Chapter 2: Room and Bloated

After that narrow escape both CJ and Ronnie Ann ran down the fire escape until finally reaching the bottom with Ronnie Ann twisting, hopping, sliding down the fire escape like she was in a parkour video online, ending with Ronnie Ann flipping from the escape onto the sidewalk in a triple somersault type of style below without breaking a sweat with CJ quickly getting down by the ladder. After a bit on the sidewalk after breathing in deeply, CJ shaking and tearing up with extreme emotion before jumping on the surprised Ronnie Ann as their tackled to the ground quickly hugs tackling her on the ground sobbing into her hoodie saying "Thank you!" to her which she smiles patting him on the back awkwardly saying while getting her breath back from his sudden tackle "Your welcome cousin. It's okay, Your safe, no need to cry. It's all okay CJ."

Then after breaking the hug and getting up after a few minutes pass, CJ even though stop crying starts to freak out a bit, pacing around whispers to himself as Ronnie Ann after dusting herself off, breathes a sigh in relief after standing back up at the escape they did with avoiding her mom, she looks over at CJ and walks over to him. "It's okay CJ. We're okay, we're safe now so we gotta just take a breath and clam down a bit okay? I'll do whatever it takes to help you avoid the doctors okay." Ronnie Ann said as she grasp CJ's face and giving him assuring smile. Tightly grabbing his face cheeks feels like squeezing a frim inflated balloon she noted.

"Look all we got to do now is avoid my mom and we'll be fine." She explains to CJ who's breathing in and out to calm himself before he asks her "B-but… What about your mom looking for us…or rather me?" Ronnie Ann smiles at him determined like as she spoke "Well I'll just protect ya from her… I promise." After letting go of his face Ronnie Ann paces the sidewalk a bit in thought of what to do next as CJ closely mirrored her. She would mumble to herself a bit before Ronnie Ann stopped looking at the alley near the apartment building with a grin. Quickly she grabs CJ's arm as she lightly drag/walks him to the alley as he stutters a bit "Where are we going!? What's going on?! He asks as they enter the alley as she speaks "Don't worry I have an idea on who can help us out." After entering they meet up with another cousin/brother of them there, Carl Casagrande who gives them some info on some people to help them out after Ronnie Ann explained the situation to him.

"Hmmm… I got what ya need, I know some kids here that'll help ya out. Their location is somewhere around." He said pointed in the direction the kids that can help them out are, Ronnie Ann smiled and nodded and she and CJ went in that direction. "Hey you own me a down payment on that info!" Carl yelled as they left before CJ looked at Ronnie Ann curious and nervous asking "Seriously what's going on? Who are we meeting?" As Ronnie Ann smiled at him saying "You'll know soon enough. It's just some kids that can help us out. Plus I'm sure their friendly so you'll be fine." She said as they followed the directions to find these kids that would help them.

CJ and Ronnie Ann after walking a few blocks from the ally find the place where the kids that could them are housed. Thought it wasn't what they expect as they step cautiously forward to a plan box like building for using the bathroom in at camp grounds, bus stops and such near a old basketball court with a fenced off court, faded chalk white lines and rusty posts to slam dunk in. Ronnie Ann walked up to the door to the bathroom and carefully knocks on the door with her cousin by her side knocking in-tandem with her, after a few seconds the door peeked a crack open with a young girl peeking out at them.

"Um, I'm Ronnie Ann and this CJ, where here for your help. Could you let us in?" Ronnie Ann asked as the girl shakes her head at her. "Your gonna have to come in through the side window… the doors stuck." She stated matter of factly jiggling the door that barely moved to prove her point. She sticks out an arm out to point at the window a little be away to the door. Ronnie Ann nods at her as she and CJ walk to the side of the building seeing a window of the level one tall building with a ladder leaning on it.

"Hmmm simple enough, please the ladder isn't too big." Ronnie Ann muses to herself with a shrug as she climbs up the ladder and gesturing to CJ to climb up after her. "Come on CJ!" She said as she jumps through the window and into the room. She looks up to see CJ quickly climbing up on the ladder and tries to get through the window but much to his and Ronnie Ann dismay he gets stuck in it, like earlier today. "Aggah! Not again!" Ronnie Ann groaned in annoyance as she started to pull on CJ's arms, his body stretching with each tugging she did as his lower half started to wiggle to side to side a bit, his legs kicking in the air and thrashed a bit, like twist and move about like a wild noddle.

