Chapter 1: Pet Trouble
Late night one evening, Nickie decided to take Otis for a walk because he couldn't sleep. She carefully placed him in a baby blue duffel bag and headed toward the door.
"Where do you think you're going?" Crystal, Nickie's aunt asks.
"I'm going for a late evening walk, snacks are so overrated!" she jokingly responds. Crystal smiled. "I won't be out long, just for a little bit." She suspiciously looked at the duffel bag and pointed to it. "Oh, that? I just have a jacket in here in case it gets cold."
"Alright, you win. Be back soon though, it's going to get dark in about half an hour." Nickie rushes out the door and slides the collar onto the neck of fluffy Otis. Good thing she didn't get caught.
"It's time to feed the snakes!" my grandmother reminded me. I thanked her and ran out the backdoor and into the shed. The wooden walls are starting to crack a little, but the shed itself will probably last for at least a year. I looked at the glass tanks, wondering how snakes can be so still it looks as if they disappeared. Especially in one of the tanks, I couldn't see a thing. That's when I realized there was nothing in the tank. My eyes wandered around the shed, trying to find something slithering and scaly. That's when I stepped on what felt like a chew toy. Oh no, I thought. I heard an Sssssss, and spun towards the door. I accidentally left the shed door open! A movement just reached its way into the grass. Oh crap, my snake just got loose. And it's going down the road! I rushed after the snake, hoping nobody would be outside at this time.
Chapter 2: Trouble
I sprinted down the sidewalk, my whole body in full speed ahead. The slithering fury had quite some agility! My head lifted up for a second, tired of staring down at the road, when an object appeared far in the distance. It was a girl about my age… walking her dog? Why would anybody walk their dog at this time, the sun is about to go down. More importantly, she could get choked by my snake! Did I mention it's a boa constrictor about 2 yards long?
I don't know if this will help at all, but I scream at the top of my aching lungs, "Watch out, snake on the loose!" The girl probably thought I was crazy because she kept walking this way. My heart beat faster and faster. I'm not ready to have on the cover of the newspaper Girl gets Murdered by Pet Snake. I stopped, realizing I couldn't catch up with the snake, and prayed for the best. It turns out God loves me; the snake just flew right past her. Everything seemed okay, except the girl looked like she was paralyzed. I ran over, hoping she wouldn't slap me or anything, not that it would hurt.
"S-s-snake…" she spat out of her mouth. "I just saw a snake about 6 feet long!" She looked at me with fear in her deep, curious eyes. "What is a snake doing on the… wait a minute; didn't you say it was yours?" I nodded my head. "You let it loose! Why the hell would you do that? Oh my god, you tried to kill me I bet. HELP! HELP! MU-"she screamed, but I covered her mouth.
"Please, trust me; I would never try to hurt anyone. What are you doing out here with your dog anyways?" The girl explained she was taking care of the dog for a friend and about the night walk. "Promise you won't tell anybody about Otis?" I nodded. "Cross my heart and hope to get strangled by a boa." She glared at me furiously, but I just smirked. She seemed pretty cool for a girl.
Chapter 3: Arrangement
NICKIE'S POV:
The boy from the snake situation decided it was getting dark, so he walked me back to Greenhaven. He said it was time to let the snake slither back to the wild anyways, since it took so much food to feed him. Maybe this kid will help me fulfill my goal #2. It turns out we're both 14. He's pretty good-looking; curly dirty-blonde hair like me, big ears, and a skinny yet strong body. But the snakes disgust me, and he loves them. I could never fall in love with a person obsessed with snakes… could I? My fake instincts were right; it is getting chilly out here. The kid saw me shivering and put his jacket around my shoulders. I guess he's not as bad as I thought.
"Thanks, I appreciate it," I murmured. "No problem, don't want you coming home as a Popsicle, now do we? Hey, I never got your name," he blurted out. "My name's Grover. Grover Persons."
"Well my name is Nickie. Nickie Randolph. It's nice to meet you Grover."
"Same. Hey, want to see something that nobody has ever seen before?" I nodded unsurely. He pulled an apple out of his jeans and also a pocket knife. He then cut the apple in half, and pointed the knife straight at the apple seeds. I gave him a look that said, "Are you serious?"
