
“What is it?” he asked, growing a little impatient.
“Nothin’” she looked at the TV as well. Numbuh Four didn’t sit down, because he knew Numbuh One wouldn’t let him, for being soaking wet. So, he just stood there, with his teeth slightly chattering. He didn’t change his clothes, which he thought would be a good idea for him. When he turned to go do so, Numbuh Three returned.
“Go,” she muttered to him, and pointed out at the hallway that lead to everyone’s rooms.
“Fine, I was gonna do it anyway…” he grunted in response, and walked to the opening and down the hallway.
It wasn’t night time yet, only just past noon. A trip to the diner would be nice, of course, so the time didn’t matter to Wally. He reached his room, first seeing his boxing ring that he used as a bed instead. Shutting the door behind himself, he walked over to the closet. First he pulled off his hoodie, and let it drop to the floor, and water formed around it. Letting the warm air in the heated tree house hit his bare chest felt good. Wondering just how cold his was, he put his hand against himself. His palm was slightly numb, but he could still feel that his skin was almost as cold as ice.
Then he removed his sneakers so he could hop out of his jeans which he tossed over his hoodie, next his socks and boxers. Then he put on another pair of boxers, and socks, trying to avoid the puddle of cold water around his pile of wet clothes. When he put another pair of jeans on, he noticed the difference between the weight of the wet pair. And the nice, dry orange hoodie was very comfortable and warm. He left the room, without disposing his wet clothes down the laundry chute. And that key in his right pocket was long forgotten.
Then, he returned to his friends in the TV room, where the four of them sat on the couch.
“Now can we go?” Numbuh Two whined, fed up with waiting. “Yes, we’re going,” Numbuh One hopped off the couch, as did the others who were sitting on the couch. The diner was their next destination.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The diner was so bright, that it could catch someone’s eye from a mile away, on a day like that day. Neon signs were all around the windows and such, plus the extremely tall sign next to the parking lot was hard to miss, as it was framed with lights. And with all of the vivid lights compared to the gray sky, well, anyone could see how it stands out.
The five kids arrived at the diner, were there were a mix of people all ages. There were oblivious teenagers, adults that wouldn’t shut up, and noisy kids who were enjoying themselves. On the way inside, Wally walked beside Numbuh Two, and they were in a conversation about the newest Yipper card being released.
“Yeah, well I heard that it has plus ten!” Hoagie said eagerly. There were many rumors flying around about this new card, but no one was quite sure which ones were true.
“Someone told me that they would only be limited addition,” Numbuh Four added.
-c-
This'll be on ff.net in a matter of days, as well as all the other chapters, and an author's note.
Well, enjoy! ^_^
Chapter One: Rainy Day
On this brisk, slightly windy morning, occurred a robbery, where the crime scene was the macaroni art museum. At this point, the five operatives have already resolved the issue, and now prepared to return the noodle-covered artifact. Unfortunately for Sector V of the Kids Next Door, the infrared lasers have been reactivated, leading them to another solution.
“Are you guys sure about this?” asked a short ten-year-old boy in an Australian accent. His layer of blond hair swept in different directions, being pushed by the breeze. He was secured in a harness strapped firmly across his chest and between his legs.
“Yes, Numbuh Four, we’re sure,” a hairless boy replied to him dully for the third time. He was British, apparent by his accent.
“But why do I have to do it?” the Aussie pressed on. The reason of his reluctance to complete the mission was because the harness caused him much discomfort…
“Because,” the leader said, with a tone of annoyance in his voice, “you weigh the least.”
“Going up!” announced a round young man, wearing a pilot’s cap and goggles. He was sitting on a fragment of a bicycle, but it was only part of a complicated contraption that supported an extension cord… and the boy dangling from it. Next, Numbuh Four was shifted over a hole carved roughly in the museum roof, with the valuable piece or art tucked under his arm. His emerald eyes aimed down at surface of a pillar he was supposed to place the vase on.
Very, very slowly he was lowered down into the building. Red lasers beamed across the room, at the height of the vase’s pillar. If even a crumb fell through one of those beams, the alarm would sound. Horizontally inching further and further, Numbuh Four soon came to a halt. He extracted the object from under his arm, with utter caution. Both hands gripped the vase’s neck, and it made a quiet thud when it met its throne. He held out his arm and signaled a thumbs-up to his teammates, and the round, dark mouth of the vase looking up at him grew smaller and smaller as the boy was reeled up. Finally his feet touched the ground, and that pest of a harness was unbuckled.