"I'm sorry Ronnie Ann for getting stuck again… I really shouldn't have eaten too much cuz I'm I'm fat and stuck in a window causing ya a lot of trouble! I'm so sorry." CJ bemoans to Ronnie Ann while she pulls on him more and out, then after pulling for a few minutes CJ launches outta the window and crashes into the room and on top of Ronnie Ann after her pulling one last time with all her might. "Ah… should have seen this coming…" Ronnie Ann moans a bit pulling herself out from under CJ who hangs his head down in shame. "I'm sorry for crushing you…" he said sadly as Ronnie Ann got up from under him and started to dust herself off. A cough was heard as they turned to see 4 kids staring at them curiously.

One was a boy about Luna's age of 14 that was fat, big type as Fat Albert, with boyishly short black hair, brown tan skin tone, wearing a black t shirt with a messy designed skull on the chest with dark blue shorts, brown beat up sandals and a black wristwatch on his right hand. Another was a girl that spiked to them who had dirty blonde hair tied in a high ponytail, white skin tone and frecklely, wearing pink baggy overalls, blue shirt and red sneakers on. Another gal of the group had dark brown skin, sandy brown hair done up in a sight side pigtail and long eyelaces and pink lipsticked plump lips, wearing a simple white summer dress with not sleeves, light blue sandals and a golden string necklace with a locket on the end of it with sliver finish on the edges of it. Last kid in the group was a guy that was a short guy with a blue baseball cap that's backwards, shaggy short brown hair, pale white skin tone and some crooked and missing teeth, wearing a green tank top, long dark green baggy pants and black boots. The last boy being 10, the girl being 12 and the other girl being 11 years of age.

"Who are you?" One girl asked as Ronnie Ann was about to anwser her but the short boy spoke up looking at her and CJ with suspicion. "Why are you here? Who sent you?! And why?" He asked as Ronnie Ann looked over at him to speak up in answer the other bigger boy looks at CJ as the boy in question shakes in nervousness "Are you with someone with know or are just here to go to the bathroom?" He asked with an intense curious glare. Many other question chattered out between the kids making Ronnie Ann shake in annoyance at being ignored and not being allowed to speak as her cousin CJ just shook nervously at their Constant questioning.

"Alright! That's enough!" Ronnie Ann shouted getting the kids to stop their chatter as after taking a few calming breathes she spoke to them again "Look we need your help, I'm Ronnie Ann and this is my cousin CJ. We need your help with getting away from going doctor so…" she was interrupted when one of the boys spoke up curiously "Wait. So you avoiding the doctors like us?" He asked as Ronnie Ann nodded at him "Yeah, we're avoiding the doctors like you guys apparently. I would ask though why cuz I kinda not seeing you having much health problems to warrant going to the doctors from you guys in my opinion?" She asked as the group looked at each other and whispered to each other until one of them step forward, one of the boys as one asked her.

"Could you tell us more of why your avoiding the doctors?" Ronnie Ann looks at CJ who looks nervous but after some calming breathes he smiles as he steps forward to tell his reason for avoiding the doctors. "Well I want to avoid the doctors, my cousin Ronnie Ann is helping me to do so. I'm avoiding going to the doctors cuz I well they freak me out, but my family wants me to go to the doctors cuz I gain a lot of weight after eating at lot at a buffet." He explained rubbing the back of his head. The others look at him with understanding of his plate as Ronnie Ann spoke up towards them.

"So… what's your problems with the doctors anyway?" She asked looking at them with interest as they looked at each other. One boy, the bigger one spoke up "Um, hi… It's nice to meet ya. Um… the reason I avoided the doctors is cuz like CJ there, my family tried to make me go to get rid of my extra weight but in a different way…." He muttered shyly as Ronnie Ann leaned forward with interest. "By..?" She asked as the boy answered with a frown "By using liposuction. Literally cutting me open and sucking stuff outta me which is not what I don't want to do." Ronnie Ann stared at him with wide eyes hints of sympathy in them as a girl stepped forward after the boy ducked his head and moved back to the group after telling his story.

