What's a man to do?
As the morning light crept gently into the Shire, Merry had made his way over to the Tooks' to see Pippin. Coming up to Pippin's window, Merry said, "Good morning...PIPPIN!!!" He couldn't believe his eyes.
Pippin was at first groggy at the mention of his name, but then seeing who had called it, his own eyes went wide. He looked down at little Susie, up at Merry, back down at Susie, and then up at Merry again. "This is sooooo not what it looks like." Pippin said, quickly grabbing his shirt. "I hope not," said Merry coming in through the window, "because from where I'm standing it looks like you're playing house with the kiddies." Pippin buttoned his shirt indignantly. "Honestly," he grumbled, "The girl asked her mom, who asked my mom, whether or not she could spend the night." "With you?" Merry said with a chuckle, "Her folks are awfully trusting," Pippin stood, still glaring, "That really isn't funny Merry."
At the noise around her, little Susie began to stir. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, and then regarded Merry and Pippin. "Good morning little sunshine," Merry said gently. Susie smiled and then stood up and went over to Pippin. After giving him a slight hug, Susie made her way to the door and then, after glancing back at Pippin lovingly, was gone. Merry observed this and then turned an amused face to Pippin, an eyebrow raised. "Nothing happened, you say.." He said with a smirk. "No!" Pippin said as he began to put the blankets and pillow he had put on the floor away. "I don't know...," Merry said with a smile, "I've never seen a girl look at me that way before, unless I-" "NOTHING HAPPENED!! NOW DROP IT!!!!" Pippin shouted as he slammed his closet door shut. Merry look a step back. "Wow, Pip. This whole thing is really getting to you isn't it?"
Pippin looked at Merry as if to say, What do YOU think? "I can't seem to get rid of her," Pippin lamented as he straightened up his bed. "I mean it's so that everytime I turn around, there she is! Her...and those eyes..." "It's just a little crush." Merry said with a shrug. "Little crush?!" Pippin repeated in exasperation, "Little crush?!! The girl is following me around! She knocked out Aurchibuld...which wasn't such a bad thing, and then there's the silent thing. She doesn't speak. She hasn't said one word since I met her, ONE WORD!! Now tell me, Merry, is that normal?! and at her age?!!" "I don't know what to tell you, Pip," Merry said after a moment, "Why don't you just tell the little girl-" "Susie," Pippin interjected. "Whatever," Merry said continuing, "that you don't like her...that way, and for her to stop following you. It's simple." "Easy for you to say," Pippin said rolling his eyes.
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After a big (and long) breakfast, Pippin consented to see little Susie home. As they were walking, Pippin decided that this would be the ideal time to try Merry's suggestion. "Now, Susie," he started, "I'm not saying this because I don't like you, because I do." Susie looked up at him, smiling silently. "Well, er, not in that way...I mean." Pippin stumbled on, "You see, I'm 22 and you are, I'm guessing eleven or twelve. The age gap is too much. Then there are the personal differences. I'm a people person, and I don't think you're as social. I'm vocal, you're quiet, and..." Little Susie snuggled close to him as they walked. "and...," Pippin said trying to remember what he was going to say. Little Susie looked up at him. Her large eyes loving and intense. Pippin sighed, "That was very effective, Pippin," he said sarcastically to himself, "Well done."
They came up to the fence and just like before, the little girl showed no signs of budging. "Um, I guess you want me to walk you to your door," Pippin said with a slight smile. To his surprise, Susie shook her head no. "Well then," Pippin said, "What are you waiting for?" A grin appeared on the little girl's face as a look of horror spread across Pippin's face. "No way!" Pippin said shaking his head, "The hugs are one thing but that is out of the question." With a mock defiant look on her face, Susie crossed her arms as if to say, 'I'm not going anywhere until I get my kiss'.
Reluctantly, Pippin got on his knees. so that he was eye level with the little girl. He kept trying to give Susie a kiss on the cheek, but everywhere his lips moved, so did hers. Finally, He settled for a peck on the lips. Grinning ear to ear, the little girl ran to her door and with a wave, went in. Pippin stood there for a few moments. "How did I get myself into this?" he wondered aloud, "and how do I get out?"