“Nice job team. Mission accomplished,” said Numbuh One. Then the group of five moved across the roof to their S.C.A.M.P.E.R. sitting in the distance. A drop of water, perhaps it was, fell onto the tip of the blond boy’s nose, and he looked up at the un-colorful grey sky. Another few drops of rain pattered onto his face, and soon the rain progressed until he was soaked. The whole team was soaked. Rain pelted against the ground, and onto their heads, while thunder rumbled far away.
Soon Numbuh Four’s hair was completely flat against his head, while his orange hoodie sagged down and gained weight just as did his jeans. The kids started to jog once the storm got stronger and thunder boomed louder. The aircraft door sided open and the passengers hastily boarded. The pilot, Numbuh Two, raised the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. into the air and then glided forward.
Wally gazed out the window, through the blur of water ushering down it. The sound of the forceful drops hitting the metal surface of the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. was all that filled the inside of the ship. Everyone was dripping wet, and Numbuh Three, who was sitting in front of him, began ringing out her hair. Wally didn’t mind being wet, and suggested to himself that maybe he’d frolic around in the rain when he returns to the tree house. His bangs hung over his eyes, and he looked through the separate pieces.
The ride continued in silence between the members, until they reached sight of their ridiculously large tree house. Hoagie parked the ship in one of the levels of the tree house, and everyone exited.
“Numbuh Five’s gonna go change outta these clothes before she gets sick,” said Numbuh Five, the team member with the most common sense. The leader, the flirt, and the pilot agreed, but the tough guy decided differently.
“Ha, well not me! I’m going outside!” grinned Numbuh Four. Followed by his comment were a flash of lightning and a startling boom of thunder, which didn’t affect his choice.
“Man, you are one crazy kid,” Numbuh Five sighed.
“Proud of it!” Wally said, and continued out the room, until someone grabbed his wrist.
“Numbuh Four!” whined the girl with an oversized green sweater, known by codename as Numbuh Three, “you’re gonna get sick!”
“Whatever,” Wally muttered, and continued to the door.
He dragged his feet across the wooden floors of this mansion of a tree house. His clothes were heavier than usual because of all the water set in them. By the time he reached the elevator, his clothes actually began to dry. They wouldn’t be dry for long, though.
The elevator doors parted when he pushed a button, and he stepped inside. On the inside was a row of buttons, and he pressed the one with “Front Door” labeled next to it, and soon moved down. As he descended through the many, many, many floors of the tree house, he began to hum a song he was fond of. It was the tune of “Aliens Exist” from Blink 182. About time when the second verse ended in his head, the elevator doors opened once again, to a wooden stairway and a door at the end.
With no one in sight, he began to mumble the words. Not in a singing tone, just in his regular voice but following the melody. Wally continued down the stairs, reaching that door that would detect his presence and allow him outside in the pouring rain, which he could hear even in the narrow staircase. Soon he was running, and sloppily wiped his hand across some hi-tech panel installed next to the door way. It spoke his name, and then the wooden door opened for him.
And, in front of him, of course, was the motion and sounds of rain shooting down to the street and sidewalks and every other spot of the earth. Because it was November already, the wind wasn’t warm, and actually would be classified as cold. That made the rain freezing when it hit him, and replenished his clothes with wetness. Once again, his hoodie sagged down and his jeans gained weight, and his hair was immediately soaked, overlapping his eyes flat, but he still managed to see.
Oh, what should he do first? Prance around in the puddles, or go home, get his bike, and zoom through the street to make the water part in two? Maybe he could just run in the middle of the street, or even get his skateboard! So many choices... Numbuh Four began walking away from the tree house, and in only a few steps tripped, flat on his face.
“What the crud?” he muttered, looking behind him to see that his foot was caught in a small ditch. He pushed himself to his feet, and looked at his torso. Mud was splattered across his clothes already. Though, when he looked at the ground in front of him, his eyes widened.
The biggest puddle he’d ever seen lay ahead. No, it was so big; you’d have to call it a pond instead. Before any second thoughts or the words that Numbuh Three said to him processed through his mind, he jumped into the chilly water. He pounced around in it, marched, and any other movement that you could label him crazy by. The pond was up to his knees, and that’s rather high for someone of his measurement. Although he wasn’t quite a good swimmer, the pond was okay with him as long as he could stand.
