This is one of the best chapters IMO, so I hope you like it. ...That is all.
Chap. 6: Lost While Camping
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"I have an announcement to make!" Gantu announced, coming into the galley where Kasey was reading a book at the table and where 625, also at the table, was making a sandwich.
"You finally have a brain?" 625 snickered. Kasey smiled in an amused way without looking up from her book.
"No. I'm sending you two away." Gantu was beaming now.
Kasey dropped her book. "Away?! But I have no where else to live!"
"Yeah, Chub Face! I know we never treated you like we respected you, and we don't, but that's no reason to kick us out!" 625 agreed.
"I'm not kicking you out, although that's tempting. I'm sending you away on a camping trip. I've got your things packed right now, except for this." Gantu grabbed Kasey's book right out of her paws.
"Hey! I was reading that!" Kasey pouted. "You made me lose my place!"
"Well, you can find it again while you're riding the bus. It will take you out in the woods where you two can set up camp yourselves. That should be good training for the both of you. In fact, Dr. Hamsterviel recommended it. You won't get in shape laying around all day." Gantu told them. "Now, come on! You're going to be late for your bus."
"Do we have to?" 625 said in a whiney voice. "Maybe we don't WANT to get in shape."
"I am bigger than the both of you put together, and when I say you're going, you're GOING." Gantu exclaimed.
"Oh, we'd better obey now, or else the big bad fish guy will send us to our rooms." 625 said to Kasey in a sarcastic voice. Kasey snickered, but didn't say anything.
"I'm being serious here. If you two don't get your tails out there, I'll just carry you out forcefully and throw you in the bus, rather painfully I might add." Gantu threatened.
"I think we'd better do what he says. He's getting to be a little more intimidating with his threats." Kasey pointed out.
"Who, Gantu? That's all they are is threats. I'm not intimidated." 625 insisted.
Gantu growled, and was just about to grab 625 when he jumped from his chair.
"Okay, okay, fine, we're going! But I don't like it. Come on, fellow bookworm." 625 motioned for Kasey to follow, and she did, but slowly. Then they reluctantly made their way out of the ship. When they got outside, they found a bus waiting for them, and in front of the bus were a couple of duffel bags with a name tag on the both of them, pointing out whose duffel bag was whose. They both grabbed the one with their name on it and stared disdainfully up at the bus that would take them out into the wilderness.
"I wonder what the driver thinks of stopping to pick up two unidentified creatures at the crash site of a space ship?" Kasey thought aloud.
"He probably thinks we're two dogs who just happen to be walking on our hind legs, and who just happen to be dragging two duffel bags to take a bus to go camping by ourselves." 625 guessed.
"You said a mouthful." Kasey remarked.
"Yeah. Humans are stupid that way." 625 explained. "So, I guess we'd better get on."
"Yeah. I'll go first." Kasey got into the bus, and 625 followed. As soon as they got in, the door closed. They discovered that they were the only ones in the bus except for the driver. The driver, by the way, was a tall, lanky guy with blonde hair and a pimply face. He wore jeans and a green jacket, accompanied with a green hat upon his head. He studied them with his green eyes.
"Dude! Camping dogs!" He exclaimed. "Righteous!"
Kasey and 625 looked amused as they took a seat in the back, Kasey next to the window.
"Next stop, the woods!" The driver announced, and the two experiments felt a jerk as the bus went into motion.
"Don't these 'woods' have a name?" Kasey whispered to 625.
"I don't know, but if they do, this guy probably doesn't know what it is. He's so dense I bet he doesn't even know how to spell his own name." 625 whispered back.
"If he even KNOWS his own name." Kasey and 625 tried to suppress their laughter as the bus headed towards their destination: the nameless woods.
~~
"Hey! Dog dudes! Wake up!" Kasey woke up to the sound of the driver's voice. She yawned, then blushed as she realized she was leaning on 625... and that wasn't the first time that happened. He didn't seem to notice though, for he woke up just as Kasey pulled away.
"Let's get one thing straight," Kasey said, while pointing a claw at the driver, "I'm not a dude."
"Oh. Dudette. Sorry." The driver apologized, then his eyes got wide as he realized something. "Dude! Talking dogs! That's so awesome!"
"Yeah, although you can't tell anyone about us. We're top secret canine spies sent here by the navy." 625 lied.
"Right. I won't tell anyone! Not even my mother, and I tell her everything. You know, there was this one time---" The driver started to say.
"We have to go punish a meddling squirrel now, so we can listen to your ramblings no longer. Come on, Agent Dudette." 625 grabbed Kasey's arm and led them out of the bus.
"All right! See ya, dude and dudette!" The driver exclaimed while waving to them. Then he got in the driver's seat and drove away.
