The Meaning of Friendship
It's just another day in O-Town. Rocko was walking Spunky. He saw Filburt and walked up to him.
"Hey, Filburt," greeted Rocko.
"Hi, Rocko," Filburt greeted back.
"You okay?" asked Rocko.
"Yeah, I'm fine," replied Filburt. "Hey Rocko, can I tell you something?"
"Okay, Filburt," said Rocko. "What do you want to tell me?"
"Shall we go hang out somewhere?" questioned Filburt.
"Okay," answered Rocko. "Where and when?"
"Chewy Chicken, today at 4.30 pm," said Filburt.
"Okay, I'll be there in no time," nodded Rocko.
"Thanks, Rocko!" smiled Filburt.
Rocko and Spunky walk off. Filburt walks off the opposite direction.
--
Later, Rocko goes inside his house with Spunky.
"I've got to remember what Filburt said," Rocko thought to himself, as he took the lead off Spunky's collar. "I have to see what time it is."
Rocko looks at his watch. It reads 2.40 pm.
"Just an hour and 50 minutes left," confirmed Rocko.
Unfortunately, Rocko is wrong because, on the clock near the kitchen, it reads 3.50 pm.
--
Later, it's 4.30 pm. Rocko is watching the World Wrestling Federation on TV. He looks at his watch. It (wrongly) reads 3.20 pm.
"1 hour and 10 minutes to go," said Rocko.
--
Meanwhile, Filburt is walking out the front door of his house.
"Filburt, where are you going?" asked a voice.
It came from Filburt's wife, Dr. Hutchinson.
"I'm hanging out somewhere with Rocko," replied Filburt.
"Okay. See you later," giggled Hutch.
Filburt closed the door. He then walked all the way to Chewy Chicken. He stood against the wall.
"Just have to wait for Rocko," Filburt said to himself.
5 minutes later, Filburt is still waiting for Rocko.
"He should be there by now," Filburt wondered. "What's taking him so long?"
Another 5 minutes go by. Filburt is now tired and fuming.
"I guess Rocko's decided not to come," muttered Filburt.
Filburt stormed off.
--
Meanwhile, Rocko is playing fetch with Spunky in his backyard. Rocko throws the ball. Spunky runs up to it and picks it up.
"Come here, boy!" called Rocko.
Spunky runs up to Rocko.
"Oh Spunky, you're so good!" chuckled Rocko.
--
Later, at 4.55 pm, Rocko comes inside with Spunky. Rocko looked at his watch. It (wrongly) reads 3.45 pm.
"45 minutes to go," Rocko (wrongly) confirmed.
--
It's now 5.40 pm. Rocko is reading a newspaper. He looks at his watch. It's (wrongly) 4.30 pm. Rocko is surprised at the time on his watch.
"Uh-oh! Time to meet Filburt at Chewy Chicken," gasped Rocko.
Rocko puts down his newspaper and rushes out the door. He runs all the way to Chewy Chicken. By the time he gets there, he's all out of breath. He puts his back against the wall.
"I think Filburt's a little late," Rocko wondered to himself.
It's now 10 minutes since Rocko arrived at Chewy Chicken. Rocko is impatient.
"I don't think Filburt's late at all," muttered Rocko. "I guess he's not coming after all!"
Rocko stormed off.
--
It's now night-time at Rocko's house. Rocko went into bed.
"It's not fair!" Rocko growled. "Why didn't he show up at all?!"
Rocko fell asleep in a angry manner.
--
Later, at daytime the next day, Rocko came out of his house in a bad mood. He was getting his mail from the mailbox.
"Hey, Rocko!" yelled a voice.
Rocko turned around. It was Filburt. And he's not very happy at all.
"Why didn't you show up yesterday?!" shouted Filburt.
"And why didn't you show up yesterday?!" asked Rocko, angrily.
"Maybe I had other stuff to do!!" replied Filburt.
"Maybe I wasn't bothered!!" Rocko screamed at the top of his lungs. "Now shut up!"
"No, you shut up, mouse!" Filburt mocked back.
