R&R.
"Lance, slow down," Howard said, pulling the plate of food away from Lance to keep him from scarfing it down too quickly.
"Come on, grandpa. I'm starving," he whined, trying to take the plate back, as Howard blocked him with his arm.
"I know, but I don't want you to eat it too fast," Howard said, giving the plate back to his grandson, and watching Lance eat it a lot slower than he did a second ago; because Lance managed to scarf down half of the plate in five seconds before he pulled it away from him. "Wait here, I have to go get your grandma and brother."
Hearing Lance almost choke on his food, Howard patted his grandson's back, as he coughed, and spat out the food in his mouth onto a napkin.
"Ricky's here?" he asked, as Ricky walked by behind him to let Becky out.
"Don't worry, he won't be staying long," Howard said, as Ricky came into the dining room.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, looking at Lance as he shoveled another spoonful of food into his mouth.
"Eating," he said over a mouthful of food. "So, how've you been? I haven't seen or heard from you in over two years."
"I've been around," Ricky said, getting some food. "I've become an accomplished film director."
"You directed a crappy porn film that no one wanted to see," Vivian said, coming into the dining room, and noticing the amount of food on Lance's plate because he had gotten a second plate. "Lance, did you get a second plate?"
"No..." Lance said, trying to act innocent although his face and eyes clearly said otherwise.
"I told you he was hungry," Vivian said to Howard, as Lance continued to eat.
"Why do you think I made enough to feed more than four porcupines?" he said, getting his own serving. "Oh, and Lance, one of your friends was here earlier. A platypus asking if you could come out to play."
"That was probably Artie," Lance said, trying not to laugh. Because although Artie was two years older, and a lot more mature than Lance; he would be the one ask that question if he wanted Lance to come outside. "Did he say what he wanted? Or did you scare him off?"
"You honestly think I'm going to let a stranger into my home?" Howard asked. "I may be old and forgetful sometimes. But I'm not an idiot."
"You let him in," he said, pointing at Ricky with his fork. "He's a stranger."
"Lance," Vivian scolded, looking at her grandson, and silently telling him to behave.
"Hey grandpa, did you come up with a decision on the job yet?" he asked, trying to change the subject from the matter that he just not so subtly, called Howard an idiot.
"Actually, yes. I did," Howard said, making Ricky look at him. "You'll be-"
"Wait, wait, wait. Hold on a minute. You're hiring him at the restaurant?"
"No, I'm hiring him at the catering company," Howard said, making Ricky laugh. "Is that funny, Richard?"
"Oh, he used your real name. You're in trouble," Lance said.
"Lance, eat your food," Vivian said.
"Granddad, have you even seen Lance? He's going to be like me and dad. He'll give up after a month."
"I will not," Lance said with his mouthful.
"Don't speak with your mouthful," Howard and Vivian both said before turning back to Ricky.
"And for your information, he's working the entertainment," Howard said.
"I am?" Lance asked, his mouth still full of food.
"At least for this week," he said, eating a bite of his food. "The band Nana hired bailed on her the second they heard our family name after something someone we know did last year."
"Can we please get past that?" Ricky said. "So what? I wrecked a few instruments. It's not like it's the end of the world."
"You racked up $100,000 dollars in damages because the instruments weren't the only things you broke," Howard said. "And Lance, just because I'm allowing you to do the entertainment does not mean you're doing your own songs. You're doing cover songs with your sister."
"Oh lovely," Lance said, rolling his eyes because he did not want to share the spotlight with Astrid again.
"It's just for one night, Lance. You'll live," Vivian said, getting her food.
~Meanwhile~
"Well, that was fun," Astrid said, as Mandy tried to fix her motorcycle because the brakes gave out on them, and they were miles away from the next city. "Think you can fix it?"
"Not without a mechanic," Mandy said, standing up and wiping her paws off with a bandana she had in her pocket. "What I'd like to know is how my brakes got so worn out when I just replaced them last month."
"Yeah," Astrid said, not making eye contact with the big cat because she was the reason the brakes wore down. "What a mystery that is."
"How many times do I have to tell you to stop using my motorcycle?" she said, pulling on the younger porcupine's ear.
"Ow! Knock it off!" Astrid yelled, getting the big cat's paw off of her as a truck came up the road. "Oh hey, here comes someone. Show some leg, maybe he'll pull over."
"You know, if your parents weren't paying me to keep you safe. I would so throw you in front of that truck," she said, flagging down the driver; who was a teen gorilla wearing a green shirt and leather jacket. "Hi, sorry to bother you. But my motorcycle broke down. Do you think you can give us a ride into town?"
"Sure," the gorilla said in a British accent before he got out of the truck to put her motorcycle in the back.
"Thank you so much," she said, as he lifted the bike into the bed of the truck.
"Yeah, thanks," Astrid said. "Saves us from having to wait for Triple A."
"Oh hey, looks like there's only two seats. Sorry," Mandy said, hopping into the truck, and shutting the door.
"Hey! You bitch, I can totally squeeze. Open the door!"
"I'll give you fifty dollars now if you drive off without her," she said, offering the gorilla a fifty dollar bill as he got back in.
"I'm sorry, I can't. It's kind of against my morals," he said.
"$100?"
"Still no," he said, reaching across her to let Astrid in.
"$300, and that's my final offer," she said.
"Alright," he said, taking the money, and speeding off down the road with Astrid clinging to the tailgate.
"Mandy!"
R&R.