A Twist of Kate
--------------------
Author's Notes: Hurrah, hurrah! More notes!
Binda-
Yeah, I know Eduardo sleeps on the top bunk. I thought it was odd, though- a monster his size, on the top bunk? Wouldn't that make whoever sleeps on the bottom bunk (in that case, Wilt) a little nervous?
There was a little paragraph in the last chapter explaining that the friends (the residents at Fosters, not just Bloo and the gang) did some switching around with bed arrangements. Perhaps there were a couple friends who couldn't stop talking to each other? Some that snored or drooled in their sleep? Some who had a habit of waking up in the middle of the night? Obviously, some gradual switching around had to occur, and it still is, so long as old friends are leaving and new friends are coming in.
Don't worry, though- I intend to keep Bloo, Mac, and the other characters around, and hopefully Kate will be the only imaginary friend I want to add (I don't like adding too many OCs to a fanfic- from a reader's POV, it makes the story less interesting). Thanks for the comments!
Cartoonsey DeJubbyjub-
Thanks. I wanted to make Kate fit in as much as possible with the others, but I didn't want to put the spotlight on her exclusively. I want to make sure all the cast members get a good portion of the plot, so fanfic readers can keep their attention more easily.
Yeah, Kate likes Eduardo a lot. I think she's intrigued by the fact that he's an imaginary friend that could easily pass as a fearsome monster, but is just a great big kid at heart.
Now, as far as romance... I'll have to let you find that out for yourself, won't I? )
No, you aren't being annoying. I love a good review, especially flattering ones like those! I'll keep on writing if you keep 'em coming! :D Oh, and as for Mac's toy car... thanks for the reminder! I should look into that...
Barry I. Grauman-
Well, now, I wouldn't exactly say "perfect"... but I do try. )
I'm glad you like Kate. I guess she kinda fits in... hey, look at Mr. Herriman! The Eduardo and Kate relationship... have I made it that obvious? LOL Thanks much for the comments!
Miss Understood Genious-
I know what those late nights feel like... LOL Thanks for the encouragement. I hope I can push myself to actually finish it! :)
Jillian14-
Uh... thanks. I did review, and gave ya some pointers.
Next time, though, could you give me something more specific? It would be nice... :D
Mac-
Thanks! I'm glad you like it so far, and don't worry- hopefully, this project won't die on me. ;)
Princess Chaos-
You think it's funny? Awesome! :D I'll try and keep it up as I go along. Thanks for the review!
Thank you all so much for the reviews! On with the next story!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Three: "Beware of Duchess"
------------------------------------------------------------
The next morning, Kate was sound asleep under Eduardo's bed. Sure enough, no monsters (if any) came around to terrorize the poor purple friend. She really did feel pretty comfortable there; she didn't feel the need to get up since then.
Eventually, all the friends at Fosters began to wake up. A few were already downstairs getting breakfast, but most of them were just waking up.
Wilt yawned, sitting up in his bunk and stretching. "Good morning, everybody," he greeted, getting down from his bed.
Coco stirred from her nest, blinking her eyes. "Coco coco," she chimed.
Needless to say, Bloo was not a morning person. "Five more minutes," he muttered in his slumber.
Naturally, Eduardo was the next friend to awaken. He felt better this morning, knowing that no monster could have gotten to him the night before. It felt good to have a good friend like Kate around.
As Eduardo stretched and got out of bed, he failed to remember an important detail...
"Yeow!!"
Kate was still under the bed... and her outstretched arm was now under Eduardo's foot.
Afraid that he might have hurt her, Eduardo backed off. "I sorry, I sorry, I sorry!" he cried.
Of course, that wasn't helping Kate much; she managed to crawl out on her own. "It's okay! It's okay!" she assured.
Again, Eduardo did not look where he was stepping. This time, his foot landed on Kate's foot. "Gah!!" she screamed. "Ow, ow, ow! It hurts! Ow!!"
The sudden scream was enough to shock Bloo out of sleep. "I'm awake, I'm awake, I'm awake!" he shouted.
Quickly, Wilt and Coco ran back down the hall, alerted by the screams in the bedroom. "What happened?" Wilt asked.
Coco also poked her head in. "Coco co?" she inquired.
Bloo turned his attention to the doorway. He saw Wilt and Coco, but their mouths were foamy (from toothpaste, unbeknowst to him). "Wilt! Coco!" he yelped. "You've mutated!"
To say the least, both Wilt and Coco were confused. What on earth was he talking about? Mutations??
"Bloo?" Wilt queried.
"Coco?" Coco inquired.
"Ow!" Kate yelled.
"I sorry!" Eduardo cried.
"Mutants!" Bloo screamed.
Fearful for his life, Bloo jumped off the bed and ran for safety. Coco followed him in hot pursuit, trying to ask him what he was so worried about. Of course, that's hard enough to do when all you can say is "coco", but with a mouth full of toothpaste??
Meanwhile, Wilt hurried over to the beds; Eduardo was crying and Kate was curled up on the floor. "What's going on?" Wilt asked. "Eduardo, what's wrong? Kate, are you okay?"
Kate nodded, although still cringing in pain. "I'm fine," she answered. "Eduardo just stepped on my foot... and my arm..."
Eduardo bawled loudly. "I so sorry!" he whimpered. "Eduardo es un bad boy!"
Now, Kate was quick to react. "Oh, don't cry, Ed," she cooed. "It's okay- accidents happen."
A quiet sniffle escaped Eduardo. "Esta seguro?" he inquired.
Even though Kate didn't know that much Spanish, she still got the jist of what he was asking. "I'm fine," she assured. "I'm just a little sore, that's all."
Wilt leaned over. "You sure you're okay?" he queried.
The doglike imaginary friend shook her head. "Yes, Wilt!" she insisted. "It's not like I need crutches or anything! I'm perfectly fine!"
