Chapter 2: Mirror

"What do you think I should wear, Maurice?" Julien was digging through his closet and drawers.

"Well, what kind of party is it?" Maurice asked. "Is it fancy dress or?"

"Psh, Maurice, please, this is a party hosted by college people." Julien said matter-of-factly. "You think they can be affording the fancy things?"

Maurice shrugged. "But it's in a mansion, right? I thought your friend was rich?"

"This is true." Julien agreed, holding up a red shirt to himself in front of his mirror. He shook his head and tossed it away. "But all of his other friends are not. So I am thinking casual."

"Sounds good." Maurice looked around the room. "Where's Mort?"

"Who is knowing?" Julien said absentmindedly as he picked up a long-sleeved grey shirt. "Perhaps he got into the fish tank again."

Maurice eyes widened at the though and he jumped up. He ran into the living room. "Mort!"

Julien held up the grey shirt and eyed it carefully. "Yes, this is the one!"

He laid it and a pair of nice dark jeans across his bed for Maurice to iron later.

He came into the living to see Maurice pulling Mort out of their giant fish aquarium.

Mort spluttered. When he saw Julien he smiled broadly. "I wanted to say hi to the fishies!"

Maurice gagged at the way he stunk now. He looked at Julien. "Yeah, I'm going to give him a bath."

Julien waved him off and went to sit on the couch while Maurice and Mort went into the bathroom. He sighed. Even with Maurice and Mort here with him, he felt lonely. The guy whose house he was going to wasn't even his friend. He didn't even know his name. He was his friend's – Stevie – friend. And even then, he wasn't very good friends with Stevie. But, no matter. There was a huge party to look forward to. Perhaps he would make a friend there.

"Left, right, left! Left, right, left!" Skipper chanted as he and his team jogged along the path of Central Park.

"Um, Skippa?" Private caught up to his superior. "People are staring. Couldn't we just have a normal jaunt in the park?"

Skipper glared back at him. "Drop back in line, solider."

Private sighed and went to the back of the line, behind Rico.

This morning they were running two miles, and were just about done. They hadn't had enough time to stretch properly as Julien had interrupted their rigid schedule, so they were feeling sore and tense after the run.

"Here, drink some water." Skipper passed out water to them from the backpack he made Kowalski wear whenever they went out for exercise.

"Actually, Skipper, what we need for the stiffness in our muscles is electrolytes and potassium." Kowalski adjusted his glasses. "So, in other words, Gatorade and bananas."

Private made a face. "I don't care for bananas."

"You heard the man, we need to refuel." Skipper said. "So we'll stop at a convenience store on the way to the laundromat."

The Penguins made it back to their apartment and gathered up their laundry bags. They went back downstairs and across the street to their parked car. Skipper drove while Kowalski took shotgun, and Rico and Private sat in the back.

Luckily, there was a convenience store right next to the laundromat. So while their clothes went through the spin cycle in the washer, they sat down in their jogging clothes to eat their bananas and drink Gatorade.

"I wonder if the party Julien is going to will be fun." Private piped up. He sipped on his blue Gatorade but only took tiny bites of the banana.

Skipper rolled his eyes. "I doubt it."

Private cocked his head. "But we've never even been to a party, Skippa."

Skipper paused drinking his red Gatorade. "Of course we have. That's what our movie nights are for."

Rico finished chugging his purple Gatorade and agreed with Skipper.

Private sighed. "But I mean a party where we meet new people and have some real fun."

Skipper laughed. "Ah, young Private. Those parties are hardly ever fun. And the one Julien is going to is no different. Trust me, nothing good or even remotely interesting will come of it."

Seven o' clock in the evening soon came, and Julien was just about finished getting ready. He buttoned up the smooth grey shirt, and looked back up into the mirror. He had combed his hair just the way he liked it. He was glad he had inherited his mother's hair, as she was French. He never cared for his father's hair, who was Malagasy, as it was a lot of work and was very hard to style. Nevertheless, he was also glad for the tan skin that came from the blend of his parent's skin tones. He thought that it suited him and contrasted nicely with his amber eyes.

"Maurice!" Julien called out just as the phone in his pocket buzzed.

"Coming, your majesty." Maurice began to walk towards Julien's room.

Julien pulled the blue phone from his pocket and saw that he had a new message. He opened it and saw that is what from Stevie.

Stevie: R u ready, bro?

Julien typed quickly on the keyboard: Totally. R u on ur way?

Maurice walked into the room. "Yes?"

Julien put his phone in his pocket. "How am I looking?"

Maurice assessed him. "You definitely look ready for a party."

"Thank you." Julien checked himself out one more time before spraying some cologne on.

Maurice wrinkled his nose. "Not so much!"

Julien looked at him like he was crazy. "What are you talking about? I am not wanting to be stinky while I dance! All of the girls will run away. And I want to see all them gal pon de floor."

Maurice rolled his eyes and muttered, "When they smell all that cologne they'll run away."

Julien's phone buzzed again.

Stevie: BRT.

"Ugh." Julien groaned and put his phone back in his pocket.

He knew that whenever Stevie told him "BRT", he actually would not "be right there". Julien knew he probably wouldn't see Stevie for at least an hour now.

"What's wrong?" Maurice asked.

"Stevie is going to be late… Again." Julien told him as he dramatically fell onto his bed. "I don't want to miss anything!"

Maurice shrugged and chuckled. "You know how these parties go. Nothing happens until halfway through the party. Things have to warm up first."

Julien nodded. "This is true. And there will be more people there to see my grand appearance. But what should I do while I wait?"

"Well, Mort and I were going to watch a movie on Netflix." Maurice suggested. "You could join us until your friend shows up if you want."

"Okay." Julien got up and went out to the living room.

Mort was lying on the floor, coloring. He looked up and smiled at Julien. "Oh, yey, you can watch the movie with us!"

"So what are we watching?" Julien asked as they settled onto the couch.

"It has to be Mort appropriate. You know how he gets when he has nightmares." Maurice said as he scrolled through their queue. "So I was thinking Disney."

Eventually, the settled on Atlantis.

"Who is Plato?" Julien asked as the quote flashed across the opening credits.

"He was a philo-" Maurice began to say.

"Shh, Maurice, that is so rude." Julien said.

"Is Atlantis real?" Mort whispered.

"Who is knowing, Mort?" Julien replied.

As the opening credits rolled through, they saw the city of Atlantis sink beneath the waves of the ocean.

"What?!" Julien exclaimed. "The movie basically ended! What the heck is supposed to be happening now?"

Maurice rolled his eyes and sighed. It was always difficult to get through any movie that included plot twists with Julien. "Just watch and see."

An hour later, as Kida became bonded to the crystal in the movie, Julien sat at the edge of his seat. "Oh my Sky Spirits, how are they going to save her? That Roarke guy was bad from the start. Come on, Milo, you have to save her!"

Suddenly Julien's phone buzzed. At first he was annoyed but then remembered it was Friday night and he was supposed to be at a party, not watching a Disney movie.

Stevie: Here, dude! Come downstairs.

Julien quickly got up off the couch, and said goodbye to Mort and Maurice. He caught a final glimpse of the TV before walking out of the door. He saw Milo was beginning to plot how to save Kida.

Julien nodded in approval. "That's what I'm talking about."

Guys, I'm having so much fun writing this. XP Thank you so much for your support!