"Yes, I'm serious," he replied while basically reading my mind. "No other human in the whole world has seen the inside of this apple." He grabbed half of the apple with his other hand and took a bite out of it, an award-winning smile on his face while chewing. I was pretty ticked off he tricked me, but I couldn't help but smile and take the other half of the apple. Then I had the most brilliant thought.
"Want to see something nobody has seen before or ever will see?"
"That doesn't even make any sense." I pulled a picture of the dust mite I found out of my pocket and showed him it. "Okay, a hairy monster from some old sci-fi movie. I'm seeing it, aren't I?"
"First of all, it's a dust mite," I retorted. "Second, you will never see it because it is too small for the human eye to see." He nodded his head, finally understanding it. "I cut it out of a magazine. I guess you could say I'm pretty strange for a girl." I put a wicked grin on my face.
"If you're so strange, then why don't you come see me feed my snakes? Unless, you're too afraid…" Grover chuckled.
I gazed at him in astonishment. "Me? Afraid? Yeah right, I carry a picture of a dust mite around with me everywhere! Calling me afraid is like calling an alligator cute. It's an understatement!" Although to be honest, it did seem a little frightening.
"Nah, you're just saying that to look tough." I whined, "Am not!" even though I actually am. "I am so coming and I am going to watch the whole thing!"
"Will not!"
"Will too!"
"Will not!"
"Will too!" What I just realized is that our faces were about centimeters apart, filled with anxiety to be the best. I simply stepped back, and started to blush my face off. Good thing it was almost dark now. If I didn't know better, I'd say Grover was blushing too. It was probably just the last few minutes of sunset, though.
"So, tomorrow at 3:30?" he questioned. I nodded my head happily, and dashed inside the house, just noticing we were at the door most of the time.
Chapter 4: Feeding Time
Grover was at school in history class, when he found himself thinking about Nickie. In an interesting person way, and… the other way he didn't like to mention. He didn't ever think about liking someone, until now. It was such a weird feeling to have, but he was not sure if it was love or itching to show Nickie the snakes. She'll probably get scared and hold onto me shouting, "IT'S SO SCARY!" he thought. She would probably just faint.
To get out of class earlier, Grover put together the most ridiculous yet realistic cough anybody would ever here, and got excused to the nurse. He slyly slid out the exit of the building, and rushed home. He dashed through the shed door after unlocking it, making sure everything was perfect for the moment to come later in the day. He couldn't wait till 3:30.
I headed down to Grover's house, since it is 3:30 right now. I have my hair perfectly combed and in a high ponytail. I headed toward the front porch, finding an old lady sitting there. She had slippers on with the heads of yellow ducks on the end. Softly she spoke, "You're not from here." I replied, "No, but I am visiting. I'm looking for Grover, is he around?" As on cue, Grover slipped through the front door. He probably saw me come to the porch.
"So you decided to come," he surprisingly said. "Amazing!"
"Is this young lady your new girlfriend? Ooh, she's very pretty, just your type!" the old lady announced.
Grover got all red in the face. "She's not my girlfriend Granny," he said, sounding a little disappointed, "just a girl." Probably rushing to let me see the dinner of the snake, he quickly introduced me to his granny. Grover then took my hand and dragged me inside his house. "These are all my brothers and sisters. Two twins and then four others. Plus me, I'm the oldest," he stated as they all waved to me and vise versa. He opened the back door and, once again, dragged me to the shed. It seems he had a lock on the shed, I'd understand why. He twisted the dial right and left, and the door swung open. It smells as if Mother Nature threw up all over the place. It was now time to feed the snake its living food.
Grover carefully picked up his milk snake, and let it flow onto his hand. He explained it was called a milk snake because its type was usually found in barns and people thought they would milk cows. He picked up a pair of tongs and used them to lift the baby mouse out of a plastic bag. I thought of re-thinking this, but I was too late. The snake struck out and snatched the mouse. It withdrew into the tank and wrapped a coil of itself around the mouse's body to hold it still, and then opened its mouth extremely wide and began to stuff the mouse's head in it. This was the most horrific thing I'd ever seen. The last thing I remembered was Grover talking about their expandable jaw, and then everything went black.
