Calvin carried his new toys upstairs grumpily. Seriously? A doll? There had been some other toys in the bottom of the box: a few cars, some blocks, and a couple old books, but nothing interesting.

At the top of the stairs he stopped to awkwardly shift the doll over to his other arm. It was a pretty big doll. It was just as big as Calvin, and was probably not even that much smaller than Hobbes! The doll was made out of cloth, with a painted on face and golden yarn curls. She wore a simple old fashioned dress and brown leather shoes. She might have been called a ragdoll, but that didn't really suit her. She was somehow prettier, more realistic, though still fabric.

Calvin had reached his room. He opened the door and was pounced on by Hobbes. The wind gushed out of Calvin's lungs, and the toys scattered everywhere.

"Calvin, be careful!" he heard his mom yell.

Before Calvin had caught his breath Hobbes started talking.

"Hey there, good to see you! Brought any snacks for me?"

By then Calvin had caught his breath enough to speak, and he yelled at Hobbes,

"You nincompoop! What were you doing, attacking me like that? I wasn't even coming back from school! Are you just going to do that any old time I come up the stairs now?"

Hobbes just grinned and didn't respond. Just then he caught sight of the doll. She was picking herself up off the floor, and brushing her clothes off. Her yarn curls were now real curls, and they bobbed around as she moved.

Hobbes extracted himself from the Calvin-toy puddle and went over to greet her. He bowed a low dramatic bow, and offered her his hand. She gladly took it. It was more than Calvin could take and he burst out again,

"You fishhead! What are you, some sort of gentleman?"

The doll looked surprised, but Hobbes just turned to Calvin and stuck his tongue out. He escorted her into Calvin's room, saying something that sounded like: "Excuse me for a moment while I talk to my rude friend." He then left the doll in the room, closed the door, and turned to Calvin.

"Wooooh-wooooh! Where'd you get the hot babe?"

Calvin scowled at him.

"Hot babe? What are you, crazy? She's just some stupid doll my aunt gave me!"

Hobbes turned up his nose.

"That's not a very nice thing to say! I'm sure she's every bit as intelligent and beautiful as she looks." He grinned. "But seriously, where'd you get her? From your aunt? What was such a lovely young lady doing with an old hag like her?"

Calvin was still scowling.

"I don't know! She just kicked the bucket, and there was some sort of note saying I could have the stupid doll!"

"Tsk tsk," tutted Hobbes, "You really shouldn't refer to ladies like that."

His eyes lit up.

"Hey, should we go and meet her?"

He rushed into the room before Calvin could argue otherwise.

Once in the room, Hobbes re-assumed his elegant air. He introduced himself and Calvin.

"Good afternoon, miss. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Hobbes, and this is my friend, Calvin."

She looked up at them with deep blue eyes from where she was sitting on Calvin's bed. She blinked, once, twice, then answered,

"My name is Caroline. It's a pleasure to meet you."

She had a soft, almost southern accent, though it might have just been the way she sounded right then.

Hobbes looked extremely satisfied, and Calvin's evaluation of the situation grew ever worse. Hobbes and a pretty girl. Oh great. This was going to get messy.


Sorry it took me so long to update such a short amount. I'm kind of doing this story in little bursts. What was especially ridiculous was that I actually had this written a long time ago, I just didn't get around to posting it. Oh well. It's here now!