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As the morning light crept gently into the Shire, Merry had made his way over to the Tooks' to see Pippin. Coming up to Pippin's window, Merry said, "Good morning...PIPPIN!!!" He couldn't believe his eyes.
Pippin was at first groggy at the mention of his name, but then seeing who had called it, his own eyes went wide. He looked down at little Susie, up at Merry, back down at Susie, and then up at Merry again. "This is sooooo not what it looks like." Pippin said, quickly grabbing his shirt. "I hope not," said Merry coming in through the window, "because from where I'm standing it looks like you're playing house with the kiddies." Pippin buttoned his shirt indignantly. "Honestly," he grumbled, "The girl asked her mom, who asked my mom, whether or not she could spend the night." "With you?" Merry said with a chuckle, "Her folks are awfully trusting," Pippin stood, still glaring, "That really isn't funny Merry."
At the noise around her, little Susie began to stir. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, and then regarded Merry and Pippin. "Good morning little sunshine," Merry said gently. Susie smiled and then stood up and went over to Pippin. After giving him a slight hug, Susie made her way to the door and then, after glancing back at Pippin lovingly, was gone. Merry observed this and then turned an amused face to Pippin, an eyebrow raised. "Nothing happened, you say.." He said with a smirk. "No!" Pippin said as he began to put the blankets and pillow he had put on the floor away. "I don't know...," Merry said with a smile, "I've never seen a girl look at me that way before, unless I-" "NOTHING HAPPENED!! NOW DROP IT!!!!" Pippin shouted as he slammed his closet door shut. Merry look a step back. "Wow, Pip. This whole thing is really getting to you isn't it?"
Pippin looked at Merry as if to say, What do YOU think? "I can't seem to get rid of her," Pippin lamented as he straightened up his bed. "I mean it's so that everytime I turn around, there she is! Her...and those eyes..." "It's just a little crush." Merry said with a shrug. "Little crush?!" Pippin repeated in exasperation, "Little crush?!! The girl is following me around! She knocked out Aurchibuld...which wasn't such a bad thing, and then there's the silent thing. She doesn't speak. She hasn't said one word since I met her, ONE WORD!! Now tell me, Merry, is that normal?! and at her age?!!" "I don't know what to tell you, Pip," Merry said after a moment, "Why don't you just tell the little girl-" "Susie," Pippin interjected. "Whatever," Merry said continuing, "that you don't like her...that way, and for her to stop following you. It's simple." "Easy for you to say," Pippin said rolling his eyes.
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After a big (and long) breakfast, Pippin consented to see little Susie home. As they were walking, Pippin decided that this would be the ideal time to try Merry's suggestion. "Now, Susie," he started, "I'm not saying this because I don't like you, because I do." Susie looked up at him, smiling silently. "Well, er, not in that way...I mean." Pippin stumbled on, "You see, I'm 22 and you are, I'm guessing eleven or twelve. The age gap is too much. Then there are the personal differences. I'm a people person, and I don't think you're as social. I'm vocal, you're quiet, and..." Little Susie snuggled close to him as they walked. "and...," Pippin said trying to remember what he was going to say. Little Susie looked up at him. Her large eyes loving and intense. Pippin sighed, "That was very effective, Pippin," he said sarcastically to himself, "Well done."
They came up to the fence and just like before, the little girl showed no signs of budging. "Um, I guess you want me to walk you to your door," Pippin said with a slight smile. To his surprise, Susie shook her head no. "Well then," Pippin said, "What are you waiting for?" A grin appeared on the little girl's face as a look of horror spread across Pippin's face. "No way!" Pippin said shaking his head, "The hugs are one thing but that is out of the question." With a mock defiant look on her face, Susie crossed her arms as if to say, 'I'm not going anywhere until I get my kiss'.
Reluctantly, Pippin got on his knees. so that he was eye level with the little girl. He kept trying to give Susie a kiss on the cheek, but everywhere his lips moved, so did hers. Finally, He settled for a peck on the lips. Grinning ear to ear, the little girl ran to her door and with a wave, went in. Pippin stood there for a few moments. "How did I get myself into this?" he wondered aloud, "and how do I get out?"
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