Hey, everyone! I re-did this for a contest at the Naka-Kon! So, read, and see if you like the changes or not! (^^);
~TOSO~
Luke was grinning, Chase was wincing, Toby was unfazed, and Gill's eyebrow was twitching. This wasn't the oddest question Luke had ever asked him, but it was annoying none the less.
"Can you not see that I'm busy?" Gill said through gritted teeth, turning back to his work.
"Can you not see that you're always busy?" Luke mocked. Chase winced further as another one of Gill's veins popped, while Toby remained the same.
They were in the Waffle Island Town Hall, it was approximately 10:30 on a Saturday. The date explained why Luke wasn't working like he should be every other day, but not Toby or Chase. Gill's icy stare made its way from his work, over the counter, and onto Toby. Toby stared back cheerfully.
'Toby never really worked anyways,' Gill thought. 'Does he even have a job?' Now, all that was left was Chase. Gill locked his sights on him. Chase flinched at the sudden aggravated graze, but then straighten himself, determined not to look as scared of Gill's wrath as he really was. Gill raised his hand and slowly pointed at the orange-haired man. "Shouldn't he be working, like I am," he said to the still grinning Luke, "or did you drag him out of the kitchen?"
Luke shrugged, "It's a slow day, isn't it, Chase? Besides, Yolanda can handle herself!" Gill took that as a yes. He lowered his hand to pick up his pen, only to find it wasn't there. "So? You coming or what?"
"Give me back my pen." Luke twisted his hair around the writing implement.
"Are you coming to the hot spring with us?"
"No."
"Then, no." Gill sighed, and leaned back in his chair, rubbing the sides of his head.
"No matter," Gill muttered, "I'll simply get an-." Gone. The drawer he had just opened was empty. The drawer usually filled to the brim with pens and such was bare. Nothing. Gill gaped at the drawer.
"Now will you come with us?" Luke chirped.
"Where the hell are my pens?" Gill forced out. His anger was getting the best of him, as it usually did when Luke was within earshot.
"In Africa." Gill's head snapped up.
"They're- what?"
"There are people less fortunate than you, Gilligan." Gill was certain he looked like a fish by the way his mouth was moving.
"Elli!" He hissed, causing said girl to jump out of her chair.
"Ye-yes, Gill?" She squeaked.
"You've been awfully quite today, haven't you?" Gill glowered at the brunette as his fingers drummed lightly on the wooden counter.
Elli's eyes darted around, as if looking for all the possible escape routes. "I have?" Gill nodded. Her panic became more and more evident. "I...I, um…I…okay! I admit it! I hid the pens!" She collapsed her head into her arms and sobbed dramatically.
"Elli! I thought you were stronger than that…" Luke whined. Toby frowned.
"Did you put her up to that, Luke?" He questioned.
"Ugh! You make it sound as if I forced her," he pouted. "It was her idea!"
"Indeed it was!" Elli piped up, seemly better, "Gill, you need a break!"
"Oh, not this again," Gill groaned. "I do not!"
"Yes, you do," Elli insisted. "You've been working nonstop! Even on Sundays!"
Luke took this as his cue. "See, even Elli agrees with us!" After saying so, he lunged forward, grabbed a hold of Gill's wrists, and managed to pull him halfway over the counter before the blonde wrestled one of his hands free and used it to grab hold of the edge. He then dug his heels into the wood as much as possible, and yanked himself backwards, taking Luke with him. The blue-haired boy's face met the wooden surface of the counter, causing a yelp to escape.
"Wow, Gill," he said, rubbing his already bandaged nose once he recovered. "For someone as scrawny as you, you sure have a lot of strength!" Gill's eye twitched in response.
Suddenly, Gill felt himself being lifted off the ground, and before he could protest, he was thrown over the counter. Gill scrambled for purchase, and failed, landing on his back at the feet of the group.
"Woo hoo! Go Mayor!" The blonde looked up to see Luke cheering at who he assumed was his father. He got up as quickly as his body would allow and peered over to his workplace. Standing there, was indeed, Mayor Hamilton of Waffle Island, looking rather triumphant.
"Father! What is the meaning of this?" Gill sputtered.