A loud crash alerted Wilt, Eduardo, and Kate. They stood and ran over to the corner of the room; Bloo was curled up in the corner, cowering in Coco's shadow. "I'll be okay, I'll be okay," Bloo kept telling himself. "This is all just a dream... I'll be awake in two seconds..."
"Coco coco co!" Coco shouted, her mouth still full of toothpaste foam.
In his sheer shock, Bloo fainted right there on the floor.
After a moment of just standing there, the rest of the friends just looked at each other. "Wilt, maybe you and Coco should go wash up," Kate suggested. "Eduardo and I will stay here and wake up Bloo."
Nodding, Wilt gestured to Coco and they walked away, heading back to the bathroom. After all, they still had toothpaste in their mouths!
Perhaps a minute or two later, Bloo finally came to. "Wha... what happened?" he murmured.
Although she could have told him the truth, Kate thought that a lie would make better sense. "You must have had a bad dream," she answered. "You were probably sleepwalking or something."
Rubbing his head, Bloo stood shakily. "Yeah, that must be it," he muttered. "It was something about Coco... and mutants..."
Shaking her head, Kate helped Bloo up. "Come on, let's get washed up and downstairs," she advised. "I don't know about you two, but I'm starving!"
As the friends made their way out of the bedroom, Kate stopped for a moment. She bent down and rubbed her foot; it was still sore from when Eduardo accidentally stepped on it. "Note to self," she mumbled. "Next time I offer to lie under somebody's bed, make sure I'm all the way under."
Once her foot felt a little better, Kate stood again. She then saw Eduardo standing in the doorway, waiting for her. He seemed concerned, in that he wanted to help her somehow.
Kate blushed a little; it felt kind of awkward to have someone staring at her like that. "I'm fine," she said. "I'm just sore, that's all."
Eduardo hung his head, as if feeling guilty. He turned to leave, but then stuck his head in the doorway again. "Esta bien?" he asked. "I can help."
"Really, I'm fine," Kate insisted. "Go ahead- I'll catch up with you."
After Eduardo finally left, Kate made her way down the hall and towards the bathroom. Even though she knew she could take care of herself, she still thought it was nice of Eduardo to wait for her like that. In fact, she thought it was sweet...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A little later that morning, a familiar young boy approached the Fosters home. He knocked at the door, waiting for a quick response from Frankie or Mr. Herriman.
Sure, enough, it was Frankie who opened the door. She looked down and smiled. "Hey, Mac," she greeted. "Ready for a fun-filled Saturday at Fosters?"
Mac nodded. "You bet," he replied, stepping inside. "My mom's working and Terrence slept in this morning, as usual." He looked around. "Where's Bloo?"
Frankie shrugged. "Probably still upstairs, eating breakfast," she guessed. "I'll stop by and tell him you're here, okay?"
Smiling, Mac took a seat in a nearby chair. "Thanks, Frankie," he said.
"No problem," Frankie responded, picking up a basket of clothes she had placed on the floor. "Now, if you'll excuse me, her royal highness has asked me to do her laundry, again." She muttered something to herself as she left Mac to wait in the main foyer.
A moment later, a doglike imaginary friend sauntered downstairs. She noticed the boy and hurried over. "Hi, Mac," Kate chimed, hugging him. "You here to see Bloo?"
The boy nodded. "Yeah," he answered. "It's Saturday, and I always spend the weekends with Bloo and the others."
A grin crossed Kate's face. "How nice," she commented, then noticing a small yellow cloth on the floor. "Huh, what's this?"
Unsure, Mac came over and got a closer look. "It looks like a hankie," he noted, remembering something. "Well, Frankie was just here... and she had a load of Duchess' laundry..."
Still being new, Kate had very little idea who Duchess was. She knew that she was cold, mean, and stubborn, but also rich and stuck-up. However, she had no idea what this "friend" looked like. A friendly visit from a fellow imaginary friend never hurt anyone...
Curious, Kate picked up the hankie and sniffed it. "Expensive perfume, and linens from fine clothes," she guessed. "You know, Mac, I think I'll return this to Duchess myself."
Mac gave Kate an odd glance. "You haven't met Duchess yet, have you?" he queried.
Kate stared at Mac inquisitively, her head and ears cocked to the side. "Is that a problem?" she inquired
"I guess not," Mac replied with a shrug. "A lot of folks usually try to stay away from Duchess. She doesn't like guests, anyway... at least, not guests like the regulars here."
The doglike imaginary friend smirked. "Well, sooner or later, she's gonna come looking for this hankie," she reasoned. "No time like the present, right?" She sniffed the hankie again, and went straight up the stairwell, apparently hot on the scent.
Even if he didn't suspect Kate to be a trouble-maker (not like Bloo, anyway), Mac was still a little worried. "Something tells me that Duchess won't be so eager..."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once she scaled the stairs and made her way through the halls of Fosters, Kate kept hot on the trail, especially with the hankie for scent reference. She was anxious to see Duchess- if her hankie smelled this fancy, what splendor did she live in??
Finally, Kate came to the door that was presumably the residence of Duchess. She took a deep whiff of the air around it; that rich scent was there. This was the place, alright.
Cautiously, Kate reached for the door handle and opened the door. She was amazed at the wonders before her- all the fabulous colors, bright lights, and amorous scents immediately caught her, delighting her senses. She had to come in!
As Kate made her way inside, she took a closer look around the room. Perhaps it was a bit too gaudy for her tastes, but then again what did she know about culture?
After a moment of quiet study, Kate finally found it- the make-up counter. She saw an open drawer with a colorful cloth sticking out of it. That was probably where Duchess left her hankies and other such items.
Before Kate could reach the drawer, though, something else caught her eye. She glanced at all the perfume bottles, in every color and scent imaginable... it was almost like she was in a trance, just gazing at them.
"Hello."
Kate jumped in surprise. She turned around to face a strange-looking imaginary friend. "Um... hi," she murmured. "Wow, you look like a work of art. Were you Picasso's imaginary friend?"
