D.A.T.I.N.G.U.

Part One

His communicator buzzed as he sat in the booth of a diner. "Nigel Uno," He answered.

"Number One, this is 362. I have a request concerning the meeting of the sectors. Sector A had reasons to be absent and that would not be allowed. So the meeting has been rescheduled to next month in May."

"362, I apologize but this sounds more like a notification than a request. What's your favor?"

"Nigel, this isn't a favor. I'm just wondering if you have any plans on the weekends."

"I do, is there an adult we should be worried about?"

"O-oh no, no there isn't," her sentence began to fade until she was thrilled for another idea, "what about next week?"

"Next week? It's Kuki's birthday next week."

"Oh," she laughed softly, "Yeah, I'm so sorry. I never knew." She sighed, "Hey, what do you think about your plans for the rest of this month?"

"I hear there's plenty of adult activity beginning to rise around the neighborhood and nearby local areas and I'm sure you know what that means, 362. It means that it initiates code d.a.t.i.n.g.u. Design-Assembly-Torpedo-Never-Give-Up This code is only used for those who are readily trained for this code. Wish us luck, 362." He turned off the communicator.

"Nigel, wait!" The communicator blinked as the call had ended. "You're missing an 'i', Uno." She said as she sighed.

"Nigie! I'm so glad you're here. You wouldn't believe how much I've missed you. Oh my sweet, Nigie!" She yelled with an excited relief as she hugged him.

"Yes, yes, you're quite the ray of sunshine in my life too, Lizzie. What could I ever be without you?" He said sarcastically then drank a sip of his smoothie.

"Oh Nigie, look at you." She began to blush at her heart was overjoyed, "Gosh, you're so sweet. You even bought us a couple-smoothie."

"I . . . no. . . No, that's," he tried to stop her before she drank from the other straw. "Never mind," he grumbled.

She gave a great sigh as her mouth was quenched from the smoothie, "Mint is my favorite, but vanilla makes my tummy feel yummy too. So," She cut her statement as a question.

"So, what?" He spat.

""So how long did you wait for me, my honey bun?" She swished side to side.

"I waited plenty of hours for you. Geez, what took you so long?" He said annoyed.

"I was getting ready for you, silly." She twirled the end of her pigtails with her finger, "So?"

"What?" He looked at her clueless.

"How do I look?"

He sighed in annoyance, "Look Lizzie, I've been thinking about this for a while." She hummed with a smile plastered on her face, "I just don't think it's working out between the two of us anymore."

"Wait, what?" Her smile was now slowly fading to a frown.

His heart stung at the sight of her, "Y-yeah."

Her head lowered in dismay and sniffed, "What do you mean, Nigel?" Her voice was low and dark.

"I . . . Lizzie, don't do that. You're starting to scare me."

"What do you mean, Nigel! Are you saying you're breaking up with me?" She yelled in a tantrum as her chest heaved.

"Hey Lizzie, relax. People are starting to stare."

"I don't care!" She bellowed. "Why are you breaking up with me? Why! Why! Why!"

He breathed out as a wrinkle creased on his big forehead, "You're always chirpy, always yapping and yelling and you always make a scene, I mean look!" He reached with his arm to show others who were looking at them as he stood and slammed his palm on the table.

"I thought . . . I thought that was everything you liked about me, Nigie."

"Well . . . not anymore. This game is tiring, Lizzie. We're done." He stood from the booth, but before he left, "You can keep the smoothie. It's only five dollars."

As Number One left the booth, the server arrived with the bill and passed it to Lizzie, "I . . . I have to pay?"

"Oh, yes dear. It's . . . It's kind of a part of growing up." The server gave a forced smile.

"I . . . I HARDLY EVEN LIKE VANILLA!" She screeched like a banshee as Number One walked out the door in his natural charisma.

"Kids Next Door," He said as he entered the core of their tree house. "Kids Next Door?" He called for them.

"Oh hey, Numbah One. The gang decided a day off, y'know? No big stuff going on and Numbah Two said that it's a great time to go out for a break. Spring's heat is starting to kick in so I'm thinkin' he's right about giving Kids Next Door a break right now. What about you, Numbah One?" Number Five entered with a platter of nachos.

"Oh, a break? Yeah, a break sounds fair. So where are they?"

"They headed to the mall and decided to do their own things."

"What about you?" He asked.

"I decided to just . . . relax. I feel like I would exhaust myself goin' out there right now, maybe tomorrow. What are you going to do?"

"Yeah, I think I'm going to do the same as you. I had a long day, not so well either."

"Oh, want to talk about it?

"Not so much just broke up with, Lizzie."

"Whoa, tough blow. C'mon, we should talk about what's up." She took a leap on the couch and patted the seat next to her.

"I . . . Number Five, I really," he grumbled as he saw the inviting smile she gave him, "Fine."

"It was just getting old and I was tired of it."

"Numbah One, did you ever talk to her about this stuff?"

"Plenty of times."

She shook her hand in the air, "No, I mean fully discussed this together."

He frowned and the wrinkle formed on his forehead again, "No."

She went closer to him and comforted him as she pat his back, "Numbah One, you have to think before you act on these kinds of things. You should've talked it out with her and maybe your relationship could've been what you've always wanted."

He sighed, "But Number Five, you don't understand! I felt this rush of relief run through me when I walked out the door. You don't know how great I felt! When I walked out that door, I felt like me again! It was so great-so so great!" He exploded as he jumped from the seat.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Numbah One, calm down. You're definitely too happy to be yourself again."

"Number Five, please," he said assertively. "I am begging you."

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms as she balled her fists, "Fine," She complied and he began to walk away as he cheered as he felt freedom. "Just remember how she felt, Numbah One. I'm sure she hit rock bottom!" She yelled as he left, "Just like other girls' hearts you've broken because you can't seem to notice or understand, you big bozo," She muttered as she plopped on their couch as she continued to relax on their break.