Too bad he was ignoring his sniffling, which would probably lead to a cold. But did a boy as brash and persistent as him take note of it? Of course not! Soon he tired of the puddle, and decided to get his bike. He stepped out of the water, and spotted out his house at the far, far, far end of the street. So, to make the trip more enjoyable, he ran into the street, and dragged his feet alongside the curb where a flow of water flooded into the sewers. Immediately, water filled his shoes and socks and when he walked it sloshed around in his sneakers.
Only thunder rolled around in the skies above him, no flashes of lightning. On the walk to his home, Wallabee didn’t have much to think about. No missions, no exciting events (besides the winter holidays, but that was far off from now), no new releases of any video games or action figures, and of course he wasn’t going to think about girls.
To him, girls were ‘cruddy’, although that was normal for a boy his age. But secretly, he wasn’t sticking to his reputation. Of course, he had friends that were girls, which are not a problem. The problem was that there was a certain girl, which he wanted to be with more frequently. And whenever they were together, whether it is alone or in a group, he would feel warm, and flushed, and extremely cautious not to embarrass himself. And of course, he didn’t want to feel that way. He thought this girl was really causing him to be all mushy and romantic, something he wasn’t. And she wasn’t even trying! It was just because of these feelings for her, he knew. What he didn’t know, was what it was.
Moving along in silence and no one beside him or walking along the streets as well, he could soon see his house clearer. He decided to step out of the stream of rushing water and into the middle of the street, predicting that all of the cars would slow down enough in time for him to move.
Now he was stepping up the driveway, where a car was not parked. Wally knew his mom was taking Joey for a physical check-up and of course his dad was working. So, there was a key under the welcome mat for him to use, and he did. With a click, the doorknob twisted, and Numbuh Four pushed the door open.
“Home sweet home!” he said to himself, and entered the welcoming hallway. Since he was soaking wet, he left a trail of water along the carpet as he walked to the garage. As he passed the kitchen, he couldn’t help but step backwards and maybe grab something to eat. After raiding the cabinet, he found a box of pop-tarts, and removed a package. Then he sat on the counter and split the pack open, and slipped one of the pastries out of the foil and kept the other in its package.
He popped the flat snack into his mouth and took a bite, and then proceeded to the garage. Once in the dark room, he flipped the light switch and stepped over unorganized sports equipment, until he reached a blue and silver chrome BMX Mongoose. No he didn’t know how to do any tricks on it, but it still looked cool.
He twisted the garage door handle and slipped the house key in his pocket. Then, he lifted up the garage door and pushed it the rest of the way. A spider web fell on his head, and he brushed it off. Next, Wally lifted the bike and gripped the handle bar with one hand. Steering it outside, he flicked down the kickstand and returned to the garage to shift down the door, before he forgot. He positioned himself on his transportation. At last, he rolled down the driveway and into the street once again in the pouring rain.
Nothing about the weather had changed all day. It was gloomy, and cold and wet, but it was still fun. That didn’t quite make sense to most people; then again Wallabee Beatles didn’t make much sense in himself. You see, he can enjoy things even when they’re like days such as these. He likes a girl despite the fact that he isn’t fond of feminine things one bit. He sometimes used numbers to spell words, but that was because he isn’t exactly the brightest crayon in the box. And you’ll soon see that he will do something, not for attention, or for no other reason that could be suggested, but he’ll do it to remember that he did it.
Zipping through the neighborhood streets, with the taste of that pastry lingering behind in his mouth, was Numbuh Four still soaking wet. Where ever there was a pool of rain sitting on the ground, he would ride through every one, and make it part to each side as the bicycle wheels cut through it.
His activity was interrupted when someone shouted his name,
“Hey Wally!” He pulled his fingers around the brakes under his handle bars and put his foot down in a puddle. Looking around, he saw a girl with long black hair and an oversized green sweater standing in the rain with no one with her. Wally felt a shade of pink arise in his face, followed by warmth that heated the inside of his body while his soggy, heavy clothes were so cold against his skin. It equaled out, to him.
He hopped back on his bike and pumped his sloshing wet sneakers up and down on the pedals. He stopped when he was next to her. She stood on the curb while he was still in the street right next to it.