Although it wasn't true, the imaginary friend loved the flattery. "Perhaps," she answered with a wide grin. "You must be new. I don't believe we have been properly introduced." She chuckled. "I am Her Royal Highness Diamond Persnickity The First, Last, and Only."
A nervous grin escaped the doglike friend. "Oh, you must be Duchess," she replied. "I'm Kate- just Kate. Not 'Miss Katherine' like that annoying rabbit calls me... just Kate."
Duchess observed Kate carefully. True, she was rather uncouth and unbecoming for someone of her important stature... but her comments were sincere, and it had been too long since she had heard such things. If she kept this dog around, she could quickly become her loyal friend... and would be willing to do her bidding as well.
Finally, Kate realized that she had been there too long. "Ah, I should be going," she muttered, approaching the door. "It was nice meeting you, Duchess."
"I know," Duchess responded, "and I just want you to know, Kate, that you are always welcome in my presence, darling."
Shocked, Kate turned around catiously. "You... you like me?"
The artistic imaginary friend nodded. "Is something the matter?"
Still surprised, Kate calmed down and tried to explain. "Well... you see..." she stuttered, "I was under the impression that you... well, you weren't very likeable." She swallowed hard. "Do... do you mean it? Do you really like me?"
Continuing with her charade, Duchess nodded in compliance. "Of course," she lied. "I don't know what anyone else has told you, but I am not a bad person. I simply have a better taste for culture, darling. You understand that, don't you?"
Kate smiled. "I guess that makes sense," she remarked. "I always figured it takes genius to recognize fine art, something I never really understood."
Duchess smiled; clearly, she had Kate fooled wonderfully. "I have been gifted with my high quality," she commented. "Perhaps if you spent more time with me, you could learn as well."
Appreciative of the compliment, Kate nodded. "I'll keep that in mind," she answered. "See you around, Duchess."
Once Kate was out of the room, Duchess chuckled lightly. Her plan was set; all she needed now was for Kate to follow accordingly...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meanwhile, Mac and Bloo were downstairs waiting in the foyer for Wilt. The tall red imaginary friend had some time the day before to work on Mac's RC car; all he needed to do now was make a few last-minute adjustments.
Bloo groaned loudly. "What could be taking him so long??" he snapped.
The boy gave his blue friend a sidelong look. "Be patient, Bloo," he advised. "Besides, do you think you could do any better? Or any faster?"
That quickly got Bloo to be quiet. He sunk further into his seat, muttering something under his breath.
At that moment, Kate sauntered happily down the stairs. "Hey, guys," she chimed, glancing at Bloo with concern. "What's wrong, Bloo?"
A heavy sigh was Bloo's only reply.
"Don't mind him, Kate," Mac answered, sitting up in his seat. "So, did you manage to return the hankie to Duchess' room without runing into her?"
This new topic piqued Bloo's interest. "Huh?" he inquired. "What about Duchess?"
Surprised, Kate reached into the pocket of her capris. "Oh, I forgot about that," she gasped. "I'll have to take care of it later."
The thought of Kate going back into "the dragon's lair" unnerved Mac and intrigued Bloo. "But what if Duchess is there?" the boy asked.
Kate shrugged. "So what?" she commented. "It's not like Duchess is bad-"
Quickly, Bloo interrupted Kate. "Are you crazy??" he questioned. "Duchess is the most spoiled, jealous, and evil friend at Fosters!"
In shock, Kate dropped her jaw. "Bloo, I can't believe you!" she cried. "I know she may be misunderstood for her cultural genius, but really- evil?? How could you be so rude?!"
It became apparent to Mac that they were missing something. "Wait, Kate, hold on a minute," he said. "You met Duchess, and she wasn't mean to you?"
The doglike imaginary friend nodded. "That's right," she noted. "Sure, she was a bit wary at first, but I would be too if a stranger wandered into my room. She even said I was welcome to visit her any time."
Now Mac was even more confused. "That's strange," he remarked. "Duchess doesn't normally like company. In fact, she's not usually nice, either." He looked up at Kate. "Did she say anything else?"
Unsure, Kate shrugged. "No, not really," she replied. "She did say that she wanted to share some of her cultural knowledge with me, but nothing else. Why?"
Mac was still wary of Duchess, and with good reason. "Kate, are you sure Duchess isn't just using you for some reason?"
Bloo gave Mac a sharp stare. "Hello!" he snapped. "Why would Duchess wanna use Kate? It's not like she knows some deep dark secret that Duchess doesn't want anybody else to know!" Slowly, Bloo turned around to face Kate. "Unless you do! What's her secret, Kate??"
"There is no secret, Bloo," Kate answered. "Duchess just likes me for some reason, and I don't see why you two don't like her. She's really a pretty nice person."
Before Mac could get another word in, Kate turned around and headed back up the stairs. "No, I don't wanna hear another word about it," she growled. "I'm going back upstairs. I have a hankie to return."
With a heavy sigh, Mac laid his head in his hands. "Well, that went well," he mumbled.
To say the least, Bloo wasn't quite as concerned. "Oh, so what?" he commented. "Let her go off and be 'friends' with Duchess. If she gets in trouble, it's her own fault, right?"
Just the same, Mac wasn't willing to let that happen. Perhaps Kate needed to learn this lesson the hard way, but what if she never learned? What if, instead of a friend, Kate was to become their enemy and cohort of Duchess?
Finally, Wilt made his way down the stairs and into the foyer. "Hey, guys!" he greeted, holding out a red remote-controlled car. "Here you go, Mac- good as new."
Quickly, Bloo grabbed the car. "Awesome!" he cheered, turning to the boy. "Come on, Mac- let's check it out!"
Feeling a little better, Mac stood and approached Bloo, taking the car from Bloo. "Okay, okay," he agreed, "but this time, we're going outside. There's not as many obstacles out there."
