37: Payback
Big sits at his desk. He waits, his preparations already set. It took forever, but he managed to get Vanilla to agree to come to the appointment she canceled yesterday. He was unsuccessful with getting anyone else to come to an appointment today, but he was still satisfied in the end. One will be enough.
Sonic walks in, heading for his office like a breeze. He waves and responds to Big's, "Morning," with one of his own. Then he stops outside his office as Tails sits in the seat closest to the wall. "No Froggy today?" He asks with a quick look around.
Big nods. "Better that Froggy stay in the swamp today." With a glance at Tails, Sonic nods understandingly. But Big knows that Sonic does not understand. With a smile, he shoos the hedgehog into his office. When the door has closed behind Sonic, Big turns to Tails. Some things Froggy is not meant to see.
"So where does Amy usually sit," Tails asks as though there is no enmity between them.
Instead of answering, Big asks, "Would you like to listen to a song?"
Tails shrugs. "Sure. Now about Amy—" He falls silent and his eyes widen. A happy jingle, wrapped in sugary sweetness wraps around him. "Turn that off!"
Big, however, sings along. "What's that behind the counter, smelling all so sweet? What's that I can't look away from, looking all so yum? Why it's Tasty Stuff. Come 'n get some! "
Tails covers his ears and shakes his head. "I'm gonna tell Sonic on you," he threatens, mouth salivating.
"Go ahead," Big taunts, then starts singing as the song replays.
Not one for empty threats, Tails jumps to his feet and dashes across the floor, pushing Sonic's office door open. "Sonic! Sonic! Big's messing with me!"
Sonic's head rips left, right, then up. Coming out of his focus on Vanilla's file, he dumbly asks, "Who? What?"
"It's Big! He's messing with me." Tails rushes for Sonic and grabs his arm. He pulls him to the door. "He's playing Tasty Stuff's jingle and won't stop."
Sonic stumbles out the door after Tails…to find Big engaged on the phone. "Are you sure you won't need to reschedule you're appointment, Mighty?" Sonic looks down at Tails and frowns.
"But he was," Tails insists.
Sonic sighs. "Tails, this is exactly why you can't be left on your own anymore. Now I expect you to act more maturely while I'm at work, and to leave Big alone." He lowers his voice. "He's still upset about what you did to Froggy." Then turning, he walks back into his office and shuts the door behind him.
Tails glares up at Big. Big, setting the phone in its cradle, looks down and smiles.