Happy New Year, everyone! I am soooooo very sorry about my lack of updates. I've been preoccupied with schoolwork and my new animated series on Youtube, Mario and Luigi: Plan Z (any fans of SMBZ and MSBAF, check it out!)! But I hope this chapter will make up for it, since it's almost twice as long as the last! Once again I'm very sorry for leaving you guys cliffhanged so early in the story! But, anyways...
Without further ado, I present to you...Chapter Two of Carnival Struck Barnyard! (A/N: There are a couple of scenes with some romance between two certain cows!) Enjoy!
Chapter 2: What's the Catch?
Otis had just read what was on the blue paper and a wide grin spread across his face, mind whirling with a bunch of choices for costume disguises, that he was planning on wearing to the carnival.
"Thanks, Badger!" he said, waving goodbye to the gopher, as Otis made his way back to his friends.
Duke had already left for some strange reason, but Otis didn't ask, since he rarely came with them on outings, anyways. As the gang saw Otis approaching, they were all very curious of the blue paper that was in his right hoof.
"Is that what came in the mail, Otis?" Peck asked, pointing at the paper.
"Yep!" he replied. "Get your costumes together guys, we're going to a carnival!"
"Really?" Abby shouted, happily. "I love carnivals! Veronica and I used to go to carnivals all the time! We played all the games, went on all the rides, won lots of prizes!"
Abby then sighed sadly and her ears drooped, showing that she was sad. "But me and Veronica can't do anything anymore since she's changed."
Veronica was Abby's cousin, a light brown she-cow with "natural-good looks" according to Otis and friends. She manipulated Otis and the gang (minus Abby and Bessy of course) to dig up some gems from the barnyard's diamond mine, since they were practically 'under her spell'. In the end, Peck and Freddy had managed to grab a giant diamond before the gang saved them from becoming crushed under the collapsing mine.
When Abby said that Veronica had put aside her petty, selfish ways to save Peck and Freddy, Veronica had proved her wrong by snatching the diamond from Peck and saying, "I risked my life to save this giant diamond! And now that I have it, so long losers!"
She had run off into the distance while shouting the last sentence. She was never seen since then.
"Oh, come on, Abby," Otis reassured, wrapping one arm around her shoulders. "Didn't someone once tell me: this time you have something you didn't have then?"
"Yeah, Abby, you have all of us to go to the carnival with," Pip chimed in, from a position on top of Pig's head, referring to Otis, himself, Freddy, Peck, and Pig. They all agreed.
"You're right, guys," Abby replied feeling reassured. "Thanks."
There was a brief silence and everyone turned to Otis and Abby. This confused them, Otis being the most confused.
"What?"
Then he noticed that his arm was still wrapped softly around Abby's shoulders. Abby caught on as well and blushed a slight shade of pink, though it was barely visible because of her natural red cheek color. Otis quickly, but carefully removed his arm from around Abby and looked at his friends, who looked fit to explode from laughter.
"Something funny?" Otis asked them, in a slightly annoyed tone.
He knew where this was going. If he showed any sort of physical or verbal affection towards Abby, Pip, Freddy, Peck, and Pig automatically say that he likes her and start teasing him.
"Oh, no, nothing's funny!" Pip said, while still barely being able to keep himself from laughing. "Only, you should've seen your face when you realized you were still hugging Abby!"
He teasingly raised his brows up and down at Otis, while looking in Abby's direction, then back to Otis.
"Ooh, Abby, Otis likes you!" Pig chimed in.
"Otis and Abby sitting in a-" Freddy sing-songed.
"Don't even go there!" Otis threatened, glaring at Freddy.
That was the boiling point: Pip and the others burst out laughing, falling down in the process. Only Otis and Abby remained standing up.
"Hey, guys can we please get back to reality here!" Otis shouted. "We gotta go- to the carniv-al- here in Ode'- let's go."
They continued laughing, as if they were practically ignoring him. This was really starting to tick Otis off.
"Well maybe they have a point, Otis," Abby said, almost teasingly.
Freddy, Peck, Pip, and Pig literally stopped in their tracks and stopped laughing, staring directly at Abby.
"What?" Peck asked.
"We have a point?" Freddy added.
"You can't be serious, Abby!" Otis shrieked. "Every time that there is a hint of us acting nice to each other, they automatically say that we like each other!"
"Well you did just hug me," Abby pointed out.
"That's not hugging, placing an arm around someone's shoulders is only a friendly gesture towards a buddy!" Otis defended. "It's hugging when you actually wrap your arms around the other animal's waist, like so."