The experiments found themselves standing on a dirt path, surrounded by hundreds of trees. They didn't look very enthusiastic, and looked like the last thing they wanted to do was set up camp. They were silent a while, but finally, Kasey sighed and spoke.
"Well, I guess we'd better find a suitable place for a campsite and... well, make camp I guess." She said dully.
"You're very bright." 625 said sarcastically. "I took a class in camping once..."
Kasey's eyes lit up. "Really? So you know how to make camp?"
"All I'm saying is I took a class in it. I didn't say I was good at it." 625 replied.
"Great. I shoulda' known." Kasey sighed. "So, Einstein, do you know enough to know where we should make camp, or did you flunk that too?"
"If you want to put it that way."
Kasey groaned. "Figures. I guess it's up to me, then."
"You?" This amused 625. "And what do you know about camping? You hardly go outside! You don't know any more than I do, my bumpkin wannabe."
"Maybe, but if I don't do anything, it's clear you won't." Kasey pointed out. She started to walk off in another direction.
"And you'd be right, my studious angel from above." 625 teased, smirking.
Kasey rolled her eyes. "Ohhh, it's going to be a looong day."
They did a lot of walking and searching, but finally Kasey decided on a little clearing in the middle of the woods.
"This is perfect!" She exclaimed. "We can build camp here."
"Excellent deduction, Ranger Know-it-All." 625 panted, looking exhausted. He let go of his duffel bag and watched Kasey as she searched through her's.
"Please. I'm having a horrible enough time without your sarcasm to make it worse. If whatever you say is going to be sardonic, then can't you keep your mouth shut?" Kasey sighed as she pulled out a rolled-up tent from her duffel. "I suppose you don't know how to set up a tent?"
"What's the matter, Nature Girl? Forget what it said in Camping for Dummies?" 625 joked.
Kasey gave him a Look. "Well, do you know how to or not?! And give me an answer without your sarcasm, please."
"ANYTHING for you, my love." 625 said dramatically.
"Come on! I'm serious. No goofing around. Do you or don't you?" Kasey asked.
"Okay, fine. I don't. Happy now?" 625 replied.
"Very." Kasey pulled out a lavender sleeping bag. "I guess we'll just have to sleep in sleeping bags without any tents."
"Fine with me." 625 rummaged through his duffel and pulled out his sleeping bag, except his was aquamarine-colored. Then he continued to rummage through his duffel. "Do you know if there's anything to eat in these things? I'm starving!"
Kasey thought about this. "Well, I suppose so. Gantu wouldn't send us out here without food, would he? I mean, I know he doesn't exactly like us, but he wouldn't..."
625 sat back, looking panic-stricken. "I knew it! I knew there was something fishy about him sending us out here to get 'in shape'! The real reason why he sent us out here is so we'd starve to death! He's trying to kill us!"
"Calm down!" Kasey exclaimed. "Even Gantu wouldn't sink that low. He probably expects us to fend for ourselves."
"I can never figure out how you can be so calm all of the time." 625 marveled. "And if you think I'm going to slaughter some animal for meat, you've got another thing coming! You'll have to take care of that, Cowgirl."
Kasey rolled her eyes. "No, we're not going to 'slaughter' anything. There's probably some berries and fruits and stuff somewhere in the woods that we can eat."
"Yeah, poisonous berries, you mean." 625 corrected. "I told you Gantu sent us out here to die. And what do you plan on doing about it, O' Great Provider?"
"We're going to search for fruit." Kasey got up from her seated position, and started to head for the dirt path once more. "And I don't think Gantu would send us to a place with poisonous fruit if he expects us to forage for food. He may be glad to be rid of us for a while, but I don't think he'd want us dead."
"You don't know that! I've known him longer than you have! And where are you going?" 625 got up as he watched Kasey's form slowly disappear into the woods.
"I already told you! To find food!" Kasey's voice called back. "If you want to stay there, fine with me. But as someone once said, 'He who doesn't work shouldn't get to eat.' If you stay there and decide not to help me, I'm not bringing back your share. If you don't want to go hungry, then you'll come with me and get your share yourself."
"All right, all right! I'm coming. Wait up, Speedy!" 625 followed Kasey into the woods, and she waited for him until he caught up. Then they walked together, searching for anything edible in the woods.
"I'm... tired... and hot. Can't we stop and rest a while?" 625 pleaded.
"I told you before, if you want to lag behind, fine, but I'm not getting your share. Besides, we've only been walking for about five minutes... ten at the most." Kasey replied, but she looked just as tired as 625.
"Where are we, anyway? Or do you know?" 625 questioned.
"Of course I know! We're---" Kasey looked around, then realized they were no longer on the dirt path. Her ears drooped against the sides of her head and she frowned. "We're lost."