"Hey! It's nice to meet you guys. Um… I'm avoiding the doctors cuz my parents want to go there to remove my tonsils cuz there damaged or something. But there not man, there not!" She shouted before coughing a bit into her hand. She shifted back to the group as Ronnie Ann stares awkwardly as one other boy of the group walked up after the girl took some steps back and Hank patting her back to stop her coughing. "Um hey! Um.. I'm avoiding the doctors because of their cold stethoscope thingies that they use to touch me with which sends a shock to my system." He said meekly looking away meekly. Ronnie Ann nodded looking at all the kids that spoke up with a curious eyebrow. "Okay that's all good info to know but… who the heck are you guys anyway?" She asked them as all the kids looked at each other a bit before answering her question. "Um I'm Hank." The big boy introduced himself to Ronnie Ann and CJ, then the girl stepped forward spoke up too "I'm Angelia." She said pointing to herself. "I'm Allison." the other girl spoke up as a short boy introduced himself last meekly saying "I'm Arthur." After introducing themselves the kids gestured to Ronnie Ann and CJ more in the bathroom as they chatted a bit. "So why are you guys hiding from the doctors at a bathroom building near a basketball anyway?" No one spoke up for a bit before Arthur spoke up with a shrug "Eh, it was the only hiding spot we can think of that no body can find us." Ronnie Ann rolls her eyes as CJ asked a question after staying quiet for most of time.

"And where are you taking us?" He asked as the kids stopped at a certain spot in the building, a wall with a hole at the bottom of it. "We have a Secret exit tunnel that can take us to our house to hide and talk more of our plan of action." Hank explained as he gestures to the hole as everyone gathers around it. They all gather in a line form as they climbed into the hole to go down into the tunnel, the order being Arthur, Angelia, CJ, Hank, Allison and Ronnie Ann. As each one got in the hole to climb down the crawl space type of tunnel as Hank who unfortunately made a situation worst but familiar to Ronnie Ann as she slapped her forehead in frustration at seeing Hank butt stuck on one end of the hole along with the other side of the hole clogged by his upper half. "Not again!" Ronnie Ann and surprisingly Hank moaned at seeing the situation they where in. "Let's just push him out." Suggested Allison near Ronnie Ann's side who couldn't get into the hole thanks to Hank too, Ronnie Ann nods in a agreement with a frustrated huff knowing that was the case. Ronnie Ann and Allison sighed as they push on Hank's butt Ronnie Ann pushing with her hands as Allison used her left shoulder to push on his butt. His big butt as they pushed felt to them like pushing raw meat in a trash back, kinda lumpy but squishable much to their disgust.

"So um… I was wondering what your deal with CJ? I get his your cousin but why are you helping him?" Allison asked Ronnie Ann as they pushed with grunts as Ronnie Ann shrugs at her. "I just wanted to cuz he's my cousin." Allison gives Ronnie Ann a side glare before speaking up "So that's it? I don't know… maybe it's more deeper then that, like your scared of the doctors too." She suggested as Ronnie Ann looked at her in surprise before shaking her head turning away from her. "Nope! No. Way off base I just wanted to help my cousin is all." She denied as Allison just smile and roll her eyes as they pushed one last time with both their hands at the same time Hank blasted out from the hold and screamed as he fall down the tunnel with a thud. The two girls stood awkwardly a bit as Allison in an attempt to strike up a Conversation to cover up the awkwardness of what happened. "So… did you see the newest season of the Dream Boat?" She asked which a deadpan staring Ronnie Ann stared at her a bit before reply in Flatley "No."

"So are you or him siblings?" Hank asked Ronnie Ann as they all walked through the tunnel together. Ronnie Ann would shrug with a nonchalant nod "I do have a brother named Bobby but the jury still out on him being older or younger brother, after all he can act more childish then anyone I know." She said as some like Hank nodded with understanding, as the kids turn to CJ who smiles as he spoke "Yup! I got three of them. A big sister named Carlotta, a little brothers name Carl and little brother in Carlos." The kids both also nod in understanding at that, some smiled at his glee at expressing his siblings to them with such pride. "Okay, next question if ya don't mind. But have you guys fought off your parents in a way to get outta going to the doctors?" Auther asked as Ronnie Ann looked at him sadly nodding with a frown "Yeah. We had to jump out the window to escape them… there was a fire escape there so we where still okay but ya know." She said with a slight stammer relaying recent events that drove her and CJ to this life on the lamp as other kids relayed their sympathy towards her and CJ.