"If you're gonna call me that!" Rocko screeched, as tears filled up in his eyes. "Then I'm not being your friend anymore!"
Rocko stormed into his house. Filburt was really ticked off.
"Alright, fine! I won't be yours either!" squawked Filburt.
Filburt stormed off.
--
Meanwhile, Heffer was skipping happily on the pavement.
"Rocko's house, here I come," said Heffer.
He stopped when he saw Filburt.
"Hey, Filburt!" cheered Heffer.
"Not right now," mumbled Filburt, as he angrily went past Heffer.
"What's up with Filburt?" wondered Heffer.
--
Meanwhile, Ai was walking by herself.
"Hey, Ai!" called Heffer.
"Konnichiwa Heffer-chan," greeted Ai as she walked up to Heffer. "Are you having a good day?"
"Yeah!" replied Heffer. "Except that Filburt walked past me in a bad mood."
"I think he had an argument with Rocko-chan," confirmed Ai. "Because I heard their voices shouting."
"Maybe you should go talk to Rocko," said Heffer.
"I think I should," replied Ai. "Let's go to Rocko-chan's house."
Ai and Heffer walked off.
--
Meanwhile, Rocko was lying on a cushion on his couch, sniffling and weeping. He had tears running down from his eyes.
"Why did this have to happen?" he sobbed. "Why, oh why? It just isn't fair."
He continued sniffling.
"Rocko-chan!" called Ai's voice as she knocked on Rocko's front door. "Can I come in?"
"Okay," replied Rocko, as he sat up.
Ai came inside and sat down next to Rocko.
"Did you have an argument with Filburt-chan?" asked Ai.
"Yes," answered Rocko, as he shed more tears than before. "And I'm not being his friend anymore because he didn't show up at where I was yesterday." He lets out a sniffle. "And he called me a mouse."
Ai gave a sniffling Rocko a hug.
"Oh. What time did you have to be there?" questioned Ai.
"4.30 pm," Rocko told back.
"Um, Rocko-chan, I think your watch's wrong," said Ai.
"What do you mean, Ai?" asked Rocko, as he stopped crying and dried his eyes.
"It's now 8.30 am," explained Ai. "But on your watch, it says 7.20 am."
Rocko looks at the clock near the kitchen. Then he looks at his watch. Ai is right.
"You're right," gasped Rocko. "I must've went out at 5.40 pm when I thought it was 4.30 pm. I have to change the time on my watch."
Rocko changes his watch from 7.20 am to 8.30 am.
"There. That's better," confirmed Rocko.
"Do you want to go to Filburt-chan's house?" asked Ai. "So you can apologise to Filburt-chan?"
"Well, okay," replied Rocko.
Rocko went outside of his house and started walking on the pavement to Filburt's house. Ai came out of Rocko's house and walked up to Heffer.
"How did it go?" asked Heffer.
"It went well," replied Ai. "Rocko-chan's going over to Filburt-chan's house to apologise."
"Oh good!" giggled Heffer.
--
Meanwhile, Filburt was sitting on the swing in distress outside his house. He saw Rocko walking up to him.
"Oh, hey Rocko," lamented Filburt.
"Filburt, I just want to say," explained Rocko. "I'm sorry I was mad at you. It's just that my watch was wrong and I went out at 5.40 pm by accident."
"You really think so?" questioned Filburt.
Rocko nodded.
"Well, I'm sorry I called you a mouse," sighed Filburt. "I didn't really mean it."
"So, are we friends again?" asked Rocko.
"Yes," replied Filburt. "How about we go to Chewy Chicken to make up for it? And don't forget to bring Heffer and Ai along with us."
"Okay, Filburt," answered Rocko.
Rocko ran back to Ai and Heffer with Filburt.
"How did it go?" asked Heffer.
"Me and Filburt are friends again," replied Rocko. "He's asking me to go to Chewy Chicken to make up for it. And he's asking me to bring you and Ai along. Do you want to come?"
"Okay," answered Heffer and Ai.
Rocko, Heffer and Ai all went to Chewy Chicken with Filburt.
THE END