Scoffing a little, Bloo reluctantly followed Mac outside. "Fine," he muttered. "I'm coming..."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A soft knock came to Duchess' door. The haughty imaginary friend grinned evilly. "Come in," she requested.
The door opened slowly, and Kate poked her head inside. "Hi, Duchess," she murmured. "I just wanted to return something."
Intrigued, Duchess reached out her hand and gestured Kate closer with her well-manicured finger. "Come closer," she said softly as Kate closed the door. "Now, what is it you wish to return?"
Kate reached into her pocket and pulled out a yellow cloth. "I wanted to return your hankie," she explained. "That's why I was here in the first place- it must have fallen out of your laundry basket."
Duchess smiled, taking the hankie from Kate. "Thank you," she replied, taking notice of her sullen expression. "You seem sad. Tell me- what is wrong?"
Shrugging, Kate lowered her head. "I dunno," she mumbled. "It's just... well, I told my friends that you liked me, and they didn't believe me. They still think you're mean..." She glanced at the bed, then at Duchess. "Would you mind terribly if I sat down?"
"Of course not," Duchess answered, sitting down next to Kate. "Now, why don't you tell me those lies your friends told you?"
With a light-hearted sigh, Kate began her rambling. "Well," she began, "it happened like this..."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An hour or so later, three friends were travelling down the hallway- Wilt, Coco, and Eduardo. Lunch would be ready soon, so they needed to get downstairs.
As the friends laughed over a new joke, Wilt suddenly remembered something. "Hey, have any of you seen Kate?" he asked.
"Coco co," Coco responded.
Eduardo shrugged. "Si, me neither," he said.
Wilt thought for a moment. "That's strange," he commented. "I saw her a couple of times in the hallway, but she never said anything. I wonder where she is."
It was then that a nearby door opened. It was Duchess' doorway, and they expected the spoiled friend to step outside.
Of course, that was not the case this time. "Thank you so much, Duchess," Kate chimed as she stepped outside. "You know, I wish there were more friends like you."
A familiar voice trailed into the hallway. "It was no trouble, really," Duchess assured. "And remember- you can keep that handkerchief."
Kate smiled. "Thanks, Duchess," she replied, closing the door and gazing at the three astounded friends. "Oh- hi, guys."
At first, none of them said anything. It was too much of a miracle- Kate made friends with Duchess?? How was it possible?!
Finally, it was Coco who broke the silence. "Coco coco?" she questioned.
The doglike imaginary friend rolled her eyes. "I was talking to Duchess," she answered. "Why? Is that a crime?"
"Well, no," Wilt responded ernestly, "but... well..."
Quickly, Kate interjected. "Let me guess," she snapped. "Duchess is a mean, cold-hearted person, right?"
The three friends nodded in agreement. Hey, it was true!
An angry groan escaped Kate. "Well, you're wrong," she spat. "Duchess is a really nice person, and if you ever got the chance to know her, you'd see that."
Again, none of the three friends spoke. Wilt was always friendly with everyone, but Duchess was never nice to anyone, especially him. Coco had tried once before, but after that encounter never saw the point in trying again. And Eduardo- well, he was just plain afraid of her!
Surprised at what she assumed was arrogance, Kate snorted. "You know, I expected better from you," she hissed. "I thought it was bad enough that Mac and Bloo didn't like her, but I figured it was just that they were children. But you- you've been here longer than I have, and I think I'd know a bad person when I see one."
Before any of the friends could say a word, Kate turned away and stormed down the hallway. She couldn't believe it- how could no one like Duchess, whom she assumed to be a genuinely nice person? It didn't make sense to her!
Coco looked up at Wilt. "Coco co coco?" she asked.
Wilt shrugged. "I dunno," he replied. "She's probably just a little steamed; she'll cool off after a while."
As Wilt and Coco continued their way to the dining hall, Eduardo stayed behind a moment. He always thought Kate was a very nice friend- she was so kind, friendly, and forgiving- so why would she be friends with Duchess?
Eduardo sighed, following Wilt and Coco. Whatever was going on with Kate, he just hoped it was only temporary...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Downstairs at lunch, all the imaginary friends gathered in the dining hall. Of course everyone was there, and a space had been cleared for Mac to sit. Naturally, Bloo and his friends all sat together, and even Kate joined them (despite their disagreements).
Once everyone was settled and enjoying their lunch, Bloo decided it was time to question Kate's judgement. "So, Kate," he began, "do you still like Duchess?"
Kate's ears flattened against her skull, a sign that she was irritated. "Yes, Bloo," she snapped. "Now, stop, please- I just want to enjoy my lunch with you guys, and I'd rather not have it spoiled by our differences."
"Speaking of spoiled," Bloo continued, "haven't you noticed how spoiled Duchess is? I mean, look at all that fancy schmancy stuff she has!"
Quickly, Mac grabbed hold of Bloo. "Stop it, Bloo!" he hissed. "She doesn't wanna talk about it. Leave her alone."
Sadly, Bloo's influence had spread. "Coco!" Coco chimed, agreeing with Bloo whole-heartedly.
Wilt, Eduardo, and Mac turned to the birdlike imaginary friend. "Coco!" they shouted.
Coco shrugged. "Coco coco," she murmured.
Quick to react, Kate snarled, keeping her glaring eyes downcast. She couldn't believe how harsh her own friends were...
At that moment, Frankie stood and sauntered over to where the friends were sitting. "Hey, guys, what's going on?" she inquired. "Whatever you're fighting about, it's distracting everyone else."
Hoping for some enlightenment, Kate stood and turned to the girl. "Frankie, thank goodness," she sighed, gesturing to the others. "Please, tell them that Duchess isn't bad- that she's really a nice person."
The other friends winced. They were well aware of Frankie's perspective of Duchess.
To say the least, Frankie was shocked. "Duchess- nice?" she questioned. "Are you out of your mind??"
Kate was taken aback. "Excuse me?" she queried.