"Brilliant, Sherlock. Now what?" 625 asked.
Kasey stopped walking. She panted from the heat and all the walking she had been doing. "I guess we'll just have to keep searching... for the fruit, and for the campsite, too..."
"Great. I knew I shouldn't have let you lead. You've gotten us lost!" 625 walked up beside her, panting a bit as well.
Kasey looked up at the sky, and shielded her eyes from the harsh sun. It seemed like just yesterday that the air had been crisp with frost, and today was horribly hot. It made Kasey feel naseous, and she felt sticky with sweat beneath her fur. Then she began to feel dizzy, and her vision blurred somewhat. She started to wobble on her feet a little.
625 stared at her, looking a bit confused, then somewhat concerned. "Hey! What's the matter with you?!"
"I don't know... I'm feeling so... h-h-hot..." Kasey wobbled some more, and her world seemed to fade out as she fell to the ground, fainting from the heat.
A cold splash against her face is what woke her up again. When her sight came into focus, she looked around at where she was. She was still in the woods, but not in the same place in the woods. At once, she realized that 625 was looking down at her. "Oohh... what happened? That water was cold!... Wait, water? Where did you get the water?"
625 lifted Kasey's body up and pointed to a quickly running stream. "From there, Sleeping Beauty. What happened to you, anyway?"
"I guess I just got a little too hot. I never could stand the heat. And we were walking for a while. And I haven't eaten anything today. I guess I just got too weak from the heat and exhaustion." Kasey guessed. She held her head and groaned.
625 released his grip on Kasey's body, and she fell backward. Then she sat back up. She rubbed her head, but 625 didn't seem to notice. He was looking in another direction.
"Ow. Why did you let me go like that? And what are you staring at?" Kasey asked.
"Aren't those berries over on that bush?" 625 pointed, and Kasey got to her feet and started heading in the direction he was pointing in.
Kasey's eyes shone when she was close enough to identify the red specks on the bush as berries. "Yes! They are! Oh, we won't starve after all! We're saved!"
"There's one thing you didn't think of, Genius. We can't live on berries alone." 625 pointed out.
"Well, we're going to have to, unless you want to become a vegetarian and eat the grass." Kasey replied, and started quickly picking berries from the bush. She walked over to where 625 was standing and sat down. Then she began to eat silently without another word.
625 looked annoyed. "Hey! What about me?"
"Hm?" Kasey swallowed, licking berry juice off of her lips. "Oh, I already told you. You want to eat, you fend for yourself."
"Well, that's considerate for ya." 625 said sarcastically. He went over to the bush and began picking some berries for himself. Moments later, he sat down next to Kasey and joined her in their "feast".
When the last berry had been consumed, they both agreed that they didn't feel like searching for their campsite, so they stayed where they were. There wasn't much to do, however, obviously because their stuff was all back at the campsite. They found theirselves growing bored, and the sky was darkening more every minute. Eventually, the two found theirselves engaging in meaningless conversation, talking about things that they would only think about saying in a time like this, when there was nothing else to do. You could say the two bonded.
"...And one time, Susan and I got into this argument about science. She thought she could help Jade with a project. I didn't think she could. Well, to prove it to me, she asked Jade if she could help with the scientific experiment she was doing. Jade was skeptical, but she let her. And... right when Susan started to help... she accidentally spilled some kind of chemical and... she ended up blowing up half the lab! If only you could've seen the look on Jade's face..." Kasey snorted into laughter as she recalled this tale aloud to 625.
625 started laughing along with her. "Who knew Experiment Gorgeous could be such a klutz!" They laughed hysterically together, and when finally their laughter faded into the night, they found theirselves staring into each other's eyes.
Kasey was mesmerized as she stared into his two black, shining eyes that seemed to be studying her as well. She realized how different he looked in the moonlight, and she felt attracted to him. She forgot about hiding her feelings;she seemed to be hypnotized into speaking what she thought.
"You know..." She began, "in this light, you're... you're kinda' cute."
Surprisingly, he didn't shun or criticize her for this remark. Instead, he smiled, and seemed to blush. What was more surprising is what he said. "Well... I think... I think you're cute, too. For a girl, I mean." He grinned.
"There's something I'd like to tell you." Kasey started to say. The moment just felt right... felt right to admit everything. Right to admit her feelings.
625 cocked his head a little. "What?"
Kasey smiled. She couldn't help it. He looked so cute that way. She swallowed. Okay, you can do this, she thought. Go right out and say it. "Um... I... I love... I love you..."
625 looked taken aback. He looked speechless, and at first he didn't know what to say. Then, for another surprise, he said, "I do too."