Without thinking, Otis slowly wrapped his arms around Abby's waist and pulled her into a gentle and warm embrace, causing the girl cow to blush, furiously. She was about to hug him back, when she quickly realized they were still in front of their friends. Abby reluctantly broke the hug, and she could've swore she saw a tinge of pink on Otis's cheek.
"There's your proof!" Abby teased, trying her best to hide her own blushing. "You used that excuse just so you could hug me! Otis, you are so shallow!"
"I am not!" Otis replied. "I was only proving a point!"
"Just admit it, Otis, you like me!" Abby provoked.
"No, I don't!" Otis insisted.
"Otis likes me, Otis likes me!" Abby sing-songed.
By this point, Otis had folded his arms against his chest and turned his head away nonchalantly, barely hiding his blushing. "No, I don't!"
"Yes you do!" Abby continued.
"Oh that's real mature, Abby," Otis remarked, turning his head back towards Abby.
"Then explain why you wanted to pull me into a warm hug!" Abby exclaimed.
"Oh, so you thought it was warm!" Otis shot back, teasingly.
"No, I-" Abby started.
"You just said it was warm!" Otis returned.
"That doesn't mean anything!" Abby cried, trying to cover up her own words. "YOU hugged ME!"
The others just sat on the grassy ground, a short distance in front of the arguing duo, enjoying the show. The two bovines constantly accused the other of liking them, only to have the other cover themself up with another retort, and vice-versa.
"This is much better than theaters!" Pig whispered to Pip (whom was on top of his head) and Freddy.
Peck had noticed the paper Otis was holding before had dropped on the ground beside the occupied cow.
'Even though carnivals are usually free, something still doesn't feel right.' Peck thought. 'Especially knowing how bad Otis is at noticing loopholes in flyers.'
Flashback Begins (Episode-Little Otis)
It was a sunny day at the at the barnyard and a truck had just drove off from the barn's entrance, leaving behind a tall, wooden crate with the word FRAGILE written on the sides in red. As soon as the truck left, Otis peered from the barn's door.
Seeing that the ghost was clear, he frolically ran outside with his arms in the air, shouting, "My new clone is here, my new clone is here!"
He stopped on the crate's side and pressed his ear (well, body, rather..) against the crate, inspecting it.
Abby walked into the scene and asked, "Otis, what are you talkin' about?"
"I'll show you what I'm talkin' about!" he replied turning towards her.
The others had already gathered around out of curiousity.
"Gentle citizens of the barnyard," Otis began, walking around the crate. "-And Bessy. I present to you-"
Otis flipped the front lid of the crate down, revealing a bunch of purplish foam pieces.
"Huh?" Otis wondered, walking in front of the opening. "He's gotta be in here somewhere."
He dug through the pile of foam pieces, to no avail. Otis sat down beside the pile of foam.
"This chews! Where's my atonishingly life-like clone?"
Just then a calf, the spinning image of Otis (only a foot tall!), burst out of the clutter.
"Hey people! What's happenin'? Where's the party? Forget I asked, the party's right here! Woo hoo!"
The clone started to dance around in place, chanting something about dancing. Abby and the rest burst out laughing.
"That isn't me!" Otis protested, grabbing tape measure out of seemingly nowhere. "He's like a foot tall!" he said, measuring him.
"He-hey, what's this?" Abby asked(she had just stopped laughing), grabbing a sheet of paper that was on the side of the crate.
She held a magnifying glass upon some fine print, reading:
"CLONES NOT ACTUAL SIZE."
The crowd laughed while Otis sighed to himself, "Oh, milk me."
End of Flashback
Peck carefully scattered towards the paper, picked it up with his feathery hand, and took it back towards the gang, who were busy watching the 'show'. Peck sat down and read the flyer carefully.
"It's the Annual Oedeville Free Carnival! Come on down to a good time at a carnival-experience that you won't soon forget! NOTE: Even though carnivals are usually free-"
Typical. Peck thought.
"there is an admittance fee of five dollars per person. BUT, if you have a cute couple with a group of up to three to four friends, you can get in for free! So come have yourselves a good time and win lots of prizes for yourself, friends, or that special someone!"
That's it. Peck had read enough.
"I knew it!" he said to himself, a little too loud.
"What was that, Peck?" Freddy asked, turning towards Peck, who was already walking towards Otis.
"And I'm telling you that Pig has a soft spot for unicorns!" Otis retorted.
"Hey!" a voice could be heard from a few feet away. Pig.
"And what's that have to do with you likin' me?" Abby demanded.
