"Darren, get your lazy butt up!"
My eyelids peeled open to reveal my two ocean-blue eyes. I sat up in my creaky excuse-of-a-bed and rubbed my eyes. Marcy stood in front of me, her hair pulled up in two long pigtails. "What the... Marcy. It's so early..."
"I know, but we can't just spend our new life here in Crispin sleeping the days away. We've got to go out and meet our new neighbors! Come on, Darren. You yourself said this would be different. You said it wouldn't be the same as it used to be, and now here you are trying to sleep 'til the moon shines. I wouldn't allow it!" she demanded, turning up her perky nose.
She was right, how could I deny it? I stepped out of bed reluctantly and quickly threw on my clothes. I wasn't going to let my little sister down like I had so many time before.
The sun was gleaming high, and wispy clouds were sparsely spread along the span of blue that we call the sky. Blades of grass at the perfect exact length were greener than green, and colorful flowers sprouted from the supple ground. It was like a paradise, an absolute utopia. But I knew better than to believe in perfection. Or so I thought I had.
Macy was convinced that we had to introduce ourselves to each and every one of our neighbors before sundown, which seemed like mission impossible to me. But I went along with it anyways, because I had to make her happy.
The first home we visited was inhabited by a grey bear named Curt. It was the first house Marcy saw, so naturally she ran up to it and knocked on the door non stop until finally it was swung open in brute fashion. "What do you wa-oh, hello there!" the bear's grumpy attitude soon turned suave as he laid eyes on my sister. "My, oh my, I've never seen a girl as cute as you, darling." he smoothly chuckled. Marcy laughed, turning as red as the beets planted in the ground. "Say, why don't you come in, girly. Introduce yourself to me." the bear smirked as he inched closer to Marcy, placing his hand against the wall next to her.
"Sounds great." I grunted, revealing myself as I stood behind Marcy. "I'm her brother, Darren." I folded my arms and puffed out my chest, trying to look masculine.
"Hm. I had a rule of no chumps in the house, but I'll let it slide this time, fuzzball." he muttered, ushering us into his humble abode.
"You have a nice home." Marcy complemented, looking around as she recovered from her blush attack.
"It looks even nicer with you in it. By the way, I'm Curt." our neighbor grinned, looking down at Marcy as a starving man looks upon a five-course meal.
"Aw, aren't you a flirt?" Marcy giggled, placing her hands on her hips. Sometimes Marcy was too open with strangers. I don't think she understood that people could be bad, she liked to think that there was good in everyone, a mindset that got her into plenty trouble. "I'm Marcy." she chimed, extending her hand for a shake. But instead Curt placed a paw around her waist and pulled her close to him.
"Save the handshakes for oafs like your brother over there." he said, nearly breathing onto Marcy's face. She had a look mixed with distress and content. I imagined Marcy enjoyed being the apple of every guy she ever met's eye, she did love attention. But perhaps she just didn't know how to say no. That left me as the only one to say it for her.
"Alright, buddy. Hands off. We're just here for a friendly introduction, alright?" I interrupted, once again lowering my voice.
"This is a friendly introduction, fuzzball. Just a bit more friendly than you've ever been introduced." he chuckled, brushing his paw through Marcy's loose hair which had been removed from it's original pigtailed style.
"Don't be rude, my brother's only trying to protect me." Marcy said sweetly, trying to wriggle out from Curt's tight hold. "Now could you... let go. You're kind of... squeezing me." Marcy gasped.
"Baby, it's only 'cause you look so squeezable."
"Okay, enough!" I stomped over to the two and pulled Marcy off of the brute. "Nice meeting 'ya, Curt. See you around!" I pulled Marcy out of the house and slammed the door shut behind us.
"Well he seemed nice." Marcy said happily.
"Yeah, real nice." I remarked sarcastically. We trudged on to meet more of our "nice" neighbors.