"Oh..." Kasey smiled pleasantly. They had a brief kiss, then Kasey shivered. She looked a bit embarrassed and felt awkward about that moment, though. "I'm feeling kinda' cold now... and it was hot earlier. But now it's freezing."
625 looked snapped out of a daze. Then he said, "Yeah. Island temperatures can be fickle I guess..." His voice trailed off, and he looked just as embarrassed. But he tried to ignore the fact that that moment had even happened. "You getting tired? Of course, we don't have our sleeping bags anymore, so we'll have to sleep on the ground."
Kasey yawned as a reply, confirming that she was tired. She tried to keep her eyes open, but she discovered that she couldn't. Soon, she fell asleep while sitting up, then she fell into 625's arms. He seemed a bit startled, but his eyes began to get heavy as well. He fell asleep, too, leaning against a tree with Kasey in his arms.
~~
Kasey groaned and turned over onto her back as she woke up. She stood up, and realized that 625 was no where to be seen. Where had he gone? Just as she was about to go look for him, he came walking out of the woods with their duffel bags!
"You went looking for our stuff in the woods, all by yourself?!" Kasey exclaimed.
"Well, yeah. Why do you look so surprised?" 625 wanted to know.
"It's just that... oh, nevermind. Now that we have them back, let's search through them some more. There might be something in them we missed... like food." Kasey suggested.
"That's what I was thinking." 625 agreed. He dragged the bags over to Kasey, and they both began looking through them.
"Hey! Look what I found!" Kasey smiled proudly, holding up a package of vanilla-creamed sandwich cookies. "It's not really nutritious breakfast, but by now I'll eat anything. I'm starved, and berries really don't kill hunger for long!"
"Told ya." 625 smirked. "Hey, could I have some of those? I can't seem to find anything edible in my bag."
Kasey smiled mischievously. "If you want them... you'll have to come and get them."
625 grabbed for them, but Kasey snatched the package out of the way just in time. She got up and ran behind a nearby tree, then looked around it at 625, smirking.
"Oh, come on. Don't play games with me. Do you really expect me to go after you for them?" 625 said in a complaining voice.
"Well, if you're hungry..." Kasey shook the package tauntingly back and forth in her paw. "Here, 625! Here, boy! Come and get it!" She clicked her tongue to add to the effect of her taunt.
625 rolled his eyes. "You're pathetic."
Kasey frowned. She looked at the package. "Well, if you don't want it, then... more for me, I guess!" She took one of the cookies out of the package and began to munch on it. Her mischievous smirk returned.
It eventually got the results she wanted, for 625 got up and went over to Kasey and almost snatched it out of her paws, but again she pulled away in the nick of time. She ran quickly around and around as 625 chased her for the cookies. Finally, he caught up to her and grabbed her, then started tickling her. She laughed hysterically and fell to the ground, although 625 continued to tickle her.
"Ahem." The two looked up... and saw Gantu looming over them. He was wearing a taunting smile. "You two bonded, did you? So, has the date been set for the wedding yet?"
"Ooo, Fish Boy said something clever. You want to get this down in writing, Kasey?" 625 remarked, standing up.
Kasey got up as well, but she looked at Gantu questioningly. "What're you doing here, anyway?"
"Yeah, and can you take us home? I really wanna' get somethin' to eat!" 625 added, while putting a sandwich cookie in his mouth.
Kasey stared at him. "You're ALREADY eating something, Bozo!" She pushed him down to show her disapproval.
625 swallowed. "Hey! You could've made me choke!"
"Please, 625. Don't get my hopes up." Gantu grumbled.
"Amazing! TWO clever things in a row! Hey, have you been looking through my notes, Chub Breath?" 625 asked, crossing his arms.
"EXCUSE me! Isn't anyone going to answer my question? Am I chopped liver or what?" Kasey exclaimed, a bit miffed.
"Well, to answer that question---" Gantu began.
"PLEASE! I can't manage to hear THREE clever things from you in a row! I'll surely have a heart attack!" 625 covered his ears.
"ANSWER ME NOW, YOU HUNK OF FISH!" Kasey shouted. Gantu and 625 both stared at her, mouths agape. "Well, he HAD it coming."
"I just came here because, frankly an experiment is on the loose in those woods and I came here not to tell you, because I don't need your help, but to catch it." Gantu started to head off in the way that he had come.
"Waitaminute! Don't leave us here! I'll starve!" 625 ran after Gantu with two sandwich cookies in his paws.
Kasey scowled. "And again, I'm chopped liver! What IS it with you people?! I grace you with my presence, which I don't have to do, and you could care less! You two care about nobody but yourselves! I can't believe I'm associated with you guys!"
"Hey, Wonder Girl! Would you bring that package of cookies? I'm still hungry!" 625's voice called from the woods.
Kasey shrugged. "Okay."
