" Days with the Down Feathers"
Thanks for the reviews everyone. They were fantastic. Anyways. Here's the next chapter. Please enjoy. BTW: It may be revised, again.
Chapter 10
" Alright," Skipper groaned. " But if I die, tell my girlfriend…it's over between us."
" What girlfriend," Kowalski raised an eyebrow. " I didn't know you had a girlfriend."
" You know that fox kit, who lives in that habitat, down the sidewalk from us," Skipper questioned.
" Which fox kit," Kowalski shrugged. " There's like eight of them living there."
" You know Jewel, from our class," Skipper raised an eyebrow. " The one with the pointy ears, the reddish fur
with orange highlights, and the face of an angel?"
" Yes," Kowalski nodded his head then paused. " Oh? You're dating one of the popular girls?"
" Yes," Skipper scoffed. " And now I'm going to break up with her."
" Why," Kowalski shrugged then spoke sarcastically. " I thought you enjoyed hanging out with the popular
crowd?"
" From all that's happened today," Skipper folded his flippers then smiled. " I've realized that family is more
important than being popular."
" So, you're saying that popularity means nothing to you now," Kowalski eyed his brother as he smiled back.
" Exactly," Skipper stated then paused with a frown. " I'm sorry about yelling at you and stuff."
" It's fine, Skipper," Kowalski nodded his head then looked down at Ace. He was already starting to fall
asleep in his arms.
Skipper glanced down at the baby as well. " Man," the penguin raised an eyebrow. " How much more sleep
does a baby need?"
" Approximately thirteen hours a day, I think," Kowalski retorted.
" You think or you know," Skipper glanced up at Kowalski.
" I think," Kowalski looked over at Skipper. " Come on. We should probably take a nap, before working on our
homework. It's been a long day."
" 10:4 on that," Skipper stated then yawned. " How about you, Rico? Are you ready for a nap? Rico?"
The two elder brothers glanced around the room and found Rico asleep in his bunk. About a few minutes
later, the others waddled over and put Ace in his crib. After that, Kowalski climbed into his own bunk, leaving
Skipper behind on the floor. Skipper, who eyeballed his bunk, which was between Rico's and his parents',
attempted to climb into it, but failed. The penguin sighed then climbed into his parents' bed instead.
Unfortunately, he could not get to sleep and eventually started tossing and turning, slighting causing his leg
to burn in pain. Kowalski, who could not get to sleep either, heard Skipper moving around. He sneaked out of
his bunk and climbed into the vacant one that his brother had tried to climb into earlier. The tall penguin then
peered his head, over the edge to look at Skipper. He was turned around, facing the wall of the bunk with
one of his parents' pillows wrapped tightly in his flippers as if he were holding a teddy bear.
" Can't sleep either, huh," Kowalski whispered, causing Skipper to turn his head toward his brother.
" Yeah," Skipper whispered back. " I've never slept in here by myself before without having Momma or Daddy
around to look after us. It's quiet. Too quiet."
" I know what you mean," Kowalski sighed. " And it's kind of scary, too, if you think about it. I mean, what if a
monster or something breaks in here and kidnaps us?"
" Kowalski," Skipper raised an eyebrow. " You don't by any chance still believe in the Boogey Monster, do
you?"
" No," Kowalski squeaked then shifted his eyes from side to side before returning his gaze to Skipper. " What
makes you say that?"
" Kowalski," Skipper grunted turning the rest of his body around. " Don't make me tickle you."
" Okay," Kowalski whimpered. " I still believe in the Boogey Monster. So what?"
" Kowalski, you're an eight year old genius who's attending the sixth grade and you're telling me that you're
still afraid of the Boogey Monster," Skipper squeaked.
" Yes," Kowalski slowly stated. Soon, Skipper bursted out snort laughing, causing Kowalski to blush.
" Kowalski," the penguin stopped chuckling. " Hello? There's no such thing as the Boogey Monster."
" Yes there is," Kowalski raised his voice a little. " It's just been renamed, that's all. I believe it's called The
Dentist."
" The Dentist," Skipper raised an eyebrow, skeptically then rolled his eyes and turned around. " Okay?
Goodnight."
" But Skipper, I'm, " Kowalski stuttered.
" I said goodnight," Skipper grumbled. Kowalski sighed then sank into the bunk that he was hanging from. He
laid down on his back and stared at the ceiling. About a few seconds later, he began sobbing. Skipper heard
it then turned around. " Okay," he groaned. " What is it this time?"
" I'm afraid," Kowalski sniffled.
" Well find a way that makes you not afraid," Skipper snapped.
" I can't," Kowalski screeched as he wiped the tears out of his eyes.
" What do you mean you can't," Skipper's voice cracked.
" Whenever I'm afraid, usually Momma sings me a lullaby, reads me a story, or bunks with me," Kowalski
retorted. " Like she used to do with you when you were my age."
" Ugh," Skipper groaned, irritably. " Can't you just count sheep or recite the Periodic Table of Elements song in
your head?"
" No," Kowalski shook his head then paused. " Hey. How did you know about the Periodic Table of Elements
song? You were sick in bed that day."
" I don't know," Skipper squinted his eyes then widened them. " Oh, great spicy mustard. You're contagious."
" Not really," Kowalski rolled his eyes. " It's actually because we're related. You see? Since we are brothers,
we sometimes pick up on each other's brainwave frequencies. Unlike twins, the frequencies we pick up are
very rare."
" Wow," Skipper raised an eyebrow and smirked at him. " So, what am I thinking?"
" You're brainwaves say, I'm going to slap you into the middle of next week, if you don't stop talking to me
about this brainwave," Kowalski stopped before saying the final word then gasped. " Hey! That last word you
were thinking was very inappropriate. And it is not that. It is a fact."
" Uh-huh," Skipper stated, sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. " Whatever. Come on. Let's get some sleep
before Private wakes up."
" Okay," Kowalski slid back into the bunk. Fifteen minutes had gone by and he was still unable to sleep.
Eventually, he peered back down at Skipper. He was snoring as loud as a rocketship, taking off into space.
Kowalski took a deep breath and climbed into the bunk with him, realizing the risk that he was taking. A few
moments later, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
About ten minutes later, Skipper opened his eyes to find Kowalski right next to him. He jumped up and
smacked the top of his head on the ceiling of the bunk. " Ow," Skipper muttered to himself as he rubbed the
sore spot. Next, he leaned close to one of his brother's ears. " Kowalski." Kowalski did not respond. "
Kowalski," Skipper whispered fiercely then yelled. " Kowalski."
" Huh," Kowalski opened his eyes, followed by a snort. " What?"
" What do you think you're doing," Skipper snarled.
" I couldn't sleep," Kowalski shrugged after he sat up. " So I figured that if I crawled into the bunk with you,
I'd fall asleep in no time."
" Couldn't you have bunked with Rico, instead," Skipper growled.
" Rico wets the bed, plus he's a restless sleeper," Kowalski stated as he rubbed his right eye with his right
flipper.
" Good point," Skipper put a flipper to his beak then sighed. " Okay. You can bunk with me. Just try not to
squish my bad leg. Alright?" Kowalski nodded his head then laid back down. Skipper followed after, but chose
to face the wall. About a few minutes later, the two brothers drifted off to sleep, hoping things would become
better for them later on.
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Kowalski's afraid of the Boogey monster, which he thinks is called The Dentist? That explains a lot. Wow. Skipper has a girlfriend? That was a little unexpected. Anyways. Coming up next in Chapter 11. Find out what happens after the penguins wake up from their naps. Please stay tuned and find out more.