A/N: This story was written for fun with my friend, Harold. Harold and I have been best friends for 11 years now. I dedicate this story that is no where near as awesome as our friendship to him. :)
In the middle of a city was little petshop that only sold exotic bugs and lizards as pets. They weren't the most popular place to get a pet, but the people who did come were of the right kind for Rex and Weevil to want to associate themselves with. Starting this business seemed like the perfect thing to do together.
It was their third day of business when things started to go down hill. Weevil caught Rex feeding some of the reptiles crickets. Weevil was horrified.
"How could you do that to such beautiful creatures?" Weevil cried.
"They need to eat!" explained Rex.
"So my bugs must die so your stupid pathetic lizards may live?" Weevil was very distraught.
The bickering continued for many hours until Rex got an idea. "Maybe I can look up lizards that don't eat bugs to sell here at the petstore."
"What? Are you saying this could have been avoided all along you stupid head!" Weevil yelled.
"Well if you act like that maybe I wont"
Weevil stomped off. "I QUIT!"
Rex stood there astounded at his friend's actions. They were just crickets, Rex thought.
.
The next day, Rex opened up the shop, alone. At first, he was fine. Everything was running smoothly. Well, until someone started asking about the bugs. He didn't know what species was what. In a panic to not seem stupid, Rex made a bad decision and put any bugs that were questioned about into the terrariums with his precious lizards. One tank of lizards died because the bugs were poisonous.
Rex cried. He couldn't bring the lizards back to life. He realized just how much he needed Weevil. Weevil could have told him what bugs were poisonous... and would have told the customers what kind of bugs they were. He wouldn't have panicked if Weevil had been there to assist him. "I need you Weevil." Rex said out loud to himself.
That night, Rex called Weevil on the phone. "You need me?" Weevil said. And before Rex could answer 'yes', Weevil said "Well too bad! I hate you!"
"But I fed some of the insects to the lizards and..."
"You WHAT? You ****er I ****ing HATE YOU!"
"...And they DIED! You need to come back!"
"The only reason I'll be coming back is to get my precious babies out of that HELLHOLE you call a pet store!" shrieked Weevil, slamming the phone down on the receiver. That stupid dino-head has a brain the size of a walnut, he thought to himself. Why did I ever trust him enough to open a pet shop with him?
.
Rex returned to the pet store in the morning. It's oddly quiet, he thought, before he noticed what was different. The crickets are gone, he realized. All of the bugs are gone. Weevil must have come back in the middle of the night for them. I didn't know they were so important to him...
The day was rather bleak. People came in and bought reptiles. But without people buying bugs, it just didn't feel the same. Rex went on lunch break. He expected to hear the same old things about past arguments, but was met instead with stagnant silence. He started to ask the thin air what it wanted for lunch. It took him a few moments to realize that Weevil just wasn't there. Normally they ate bologna sandwiches together. They always cut it in half, and switched the halves, even if it was the same sandwich; it was just something they did.
Well, at least I get the whole sandwich to myself this time.
He found he couldn't eat it, however. He just wasn't hungry.
He set the sandwich down on the counter. He decided to go back to the couch, and he lay down; although he tried to rest, all he could think about was Weevil. Weevil had been his best friend and rival since Kindergarten. They'd shared the good times and the bad times, especially the bad times. Even when they got in fights, they always got back together. But Weevil had never stayed not his friend for more than 24 hours like this. Rex knew he'd done something wrong, and he had to make it up somehow.
Rex grabbed his sandwich, walked out the door, and headed towards Weevil's house.
.
Weevil traipsed about his eclectic residence. He gazed at the magnificence of such specimens as the monarch and the birdwing. He sighed. "The Danaus plexxipus. Class Insecta, order Lepidoptera, family Danaidae. Some people confuse it for the soldier, the queen or the viceroy. But not I!" A tiny knocking at the door ceased the monologue that was sure to ensue. "What? Who's there?" he snapped.
"It's me," cried a voice from behind the door. "I- I brought you half of a bologna sandwich..."
"Put it through the mail slot! I still hate you!"
"Weevil... you're my best friend. Please come out."
"I don't need to see your ugly mug! Get off my doorstep!"
Rex peeked through the mail slot, and attempted to push the sandwich through to the other side. "Come get it," he said, "I don't want to drop it. It is a really good sandwich."
The offered article was grasped and extracted from his grip. Rex heard the sound of a foot coming down multiple times, and then something came back out of the mail slot.
"Take your stupid sandwich elsewhere. I don't want it."
Rex, defeated, took up the sandwich and started sulking away. Wait a minute, he thought suddenly, the sandwich I gave Weevil had lettuce on it. What's going on?
There was hope after all! ...And then, seeing a butterfly alight on the limb of a bush outside Weevil's garden, he got an awesome idea.
Rex was familiar with one of Weevil's cards, the Great Silk Moth. It was more than just a card, however; silk moths existed in the real world. They were expensive, though. He turned out his pockets. It would take him the last of his money. Business had been slow.
Rex went on a quest to find a caterpillar. Online he managed to find a seller, and he also was able to find information as to how to take care of the creature in question. He began to set up a terrarium for the future arrival. He was surprised to realize that it took as much work to prepare for the insect as it did for one of his lizards.
With first-class shipping, the caterpillar arrived in three days. Rex placed it in its new home. "There ya are, little buddy," he said gently, "now don't you go dying on me anytime, now."
Rex grabbed the terrarium and walked to Weevil's house. He knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked again.
"Who is it?" called Weevil from behind the door.
"It's me... ugggg, the mailman and I have a package for you." Rex disguised his voice.
Weevil opened the door. It took him two seconds to try and close the door in Rex's face. Rex placed his shoe in the door so Weevil couldn't close it.
"Arrggg! Weevil, will ya just listen to me!" Rex yelled.
"No! Go away! You aren't my friend!" Weevil said.
"I really do have something for you! Will you just look!" Rex said.
Weevil stopped trying to shut Rex out. Weevil ajusted his glasses. He saw the terrarium. He leaned down to peer into it.
"Leaperda, BombyCicada, Bomb-" Rex stopped abruptly. Weevil was laughing. "Hey! If you don't want Silky, I will send her back!"
"No!" Weevil said quickly. "I love it," Weevil blushed. "I didn't know you cared so much."
"Well yeah, you a-are my buddy. I-" Rex tried to think of the words.
For a few moments, they gazed into each other's eyes. Weevil turned away.
"Uggg. You want to come in?" Weevil asked. "I just made bologna sanwiches... one for you, one for me."
Rex smiled. Weevil missed him too. Rex nodded and entered Weevil's house.
The End.