THE END
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To be continued
Chap. 6: Lost While Camping
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"I have an announcement to make!" Gantu announced, coming into the galley where Kasey was reading a book at the table and where 625, also at the table, was making a sandwich.
"You finally have a brain?" 625 snickered. Kasey smiled in an amused way without looking up from her book.
"No. I'm sending you two away." Gantu was beaming now.
Kasey dropped her book. "Away?! But I have no where else to live!"
"Yeah, Chub Face! I know we never treated you like we respected you, and we don't, but that's no reason to kick us out!" 625 agreed.
"I'm not kicking you out, although that's tempting. I'm sending you away on a camping trip. I've got your things packed right now, except for this." Gantu grabbed Kasey's book right out of her paws.
"Hey! I was reading that!" Kasey pouted. "You made me lose my place!"
"Well, you can find it again while you're riding the bus. It will take you out in the woods where you two can set up camp yourselves. That should be good training for the both of you. In fact, Dr. Hamsterviel recommended it. You won't get in shape laying around all day." Gantu told them. "Now, come on! You're going to be late for your bus."
"Do we have to?" 625 said in a whiney voice. "Maybe we don't WANT to get in shape."
"I am bigger than the both of you put together, and when I say you're going, you're GOING." Gantu exclaimed.
"Oh, we'd better obey now, or else the big bad fish guy will send us to our rooms." 625 said to Kasey in a sarcastic voice. Kasey snickered, but didn't say anything.
"I'm being serious here. If you two don't get your tails out there, I'll just carry you out forcefully and throw you in the bus, rather painfully I might add." Gantu threatened.
"I think we'd better do what he says. He's getting to be a little more intimidating with his threats." Kasey pointed out.
"Who, Gantu? That's all they are is threats. I'm not intimidated." 625 insisted.
Gantu growled, and was just about to grab 625 when he jumped from his chair.
"Okay, okay, fine, we're going! But I don't like it. Come on, fellow bookworm." 625 motioned for Kasey to follow, and she did, but slowly. Then they reluctantly made their way out of the ship. When they got outside, they found a bus waiting for them, and in front of the bus were a couple of duffel bags with a name tag on the both of them, pointing out whose duffel bag was whose. They both grabbed the one with their name on it and stared disdainfully up at the bus that would take them out into the wilderness.
"I wonder what the driver thinks of stopping to pick up two unidentified creatures at the crash site of a space ship?" Kasey thought aloud.
"He probably thinks we're two dogs who just happen to be walking on our hind legs, and who just happen to be dragging two duffel bags to take a bus to go camping by ourselves." 625 guessed.
"You said a mouthful." Kasey remarked.
"Yeah. Humans are stupid that way." 625 explained. "So, I guess we'd better get on."
"Yeah. I'll go first." Kasey got into the bus, and 625 followed. As soon as they got in, the door closed. They discovered that they were the only ones in the bus except for the driver. The driver, by the way, was a tall, lanky guy with blonde hair and a pimply face. He wore jeans and a green jacket, accompanied with a green hat upon his head. He studied them with his green eyes.
"Dude! Camping dogs!" He exclaimed. "Righteous!"
Kasey and 625 looked amused as they took a seat in the back, Kasey next to the window.
"Next stop, the woods!" The driver announced, and the two experiments felt a jerk as the bus went into motion.
"Don't these 'woods' have a name?" Kasey whispered to 625.
"I don't know, but if they do, this guy probably doesn't know what it is. He's so dense I bet he doesn't even know how to spell his own name." 625 whispered back.
"If he even KNOWS his own name." Kasey and 625 tried to suppress their laughter as the bus headed towards their destination: the nameless woods.
~~
"Hey! Dog dudes! Wake up!" Kasey woke up to the sound of the driver's voice. She yawned, then blushed as she realized she was leaning on 625... and that wasn't the first time that happened. He didn't seem to notice though, for he woke up just as Kasey pulled away.
"Let's get one thing straight," Kasey said, while pointing a claw at the driver, "I'm not a dude."
"Oh. Dudette. Sorry." The driver apologized, then his eyes got wide as he realized something. "Dude! Talking dogs! That's so awesome!"
"Yeah, although you can't tell anyone about us. We're top secret canine spies sent here by the navy." 625 lied.
"Right. I won't tell anyone! Not even my mother, and I tell her everything. You know, there was this one time---" The driver started to say.
"We have to go punish a meddling squirrel now, so we can listen to your ramblings no longer. Come on, Agent Dudette." 625 grabbed Kasey's arm and led them out of the bus.
"All right! See ya, dude and dudette!" The driver exclaimed while waving to them. Then he got in the driver's seat and drove away.
