Chapter one: The Morning Routine
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Bright sunlight streamed through the open windows of glass. The warm and relaxing rays of the sun struck the face of a small boy wrapped in thick blankets on a full sized bed. The sunlight made its way through the boy's eyelids as he woke up and slowly revealed his glistening lavender eyes. He sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and stretched. He glanced around the small room and saw a plate of hot waffles and two flipped eggs. A cold glass of white milk sat by the plate.
The little boy yawned and shook his head wildly which made his silver hair dance across his forehead. He rolled off to the side of the bed and took the plate off of his small desk. He began eating the syrup coated waffles with his hands. The syrup started to make his mouth feel sticky and dry, so he grabbed the cup of milk and sipped. However, his hands were cloaked in thick syrup and he managed to drop the cup onto the floor as it crashed into smaller glass pieces. The milked spilled off the bed and onto the polished wood floor.
Footsteps were heard outside the bedroom door and across the hall until they came closer to reveal a man in a pair of boxers at a very early age. Possibly nineteen. The man was shocked with wide eyes as he looked at the young boy in bed with worried eyes. "Zeno! What happened?"
"Oh, Dufort." Zeno looked up at him. "I just had an accident that's all."
Dufort took the liberty to bend down and pick up the pieces of glass that were scattered on the floor. He soon noticed the dripping milk that was cascading off the bed and onto the floor. Dufort raised an eyebrow at his mamodo. "You said you had an accident?"
"Yes."
Dufort went out of the room for a little while to throw away the glass pieces. He came back and crossed his arms against his bare chest. "What kind of accident?"
"I..." Zeno searched for an answer. "I just dropped my milk."
With his arms still crossed, Dufort looked back and forth between the boy and the spilled milk. "Uh-huh."
"WHAT!?" Zeno jolted out of bed. "You don't believe me?"
"Oh I believe you alright. I just wanted to tell you that I'm not stupid."
Zeno's mouth was now wide open. "What the heck are you talking about Dufort?!"
Dufort uncrossed his arms and bent down to Zeno's level until their eyes met perfectly. "Zeno. It's okay. I've had wet dreams when I was at a young age too."
Zeno was grossed out for a moment. "What!"
"I know what you did. You had your little accident last night and tried to hide it by dropping your milk on purpose as cover." Dufort smiled. "Isn't that right?"
"NO!" Zeno yelled at his face as spit drops fell on Dufort's cheeks. "I DROPPED MY MILK! NOW GET ME ANOTHER GLASS!"
Dufort's smile faded once the spit came in contact with his face. He wiped it off with his hand. "Fine." He stood up to get Zeno another glass while bringing back cloths to clean up the mess. "Finish your breakfast Zeno."
Zeno sat back in bed to finish eating his waffles. He grabbed the second milk glass that Dufort had just brought him and drank it. After a small sip Zeno spat the milk out in Dufort's face. Dufort was on the floor cleaning when it happened. "What now Zeno?"
"Ewww!" He shouted. "This is whole milk! You know I hate whole milk! I wanted fat free milk! Do you want me to get fat or something?" He poured the milk down Dufort's hair and threw the glass on the floor. This just made more of a mess for Dufort to clean.
Zeno took his plastic fork and picked up an egg. "And these eggs. They're flipped! I wanted them scrambled. You know I like them better scrambled!" He threw the flipped eggs on the floor. This gives Dufort more of a mess to clean up.
Once the book owner was done cleaning as he gathered the rest of Zeno's breakfast and towered over the boy. "Alright Zeno. That's it!" He began to walk out of the room. "If you're going to complain about your breakfast every morning then how would you like it if I didn't make your breakfast anymore."
"Fine with me!" Zeno jumped out of bed for the second time that morning. "I'll just eat cereal everyday." He walked, with his nose in the air, to the small kitchen where there was only a table and two wooden seats to match. Zeno took a chair and pushed it to the counter and climbed. Dufort stood in a nearby doorway and leaned on its frame with his arms crossed while watching his little mamodo friend.
Zeno reached the cabinet and opened it to peak inside. All that was left was a half opened box of Coco Puffs and an unopened box of Raisin Brand. "Dufort!" He called. "Where are the Apple Jacks?"
"I just brought a box yesterday. And you ate it all in three seconds flat."
"Well get dressed and buy another box now!"
Without another word Dufort went to his room to get dressed. Zeno closed the cabinet and jumped off the chair without putting it back. He followed Dufort to his room which was bigger than his. "Let me come with you Dufort."
"No Zeno." He said while putting on his teal shirt. "Remember the last time I brought you to a store?"
"No."
"You made fun of the people. You said bluntly that old ladies were smelly and fat guys were so big that they have to be carried around in a wheelchair."
"Well it's true. I was just being honest." Zeno tried looking innocent.
Dufort pulled out his beige jacket from the closet. "No. You were being just plain rude."
"It's not my fault that they all smell bad and look funny."
Dufort finished putting on his clothes as he zipped up his fly. "Now Zeno, you stay here and be a good boy. Don't burn the stove again." He walked out of his room as Zeno followed close behind. Dufort noticed this and stopped in his tracks to look down at the boy. "Zeno. I said stay here."
"What am I? Your dog?" The white mamodo frowned up at his book keeper. "I can do whatever I want."
"No you can't." Dufort picked him up and carried him to his room like a baby. He put him back in bed and pulled the covers up to Zeno's chin. "You stay here and behave yourself." Dufort walked out of the room again. "I'll be back in an hour." He called back.
"Dufort!" Zeno jumped out of bed and ran to the front door and stood in front of it. "Let me come!" It sounded like a command.
Dufort sighed and grabbed Zeno's hand to drag him back to the room. "Why can't you be a good boy and listen?"
Zeno yanked his hand away and shook his head. "I'm not considered one of the good guys." He crossed his arms and glared at Dufort. "I want to come along!"
Dufort paused before bending down to Zeno's level again. "No!"
Zeno continued to glare until his face turned soft and he fell on the floor. "You never let me do anything!" He rolled on the floor and kicked his legs while throwing his arms in the air and screaming loudly. "LET ME COME! LET ME COME! LET ME COME! LET ME COME!"
Dufort panicked a bit and tried to pick the boy up by the arms, but he failed to succeed as Zeno refused to stand up. "Zeno, stop acting your age. You'll wake up people next door."
Zeno only screamed louder.
Dufort couldn't take it anymore. He plopped Zeno down on the clean wood floor and sighed again while running his hands through his hair. "Fine Zeno. You can come. Just stop yelling."
The mamodo imedietley stopped bawling and ran to his room to get dressed. "YAY!"
"Put on your dress and let's go." Dufort took out the apartment keys.
"It's not a dress! It's a cloak!"
"Whatever." He opened the door. "You ready yet?"
Zeno zoomed past the table and the counters to reach him. "I'm ready."
"Zeno. Tie your shoes."
The boy looked down at his feet and moved his toes inside of his white shoes. "Uh, Dufort. I don't wear laces." When Zeno looked back up Dufort was gone. "Hey!" Zeno yelled and grabbed the doorknob to run out of the apartment. "Dufort!" He stopped when a pair of legs were blocking his way. He looked up and saw Dufort looking down at him.
"What took you so long Zeno? Let's go." He locked the apartment door and walked down the stairs.
Zeno was speechless for a moment as he looked back and forth between Dufort and the door. "How did you..? Whatever!" Zeno decided to let it go and follow his book owner down the concrete stairs.
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I'd like to thank the people who read my first Zatch Bell story as well.
Fop