“Hey Kooks,” he breathed, and looked at his friend. She smiled at him, which made his heart skip a beat or two.
He looked at her face, mostly her eyes. They’ve always been less like eyes and more like pools of violet to him. He suddenly looked away and buried his nose in his hands to release a sneeze. Numbuh Three glared down at him when he turned back to her, with an expression that said ‘I told you so’.
“Look at you! I bet you caught a cold out here!” she accused. Then, she moved aside his bangs and placed her sleeve-covered hand across his forehead. Looking the other direction from his face, she then moved it across both his cheeks and to his neck. When she was finished inspecting him, she moved his bangs over his eyes again, in a cute taunting way.
“What made you come out here anyway, silly?” she giggled. It seemed that she wasn’t quite worried after all. Kuki looked at him, and he looked up at her eyes, just observing how interesting they are. It seems they stick out to him, for an unknown reason, as if they are more than just eyes. He looks to them to see how she really feels, because sometimes her expressions are blank or deceiving.
“Hmm... I dunno its fun. Why did you come out here?” Wally asked. She looked aside, unlocking his eyes from hers.
“Lookin’ for you…” she responded in a suspicious tone. “Oh, well, I’m not going to stop being in the rain just to come and play cruddy rainbow monkeys with you,” he assumed that’s why she came all the way in the rain, just to have her hair flattened and her sweater to be pressed down and darkened by the storm.
“No! It wasn’t that! I’m trying to remember what Numbuh One told me…” he objected, and stared past Wally to think. A feeling of relief sunk into him, because he really disliked those Rainbow Monkey plush toys, if anything. “C’mon, Kuki, think! What, is it hard or somethin’?” he smirked.
“No, it isn’t!” she batted his shoulder playfully. “Then just try to remember already,” he said. He found it rather cute that she forgets things so easily, and that she’s usually in her own world and such. But he shook those thoughts off immediately. Numbuh Four didn’t want to notice these cute little traits about Kuki’s attitude and personality. A guy like him really shouldn’t have to worry about feeling this way, at least he thought.
Wallabee continued staring at her face, while she was trying to figure out the reason she came all the way out of the comfort of the team’s tree house and to tell him.
“Now I remember!” she exclaimed, obviously delighted that she finally discovered what she had to say. “We’re all going to the diner, so come on!” Kuki said.
Numbuh Four sneezed again, followed by an intense cough that left his throat sore.
“Oh…” Numbuh Three sighed disappointed. She once again felt Wally’s forehead, concerned for him. Then, she moved her hand and rested it in the same places as the first time.
“‘Oh?’ What’s that mean?” Wally asked.
“I think you caught a cold,” she looked down disappointed. Then Wally, who’d, spent two, or maybe three hours in the chilly rain, just realized he had not been paying mind to his sore throat or sniffling.
“So? I can still go” he said impatiently. Kuki was probably correct because she was medical officer of Sector V.
“I don’t think you should...” she said, still looking down. She really didn’t want him to get even sicker than he already was, so that must mean that he couldn’t attend the meal at the diner.
“C’mon, I’ll be fine,” he objected. She looked up, and at his eyes. Wally did what he automatically does whenever he catches those two pools of violet. He read that she was feeling concerned, which made him feel even warmer on the inside, if possible.
“No, Wally, I can’t let you get sicker!” Numbuh Three argued. He understood, of course, but he didn’t want to be left out and stuck at the tree house without his friends.
“I can take care of myself,” he said in a tone that showed he didn’t want to be pitied. “I don’t want you getting any sicker, so I’m not letting you go,” she folded her arms stubbornly.
“What? You can’t tell me what to do!” he growled, his voice slightly rising, “you guys seriously can’t just go somewhere and leave me behind!”
“Fine, then we won’t go,” she looked into his eyes sternly. “I don’t want you guys to be stuck home with me! Just let me go with, and quit acting like my mum,” Wally said sourly. Kuki looked up at him, seeming rather mad. Not in her she-devil mad way, though, luckily for him.
“Okay… just don’t be too crazy and when you get home you have to rest on the couch or in your room,” Numbuh Three finally eased up. Numbuh Four flashed a proud smile, glad that he won their small argument. Still, his throat was sore, and he had no hope of breathing through either of his nostrils, not to mention that his state affected his voice too.