Angered, Frankie fehemently reeled on about Duchess and her tendancies. "Duchess is one of the pickiest, meanest, most spoiled friends at Fosters!" she screamed. "She always likes things done a certain way, and won't take them otherwise! Trust me- I have to do her laundry at least three times- sometimes five- so that it's just right! Plus, she insists on being called her given 'royal' name! She's never nice, Kate- NEVER!!"
Now it was Kate's turn to shout. "Frankie, I don't believe you!" she cried. "Duchess is one of the nicest friends I've ever met! She always listens to me, and lets me come into her room. She even gave me one of her hankies! I don't see how you could be so rude and make up all those... those lies!"
Everyone in the room gasped. Frankie, lie? No, that could never be true! They all knew Duchess was a mean-spirited friend- most of them had even seen it for themselves!
Again, Kate looked around for someone who would give her a sensible answer. "Mr. Herriman," she addressed, approaching the proper rabbit, "surely you can agree with me- perhaps Duchess isn't the best friend, but she's really nice at heart!"
Surprised to hear such an honest query proposed, Mr. Herriman said nothing. He merely cleared his throat and looked away, hoping Kate would drop the subject.
This was not the case; Kate finally drew her attention to the kindly old lady at the head of the table. "Madam Foster?" she squeaked.
Unable to answer the question to her liking, Madam Foster too turned away from Kate, whistling a quiet tune. Hey, even she knew that Duchess was a cold, mean imaginary friend!
Desperate, Kate turned to every other imaginary friend. "Come on!" she shouted. "Somebody, anybody- tell me that Duchess is a good person!"
No one replied directly to Kate's request. Some looked away, some whistled quietly, some cleared their throats, and some even muttered an insult under their breaths; the rest just said nothing.
To say the least, Kate was shocked. "I don't believe it," she murmured. "I'm living in a house of arrogant pigs."
"Hey!" a friend named Piggy cried from across the room. "I resemble that remark!"
Needless to say, Kate did not care. "May I be excused?" she snapped at Mr. Herriman, picking up her plate.
Before Mr. Herriman could say a word, Kate turned away. "I'm having lunch with my friend," she spat. "If any of you wanna wise up and join me, go ahead. Otherwise, you may continue in your hateful conversations." With that, she stormed out of the room and upstairs.
A brief moment of silence followed. Once everyone decided that it really wasn't something they should bother thinking about, they continued eating and talking.
Mac gave Bloo a sharp look. "I hope you're happy, Bloo," he remarked.
Of course, Bloo had little idea of what Mac was talking about, nor did he care. "Hey, don't go blaming her outburst on me," he snapped.
Coco gave Bloo a sidelong look. "Co coco coco," she reminded.
Bloo glared at Coco out of the corner of his eye. "Oh, be quiet," he hissed.
Suddenly, Eduardo grabbed hold of his plate. He stood up a little, and caught everyone else's attention. He froze, afraid of what to do next.
Mr. Herriman glanced at Eduardo. "Master Eduardo," he addressed, "where are you going?"
Eduardo wanted to tell him the truth- that he wanted to go upstairs and have lunch with Kate... and Duchess. It was odd, however, how everyone was staring at him. He never did like that.
With an heavy sigh, Eduardo sat back down at the table and put down his plate. He took a bite out of his sandwich and smiled, hoping everyone would stop staring at him like that.
Sure enough, most of the friends went back to their own lunches. Only his friends were still looking at him.
After a moment, Mac dismissed it and continued eating his own lunch. Coco did the same once she grew tired of staring. Even Bloo gave up after he realized he was still hungry, and started a different conversation with Mac.
However, Wilt was still concerned. "Are you okay, buddy?" he asked.
Nodding, Eduardo picked up his sandwich and took another bite. "Si, si..."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upstairs, Kate seated herself on the shelf of Duchess' balcony. "Can you believe them?" she growled. "I don't understand it, Duchess- you're so nice and polite. Why would anyone not like you?"
Duchess waved her hand in a dismissive gesture, herself seated at her own little private table. "Oh, forget them, darling!" she advised. "They know nothing about culture!"
"I know," Kate agreed. "And Frankie- she was the worst of all! I thought she'd have more sense, but I was so wrong! You should have heard all the lies she said about you!"
Nodding, Duchess took another bite of her sushi dish. "Yes, indeed," she responded. "I may be high maintenance, but really- I don't ask much. Perhaps I live in a pampered lifestyle, but that is how I was created."
Kate smiled, amazed at Duchess' apparent intellect. "I couldn't agree more," she noted.
It was here that Duchess saw an opportunity to influence her newfound friend. "You know," she said, standing from her chair and approaching Kate, "as much as I hate telling you this, you must realize how... uncouth your friends really are."
The doglike imaginary friend nodded. "Yeah, tell me about it," she answered. "I mean, I thought they were nice... and they were, for a while... but now I see their true colors." She snorted. "Some friends they were, huh?"
Taking pity on the doglike friend, Duchess sat down beside Kate. "Oh, don't worry," she assured. "Not everyone can be as cultured as I am. You can't really blame them."
A light sigh escaped Kate. "I guess you're right," she murmured.
Again, Duchess gestured with her hand. "Who needs them, anyway?" she dismissed. "They are only uncultured, closed-minded, arrogant pigs."
Smiling, Kate put down her plate and turned to Duchess. "Exactly," she replied, embracing Duchess. "You're such a great friend. It's like you can read my mind or something."
A sly grin crossed Duchess' snout. "You don't know the half of it, my dear Kate..."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Be Continued...
(PS- before you hit the review button, remember- this is only part one. All will be revealed in the next chapter, so stick around! Thanks again!)
--------------------
Author's Notes: Hurrah, hurrah! More notes!
Binda-
Yeah, I know Eduardo sleeps on the top bunk. I thought it was odd, though- a monster his size, on the top bunk? Wouldn't that make whoever sleeps on the bottom bunk (in that case, Wilt) a little nervous?
