Skitchy Goes to the Park:
An HTF (Happy Tree Friends) Fanfic featuring OC (Original Character) Skitchy the Skunk.
Also featuring: Petunia, Giggles, Disco Bear, Lumpy, Cuddles, Lammy and Handy.
HTF is owned by Mondo Media. All characters and intellectual copyrights are theirs.
It was a sunny afternoon in the wood when Giggles (pink female chipmunk with a red bow) and Petunia (blue-furred girl skunk with a flower on her forehead) sat together on a fallen log. Birds chirped in the blue sky as a few wisps of clouds hovered around the yellow sun. Petunia was talking to Giggles about Cuddles (Giggles' boyfriend) when they were rudely interrupted by the entrance of an unwanted character.
"Oh heeeeey," began Disco Bear (bear with afro and yellow outfit), smiling flirtatiously. "How are you ladies doing on this fine day?"
"Hrrr…" grumbled Giggles, eyebrows furrowed.
"Hmph!" declared Petunia, sharply twisting her head away from the afro-ed male.
"Aw, heh heh," responded Disco Bear, his hunger for romance not sated. "Don't be like that. I just got here. What's say we have some fun?"
As if by magic, a mirrored disco ball drops from the branches above the three. Some music starts playing as a myriad of lights flit around the area, whose original main lighting has dimmed. Disco Bear begins to dance, his 'fro flopping around and his feet stepping with precision. The bear grabs Giggles' hand and twirls her into becoming his dance partner as Petunia looks on in muted revulsion. Giggles stared into Disco Bear's half-closed eyes, wondering if maybe this wasn't so bad after all…
Meanwhile…
Cuddles (yellow rabbit boy with pink bunny slippers) and Skitchy (orange skunk with glasses and hat) were doing what they always did when the weather was good and they felt like hanging out: they skateboarded down the main road of Treeville, USA. The two friends grinned and laughed as they glided, the velocity-created wind whipping at their happy faces.
"Hey Skitchy, watch this!" announced Cuddles just before launching off a small bump in the sidewalk and sailing over a red fire hydrant. The rabbit's wheels touched down perfectly, and then Cuddles popped the board up into his hand.
"Wow, Cuds!" exclaimed the orange skunk as he too skidded to a stop. "That was rad!"
"'Rad'?" Cuddles mocked. "What year do you think this is, '92?"
"Yeah, right," Skitchy retorted. "And what should I say, huh? 'Sick'? Give me a break!"
"Whatever," the rabbit looked down for a second. "Changing the subject, where do you want to skate next?"
"Well, I was thinking we could check out the new path in the woods…"
"Pfff," replied Cuddles. "That's boring. Tell you what, you can go skate the woods, and I'll get a bite to eat. Afterwards we'll meet up here, okay?"
"Sure!" the skunk smiled. "See you then!"
The orange skunk with the yellow stripe stepped onto his skate and made for the trees surrounding the town while the one in pink bunny slippers moseyed on down to the nearby diner.
An orange blur weaved in and out of trees along the newly-installed pavement in the Treeville Forest. It wasn't long before something caught Skitchy's eye, however, and he put on the brakes (so to speak).
There in a clearing was a random disco, with the bear of the same name and Giggles cutting a rug while Petunia sat moodily. Skitchy's stomach did a quick backflip when he caught sight of the blue skunk with the light blue stripe. Ever since that fateful day at the hospital* the skater had had a huge crush on the navy-hued neat-freak, and today was no different. Skitchy set his board down under a tree near the path and crept up on the clearing.
Disco Bear was in the middle of a salsa with Giggles when Skitchy burst out of the bushes beside Petunia. She jumped in surprise, and distracted the dancing couple with a short shriek.
"Hey…" the brown-shoed bear with the puffy hair remarked. "Who's this clown spoiling my dance party?"
"Well… my name's Skitchy, and I really didn't mean to… *mumble mumble*", the orange skunk petered out.
"Ah ha ha ha," Disco Bear laughed suavely. "And just look at your hat and glasses… completely uncool. I'm sorry my friend, but you just have no chance with these ladies."
As the boys were discussing Skitchy's appearance, the female skunk and bear walked off, leaving the two alone with their conversation.
Meanwhile…
Cuddles sat at the counter of the diner waiting for his food order to arrive. While he waited he sipped at his milkshake.
