"Hey, Rico!" Marlene raced up to Rico, holding a plate of cupcakes. There were dark circles under her eyes. "I stayed up all night baking cupcakes for you! 'Cause were best friends, right? And best friends go on vacations to California together, huh? Yeah, of course they do."
Rico groaned and walked past her.
"Will you at least take the cupcakes?" Marlene called.
Rico didn't go about two feet without bumping into Julian.
"I have had Maurice make your king, which is me, a new crown. I do not need it, so I have to decided to give it you. You, Chico, are the coolest of the penguins. You have the meany, no sense of humor leader guy, the nerdy one who doesn't ever to be shutting up, and the cute guy. But you are the vomity one with a stomach of plans. That's why I'm your official best friend. And best friends go on vacations, right?"
Rico rolled his eyes and kept walking. Kowalski was there, holding the latest season of "Destruction" (Rico's favorite show) but Rico didn't even glance.
"Rico," Kowalski ran up him. "I-"
Rico pushed him away and kept walking.
Rico sat down on the couch and flicked on the TV. Private came and sat beside him.
"Best friends watch TV together." he said. "You know what else best friends do? They go on vacations to DisneyLand."
"Ugh." Private and Kowalski followed Rico around until Skipper stepped in.
"Why does Marlene keep stuffing cupcakes down our entrance hole? Rico, do you know why-"
Rico handed him the slip.
"Rico won a vacation to anywhere in the world," explained Kowalski.
"And we all wanted him to bring us along." Private said.
"Kowalski, this doesn't say he won a vacation- he won a vocation!"
"Yes, of course. Vocation- what's that?" asked Kowalski.
"It's when you go and try out another job." Skipper said. "And I'm sure none of us want that, right?"
"Well… no." Private admitted.
***
A week later, Skipper and Rico were on a cruise to Japan.
"I say we fooled them pretty good, Rico. You have to admit, that vocation idea was genius."
Rico nodded and enjoyed a glass of lemonade.
***
Fin.
~Lukos