"Okay how about a less said question now. What do you guys do for fun?" Angelia asked with a calming smile defusing the sad air around them as Ronnie Ann and CJ perked up at her question. "Oh, oh that's easy. Skateboarding, watching wrestling on tv and stuff like that." She answered gleefully as CJ smile while answering his side of the question "My passion is playing pirates." He simply sated as the others smiled at them, after some steps ahead they all stop to see a light at the end of the slight darken tunnel. "There's the hatch to the safe house, come on!" Arthur shouted as they tan with him towards the hatch. As they approach the wall and pushed on the hatch, it opened out slowly bathing the tunnel in a bright light that after Ronnie Ann's eyes adjusted saw she was, as everyone else saw, a normal looking bedroom.

The hatch was on a high place against a wall of a two bed bedroom with nice blue wall paper, a wooden dresser in the corner and two neatly made beds on opposite sides of the room. One by one the kids hopped into the room, the hatch way big enough to avoid Hank getting stuck again much to everyone's relief. Ronnie Ann whistling with approval at the room as she comments on it "This room's pretty nice." CJ nodding in agreement with a wide smile looking around the room with interest "Yeah! It does. Who lives here?" He asked as Arthur and Angelia walked up and pointed their thumbs into their chests as they spoke at once "It's ours, we share it." Both Hispanic cousins nodded dumbly surprised at the info of them being related and share a room. "Okay, before we go further into the house we need to tell ya both some rules.' Arthur spoke up as he held up his fingers "Number 1 rule is no loud noise, second rule is no messing the room up and finally last rule is no talking whatsoever! Understand?" Ronnie Ann raised a brow at him as she spoke "But aren't you talking?" She pointed out as Arthur shushed her before nodding. "Yeah… B-but only after leaving the room does the last rule apply okay." He admitted embarrassedingly with an awkward cough. Ronnie Ann looks over at CJ who shrugs not knowing what to make off the silly rules.

"Anyway just follow those rules and you'll be golden so… let's move!" Arthur said opening the door slowly outta his and Angelia's room and pointing at it for everyone to move out quickly which they did. As the kids carefully tip toed around the hall, unfortunately their stealthy approach was seen by two big figures standing over them who as some of them saw was reading a newspaper in a comfy chair and the other dusting the room before spotting them.

"Kids is that you?" One figure said as they walked towards the sneaking kids as Arthur spoke up "Yeah it's us dad…" looking to the side awkwardly. All of them, including a fearful Ronnie Ann and CJ looked up to see…. A tall, slender build with short brown haired, white woman wearing a pink shirt under a purple vest and white pants. The other was a short bush brown haired, bushy mustached, semi-short statured white man wearing a yellowish collar dress shirt, light brown pants and black shoes. "Well hello there kids! I see you brought company over for dinner, good on ya!" The woman said with a kind smile as she waved at Ronnie Ann and CJ. "Heya, I'm Diana and this lovely man is my hubby Tony." Tony waves at the kids with a big smile clouded by his mustache. "Yo, nice to meetcha!" He said cheerfully. Ronnie Ann and CJ smiled at them, darting their eyes at the other kids who just nodded at them to speak and introduce the self, which they did. "Um, hey there I'm Ronnie Ann and this is my cousin CJ. We're happy to meet you… hehehe…" Ronnie Ann awkwardly said with a nervous laugh and tight smile. "Aw how sweet of you darlings. So whatcha doing?" Diana asked as the kids shudder and try to think of an answer but luckily Tony came to the rescue unexpectedly. "Come on honey, clearly their playing spy, isn't that right kids?" The kids nodded in agreement with gusto to his their real reason and nearly jumped in fear at his follow up question. "Though… where are your spy jumpsuits? Isn't that needed for a spy game? I mean not for Hank cuz… ya know" he asked as the kids shrugged a bit as CJ came forward with an answer that would satisfy Tony.

"Well sir, I can't fit into a suit cuz the leather rides on my butt a lot…" he admitted with a blush as Tony nodded in understanding. "Yeah, just like Hank, I guess since they couldn't wear them you guys decided to go casual too huh? Neat and cool plus saves me a trip to the store to buy ya spy suits." He said with a smile at the kids who sigh in relief. "So… anything special you want me to cook for you kids for dinner?" Diana asked as CJ peaked up with a hungry smile. "Oh, oh! Can we have nuggets and mashed potato's? Can we?" He asked excitedly as Ronnie Ann shook her head at that. "I don't know if that's a good idea, another meal might get ya might add more weight to ya. It might get ya more stuck in stuff and tighten your clothes too." She protested as CJ pouted a bit as he stares at him.

