Emi and Rage walked back to the others. Their hands were linked together and they had fierce determination shining in their eyes.
"What's up?" Astro asked.
"Fourteeeeeeen fingers!" Tracy sang. "I've got fourteen!"
"Not you Tracy, Emi and Rage." Astro explained. Tracy giggled and hiccuped.
"Hey you young lovers!" Tracy said.
"Don't tell me..." Emi began, but Rage finished the sentence for her. "She's drunk again."
"Unfortunately she is." Boldo said.
"Wow-wee! That's got to be the first time you've ever said anything!" Tracy exclaimed.
"Shuddap." Boldo said.
"Maaaaaaake me!!" Tracy sang.
"Bitch..." Boldo mumbled.
"Zat (that) wasn't very nice Baldy! Apologize!" Tracy demanded.
"No thanks." Boldo said turning to walk away. He didn't want to be like them. He couldn't ignore the fact that they...even Tracy...were beginning to get closer together.
"Not me." Boldo said. He was always the mysterious type who never said much and made people guess what he was thinking. He never WAS very popular.
"Boldo...like, why do you never talk?" Charmy asked him.
"I don't have much to say." He responded.
"Why don't you like, even ATTEMPT to join us in conversation?" Charmy asked.
"Because...I don't feel like it." Boldo said. Everyone (even Tracy!) was silent and watching what was going on between Charmy and Boldo.
"Didn't you ever, like, think for once that maybe, like, we were sent here to become friends." Charmy asked.
"No." Boldo said simply. Charmy could see this was going nowhere. She decided to do the one thing she COULD do to make him open up to them. She walked up to Boldo and hugged him. Boldo started at Charmy who was hugging him. He didn't know what to do, but he knew he probably looked stupid just standing there. He hugged Charmy back. For the first time, he felt needed. He looked at the others over his glasses and thought, "Maybe, just maybe I could find friendship in them." Just as the thought raced through his mind he heard applause. He looked at Emi who was clapping...then Rage started clapping...then Astro...soon everyone (including Konsento and Zukin) were clapping.
"C'mon Boldo!" Rage said. Charmy and Boldo rushed to the circle of friends and joined in.
"Group hug!" Emi declared. Everyone hugged each other and laughed. Even Tracy, who was still oblivious in her drunken state, hugged everyone. Boldo smiled for the first time in what seemed like years...then he chuckled...then he joined in with the laughter. For the first time, he felt truly...needed.