The experiments found themselves standing on a dirt path, surrounded by hundreds of trees. They didn't look very enthusiastic, and looked like the last thing they wanted to do was set up camp. They were silent a while, but finally, Kasey sighed and spoke.
"Well, I guess we'd better find a suitable place for a campsite and... well, make camp I guess." She said dully.
"You're very bright." 625 said sarcastically. "I took a class in camping once..."
Kasey's eyes lit up. "Really? So you know how to make camp?"
"All I'm saying is I took a class in it. I didn't say I was good at it." 625 replied.
"Great. I shoulda' known." Kasey sighed. "So, Einstein, do you know enough to know where we should make camp, or did you flunk that too?"
"If you want to put it that way."
Kasey groaned. "Figures. I guess it's up to me, then."
"You?" This amused 625. "And what do you know about camping? You hardly go outside! You don't know any more than I do, my bumpkin wannabe."
"Maybe, but if I don't do anything, it's clear you won't." Kasey pointed out. She started to walk off in another direction.
"And you'd be right, my studious angel from above." 625 teased, smirking.
Kasey rolled her eyes. "Ohhh, it's going to be a looong day."
They did a lot of walking and searching, but finally Kasey decided on a little clearing in the middle of the woods.
"This is perfect!" She exclaimed. "We can build camp here."
"Excellent deduction, Ranger Know-it-All." 625 panted, looking exhausted. He let go of his duffel bag and watched Kasey as she searched through her's.
"Please. I'm having a horrible enough time without your sarcasm to make it worse. If whatever you say is going to be sardonic, then can't you keep your mouth shut?" Kasey sighed as she pulled out a rolled-up tent from her duffel. "I suppose you don't know how to set up a tent?"
"What's the matter, Nature Girl? Forget what it said in Camping for Dummies?" 625 joked.
Kasey gave him a Look. "Well, do you know how to or not?! And give me an answer without your sarcasm, please."
"ANYTHING for you, my love." 625 said dramatically.
"Come on! I'm serious. No goofing around. Do you or don't you?" Kasey asked.
"Okay, fine. I don't. Happy now?" 625 replied.
"Very." Kasey pulled out a lavender sleeping bag. "I guess we'll just have to sleep in sleeping bags without any tents."
"Fine with me." 625 rummaged through his duffel and pulled out his sleeping bag, except his was aquamarine-colored. Then he continued to rummage through his duffel. "Do you know if there's anything to eat in these things? I'm starving!"
Kasey thought about this. "Well, I suppose so. Gantu wouldn't send us out here without food, would he? I mean, I know he doesn't exactly like us, but he wouldn't..."
625 sat back, looking panic-stricken. "I knew it! I knew there was something fishy about him sending us out here to get 'in shape'! The real reason why he sent us out here is so we'd starve to death! He's trying to kill us!"
"Calm down!" Kasey exclaimed. "Even Gantu wouldn't sink that low. He probably expects us to fend for ourselves."
"I can never figure out how you can be so calm all of the time." 625 marveled. "And if you think I'm going to slaughter some animal for meat, you've got another thing coming! You'll have to take care of that, Cowgirl."
Kasey rolled her eyes. "No, we're not going to 'slaughter' anything. There's probably some berries and fruits and stuff somewhere in the woods that we can eat."
"Yeah, poisonous berries, you mean." 625 corrected. "I told you Gantu sent us out here to die. And what do you plan on doing about it, O' Great Provider?"
"We're going to search for fruit." Kasey got up from her seated position, and started to head for the dirt path once more. "And I don't think Gantu would send us to a place with poisonous fruit if he expects us to forage for food. He may be glad to be rid of us for a while, but I don't think he'd want us dead."
"You don't know that! I've known him longer than you have! And where are you going?" 625 got up as he watched Kasey's form slowly disappear into the woods.
"I already told you! To find food!" Kasey's voice called back. "If you want to stay there, fine with me. But as someone once said, 'He who doesn't work shouldn't get to eat.' If you stay there and decide not to help me, I'm not bringing back your share. If you don't want to go hungry, then you'll come with me and get your share yourself."
"All right, all right! I'm coming. Wait up, Speedy!" 625 followed Kasey into the woods, and she waited for him until he caught up. Then they walked together, searching for anything edible in the woods.
"I'm... tired... and hot. Can't we stop and rest a while?" 625 pleaded.
"I told you before, if you want to lag behind, fine, but I'm not getting your share. Besides, we've only been walking for about five minutes... ten at the most." Kasey replied, but she looked just as tired as 625.
"Where are we, anyway? Or do you know?" 625 questioned.
"Of course I know! We're---" Kasey looked around, then realized they were no longer on the dirt path. Her ears drooped against the sides of her head and she frowned. "We're lost."
"Brilliant, Sherlock. Now what?" 625 asked.