There was a little paragraph in the last chapter explaining that the friends (the residents at Fosters, not just Bloo and the gang) did some switching around with bed arrangements. Perhaps there were a couple friends who couldn't stop talking to each other? Some that snored or drooled in their sleep? Some who had a habit of waking up in the middle of the night? Obviously, some gradual switching around had to occur, and it still is, so long as old friends are leaving and new friends are coming in.
Don't worry, though- I intend to keep Bloo, Mac, and the other characters around, and hopefully Kate will be the only imaginary friend I want to add (I don't like adding too many OCs to a fanfic- from a reader's POV, it makes the story less interesting). Thanks for the comments!
Cartoonsey DeJubbyjub-
Thanks. I wanted to make Kate fit in as much as possible with the others, but I didn't want to put the spotlight on her exclusively. I want to make sure all the cast members get a good portion of the plot, so fanfic readers can keep their attention more easily.
Yeah, Kate likes Eduardo a lot. I think she's intrigued by the fact that he's an imaginary friend that could easily pass as a fearsome monster, but is just a great big kid at heart.
Now, as far as romance... I'll have to let you find that out for yourself, won't I? )
No, you aren't being annoying. I love a good review, especially flattering ones like those! I'll keep on writing if you keep 'em coming! :D Oh, and as for Mac's toy car... thanks for the reminder! I should look into that...
Barry I. Grauman-
Well, now, I wouldn't exactly say "perfect"... but I do try. )
I'm glad you like Kate. I guess she kinda fits in... hey, look at Mr. Herriman! The Eduardo and Kate relationship... have I made it that obvious? LOL Thanks much for the comments!
Miss Understood Genious-
I know what those late nights feel like... LOL Thanks for the encouragement. I hope I can push myself to actually finish it! :)
Jillian14-
Uh... thanks. I did review, and gave ya some pointers.
Next time, though, could you give me something more specific? It would be nice... :D
Mac-
Thanks! I'm glad you like it so far, and don't worry- hopefully, this project won't die on me. ;)
Princess Chaos-
You think it's funny? Awesome! :D I'll try and keep it up as I go along. Thanks for the review!
Thank you all so much for the reviews! On with the next story!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Three: "Beware of Duchess"
------------------------------------------------------------
The next morning, Kate was sound asleep under Eduardo's bed. Sure enough, no monsters (if any) came around to terrorize the poor purple friend. She really did feel pretty comfortable there; she didn't feel the need to get up since then.
Eventually, all the friends at Fosters began to wake up. A few were already downstairs getting breakfast, but most of them were just waking up.
Wilt yawned, sitting up in his bunk and stretching. "Good morning, everybody," he greeted, getting down from his bed.
Coco stirred from her nest, blinking her eyes. "Coco coco," she chimed.
Needless to say, Bloo was not a morning person. "Five more minutes," he muttered in his slumber.
Naturally, Eduardo was the next friend to awaken. He felt better this morning, knowing that no monster could have gotten to him the night before. It felt good to have a good friend like Kate around.
As Eduardo stretched and got out of bed, he failed to remember an important detail...
"Yeow!!"
Kate was still under the bed... and her outstretched arm was now under Eduardo's foot.
Afraid that he might have hurt her, Eduardo backed off. "I sorry, I sorry, I sorry!" he cried.
Of course, that wasn't helping Kate much; she managed to crawl out on her own. "It's okay! It's okay!" she assured.
Again, Eduardo did not look where he was stepping. This time, his foot landed on Kate's foot. "Gah!!" she screamed. "Ow, ow, ow! It hurts! Ow!!"
The sudden scream was enough to shock Bloo out of sleep. "I'm awake, I'm awake, I'm awake!" he shouted.
Quickly, Wilt and Coco ran back down the hall, alerted by the screams in the bedroom. "What happened?" Wilt asked.
Coco also poked her head in. "Coco co?" she inquired.
Bloo turned his attention to the doorway. He saw Wilt and Coco, but their mouths were foamy (from toothpaste, unbeknowst to him). "Wilt! Coco!" he yelped. "You've mutated!"
To say the least, both Wilt and Coco were confused. What on earth was he talking about? Mutations??
"Bloo?" Wilt queried.
"Coco?" Coco inquired.
"Ow!" Kate yelled.
"I sorry!" Eduardo cried.
"Mutants!" Bloo screamed.
Fearful for his life, Bloo jumped off the bed and ran for safety. Coco followed him in hot pursuit, trying to ask him what he was so worried about. Of course, that's hard enough to do when all you can say is "coco", but with a mouth full of toothpaste??
Meanwhile, Wilt hurried over to the beds; Eduardo was crying and Kate was curled up on the floor. "What's going on?" Wilt asked. "Eduardo, what's wrong? Kate, are you okay?"
Kate nodded, although still cringing in pain. "I'm fine," she answered. "Eduardo just stepped on my foot... and my arm..."
Eduardo bawled loudly. "I so sorry!" he whimpered. "Eduardo es un bad boy!"
Now, Kate was quick to react. "Oh, don't cry, Ed," she cooed. "It's okay- accidents happen."
A quiet sniffle escaped Eduardo. "Esta seguro?" he inquired.
Even though Kate didn't know that much Spanish, she still got the jist of what he was asking. "I'm fine," she assured. "I'm just a little sore, that's all."
Wilt leaned over. "You sure you're okay?" he queried.
The doglike imaginary friend shook her head. "Yes, Wilt!" she insisted. "It's not like I need crutches or anything! I'm perfectly fine!"
A loud crash alerted Wilt, Eduardo, and Kate. They stood and ran over to the corner of the room; Bloo was curled up in the corner, cowering in Coco's shadow. "I'll be okay, I'll be okay," Bloo kept telling himself. "This is all just a dream... I'll be awake in two seconds..."
"Coco coco co!" Coco shouted, her mouth still full of toothpaste foam.