"If you can't see it, I think we're done here!" Otis replied. "C'mon, everyone, it's carnival ti-"
"Otis, Otis!" Peck cried, waving the blue flyer in his hand, as he came up to him. "There's something really important you missed on the flyer!"
"AGAIN?" Otis cried.
"Hmph, why am I not surprised?" Abby chuckled, arms folded against her chest.
"Dude, seriously, you're not good at this!" Pip added, as the 'audience' joined the three.
Peck held the flyer up for Otis to get it.
"Gimme that!" Otis gently took the flyer from Peck's hand, and inspected it. "What'd I miss this time?"
After reading what he had missed (basically the whole flyer), Otis hung his head low in despair and let go of the paper, letting it slowly descend towards the ground.
"Oh."
Pip jumped off of Pig's head, landing softly on the ground, under the flyer's landing radius.
"What is it?" he asked, holding his hands up to catch the flyer, but he ended up getting smothered instead! However, invisible to everyone else, he could still read the paper, especially the part.
"BUT, if you have a cute couple with a group of up to three to four friends, you can get in for free..." he read.
Pip jumped from under the paper and now stood on top of it.
"Ohhh, I get it now!" Pip declared, getting a mischievious smile.
The others did the same, and they all turned to Otis and Abby. The bovines looked at them with their smiles, then at each other, slightly blushing, realizing where this was going. Otis was the first to protest.
"NO! No, I'm not doing it, case closed!"
"Aw, come on, man!" Pip argued, climbing up Otis's side until he reached a position on his shoulder. "If you don't be Abby's pretend-boyfriend, we'll never get into that carnival!"
"Name one reason why I should," Otis insisted.
"One, you like her, and two, WE HAVE NO MONEY!" Pip shouted.
"For the last time, I don't like Abby, and we could SO make some money selling some of Pig's famous truffle pies, right Pig?" Otis asked.
"Oh, I, uh, heh-heh, funny story, actually." Pig chuckled, nervously. "I sorta lost the recipe, heh, sorry!"
"YOU LOST THE-Oh, milk me." Otis sighed.
"Oh, come on, Otis," Abby pleaded, hugging his left arm. "It'd be so much fun! I haven't been to a carnival in years!"
"But, Abby!" Otis pleaded.
Abby snuggled closer to Otis and gave the biggest and most innocent puppy-dog eyes she could give him.
"Pleeeeaaassse?" she begged.
Otis looked into Abby's cute puppy-dog eyes and almost melted. He could never resist Abby's puppy-dog eyes because they made her look so cute and adorable. It was like she could manipulate him at will, but she was no Veronica. Abby was much nicer, inside and out, but how could he go through with this?
'Oh, cud, I'm stuck!' Otis thought. 'But, those eyes, they make her look so innocent and helpless! Oh, what the heck. What's the worst that could happen?'
"Okay, okay, I'll do it!" Otis gave in, but it was worth it, considering Abby's reaction.
"Oh, thank you, Otis!" Abby squealed, wrapping her arms around his waist, embracing Otis into a very soft hug.
Otis tried his hardest to not look like he was enjoying it, but he couldn't help it. His cheeks turned a very dark, visible red as he heavily blushed.
'She's so soft and warm!' Otis thought. 'This may turn out well after all.'
He almost hugged Abby back when he realized Pip was still on his shoulder, smiling at him. This made Otis very uncomfortable, especially considering the fact that his crush was giving him an affectionate bear-hug.
"Okay, guys, now that that's outta the way, to the costume disguise hut! We've got a carnival to-!" Otis declared, but something still felt soft around him.
"Uhh, Abby?" Otis asked.
Upon hearing Otis's voice, Abby was brought back to reality. She realized she was still firmly hugging Otis, and she quickly let go, blushing.
"Sorry," she half-heartedly apologized.
"Okay, everyone, let's go get 'costumized'! We've got a carnival to go to!" Otis finished, and the group of six raced inside the barn to prepare for a whole day of friends, fun, and possibly romance.
Oooooh, looks like Otis and Abby are having a hard time keeping their feelings for each other under control! But the real adventure is just beginning: next time on 'Carnival-Struck Barnyard': "A Plan to Get Past the Man"! What plan will Otis come up with this time to ensure that him and the gang get into the carnival? What about Otis and Abby's fake coupling? Will him and Abby have to do anything convincing? Be sure to rate, review, and remember the story!
A/N: Let me know if you think I'm keeping everyone in character. I want to say I have knack at these things, but this is my first story, and I want you guys' opinions! Well, next up is the carnival, guys. Stay tuned!
RhettMaster29471
-Until next time!