I Know Why the Caged Cricket Sings
a Bug's Life fanfic
by
C. "Sparky" Read

Chapter Three

Slim was concerned. "P.T.'s really letting him have it in there," he commented, pausing outside the tentflap.

Francis just shrugged. "Maybe he deserves it. He sure loused stuff up tonight."

"It wasn't so bad," Gypsy lied gently. "Manny didn't really need any of his props anyway. He never noticed the difference."

"Yeah well he's been acting weird all week," returned the ladybug sourly. "And it's affecting the show."

Rosie stepped up to the assembly. "Everyone makes mistakes," she said, and winced when the flea shouted something particularly loud. "And someone should remind P.T. that, I think."

Gypsy shook her head sadly. "Poor dear," she said, and walked off to find her husband. Slim and Francis wandered off somewhere as well, and finally even Rosie gave up and went to build her nightly hammock.

At that moment Blip, Flash, and Ymri arrived.

"I tell ya, Molt's flipped his lid," Flash was telling Blip. "Did you see how he put the cannon in the wrong ring this time?"

Blip sighed. "Yeah," he agreed. "What little mind he had is now officially gone."

"I am sure there is reason for all of this," Ymri spoke up.

"Yeah, he's gone loony on us," replied Flash.

"Let's try to get him to go club-hopping with us tonight," suggested Blip. "Some guy stuff'll fix everything."

"Shh - here he comes," hissed Flash when P.T.'s shouting stopped and a shadow approached the tentflap.

Molt stepped out. His friends surrounded him.

"So uh...Big Guy," began Flash quickly. "How about some fun tonight, huh?"

Molt was trying to edge around Ymri. "Uh...I can't," he said distractedly. "I gotta be somewhere."

"Is everything going well? No troubles?"

Molt barely glanced at Ymri. "Sure, it's great. I'm gonna be late - "

Blip had a revelation. "You - You're not workin' a job on the side, are ya?" he hissed. "Man, if P.T. found out, he'd kill ya, that's what."

Molt blinked, returning to the here-and-now. "A...job? Oh, no! No way!"

"Well then what is going on?" demanded Flash.

The grasshopper fidgeted. "Nothin'!" he insisted. "I gotta go." And with a leap into the air he flew away.

Blip, Flash, and Ymri looked at oneanother for a moment in silence.

"Follow him?" asked Flash.

"Follow him," Blip confirmed.

Ymri watched the fireflies switch off their lights and tail Molt into the darkness. As usual, he wouldn't say anything. He just hoped that wasn't a mistake.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

"I brought these for you."

Trill squealed in delight. "They're all different colors!" she exclaimed, trying to touch the flowers through the screen with an antenna.

"Yeah," grinned Molt. "I figured ya might be tired of the white ones ya got in there."

Trill's broad smile and shining eyes pleased Molt; but then he frowned.

"What is it?"

Molt shook his head. "I wanted you ta have these," he answered, "but...you're still in there."

The cricket managed to not return the frown. "I told you," she reminded him gently, "this is - "

"Your home, I know," Molt finished for her.

"Besides, I couldn't get out anyways."

Molt nodded silently.

The excursions to the house had continued to be as easy as the first couple of times, mainly owing to the fact that the humans seemed to be on vacation. And of course by now Molt had dismissed the notion of a ghostcat entirely. He had even asked Trill if she had seen one and she had laughed at him, pointing out that the humans kept the room's door closed most of the time and maybe that had something to do with keeping the spirit at bay. Molt had practically kicked himself for even mentioning it.

"So." Trill leaned on the screen. "What happened to you today?"

While Molt attempted to find ways to avoid mentioning the tongue-lashing he had received from P.T., Blip and Flash listened to the scene through the window.

"I can't believe it," Flash was saying. "Of course, it explains why he's cleaned himself up." The firefly referred to the fact that Molt had been flake-free for the past week, due to the grasshopper's squeezing himself under the door every day. "This was the last thing I was expecting. Why didn't he just tell us?"

Blip, who was only watching over his shoulder by this point, shrugged. "Guess he don't like telling us stuff no more," he sulked. "Some pal."

"But it's so weird," Flash ignored the other firefly's remark. "Why's she even in the house? That's a good way to get squished."

"Molt's a moron," Blip went on, becoming more miffed. "He had to go an' find a girl who's dumb enough to live with humans. You can't get much stupider than that."

Flash made a face at Blip. "What's gotten into you?" he demanded. "Geez. So he's got a girlfriend. What do you care? She's a housebug - when the circus leaves she'll stay here. And their date will be over. Right? So forget about it. Come on," he said, walking to the edge of the sill. "Let's go home and do somethin'. I'm bored."

But Blip didn't budge. "I can't believe that feeb," he grunted, smacking his hand on the windowframe in irritation. "I'm his best friend! Why didn't he tell me nothin'?"

Flash snorted. "Maybe 'cause you make fun of him more than anyone else does," he pointed out.

"Aw, he knows I don't mean it," returned the other firefly.

"Come on," repeated Flash insistently, spreading his wings. "Let's go, leave 'em alone."

Blip scowled, but finally he flew off the sill and back in the direction of the tent. Flash followed immediately, glad to get away from the house.