In his sheer shock, Bloo fainted right there on the floor.
After a moment of just standing there, the rest of the friends just looked at each other. "Wilt, maybe you and Coco should go wash up," Kate suggested. "Eduardo and I will stay here and wake up Bloo."
Nodding, Wilt gestured to Coco and they walked away, heading back to the bathroom. After all, they still had toothpaste in their mouths!
Perhaps a minute or two later, Bloo finally came to. "Wha... what happened?" he murmured.
Although she could have told him the truth, Kate thought that a lie would make better sense. "You must have had a bad dream," she answered. "You were probably sleepwalking or something."
Rubbing his head, Bloo stood shakily. "Yeah, that must be it," he muttered. "It was something about Coco... and mutants..."
Shaking her head, Kate helped Bloo up. "Come on, let's get washed up and downstairs," she advised. "I don't know about you two, but I'm starving!"
As the friends made their way out of the bedroom, Kate stopped for a moment. She bent down and rubbed her foot; it was still sore from when Eduardo accidentally stepped on it. "Note to self," she mumbled. "Next time I offer to lie under somebody's bed, make sure I'm all the way under."
Once her foot felt a little better, Kate stood again. She then saw Eduardo standing in the doorway, waiting for her. He seemed concerned, in that he wanted to help her somehow.
Kate blushed a little; it felt kind of awkward to have someone staring at her like that. "I'm fine," she said. "I'm just sore, that's all."
Eduardo hung his head, as if feeling guilty. He turned to leave, but then stuck his head in the doorway again. "Esta bien?" he asked. "I can help."
"Really, I'm fine," Kate insisted. "Go ahead- I'll catch up with you."
After Eduardo finally left, Kate made her way down the hall and towards the bathroom. Even though she knew she could take care of herself, she still thought it was nice of Eduardo to wait for her like that. In fact, she thought it was sweet...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A little later that morning, a familiar young boy approached the Fosters home. He knocked at the door, waiting for a quick response from Frankie or Mr. Herriman.
Sure, enough, it was Frankie who opened the door. She looked down and smiled. "Hey, Mac," she greeted. "Ready for a fun-filled Saturday at Fosters?"
Mac nodded. "You bet," he replied, stepping inside. "My mom's working and Terrence slept in this morning, as usual." He looked around. "Where's Bloo?"
Frankie shrugged. "Probably still upstairs, eating breakfast," she guessed. "I'll stop by and tell him you're here, okay?"
Smiling, Mac took a seat in a nearby chair. "Thanks, Frankie," he said.
"No problem," Frankie responded, picking up a basket of clothes she had placed on the floor. "Now, if you'll excuse me, her royal highness has asked me to do her laundry, again." She muttered something to herself as she left Mac to wait in the main foyer.
A moment later, a doglike imaginary friend sauntered downstairs. She noticed the boy and hurried over. "Hi, Mac," Kate chimed, hugging him. "You here to see Bloo?"
The boy nodded. "Yeah," he answered. "It's Saturday, and I always spend the weekends with Bloo and the others."
A grin crossed Kate's face. "How nice," she commented, then noticing a small yellow cloth on the floor. "Huh, what's this?"
Unsure, Mac came over and got a closer look. "It looks like a hankie," he noted, remembering something. "Well, Frankie was just here... and she had a load of Duchess' laundry..."
Still being new, Kate had very little idea who Duchess was. She knew that she was cold, mean, and stubborn, but also rich and stuck-up. However, she had no idea what this "friend" looked like. A friendly visit from a fellow imaginary friend never hurt anyone...
Curious, Kate picked up the hankie and sniffed it. "Expensive perfume, and linens from fine clothes," she guessed. "You know, Mac, I think I'll return this to Duchess myself."
Mac gave Kate an odd glance. "You haven't met Duchess yet, have you?" he queried.
Kate stared at Mac inquisitively, her head and ears cocked to the side. "Is that a problem?" she inquired
"I guess not," Mac replied with a shrug. "A lot of folks usually try to stay away from Duchess. She doesn't like guests, anyway... at least, not guests like the regulars here."
The doglike imaginary friend smirked. "Well, sooner or later, she's gonna come looking for this hankie," she reasoned. "No time like the present, right?" She sniffed the hankie again, and went straight up the stairwell, apparently hot on the scent.
Even if he didn't suspect Kate to be a trouble-maker (not like Bloo, anyway), Mac was still a little worried. "Something tells me that Duchess won't be so eager..."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once she scaled the stairs and made her way through the halls of Fosters, Kate kept hot on the trail, especially with the hankie for scent reference. She was anxious to see Duchess- if her hankie smelled this fancy, what splendor did she live in??
Finally, Kate came to the door that was presumably the residence of Duchess. She took a deep whiff of the air around it; that rich scent was there. This was the place, alright.
Cautiously, Kate reached for the door handle and opened the door. She was amazed at the wonders before her- all the fabulous colors, bright lights, and amorous scents immediately caught her, delighting her senses. She had to come in!
As Kate made her way inside, she took a closer look around the room. Perhaps it was a bit too gaudy for her tastes, but then again what did she know about culture?
After a moment of quiet study, Kate finally found it- the make-up counter. She saw an open drawer with a colorful cloth sticking out of it. That was probably where Duchess left her hankies and other such items.
Before Kate could reach the drawer, though, something else caught her eye. She glanced at all the perfume bottles, in every color and scent imaginable... it was almost like she was in a trance, just gazing at them.
"Hello."
Kate jumped in surprise. She turned around to face a strange-looking imaginary friend. "Um... hi," she murmured. "Wow, you look like a work of art. Were you Picasso's imaginary friend?"
Although it wasn't true, the imaginary friend loved the flattery. "Perhaps," she answered with a wide grin. "You must be new. I don't believe we have been properly introduced." She chuckled. "I am Her Royal Highness Diamond Persnickity The First, Last, and Only."
