Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own any of these characters. I did, however, rent Kate for the weekend. I have to return her promptly by midnight Sunday or I face a late fee and my car turns back into a moldy pumpkin.

"Now, this weekend, I want all of you to write a five-hundred word essay about George Orwell's Animal Farm. I want each of you to choose one of the Seven Commandments of Animalism and discuss how the law was changed and developed over time and your thoughts as to why," Mr. Pomfritt commanded the class right before the bell rang. "Class...dismissed."

As soon as the last word left his mouth, everyone in the class bolted as if the room were on fire. Well, almost everyone. Dobie Gillis, Maynard G. Krebs, Kate Osborne and her cousin, Chatsworth Osborne Jr., lagged behind.

"I can't believe it," Dobie declared in annoyance. "We have to write an essay about a ridiculous novel over the weekend."

"I'm like gonna write about the little spider," Maynard said as they left the room. "I thought it was like real cute that she wrote those words in her little web. Working day and night, night and day, like with her teeny little legs and tiny little body, spinning that web, all to save that cute little-"

Dobie cut him off. "Maynard! That's Charlotte's Web!"

"I'd rather write about Charlotte's Web than the creepy book we're reading. I was even afraid to eat my strips of bacon this morning for fear they'd try to dominate me," Kate shuddered. "Chatsworth, what about you?"

"I'm terribly sorry. What were we discussing?" he asked, absent-mindedly.

"Chatsworth, what's the matter with you? You've been acting like Maynard all day," Dobie pointed out. "No offense, Maynard."

"No offense, good buddy. But yeah, Chatsy; you don't look so good. Like you ain't coming down with something, are ya?"

Kate rolled her eyes. "I bet I know. You were out playing poker with those loony pals of yours late last night, weren't you?"

"Poker?! You play poker?" Dobie cried in disbelief. "My father would kill me if he caught me playing cards for money!"

"Well, of course he would, Dobie-Doo. Because you have no current currency to speak of," Chatsworth shot back.

Dobie opened his mouth to retort, but could only muster a sad "True."

"Well, Auntie Mumsy would be none too pleased if she knew about your hobby of choice, either," Kate reminded her wealthy cousin as they walked down the stairs of the school.

"Well, on another note, I'm really glad you've decided to stay in town for a while, Kate," Dobie smiled.

"Thanks, Dobie. Me, too. I really like this town. It's charming and peaceful and Auntie Mumsy said she likes having a young female around, considering Chatsworth never keeps any females around long," Kate teased. "Anyway, I asked my parents if I could stay and they hesitantly obliged."

"Yeah, like you told me they got all misty and had all your stuff sent that same day!" Maynard added.

"I see," Dobie grimaced, watching Kate turn a bright shade of crimson.

Suddenly, a burly teenage boy with dark curly hair stepped in front of them. "Chatsworth!"

Chatsworth looked up at the boy and his eyes flew open. "Why, Lucian! Whatever brings you to this side of town?" he asked somewhat nervously.

"You know exactly why I'm here, Chatswit!" Lucian growled as another, equally muscular guy walked up beside him.

"Well, as much as I'd love to hear about it, I'm afraid I must dash off. Ta-ta!" Chatsworth replied quickly before spinning around and fleeing.

"Let's get him, Xavier!" Lucian exclaimed as they ran after him, nearly knocking Dobie and Maynard down.

"What was that all about?" Dobie asked, running a hand through his dark blond hair.

"I don't know, but something tells me it can't be like good," Maynard replied.

"No. It can't be like good at all," Kate repeated softly before they took off after Chatsworth and the two thugs chasing him. "I can cut them off at the pass!"

Dobie and Maynard followed her through the shortcut to the park, hiding and watching while she waited for Chatsworth to pass. They watched still as Kate stepped into the path of Lucian and Xavier.

"Outta the way, little girl!" Lucian yelled as he and Xavier stopped.

"You guys looking for Chatsworth? He went that way!" she told them, pointing in the opposite direction of her cousin's selected path.

"Thanks," they nodded in unison before taking off.

"Wow. Like that was quick thinking, putting them on the wrong path," Maynard told her when the coast was clear. "I wonder what they wanted so bad with Chatsworth."

"I bet it has something to do with Chats' late-night poker games," Kate guessed. "Maybe they're sore losers."

"Maybe they're sore winners," Dobie supplied.

Maynard shrugged. "Maybe they're just sore. I know I am from like all that running."