AN: Things go pretty fast in this chapter, so I hope I didn't forget to clarify something. If I did, let me know, preferably by PM, and I'll fix it.
After a breakfast of waffles, fresh fruit and toast the following morning, Benny dropped the Boho Kids off on a San Diego street.
"Okay, once again," he spoke to the four teens, "what were you planning on doing today? I just want to know where you're going to be, in case something happens."
"We were going to spend some time over at Seaport Village, Mr. Coffin," Zack explained. "Then after lunch, we're taking a bus over to the Birch Aquarium. We should spend the rest of the day there."
"All right," Benny nodded, passing the Boho Kids some money for bus fare and aquarium admission, along with a little extra for emergencies. "After the aquarium, take a bus back to this street corner. I'll be here to pick you up at six sharp. We'll have a quick dinner before doing that ghost tour Kris suggested. Alvin, I want you to keep your phone on and somewhere you can hear it, okay?"
"You got it," Alvin agreed, pocketing the money Benny had given them. "Have a good day, Dad."
"Stay out of trouble," Benny instructed one final time before driving off.
Hours later, Kris and Rodolfo were scoping out the merchandise at Seaport Village's sunglasses kiosk. They had already made a few purchases from some of the shops, including Crystal Palace and the Seaport Village Shell Company, and sampled a few salsas at Hot Licks, but now Rodolfo had voiced his desire to buy some new sunglasses, and had asked Kris to help him pick out a pair.
"Hey, Kris," Rodolfo began, slipping on a pair of sunglasses with black frames and silver lenses and turning to face her with a grin, looking for her opinion. "How about these?"
"Don't you think they make you look like a motorcycle cop?" Kris asked, studying the sunglasses in question. "Personally, I think you'd look better with these on." As she spoke, Kris held up a second pair of sunglasses, with a grey and black frame and blue lenses. "Despite your affinity with the color red, blue does seem to be a nice match with your hair, Brown Eyes."
"Really," Rodolfo raised his eyebrows in response.
"See for yourself," Kris suggested as Rodolfo took the sunglasses from her and placed them on his face.
As Rodolfo studied how the sunglasses Kris recommended looked in the mirror, apparently rather pleased with what he was seeing, Alvin came over to join them, carrying a bag from one of the shops.
"The Carousel Music Box Company, Alvin?" Rodolfo snickered, noting the logo on the bag.
"Yeah, I got my mom a musical trinket box," Alvin replied in an obvious 'don't start ribbing me' tone. "Anyway, you guys ready for lunch? I can just smell the Seaport Grill from here, and it's really making me hungry."
"I can eat," Kris smiled in agreement. "The map of this place says they sell ostrich burgers at the San Diego Burger Company. I haven't had a good ostrich burger in years."
"Ostrich burgers?" Alvin gaped, both shocked and disgusted.
"Don't tell me you've never had one," Kris smiled placidly.
"Never mind about the ostrich burgers," Rodolfo cut in, biting back a laugh. He'd known Kris long enough to expect her liking odd things like ostrich burgers. "Alvin, where's Zack? I thought he was with you?" Instantly, a giant smirk appeared on Alvin's face.
"Yeah, he's back that way, outside the marine art place. Using the payphone."
"Who's he talking to?" Rodolfo's eyes squinted in confusion.
"Do you have to ask?" Alvin grinned wickedly. Immediately, Rodolfo knew exactly whom Zack was speaking to, and mirrored Alvin's grin.
"Oh, you're kidding me!" Zack spoke into the phone with a big smile on his face, waving at his friends as they appeared at his side. "They're actually right outside the hotel room window?" Quickly placing his hand over the mouthpiece, he clarified what he was talking about. "Zoey says that the room she's staying at has a great view of a coastline where some Roseate Spoonbills come to feed."
"Zack, didn't you already talk to Zoey before breakfast?" Rodolfo asked, tugging on the phone wire to get his 'cousin's' attention. Zack, however, didn't acknowledge Rodolfo's observation and simply gestured for him to be quiet.
"Hi, Zoey," Kris called, raising her voice a little to try and be heard over the phone.
"Kris says 'hello,'" Zack told Zoey, to ensure his girlfriend heard Kris' greeting. Seconds later, he glanced over at Kris. "She says 'hi,' back."
"Zack come on," Alvin groaned. "We get that you miss her, but you can't spend this whole vacation talking to Zoey."
"Shhh," Zack hissed in response before going right back to talking with Zoey. "No, it's great here. You should be here now. They've even got an historical carousel here. Have you ever been on one of those?" At that moment, Rodolfo managed to yank the phone out of Zack's hands.
"Hi, Zoey, it's Rodolfo," he greeted, holding Zack back with just one hand. "Sorry for interrupting like this, but it's around lunch time where we are, so we're gonna have to steal Zack for a bit, okay? Great, have fun in Florida, and say 'hi' to your grandparents for us. Thanks. Here's Zack again." Grinning at Zack's annoyed scowl, Rodolfo handed the phone back.
"Sorry about that, Zoey," Zack continued. "I guess I better go with them before they drag me off. I'll talk to you again tomorrow, okay? Great, enjoy yourself. Love you, babe,"
"Ugh," Rodolfo gagged after Zack hung up. "'Love you?' 'Babe?'"
"Oh, like you can do better, Mr. never-had-a-girlfriend," Zack snapped, glaring at his 'cousin' in annoyance.
"Like I'm looking for one," Rodolfo fired back. "Now come on, I'm hungry, and I wanna enjoy my deep dish pizza without having to rush through it to catch the bus to the aquarium."
"Okay, okay," Zack sighed, following his friends to the Seaport Village's restaurants.
"All right, so I miscalculated the time difference when I changed my watch to California's time zone, and it's an hour behind now!" Rodolfo snapped as the four friends raced along, trying to get to the metro station in time to catch the bus to the aquarium. "It could have happened to anyone!"
"Yeah, but it didn't happen to anyone," Alvin shouted back. "It happened to you."
"Chill, you two," Zack stepped in as peacemaker as the metro station came into sight. "Fighting about it won't change anything. Besides, it looks like the bus is still there, see?" Sure enough, there was a bus sitting outside the metro station, with the driver standing outside taking a breather. Barely stopping to pay bus fare to the driver, who looked rather confused for some reason, the Boho Kids boarded the bus and selected a group of seats near the back.
"Oh, I hate stitches," Rodolfo panted, rubbing at his side.
"Perhaps you should try breathing when running," Kris suggested, resting her head against the windowpane. "At least we made it to the bus in time."
"Boy, that air conditioning feels good," Alvin sighed, closing his eyes in contentment. "Living in New York City, I sometimes forget how warm it can get in other parts of America, especially since its winter."
"It probably feels hotter than it actually is since we've been running," Zack pointed out. "Either way, I'm exhausted. We didn't even run that far at summer camp."
"Mmm-hmmm," Kris responded, looking close to falling asleep herself. "Someone wake me up when we get to the aquarium, okay?
"Yeah, me too," Rodolfo agreed leaning back in his seat, unable to keep his eyes open. However, only Zack was able to hear his friends' requests, since Alvin had already drifted off, but even the bespectacled teen was fading fast. As a result, none of them were awake when the bus began to fill up with tourists, or when the driver returned to his seat to announce that the California bus tour would continue very shortly, with the next stop being downtown Los Angeles.
AN: Hmm. Ostrich burgers. I never actually knew they existed until I was looking at the website for Seaport Village while writing this chapter. Now, I am very curious about what they taste like. (Originally, Kris was going to eat a turkey burger, but then I saw 'ostrich' burger', and I figured that was a better lunch option for an unusual character like Kris.)
