Kowalski's POV
"Kowalski."
If this was a dream, it certainly deifes the logistics of everything I know. Why am I flying? Upside down? Ah! Watch out for the tree!
"Kowalski!"
No, Skipper! Don't take Doris' picture off my nightstand! I LOVE HER SO MUCH! DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO OR WHO TO LOVE! I AM A FREE MAN! GIVE!
A stinging on my cheek jolted me awake, and I found myself staring up into the alarmed face of Skipper. Sunlight streamed in through the wide windows, and I blinked uncomfortably in the harsh light. "...I didn't take any picture off of your nightstand..."
I cleared my throat. "Ahem. Just a dream. Ahem..." I sat up, rubbing my eyes. "Ahem." I looked around. Skipper and I were the only two in the room. "Where are Rico and Private?"
"Down at breakfast." Skipper stood up and motioned for me to follow him. He grinned. "Hannah made waffles."
I instantly was running down the stairs, accidentally crashing into the door across the hall. "Ow..."
Rico spewed waffles everywhere laughing. I sent him a glare. "I do not require your jibes this early in the morning, Rico." I said crossly, sitting down at the table and smiling up at Hannah. "Good morning."
Hannah smiled back cheerily, setting a plate of waffles on the table in front of me. "Morning!" A smoking bowl sat next to it. I eyed it with confusion.
Hannah saw me looking and sighed. "Wren attempted to pour herself a bowl of cereal...and it caught on fire. Somehow."
Wren looked up from her waffle. "I'm awesome!"
I rolled my eyes. "How does one manage to set a simply inflammable object into flames?"
"She's Wren, Kowalski. She's capable of doing a lot of ridiculous things." Hannah laughed, sitting down at the table between Wren and I. I picked up my fork and took a bite of the waffles. "Mmm!"
"You like them?" Hannah asked happily.
I nodded entheusiastically, beginning to wolf down the pancakes.
"So, Hannah and Wren," Skipper adressed the two. "What now?"
Wren raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "Well, we could..." She perked up. "Explore! C'mon, we could show you our forts, and the woods, and-"
"Forts?" Skipper asked, suddenly suspicious. I rolled my eyes. "Yes Skipper, forts. For hideouts. Not for nefarious purposes."
Wren turned her grin to Hannah. "Pleasepleasepleaseplease?" She begged.
Hannah sighed. "Gah. Fine." She stood up. "C'mon, let's go outside."
Wren's POV
"YAY!" I cheered as we set foot outside. "Ha ha! I love the outdoors!"
"You sound like you're going insane." Rico told me, walking past me.
"And you're attracting uneeded and unwanted attention." Skipper snapped at me. "Shut up."
I glared and stuck my tounge out at him. "Oh, you shut up. We're in a tiny town. There's no one here who'll attack you or-" Suddenly, a pinecone fell on my head.
Skipper and Rico sprang in front of me, fists up, looking left and right. Kowalski and Private did the same for Hannah. I looked up. "You guys, relax. It came from that tree." I pointed.
All four boys-uh, penguins?-ran and circled the tree. "All right, we know you're up there." Skipper called up the tree. "We're letting you come down now."
A few minutes passed. Hannah and I exchanged glances. Finally...a bird flew out of the tree.
Skipper and the rest walked back over to us. "Nothing to see here. Let's move along." He said, ushering Hannah and I towards the woods.
I rolled my eyes at Hannah, who snickered. "All right-y, this way to our forts." I announced, walking into the woods.