Oh my god I knew it… she fainted! Hah, if only I bet money on it. But the place she fainted is unspeakable of the unspeakable; right on my damn lap! Well nobody can blame her; I'm the closest and squishiest thing nearby to put a head on. And I don't think after what happened she'd be willing to faint on my milk snake. It feels so weird… what will I do? Then I got an idea.
I quickly took off my jacket, lifted up her fragile head, and carefully placed it on the jacket. I then ran inside to fetch an air horn I've kept for special cases. I sprinted into the shed, and found Nickie rolling on the two chairs. Rough dreams, I thought. But then I noticed she was at the edge of the two chairs. I quickly slid to where she was falling like in a baseball game to get to home base, and caught her just in time. I think my arms broke from the weight, but it's not as bad as what would have happened to her, since she was falling face first. Suddenly, a piece of paper fell out of her pocket. It wasn't the picture of a dust mite again, but it had titled at the top My Goals. #1: To keep the house from being sold so I could live in it with my parents. I chuckled at this a little. It would be nice to have a new kid at school and someone to hang out with. #2: To fall in love. I think it's time for this to happen. Not permanently, though. Just to have the experience. I was frozen for a few minutes then kicked it out of my mind and read on. #3: To do something helpful for the world. I have no idea what it will be, so I have to keep my eyes open for an opportunity. I smiled, thinking about how Nickie could help the world in all sorts of ways. Then I went back to Goal #2. I noticed written next to the goal was People for #2: -Martin, -Grover. My eyes widened in surprise, angry Martin is there and glad my name is there. Since my name is listed, maybe I could help Nickie with that one…
Chapter 5: Nightmares and Daydreams
I opened my eyes, head aching from the nightmare I had. Grover's milk snake was chasing me at a size of 20 feet long and 20 feet high. It was like I was watching and starring in a horror film. My eyes adjusted and I remembered my surroundings. Its Grover's shed where he keeps his snakes. Wait a second… did I faint? Oh god I did, Grover probably thinks I'm a wimp! So much for being the 'fearless Nickie'. Glad I didn't bet money on it. But one thing was missing; where was Grover? And another… where is my list with my three goals? If Grover found it, time to die of embarrassment.
I opened the door of the shed, finding Grover outside chasing his little brother Roddie around the yard. I guess he likes that toddler the best, he seems nice and harmless. Roddie noticed I walked out of the shed, and screamed, "Look Gwover! Your giwlfriend is awake!" His face got bright red like a tomato. "Gwover, don't embawass yourself!"
"Why don't you go inside and play with your truck, Roddie?" Grover suggested, and he ran inside like his life depended on it. "Sorry about my brother. He can be very annoying…" I smiled. He got embarrassed by his little brother, isn't that what siblings are for?
"Hey, I had a piece of paper in my pocket with listings on it. Did you happen to take it?" I questioned him nervously. Grover nodded, told me that it fell out of my pocket when I fainted, and gave it to me. I think I'm about to faint another time.
"I only read the third one though. So you want to help this hellhole of a world become a better place?" I nodded; relieved he read only the third. "It seems like a good thing to do. Why don't we go to your house, my dad's already there, fixing the pipes." Before I could pronounce another syllable, he dragged me through his house and down the sidewalk.
We finally arrived at Greenhaven, and Nickie took out her key to unlock the door. She seemed relieved her aunt wasn't home. "Is this because you're still trying to hide Otis?" I questioned. She nods, fetches Otis from the third floor, and rushes back down. "Do you want some hot chocolate?" I said yes, finding myself to be very thirsty for some reason. She told me about how she gave up hot chocolate to be stronger, and started drinking mint tea instead. I wonder when I should tell her I read her goal #2, I thought. Then she interrupted my thoughts, blurting out, "Do you want to see a cool picture I found?" Before I could say yes, she headed upstairs and came down with a picture in her hand. She sat right next to me and held it up to my face. It was a picture of the Siamese twins, with two women and some children in front.
"Cool," I said. But I was still on my previous thought I was thinking before Nickie showed me the picture. "Hey Nickie, how about in half an hour you meet me at the indoor pool and we can hang out?" She tilted her head, probably not knowing there was a pool in this town. I gave her the directions on how to get there on a map and headed off to my house. I would tell her I read #2 and help her fulfill it, I thought. Everything's going to be alright.