She began to return to the tree house, which was definitely visible from their location because of its size. Numbuh Four followed slowly on his bike. The rain was still pouring just as heavily, and the sky was still colorless. They moved in silence, thunder still greeting them loudly now and then. And the raindrops still pelted against the surface of the ground, some falling and being collected into puddles.
Whenever Numbuh Four coughed or sneezed, it made his throat burn intensely, and Kuki would glance at him and pause. Soon they reached the wooden mansion and Numbuh Four threw his bike against the tree. Numbuh Three gave him a certain look, and he grinned stupidly.
They gained access to the tree house and entered it, then the elevator, where Wally began humming “What’s My Age Again” at some point out of habit. Soon, they found the others grouped in the TV room.
“Hi everyone!” Numbuh Three exclaimed happily, as if she hadn’t seen the three of her friends for years. She greets everyone that way each time she sees them, Numbuh Four had noticed. Both of them had cold drips of water falling from their faces, hair, and clothes and pattering softly on the floor.
Numbuh Four opened his mouth to greet his friends, as well, but sneezed instead, which made his throat burn.
“Numbuh Five knew you were gonna get yourself sick,” Abby said, shaking her head slowly. The three were sitting on the couch.
“I’m not sick! I just sneezed...” Wally lied. “Okay, well, are we going or what? I’m starving!” Hoagie stated, patting his stomach and changing the subject.
“Wait, I gotta change into dry clothes!” Numbuh Three cried. The other four watched her scurry to her room, and then everyone’s look set on Wally.
“What?” he asked, really not understanding why people always look at him in that way. He looked at each one of them.
“Nothing,” said Numbuh Two, and he turned back to the TV screen as did Numbuh One. Abby still looked at him suspiciously.
“What is it?” he asked, growing a little impatient.
“Nothin’” she looked at the TV as well. Numbuh Four didn’t sit down, because he knew Numbuh One wouldn’t let him, for being soaking wet. So, he just stood there, with his teeth slightly chattering. He didn’t change his clothes, which he thought would be a good idea for him. When he turned to go do so, Numbuh Three returned.
“Go,” she muttered to him, and pointed out at the hallway that lead to everyone’s rooms.
“Fine, I was gonna do it anyway…” he grunted in response, and walked to the opening and down the hallway.
It wasn’t night time yet, only just past noon. A trip to the diner would be nice, of course, so the time didn’t matter to Wally. He reached his room, first seeing his boxing ring that he used as a bed instead. Shutting the door behind himself, he walked over to the closet. First he pulled off his hoodie, and let it drop to the floor, and water formed around it. Letting the warm air in the heated tree house hit his bare chest felt good. Wondering just how cold his was, he put his hand against himself. His palm was slightly numb, but he could still feel that his skin was almost as cold as ice.
Then he removed his sneakers so he could hop out of his jeans which he tossed over his hoodie, next his socks and boxers. Then he put on another pair of boxers, and socks, trying to avoid the puddle of cold water around his pile of wet clothes. When he put another pair of jeans on, he noticed the difference between the weight of the wet pair. And the nice, dry orange hoodie was very comfortable and warm. He left the room, without disposing his wet clothes down the laundry chute. And that key in his right pocket was long forgotten.
Then, he returned to his friends in the TV room, where the four of them sat on the couch.
“Now can we go?” Numbuh Two whined, fed up with waiting. “Yes, we’re going,” Numbuh One hopped off the couch, as did the others who were sitting on the couch. The diner was their next destination.
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The diner was so bright, that it could catch someone’s eye from a mile away, on a day like that day. Neon signs were all around the windows and such, plus the extremely tall sign next to the parking lot was hard to miss, as it was framed with lights. And with all of the vivid lights compared to the gray sky, well, anyone could see how it stands out.
The five kids arrived at the diner, were there were a mix of people all ages. There were oblivious teenagers, adults that wouldn’t shut up, and noisy kids who were enjoying themselves. On the way inside, Wally walked beside Numbuh Two, and they were in a conversation about the newest Yipper card being released.
“Yeah, well I heard that it has plus ten!” Hoagie said eagerly. There were many rumors flying around about this new card, but no one was quite sure which ones were true.
“Someone told me that they would only be limited addition,” Numbuh Four added.
-c-