Kasey stopped walking. She panted from the heat and all the walking she had been doing. "I guess we'll just have to keep searching... for the fruit, and for the campsite, too..."
"Great. I knew I shouldn't have let you lead. You've gotten us lost!" 625 walked up beside her, panting a bit as well.
Kasey looked up at the sky, and shielded her eyes from the harsh sun. It seemed like just yesterday that the air had been crisp with frost, and today was horribly hot. It made Kasey feel naseous, and she felt sticky with sweat beneath her fur. Then she began to feel dizzy, and her vision blurred somewhat. She started to wobble on her feet a little.
625 stared at her, looking a bit confused, then somewhat concerned. "Hey! What's the matter with you?!"
"I don't know... I'm feeling so... h-h-hot..." Kasey wobbled some more, and her world seemed to fade out as she fell to the ground, fainting from the heat.
A cold splash against her face is what woke her up again. When her sight came into focus, she looked around at where she was. She was still in the woods, but not in the same place in the woods. At once, she realized that 625 was looking down at her. "Oohh... what happened? That water was cold!... Wait, water? Where did you get the water?"
625 lifted Kasey's body up and pointed to a quickly running stream. "From there, Sleeping Beauty. What happened to you, anyway?"
"I guess I just got a little too hot. I never could stand the heat. And we were walking for a while. And I haven't eaten anything today. I guess I just got too weak from the heat and exhaustion." Kasey guessed. She held her head and groaned.
625 released his grip on Kasey's body, and she fell backward. Then she sat back up. She rubbed her head, but 625 didn't seem to notice. He was looking in another direction.
"Ow. Why did you let me go like that? And what are you staring at?" Kasey asked.
"Aren't those berries over on that bush?" 625 pointed, and Kasey got to her feet and started heading in the direction he was pointing in.
Kasey's eyes shone when she was close enough to identify the red specks on the bush as berries. "Yes! They are! Oh, we won't starve after all! We're saved!"
"There's one thing you didn't think of, Genius. We can't live on berries alone." 625 pointed out.
"Well, we're going to have to, unless you want to become a vegetarian and eat the grass." Kasey replied, and started quickly picking berries from the bush. She walked over to where 625 was standing and sat down. Then she began to eat silently without another word.
625 looked annoyed. "Hey! What about me?"
"Hm?" Kasey swallowed, licking berry juice off of her lips. "Oh, I already told you. You want to eat, you fend for yourself."
"Well, that's considerate for ya." 625 said sarcastically. He went over to the bush and began picking some berries for himself. Moments later, he sat down next to Kasey and joined her in their "feast".
When the last berry had been consumed, they both agreed that they didn't feel like searching for their campsite, so they stayed where they were. There wasn't much to do, however, obviously because their stuff was all back at the campsite. They found theirselves growing bored, and the sky was darkening more every minute. Eventually, the two found theirselves engaging in meaningless conversation, talking about things that they would only think about saying in a time like this, when there was nothing else to do. You could say the two bonded.
"...And one time, Susan and I got into this argument about science. She thought she could help Jade with a project. I didn't think she could. Well, to prove it to me, she asked Jade if she could help with the scientific experiment she was doing. Jade was skeptical, but she let her. And... right when Susan started to help... she accidentally spilled some kind of chemical and... she ended up blowing up half the lab! If only you could've seen the look on Jade's face..." Kasey snorted into laughter as she recalled this tale aloud to 625.
625 started laughing along with her. "Who knew Experiment Gorgeous could be such a klutz!" They laughed hysterically together, and when finally their laughter faded into the night, they found theirselves staring into each other's eyes.
Kasey was mesmerized as she stared into his two black, shining eyes that seemed to be studying her as well. She realized how different he looked in the moonlight, and she felt attracted to him. She forgot about hiding her feelings;she seemed to be hypnotized into speaking what she thought.
"You know..." She began, "in this light, you're... you're kinda' cute."
Surprisingly, he didn't shun or criticize her for this remark. Instead, he smiled, and seemed to blush. What was more surprising is what he said. "Well... I think... I think you're cute, too. For a girl, I mean." He grinned.
"There's something I'd like to tell you." Kasey started to say. The moment just felt right... felt right to admit everything. Right to admit her feelings.
625 cocked his head a little. "What?"
Kasey smiled. She couldn't help it. He looked so cute that way. She swallowed. Okay, you can do this, she thought. Go right out and say it. "Um... I... I love... I love you..."
625 looked taken aback. He looked speechless, and at first he didn't know what to say. Then, for another surprise, he said, "I do too."
"Oh..." Kasey smiled pleasantly. They had a brief kiss, then Kasey shivered. She looked a bit embarrassed and felt awkward about that moment, though. "I'm feeling kinda' cold now... and it was hot earlier. But now it's freezing."