Chapter 6: Misunderstanding
I don't know why Grover invited me to go swimming, but it sounds fun! I put on my bathing suit and cover-up with shoes, found a towel, and headed off to the location. When I got there, it was so empty it seemed like this was a private pool. I saw Grover with a few of his other friends, talking with them. He was wearing blue and yellow trunks, and I was wearing a blue and yellow bikini. I sighed, guessing he just forgot about me. I found a beach chair next to Grover's and put my towel on it. I know I shouldn't, but inside my towel I have hidden my goals on paper. I need to bring it everywhere with me, so I can check one off if it gets accomplished. I took it out, read over it, and stuffed the paper back in while also messing up the towel.
It seems Grover has seen me because he ran over, panting like a dog. "Hey Nickie, what's up?" I just weakly smiled. "Okay, now what's wrong? You seem down." I looked over at the other kids in the pool. "Oh, they're just kids in my classes that just happened to be at the pool. So Nickie, I've been meaning to ask you…"
Suddenly, a girl with perfect blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes with the most adorable pink bikini walked up to Grover. "Grover," she said in the most angelic voice ever," you coming back? What are you doing over here?" She looked over into my eyes with disgust. Her eyes changed quickly as she caught Grover looking at her staring me down. "Hi, I'm Megan," the blonde-head told me. She smiled a grand smile that could destroy Superman in three seconds. I felt jealously take over as she grabbed Grover's hand gently and pulled him over by everybody else. All he could spit out of his mouth was," Um, I'll be back Nickie, hold on!" I knew saying be RIGHT back was a promise he couldn't keep, so I said nothing.
That demon Megan just ripped a whole in my heart. She's adorable, how could anybody NOT like her, especially Grover. He probably already forgot my name, making space to know Megan's personality. Her evil, bitchy personality.
"Megan, how come you pulled me away from my conversation with Nickie?" I protested.
"Because, um… oh right. Nickie is SOOO evil! I can see it in her eyes. She's like a demon from hell here to steal your soul! I bet she's just using you to get something she wants." I frowned. Nickie would never do that… would she? "No," I reply, "You're lying, Megan. I know Nickie, and she is not evil." I pulled away from Megan's grip, hearing her 'HMPH' in a few seconds, and I start to head over to Nickie. Oh no, I thought. She left!
I go over to her beach chair and find her towel still there. I guess she went to the bathroom. For some reason, the towel is messed up, so I decide to fold it for her. I unwrap it, and guess what I find- the list titled My Goals. I look down at Goal #2 again. Why would she want to fall in love? Does she actually love me? It makes no sense. What if a friend dared her to do it for a prize, and right now in the bathroom they're talking about who it's going to be. Was Megan right? I don't want to believe it, but I think she is. I sighed while dropping a tear, put down the paper on the unfolded towel, and headed over to the group of kids in the pool. There swam Megan, with a mysterious grin on her face that almost seems evil…
I walk out of the bathroom, my eyes dry from crying a little, to find my towel is unfolded and my list is out in the open! I rush towards it, where I see a tiny drop of liquid in the middle of Goal #2. Did Grover read the rest of my list? I look over at the pool, and see the most horrific thing; Grover is carrying Megan around, showing how the water affects the weight of people. Megan is giggling and Grover is grinning. It's a sight I'm not willing to see anymore. I shouted, "Hey Grover!" and waved my arms in the air. He looked over at me, with a sad and aggravated expression on his face, and turned away. Oh no, I thought, he probably read goal #2 and gotten mad at me! Now our friendship is ruined… I don't know how I managed it from my dry eyes but I let out a small sob of tears. I found a pen on the floor and wrote on the back of my list.
Dear Grover,
If you are reading this I am long gone where you would probably not find me in the town. I understand you read my goal #2 and got irritated and disgusted, but I'm sorry. I just want you to know that I like you. Not like you, but like you. You were my only friend, and I will miss you. Otis says hi.
P.S. Are your snakes poisonous?
Yours not-so-truly anymore,
Nickie R.
I finished writing my signature and wrote on the top of the note: FOR GROVER ONLY. I then gathered my belongings and rushed out the door, tearing slithering down my face. I hope Grover's snakes aren't poisonous.
Chapter 7: Before It's Too Late
Grover ran out of the pool, tired of carrying around Megan so much. "I'm going to take a break, okay?"