"Here you go, Cuddles!" Lammy said, placing the order of hamburger and fries before the yellow rabbit with a smile.
"Thanks Lammy!" Cuddles acknowledged. He then proceeded to dig in to his meal.
Suddenly the door opened and in walked Petunia and Giggles. They were talking happily as they made their way to the counter. Giggles sat beside Cuddles, whose rosy cheeks darkened slightly when the rose-colored chipmunk smiled at him in that special way. Petunia ordered for herself a light salad as the couple beside her stared into each other's eyes.
Back at the woods…
Since Disco Bear had his eyes closed arrogantly while lecturing Skitchy on fashion, he hadn't noticed that both of his targets of passion had already vacated the premises. Skitchy thought he would do the same, and soon Disco Bear was all alone in the trees. He only had the sound of birds, fading skateboard wheels, and his own voice to keep him company.
At the diner…
Lammy served the other girls their meals and everyone was enjoying being together. The four were talking and smiling and generally happy. So happy in fact, that Cuddles completely forgot about his appointment with Skitchy and went directly home after he finished his meal, leaving the orange skunk waiting at the corner. Skitchy eventually decided to give up on his friend, and went to bed a little angry that night.
What did I do? He thought to himself while lying awake under his sheets. Obviously something, if Cuddles didn't even bother to call… Why is he upset with me? And why can't I talk to Petunia? I'm pretty sure she likes me, and I definitely like her, so… why?
These and other thoughts swirled in the young skunk's head as insomnia continued its assault.
The next day…
Was Monday, so Skitchy went to work at the construction site with his good friend and boss Handy, the beaver who had no hands. Skitchy's usual baseball cap was replaced by a hard hat similar to Handy's. The two were building a barn for Lumpy, the blue moose with the crooked antlers, who was trying (once again) to start a farm. Handy held the crossbeams up with his body while Skitchy nailed them securely into place. After a couple of hours, they took a quick break and walked to Giggles' and Petunia's lemonade stand.
"Hi there, ladies!" greeted the beaver cheerily.
"Hello gentlemen," Giggles replied.
"Huh…huh… hi there… Petunia…" Skitchy fidgeted.
"Hi Skitchy," she smiled in a friendly sort of way. "Did you two come here for some lemonade?"
"Yes ma'am," Handy responded. "We've been hard at work helping Lumpy build his barn, so we're real thirsty."
"Well all our lemonade is guaranteed to be cool and refreshing!" the pink chipmunk happily pitched. "So just help yourselves to a glass! It's on the house!"
"Gee thanks!" Handy took a few gulps from the proffered glass and sighed in satisfaction.
"Would you like some, Skitchy?" the female skunk asked, holding out a cup filled with the yellow liquid.
"Uh… um…" the orange and bespectacled skunk nervously struggled to find words. "Um… okay…"
He took the cup from Petunia and drank the sweet and sour concoction. The two workmen smiled at each other, both quenched by the lemonade made by the cute girls at the stand.
"Thanks again!" "waved" Handy as he headed on back to the construction site.
"Come back any time!" Giggles called after him.
"Thank you… for the… lemonade… P-P-Petunia…" Skitchy muttered shyly.
"You're welcome," she smiled, taking the empty glass from the other skunk's shaking hand.
"Um… er…" Skitchy continued to struggle. "N-nice to s-s-see you ag-ag-again…"
"The feeling's mutual," Petunia smirked flirtatiously.
"I… I gotta go!" the skunk ran off to join his employer as Petunia's expression turned puzzled.
"What's his problem?" she asked Giggles, who merely shrugged in response.
Back at the barn…
Skitchy perched on one of the rafters nailing the beams together while below him Handy was busy studying the blueprints for the roof. Just then Lumpy walked by in a straw hat carrying a large garden shovel.
"Oh, hello!" the tall blue moose smiled goofily at the two workers.
The occupied Tree Friends were too focused on their respective tasks to return Lumpy's salutation, so the failure of a farmer just shrugged and gave his signature "Oh well," then headed off to work in his field.
Upon arrival, Lumpy began tilling the soil around his pumpkin patch. The sun beat down, and the moose made the mistake of looking directly at its painful brilliance. Surprised at the intensity of light, he stumbled backwards and tripped over one of the orange gourds. The lazy-eyed laborer fell sideways, his upside-down antler embedding itself in another pumpkin. His hat had fallen off, and he grunted while trying to free himself. Lumpy managed to get to his feet, but the pumpkin remained stuck on the side of his head. Still dizzy from the sun and the fall, the farmer now reeled around off balance. His lumbering foot stepped on the angled part of his shovel, causing the handle to pop up into his face and knock the moose down once more. This time he fell on his other side, his upright antler planting itself in the soft earth.