"No it won't plus I'm not ever that big…" he protested but his argument fell apart as Ronnie Ann stares at him deadpanned as she poked his tummy making it jiggles as CJ looks down at his belly before the shaking busts his pants button off. "See, your pants along with your other clothes are barely able to content your body now from the weight you've gained. More would do too much." She said as CJ looks at her pleadingly. "Please Ronnie Ann, please just let me eat the meal. I'm really hungry. Please?" He begged Ronnie Ann as the kids looked at Ronnie Ann with pleading puppy eyes that made Ronnie Ann shook her head before sighing "okay fine… we'll eat the dinner together." She said begrudgingly as everyone cheered. "But… I'm not really hungry so you guys can eat if that's okay." She said as she followed the kids to the dinner table by Diana and Tony. As they got to the table Diana left and came back from the kitchen with plates full of mashed potatoes and nuggets which she skillfully put on the table in fount of the kids, Tony and herself as everyone claps for as she bows playfully at them. "Alright, let's eat." She said gleefully as they all dug into their meals as Ronnie Ann shook her head a bit as she looked at Hank sloppily munching and quickly scarfing down food with his hands much to her slight disguise.

In the middle of the meal when everyone finishing up their meals before Diana shook a bit in disgust and turn to Hank still eating messy like. "Um… Hank, Hank honey please tone down your eating a bit sweetie okay." Diana suggested politely smiling at Hank looks up blankly at her as he gulped his food in his mouth. "But why? Is something wrong with my eating habits?" Hank asked as Arthur looked at him a bit before speaking up while counting off his fingers "Well other then it's gross when you eat like you do you snort while eating, food flies everywhere that it hits us, which gets on your clothes and your person without realizing it making ya look messy, you talk with food in your mouth that spits food at us and you cough up some food bits after eating so fast too!" He listed off as Hank whipped his mouth and look down a bit in defeat. The rest of the dinner was uneventful as everyone ate, laughed at some jokes, chatted and overall had a good time despite the tense circumstances of the kids being their.

A time later after dinner the kids group escorted Ronnie Ann and CJ into the guest room where they'll be staying down the hall, Hank gestures to a door they stoped at. "This is where you guys would be staying at and laying low for awhile, hope ya enjoy it." He said as he opened the door reveling the room to them. Both Ronnie Ann and CJ stare in awe at the room as they turn to the kids with gratitude and slight surprise, "Your really giving us this room?" Ronnie Ann asked as the kids nod with beaming smiles making her smile back at them. "Thank you! Thank you! You've done so much for us… Just thank you." She said as CJ nodded in agreement as he said "Yeah you guys are amazing! Thank you." The kids smiled at them as the two cousins walked into their new room for awhile. It was a modest sized room with two beds, a wooden door walk in closet, a wooden dresser in the middle of the beds with a lamp on it and a window on the beige walls as Ronnie Ann notes as she sat on the left side bed with CJ.

"Man, this is pretty cool room huh?" She said as she turned to CJ who hang his head shamefully with a sad sigh. "Something wrong?" Ronnie Ann asked him who nodded as he showed with measuring with his fingers the problem he has, which was that his gut like a balloon getting an extra puff of air and grew a small bit. "I got a bit bigger again after eating dinner." He said sadly. Ronnie Ann rubbed the back of her head a bit as she nods "Yeah, not to say I told ya so but your gut is kinda doing that for me." She said but soon her eyes soften when she heard CJ groans as she patted his back.

"Hey, look just cuz you got the gut now doesn't me you can't lose the weight, it's very little there dude. So don't feel too bad okay?" She assured him as CJ smiled a bit at him before frowning a bit as he spoke up softly at her again. "Um… I'm I still your favorite cousin despite all the trouble I put ya through?" He asked as Ronnie Ann smiles warmly at him "Yeah dude, you will always are and will be my fav cousin. It's why I'm going to protect ya from the doctors and avoid them." She said causing CJ to tear up as he wraps his arms around Ronnie Ann who does the same with him in a tight grip, resting their heads on each other's shoulders. CJ whispered to Ronnie Ann softly "I love Ronnie Ann." As Ronnie Ann smile as she softly replies to him "I love you too CJ."

A/N: Here's the latest chapter of this latest story I helping co-write with my pal crafordbrian17, I hope you all enjoy it and leave a comment on it if ya want too. Have a great day to you all, your author Cartoonman.