"Okay, but hurry back," Megan said in a flirty tone, but Grover didn't notice. He ran to his beach chair, and sat down for a breather. He looked over to Nickie's chair and saw there was a note on it. It was titled FOR GROVER ONLY. Well I'm Grover, so I guess I'll read it, he thought. Grover read the note, and his jaw dropped down to the floor. Nickie wasn't evil, not at all! She made that goal for herself and out of her heart. And she DID put Grover's name down for the goal and MEANT it! But more importantly, Grover was wrong. He was being stupid for what he thought, why would Nickie ever be evil? Even more important for that, it looked like she was headed for Grover's snakes. But why and how could she get in? One thing came to his mind first: suicidal attempt. He remembers how upset Nickie had looked when she left the building (yes, Grover had watched her leave, but not understood why she cried). He looked back at the note again.
P.S. Are your snakes poisonous? In fact, they were poisonous. It was too expensive to eject the poison out, so Grover gave them a pill that lasted an hour of non-poisonous snakes so he could feed them. Nickie probably thought they weren't poisonous since he's picked them up before. But how could she possibly get in? Grover wondered for a second. He did have a secret key in his jacket, but Nickie doesn't know about it. In fact, nobody knows about the key. He sighed in relief, and threw his hand in the jacket to fetch the key. But… it wasn't there. I don't know how Nickie knew about the key, but she's in trouble! I have to catch up to her before she gets in!
Grover grabbed his items and headed toward the door. Unfortunately, Megan wasted his time shouting, "Grover, where are you going!"
"I'm going to save Nickie before she gets hurt!" Apparently, Megan didn't give up. "But she's evil! She was using you!" Grover glared at Megan fiercely then turned to face the exit. "No Megan, you were wrong. And I was also wrong. I think you got it mixed around; you're the evil one." And with that, Grover rushed out the door, and dashed to his house, hoping he's not too late.
Chapter 8: Confession
I snuck into Grover's backyard, and stood in front of the shed his snakes are kept in. Well, here goes nothing, I thought. I took the lock in my hand and slowly shifted the key into its fitting space. The key twisted, and I pulled the lock off the door handle. Pulling it open, the door swung backwards quickly, and I stepped in. Mother Nature's scent didn't leave, and never will. I squinted at the tanks, barely seeing the snakes except a few dry scales. Tears consumed my eyes and overflowed onto my face. I'm sorry Grover, I didn't want this to ruin our friendship, so let me put myself out of my misery, I thought. I stuck my hands into one of the tanks and picked up a snake very carefully. It was the snake Grover had fed the baby mouse to, the milk snake. Red it was, with its big bulgy marbles for eyes. I regretted my decision for a second, and then let it go. This is for Grover. The snake's jaw extended, like a mail shoot. I don't know how it knew, but it seemed to know it was going to chew something. I slowly drift my hand toward its mouth, frightened by the pain it will cause, and… a pressure came over me that threw the snake back into its tank. I couldn't move my hands. I tilted my head as far as it could go to find a worried Grover struggling to hold me.
"You can't do it," he whispered, "not now, not ever."
I frowned. "Why not? It'll take the pain away I have for being so stupid to like you." Grover took the key away from me, forced me outside, and then locked his shed. "It wasn't stupid at all. It was the smartest idea anybody on the world could ever come up with. Megan tricked me into thinking you were evil, but I shouldn't have believed her from the start. It's my entire fault, and I'm sorry. Also, I don't want to be your friend anymore." I looked at him with surprise and fear in my eyes. He took my small hands in his giant ones. "I want to be more than that. I want to be with you." I then looked up at him and stupidly questioned, "R-really?"
"You tell me." Before I could figure out what he meant, his lips crashed against mine. I felt like I was in wonderland. The feeling felt so nice and I could feel he meant it. Goal #2 has finally been fulfilled, and I don't want it to end. I want it to stay this way forever. I found my hands grouped around the back of Grover's neck, and his hands on my waist. He then pulled away with a face of worry. "Why did you have Martin's name on the list?" I guess this situation mattered now. "Sorry, I forgot to erase his name when I met you," I whispered, then kissed Grover again. He smiled and kissed back harder. It felt like we were the only people on the planet, until it ended. We both smiled and I rested my head on his shoulder. Today was a happy day, a very happy day.
