Zach and Cody Martin sat in the lobby of the Tipton Hotel, located in Boston. Zach was slouched in the tan, leather armchair, while his twin named Cody sat in the identical one next to him. It was a rainy Saturday, with nothing to do. Their favorite game in the gaming room broke down, the pools were closed because of the thundering skies, their friends Max and Tapeworm were busy somewhere else, and everybody in the hotel seemed too busy to notice their boredom.
Cody sighed. "This day stinks. I wish we could just skip it and go to Monday."
"Why? What's Monday?" Zach asked his thirteen year old brother.
"It stops raining, and Max comes back from her vacation in New Jersey!" Cody said, smiling at the thought of swimming in the pools under the warm sun.
"Oh, yeah. That'll be fun." Zach replied, heaving a heavy sigh and slouching even more into his squishy chair. He also wished it were Monday, and not this sluggish Saturday.
"Hey, guys! What's up?" Maddie asked, walking over to them. She plopped herself down on the couch across from them.
"We're bored." Cody answered, looking angry.
"Oh, well, I just got off for my lunch break. Did you two eat yet?" She asked, looking at the two unfriendly looking faces.
"No. Why?" Zach asked.
"Well, I just got my pay check, and since you two look so desperately anxious to get out of the hotel, I was wondering if you wanted to go out to eat with me? I'll pay!" Maddie asked, smiling at the grins forming on their faces.
"Would we ever! Thanks Maddie!" Cody said, jumping up from his chair. "I'll go get my rain jacket, so hold on a second, okay? I'll be right back!" With that, he ran off.
Zach got up from his chair after Cody disappeared.
"Wow! Thanks for taking us, Maddie! You are so good to me!" He said, with a smile that made Maddie want to throw up.
"Okay, okay. You're welcome. Go get your rain jacket, too, Zach."
"Will do!" He obeyed, and walked casually off towards his room.
In ten minutes, the boys were ready to go, standing at the front door. Maddie held an umbrella over her head, while the twins wore big, fire engine red raincoats that their grandma had gotten them for their birthday. They hated them, but what could they do? Under their Mom's orders, they must wear them while going in the rain.
They were just about to leave for lunch, when the door flung open by some unknown guest.
It was a man that sauntered into the room. He was the strangest man Zach and Cody had ever seen. He had long, snaggly, black hair that went down to his waist. Every strand of his hair looked as if it was stuck in one, giant knot. And as for his clothes: He wore a dark blue skirt that went down to his feet and a black shirt that had huge, puffy sleeves, and it was low cut, so it showed his furry belly button. He had earrings that fell from his ears in long dangles, and they shimmered the precious gold in all directions. His eyes were dark and mysterious, and his smile was one that looked as if it was hiding something. Something scary, something horrible, something magically mystical…maybe.
"Who is he? Do we know him?" Cody asked, whispering into Maddie's ear.
"Uhhhh…no. But, gee, he sure can stand out in a crowd." Maddie answered.
The man walked over Mr. Moseby, who was flipping through a book at the front desk.
"Hello, sir." The man said to Mr. Moseby. Mr. Moseby looked up quickly from his book and glanced casually at the man, as if this person didn't look at the least peculiar.
"What can I do for you?"
"I'd like to book a room, please." Grunted this weird, wild haired man. His voice was even worse than his appearance. It was a high pitched, screechy thing, that rung everybody's ears around him.
"Um, sure thing." Mr. Moseby said, now looking at this man with the low cut shirt. He surely noticed how strange this man was.
"How many people will be accompanying you? We only have two rooms left, with only one bed."
"Only me, sir."
"And what is your name? I'll need to type it into the computer here."
"Sir Lion P. Nickel." Sir Lion P. Nickel answered.
"Okay…" Mr. Moseby said, raising his eyebrows and typing the name into his computer.
"Your room will be room 411, okay? Here are your keys." He handed over the silver, shiny keys to the man's dirty, rough hands.
"But, before you go, of course, you must pay. How long will you be staying?" Mr. Moseby asked Sir. Lion P. Nickel.
"Only a week." The scraggly man answered.
"That'll be only 700 dollars, then. Cash or credit?"
"Cash." He reached into his huge, 12 inch long pocket, and his long fingers pulled out seven hundred dollars.
Zach and Cody, still standing at the door with Maddie, looked at each other in pure amazement. This Sir. Lion P. Nickel man was walking around with 7oo dollars in his pocket! Just like that? Wow! He must be rich, then.
Mr. Moseby took the hundred dollar bills, counted them up, then let the man be on his way.
Sir. Lion P. Nickel had no luggage, just everything that was jammed into his skirt's blue pocket. He sort of limped as he walked, and as he turned his back to the boys, they noticed his back had dirt smudges all over it. There was some lime green glowing goop stuck to the back of his elbow. Gross! This man was very strange.
Maddie looked at the boys, then said to them: "Come on, I'm hungry, and my lunch break is almost over! We really have to get going."
"Where are we going to eat?" Cody asked as they walked out into the pouring rain.
"I don't know yet. We'll see. There's a ton of places to go in Boston, we just have to find one." Maddie answered as they ran down the street under the hard, slamming raindrops.
"How about we get in a taxi?" Zach said.
"Good idea." Maddie said, looking at all of the yellow cars buzzing by them.
As Maddie flagged down a bright, sunny yellow taxi, Zach noticed something. Something very strange. When Sir. Lion P. Nickel walked into the hotel, he hadn't had one speck of a rain drop plastered anywhere on his clothes, or his hair. He was dryer than dry, which is impossible for today. Today it was like a hurricane, and if he got out of a taxi to enter the hotel, even then he'd get one drop of rain on him. But, no, he was drier than a twig sitting in the sun for days.
"Come on, Zach! Get into the taxi!" Cody yelled over the thundering skies and the loud purring motor.
"Sorry…" Zach replied, jumping into the warm, dry car and slamming the door after him.
"What happened? You were just standing in the rain, and we were all waiting for you to get in." Maddie asked after she told the cab to bring the threesome downtown.
"Oh, I was just in deep thought." Zach said, feeling sort of stupid at the moment.
"That's okay. I've had that happen to me before. So, where do you two feel like eating?" She asked.
Cody and Zach just shrugged their shoulders and looked out the window into the cold, wet air.
"Well, that helps." Maddie sighed. "Thanks for the enthusiasm."