"Now, Gill, these young men are right! You need a break, and some friends!" Gill only sputtered further in response. "As the Mayor and your father, I ask that you go." The fair-haired boy looked at his father, then at Elli, and finally Luke and the rest. He rotated his sore shoulder and gave in with a sigh.
"I suppose there's no helping it." Luke whooped and ran through the great wooden doors, Chase close behind. Toby stayed behind to hand him the extra towel they had brought (and to make sure that Gill wouldn't reach over the counter and strangle his father). After Gill dusted himself off, he and Toby made their way to the edge of town square, where Luke and Chase were waiting. Toby walked at a slow pace, hands slung behind his head as if it needed the extra support. Gill walked at a moderately fast pace, his back straight and head held high. However, he felt uncomfortable walking like he normally did, for it clashed with his mood. Really, he should be slouching and dragging his feet.
~TOSO~
Gill trudged along the path leading to the hot spring, all the while Luke was skipping.
"So Gilly-Gill! Any sort of love interest for ya'?" Luke sang.
"I have no time for such things," Gill scowled, blushing a bit.
Luke shrugged. "What about you, Toby," he asked. "How's Renee?"
"Renee?" Toby echoed, frowning a little. "I don't know… I haven't seen her in a while, you know?"
"Aw, come on, Toby! Don't make that face…"
"I bet she really doesn't like me like that."
"No way! She totally does!"
"You think so?"
"I know so," Luke said, "Right, Chase?"
"Of course!" Chase agreed, "Girls are just weird sometimes." Toby arched an eyebrow at this.
"How would you know that?" He inquired.
"What's that suppose to mean?" Chase said warily. Toby ignored him and turned to Luke.
"Why is he here anyways?" He said, hitching a thumb back towards Chase. "I know this is suppose to be 'male bonding', or however you put it, but I really don't swing towards that kind of bonding, you know?"
"Are you implying that I'm Gay?" Chase hissed, ceasing the group's movements.
"A little, yeah," Toby answered, at which Gill buried his head in his hands.
"What on Earth makes you think that I'm Gay?"
"Let's see…the bobby pins, for one, the girly apron, the squealing, the fact you do that little leg-pop thing when you…"
"First of all," Chase interrupted. "There is nothing wrong with my mannerism." Luke raised his eyebrows at this, but said nothing.
"So you don't deny that you-."
"Second," he continued. "There is nothing wrong with being Gay."
"So are you-."
"Thirdly," Chase said sternly. "I am not Gay."
"…Are you done?"
"Yes."
"I don't believe you."
"What?" Chase shouted. "Why not?"
"Well, the bobby pins, for one-."
"Do you want hair in your food?" Chase demanded. "They keep my hair out of my face and the food."
"Girly apron…"
"If you can find a manly apron, please show it to me."
"The squealing…"
"I do not squeal." Toby stared blankly at him, before lunging forward and pinching the cook, who let out a sudden squeak.
"You squealed," Toby stated.
"What was that for?"
"You squealed."
"Toby, I'm gonna-."
"What, are you going to punch me or something?" Toby chuckled. "With those scrawny things?"
"Oh, like you're the one to talk!" Chase shot back, "What the hell do you do all day besides nap?" Toby stopped his laughter and rolled up his sleeves. Gill removed his hands to see Toby flex his quite muscular arms.
'Is this what these guys do all day?' Gill thought. 'I'd rather be working.'
"Fish," he explained, "It takes a lot of muscle to wear 'em down!" Chase huffed, rolled up his sleeves, and flexed as well. Although he wasn't as toned as his opponent, (flipping a frying pan only gets you so far) he was still something to be reckoned with.
As the two flexed and stood on the toes, Luke looked over to Gill. He began to roll up his sleeves when Gill stopped him with a pissy look. "Don't even think about it," Gill hissed. Luke responded with a sigh.
"Hey come on, guys!" He shouted, which, in Gill's opinion, was totally unneeded, seeing as Chase and Toby were a mere meter away. None the less, the two stopped and began walking again. The atmosphere still a little tense.
~TOSO~
Angela was happy. Happy, happy, happy. Oh, so very happy. She loved this. Her day had been absolutely horrid. She couldn't even remember the last time she screwed up on so many things, so many times. But none of that mattered now, that is, until her alarm clock trilled angrily. Angela groaned and reached to the top of a nearby rock to shut the annoying contraption off. She had heard somewhere that being in a spring for long periods of time could be bad for your body. So, she had decided, just in case it was true, not to stay in the hot spring any longer than an hour per day. She was currently regretting this vow.