I guess Nickie didn't come through the front door, so I helped her over the fence then hopped up myself. It seems Granny Carrie had seen us, since she shouted as loud as she could, "Grover! How are you and your friend that's just a girl doing?"
I chuckled and said, "She's not JUST a girl, Granny. She's MY girl now." I put my arm around Nickie's shoulders and she giggled. Granny Carrie then raised her wrinkly fists in the air exclaiming, "I told you! Grandmothers are always right! It's also why they say old people are wise. I knew you two would make a perfect pair." My face got all red and unfortunately, Nickie seemed to notice.
"Its okay, Grover. No need to be afraid or embarrassed anymore." She brushed the bangs out of my face, telling me I need a haircut, and then I kissed her. Granny Carrie was smiling, and all my siblings were sticking their heads out the window staring. Roddie shouted, "Gwover and Nickie sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I- um… what's next?" We all laughed and then Nickie invited me to stay for dinner. Of course I said yes, and then we walked into the sunset like one of those sappy movies. But this wasn't a movie, this was real.
Chapter 9: I'm Staying with You
"So Nickie, this is your friend Grover?" Crystal asked, eyeing him suspiciously. I nodded, and Grover waved politely. "Well it's nice to meet you, Grover." "You too," he said in the most tuned voice he had.
I nodded happily at Grover and turned to my aunt. "Crystal, may Grover sleep over for the night since its Friday?" She cocked her head a little. "This is what kids your age do?" I nodded. "Well alright then. If your mom would say yes, I'll say yes. So… yes." I thanked Crystal and gave Grover a tour around the house. When Crystal said she had some business to do with Len, we rushed upstairs and took Otis out to go to the bathroom. I asked Grover how snakes go to the bathroom, and he said I didn't want to know, so I shut up.
We put Otis back in his 'room', and sat on the top step of the stairway. "What do you want to do?" I asked. Grover stroked his chin for a while like he had a beard, which made me laugh a lot. He then dragged me outside and told me to count to ten with my eyes closed. "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9… 10!" I opened my eyes to find no Grover in site. Oh I get it, we're playing hide and seek. Time to get found, Grover Persons! I headed into the house, remembering the door creek a little. Vast emptiness filled up the house, but probably not all of it. It's hopeless, the house is too big. I'll never find him! I headed up to my room, and found the light was on. I opened the door and found- nothing. Suddenly, the door closed behind me and the lights shut off with the shades closed.
"Blackout level!" I heard a happy voice shout. I screamed, "You are so going to get it, Grover!" I straightened my arms out, carefully moving around the room. It felt like I was a zombie! A slight creek of the floorboards and I felt hands cupped around my mouth in case I was to scream. I started to talk, but it did nothing, so I tried to remove Grover's hands- nothing. He turned me around, then said, "Wouldn't it be cool if there were blackouts where everything was dark and you couldn't see a thing? There would be so many advantages!"
"What kind of advantages?" I asked curiously, but knowing what he was getting at. "This kind," he whispered, and then gently let his lips touch mine. There was one thing I was thinking in my mind; fireworks. I saw a bunch of fireworks, as if they lit up upon us. I felt magic. The true magic of love, and it was beautiful. I then pulled away, guiding him to the bed in my room. Grover had a little whimper of uncertainness.
"Don't worry," I said. "Nothing bad. And besides, we are having a sleepover, right?" Even in the dark, I could see his brilliant smile glowing in the room. We lay in the bed, falling asleep as soon as we hit the pillows, arms wrapped around each other.
Nickie woke up, and found herself cuddled into Grover's chest, which was still sleeping. She looked at the clock, finding it was 6:00 AM. Nickie untangled herself from him, stretched a little, and found a sticky note in her hair. It was from Crystal.
Dear Nickie,
I'm going to be eating breakfast with Len early today, and I see you are… busy, so I left you this note. Have a nice morning!
P.S. We're keeping the house, surprise!
From,
Crystal
Nickie couldn't believe what she had just read. She was going to keep the beautiful house! And now, Nickie and Grover could actually be together forever. Nickie lay happily back into Grover's chest, and he smiled in his sleep, somehow sensing her presence once again. Goals #1 and #2 were complete, and Goal #3 would be coming up.