Meanwhile nearby…
Disco Bear was walking through the park enjoying his walkman when he noticed Nutty (the green squirrel covered in candy) trying to get his attention from a bench. Apparently the sugar-addicted fellow wished to share some of his large bag of sweet loot that he had brought to the park that day with the dance master. Disco Bear shrugged and thought why not? He reached his hand into the bag and shoved some of the sugary stuff into his mouth.
"Oh yeeeaaah…" the bell-bottom pants-wearing ladies' man declared. "Thank you, my friend. This is soo groooovy…"
Disco Bear continued to eat the candy until Nutty became concerned and possessive. The lime squirrel snatched the bag away from the seemingly hungry bear, causing Disco to then appear downcast. Either ignorant of or not caring for the bear's feelings, Nutty scurried off to another part of the forest to enjoy his treats in solitude. Disco Bear, his head swirling from the large amount of sugar he had quickly ingested, staggered off into the trees, where he came upon a slumbering Lumpy.
The moose had been unable to remove his antler from the ground, and so had fallen asleep due to both the effort and the hot sun. The afro-ed bear, still out of sorts from his sugar rush, mistook the pumpkin on Lumpy's antler for Giggles, and began to dance with "her", chuckling in his swarthy voice.
The real Giggles and Petunia walked by the scene after finishing their fun at the lemonade stand, and laughed heartily at the sight.
They soon came upon the barn that Handy and Skitchy had constructed. All that was left to do was painting it, and it would be finished.
"Hi Skitchy! Hi Handy!" the girls greeted cheerfully.
The two waved back at the chipmunk and skunk, who kept walking. Without warning, Petunia stopped.
"What is it, Petunia?" the pink friend asked, unsure of the skunk's behavior.
"You can go on without me," the blue female replied. "It's okay."
Giggles looked back at the barn, raised an eyebrow, and went on her way. Her former companion started back to where the beaver and skunk were admiring their handiwork.
"Hey… Skitchy…" Petunia began, trying to get the male skunk's attention. "Could I talk to you for a minute? …Alone?"
The young mammal gulped, then began to shake and sweat nervously. He looked to Handy who smiled and nodded encouragingly. Turning back to the beautiful young woman before him, Skitchy nodded. Petunia smiled and led the orange skunk with the yellow stripe to a small clearing amongst the nearby trees. She sat on log and motioned for Skitchy to join her, who promptly did so.
"So…" Petunia started, unsure of what to say. "How are you feeling after… you know… the accident?"
"Oh!" responded the skunk, a bit taken aback. "Right… I'm fine now…"
"Okay, that's good…" she replied automatically.
An awkward silence hung in the soft breeze, broken only by birdsong.
Skitchy reminisced over the "accident" he had over a week ago. It had been him and Cuddles skateboarding when Petunia caught his eye. Skitchy's wheel hit a crack and sent him flying into the back of a garbage truck and rendering him unconscious. Petunia and Cuddles watched over him in the hospital.
It was almost a full minute before one of them spoke.
"H-How are you?" Skitchy asked with his eyes fixed on the grass between his feet.
"I'm fine," she looked over at the skunk's down-turned gaze. "But I've been thinking…"
"Oh?" wondered the bespectacled skunk with his hands clasped in anxiety. "Ab-About what?"
"I think…" Petunia continued as her slowness in answering aggravating Skitchy's nerves. "We should be friends."
Skitchy's already racing heart caught its second wind as Petunia's words sunk in. Friends? He thought. With Petunia? My crush?
It was getting to be too much for the young skunk. Without a word Skitchy dashed off for home, leaving a sad and bewildered Petunia to sit all alone in the shade of the glade.
Meanwhile Handy focused on inspecting the day's work on Lumpy's new barn. After checking all the measurements and structural stability, the beaver nodded and smiled with supreme satisfaction at a job well done. Just as he turned to go home for the night, the beaver felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning, Handy found Lumpy admiring the barn's completion. The sun set on the two as they stared in awe of the expertly constructed building.
End of Chapter One