None the less, a promise is a promise. And Angela does not break promises (even if they are only to herself). With a sigh, she placed the alarm clock in her bag and took out a fluffy white towel.
"Shit," She muttered, "I grabbed to wrong one…" The brunette stood up and wrapped the towel around her body. 'It's a little short,' she observed, 'but I think I can manage to dry off with it.' With that thought, she began to exit the pool…only to freeze mid-step.
~TOSO~
The "Male-Bonding-Super-Fantabulous-Team-Extravaganza", as Luke called it, walked into the overhang of the spring, talking and laughing. The tense air had settled down as soon as Toby and Chase had found common ground in their dislike for a certain girl at the inn. No one bothered to check to see if the area was occupied or not, and as they rounded the bend, Luke was the first one to notice that they should've.
"Holy shi-!"
"Oh, my god!"
"Oh, jeeze!"
And in case you didn't catch that; that was Luke, Chase, and Toby, in that order. Gill's words were more akin to gibberish.
Everyone looked like they were having a difficult time breathing. Seconds ticked by endlessly. Angela was caught mid-stride, clad only in a too-short towel, dripping wet. Luke was wide-eyed and sweating. Chase was doing a horrible job covering his eyes, hands placed randomly about his face. Toby's golden orbs were quivering in shock, and Gill was shaking all over.
Suddenly, Angela screamed, causing each of the young men's heart to leap to life rather painfully, and plunged her body back into the water. Luke shouted in surprise due to the sudden movement and stumbled backwards. Chase and Gill were gone before then, leaving only Toby to break his fall.
Angela shrieked again, as the two remaining boys scrambled to their feet and darted out of view.
~TOSO~
The group panted, leaning against the rock wall, looking at each other occasionally. Gill sunk to the ground, followed shortly by Luke.
"Angela is going to hate me forever!" Luke exclaimed with what little breath he had left. Chase nodded in agreement, while Gill said nothing. After a few a moments had past, Toby stepped forwards, face still red from embarrassment.
He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Angela! We are really sorry! Really, really, really sorry!"
Chase jumped up to join in. "We didn't know you were there! Honest!" After a moment of silence, Toby spoke again.
"Angela," he said warily. "You there?"
~TOSO~
Angela's chest heaved, face flushed. 'Oh, god,' she thought, panicked. 'Please tell me that didn't just happen.' She quickly stood up, and scrambled out of the pool. The girl discarded the, now soaked, towel in exchange for clothes. After she got dressed, Angela crept down to the corner and peered around before quickly drawing back. 'They're still there,' her head screamed. 'Why? Go away, Damnit!'
~TOSO~
Thirty minutes later, neither one of the sides had moved. Angela finally had enough; she had work to do and animals to take care of. "Why are you all still here?" Angela shrilled, as she leaped out and pointed at the boys.
"We were waiting for you!" Luke yelled back, after a moment of recovery (the sudden appearance of the girl startled him a bit). "We wanted to apologize." The others nodded in agreement, mumbling apologies. Angela huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Well, I guess you guys are forgiven… as long as you promise to check next time! Like call out, or something!" The response was four nods. Angela sighed, "Well, if you guys want to get in, I'd do it now, before it gets too late."
As each boy passed Angela, they blushed, at which the dark-haired girl rolled her eyes. The towel may have been vertically challenged, but not enough so that they could've seen anything. "Have fun boys," she murmured to herself.
~TOSO~
"Oh, Angela," Kathy said when she noticed her friend. "We were just heading to the hot spring, wanna' come?" Angela pretended to ponder the idea, before shaking her head.
"Sorry, guys, I got to get back to work," she replied.
"Oh come on, Angie," Renee whined. "You are always working, why not take a break?"
"Yes, Angela, come with us," Maya added. "It can be some, um, what'cha you call it… female bonding!" Angela laughed and shook her head once again, saying her animals would be very angry with her. In defeat, the three girls waved good-bye, and commenced their travel.
"Have fun, ladies," she called after them, and then added to herself; "don't scream too loud!" She giggled and ran the rest of the way home, hoping that neither group found out what fun she had just created.
~TOSO~
So, what'cha think?