625 looked snapped out of a daze. Then he said, "Yeah. Island temperatures can be fickle I guess..." His voice trailed off, and he looked just as embarrassed. But he tried to ignore the fact that that moment had even happened. "You getting tired? Of course, we don't have our sleeping bags anymore, so we'll have to sleep on the ground."
Kasey yawned as a reply, confirming that she was tired. She tried to keep her eyes open, but she discovered that she couldn't. Soon, she fell asleep while sitting up, then she fell into 625's arms. He seemed a bit startled, but his eyes began to get heavy as well. He fell asleep, too, leaning against a tree with Kasey in his arms.
~~
Kasey groaned and turned over onto her back as she woke up. She stood up, and realized that 625 was no where to be seen. Where had he gone? Just as she was about to go look for him, he came walking out of the woods with their duffel bags!
"You went looking for our stuff in the woods, all by yourself?!" Kasey exclaimed.
"Well, yeah. Why do you look so surprised?" 625 wanted to know.
"It's just that... oh, nevermind. Now that we have them back, let's search through them some more. There might be something in them we missed... like food." Kasey suggested.
"That's what I was thinking." 625 agreed. He dragged the bags over to Kasey, and they both began looking through them.
"Hey! Look what I found!" Kasey smiled proudly, holding up a package of vanilla-creamed sandwich cookies. "It's not really nutritious breakfast, but by now I'll eat anything. I'm starved, and berries really don't kill hunger for long!"
"Told ya." 625 smirked. "Hey, could I have some of those? I can't seem to find anything edible in my bag."
Kasey smiled mischievously. "If you want them... you'll have to come and get them."
625 grabbed for them, but Kasey snatched the package out of the way just in time. She got up and ran behind a nearby tree, then looked around it at 625, smirking.
"Oh, come on. Don't play games with me. Do you really expect me to go after you for them?" 625 said in a complaining voice.
"Well, if you're hungry..." Kasey shook the package tauntingly back and forth in her paw. "Here, 625! Here, boy! Come and get it!" She clicked her tongue to add to the effect of her taunt.
625 rolled his eyes. "You're pathetic."
Kasey frowned. She looked at the package. "Well, if you don't want it, then... more for me, I guess!" She took one of the cookies out of the package and began to munch on it. Her mischievous smirk returned.
It eventually got the results she wanted, for 625 got up and went over to Kasey and almost snatched it out of her paws, but again she pulled away in the nick of time. She ran quickly around and around as 625 chased her for the cookies. Finally, he caught up to her and grabbed her, then started tickling her. She laughed hysterically and fell to the ground, although 625 continued to tickle her.
"Ahem." The two looked up... and saw Gantu looming over them. He was wearing a taunting smile. "You two bonded, did you? So, has the date been set for the wedding yet?"
"Ooo, Fish Boy said something clever. You want to get this down in writing, Kasey?" 625 remarked, standing up.
Kasey got up as well, but she looked at Gantu questioningly. "What're you doing here, anyway?"
"Yeah, and can you take us home? I really wanna' get somethin' to eat!" 625 added, while putting a sandwich cookie in his mouth.
Kasey stared at him. "You're ALREADY eating something, Bozo!" She pushed him down to show her disapproval.
625 swallowed. "Hey! You could've made me choke!"
"Please, 625. Don't get my hopes up." Gantu grumbled.
"Amazing! TWO clever things in a row! Hey, have you been looking through my notes, Chub Breath?" 625 asked, crossing his arms.
"EXCUSE me! Isn't anyone going to answer my question? Am I chopped liver or what?" Kasey exclaimed, a bit miffed.
"Well, to answer that question---" Gantu began.
"PLEASE! I can't manage to hear THREE clever things from you in a row! I'll surely have a heart attack!" 625 covered his ears.
"ANSWER ME NOW, YOU HUNK OF FISH!" Kasey shouted. Gantu and 625 both stared at her, mouths agape. "Well, he HAD it coming."
"I just came here because, frankly an experiment is on the loose in those woods and I came here not to tell you, because I don't need your help, but to catch it." Gantu started to head off in the way that he had come.
"Waitaminute! Don't leave us here! I'll starve!" 625 ran after Gantu with two sandwich cookies in his paws.
Kasey scowled. "And again, I'm chopped liver! What IS it with you people?! I grace you with my presence, which I don't have to do, and you could care less! You two care about nobody but yourselves! I can't believe I'm associated with you guys!"
"Hey, Wonder Girl! Would you bring that package of cookies? I'm still hungry!" 625's voice called from the woods.
Kasey shrugged. "Okay."
THE END
~~~~~~~~
To be continued