A nervous grin escaped the doglike friend. "Oh, you must be Duchess," she replied. "I'm Kate- just Kate. Not 'Miss Katherine' like that annoying rabbit calls me... just Kate."
Duchess observed Kate carefully. True, she was rather uncouth and unbecoming for someone of her important stature... but her comments were sincere, and it had been too long since she had heard such things. If she kept this dog around, she could quickly become her loyal friend... and would be willing to do her bidding as well.
Finally, Kate realized that she had been there too long. "Ah, I should be going," she muttered, approaching the door. "It was nice meeting you, Duchess."
"I know," Duchess responded, "and I just want you to know, Kate, that you are always welcome in my presence, darling."
Shocked, Kate turned around catiously. "You... you like me?"
The artistic imaginary friend nodded. "Is something the matter?"
Still surprised, Kate calmed down and tried to explain. "Well... you see..." she stuttered, "I was under the impression that you... well, you weren't very likeable." She swallowed hard. "Do... do you mean it? Do you really like me?"
Continuing with her charade, Duchess nodded in compliance. "Of course," she lied. "I don't know what anyone else has told you, but I am not a bad person. I simply have a better taste for culture, darling. You understand that, don't you?"
Kate smiled. "I guess that makes sense," she remarked. "I always figured it takes genius to recognize fine art, something I never really understood."
Duchess smiled; clearly, she had Kate fooled wonderfully. "I have been gifted with my high quality," she commented. "Perhaps if you spent more time with me, you could learn as well."
Appreciative of the compliment, Kate nodded. "I'll keep that in mind," she answered. "See you around, Duchess."
Once Kate was out of the room, Duchess chuckled lightly. Her plan was set; all she needed now was for Kate to follow accordingly...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meanwhile, Mac and Bloo were downstairs waiting in the foyer for Wilt. The tall red imaginary friend had some time the day before to work on Mac's RC car; all he needed to do now was make a few last-minute adjustments.
Bloo groaned loudly. "What could be taking him so long??" he snapped.
The boy gave his blue friend a sidelong look. "Be patient, Bloo," he advised. "Besides, do you think you could do any better? Or any faster?"
That quickly got Bloo to be quiet. He sunk further into his seat, muttering something under his breath.
At that moment, Kate sauntered happily down the stairs. "Hey, guys," she chimed, glancing at Bloo with concern. "What's wrong, Bloo?"
A heavy sigh was Bloo's only reply.
"Don't mind him, Kate," Mac answered, sitting up in his seat. "So, did you manage to return the hankie to Duchess' room without runing into her?"
This new topic piqued Bloo's interest. "Huh?" he inquired. "What about Duchess?"
Surprised, Kate reached into the pocket of her capris. "Oh, I forgot about that," she gasped. "I'll have to take care of it later."
The thought of Kate going back into "the dragon's lair" unnerved Mac and intrigued Bloo. "But what if Duchess is there?" the boy asked.
Kate shrugged. "So what?" she commented. "It's not like Duchess is bad-"
Quickly, Bloo interrupted Kate. "Are you crazy??" he questioned. "Duchess is the most spoiled, jealous, and evil friend at Fosters!"
In shock, Kate dropped her jaw. "Bloo, I can't believe you!" she cried. "I know she may be misunderstood for her cultural genius, but really- evil?? How could you be so rude?!"
It became apparent to Mac that they were missing something. "Wait, Kate, hold on a minute," he said. "You met Duchess, and she wasn't mean to you?"
The doglike imaginary friend nodded. "That's right," she noted. "Sure, she was a bit wary at first, but I would be too if a stranger wandered into my room. She even said I was welcome to visit her any time."
Now Mac was even more confused. "That's strange," he remarked. "Duchess doesn't normally like company. In fact, she's not usually nice, either." He looked up at Kate. "Did she say anything else?"
Unsure, Kate shrugged. "No, not really," she replied. "She did say that she wanted to share some of her cultural knowledge with me, but nothing else. Why?"
Mac was still wary of Duchess, and with good reason. "Kate, are you sure Duchess isn't just using you for some reason?"
Bloo gave Mac a sharp stare. "Hello!" he snapped. "Why would Duchess wanna use Kate? It's not like she knows some deep dark secret that Duchess doesn't want anybody else to know!" Slowly, Bloo turned around to face Kate. "Unless you do! What's her secret, Kate??"
"There is no secret, Bloo," Kate answered. "Duchess just likes me for some reason, and I don't see why you two don't like her. She's really a pretty nice person."
Before Mac could get another word in, Kate turned around and headed back up the stairs. "No, I don't wanna hear another word about it," she growled. "I'm going back upstairs. I have a hankie to return."
With a heavy sigh, Mac laid his head in his hands. "Well, that went well," he mumbled.
To say the least, Bloo wasn't quite as concerned. "Oh, so what?" he commented. "Let her go off and be 'friends' with Duchess. If she gets in trouble, it's her own fault, right?"
Just the same, Mac wasn't willing to let that happen. Perhaps Kate needed to learn this lesson the hard way, but what if she never learned? What if, instead of a friend, Kate was to become their enemy and cohort of Duchess?
Finally, Wilt made his way down the stairs and into the foyer. "Hey, guys!" he greeted, holding out a red remote-controlled car. "Here you go, Mac- good as new."
Quickly, Bloo grabbed the car. "Awesome!" he cheered, turning to the boy. "Come on, Mac- let's check it out!"
Feeling a little better, Mac stood and approached Bloo, taking the car from Bloo. "Okay, okay," he agreed, "but this time, we're going outside. There's not as many obstacles out there."
Scoffing a little, Bloo reluctantly followed Mac outside. "Fine," he muttered. "I'm coming..."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A soft knock came to Duchess' door. The haughty imaginary friend grinned evilly. "Come in," she requested.
The door opened slowly, and Kate poked her head inside. "Hi, Duchess," she murmured. "I just wanted to return something."
Intrigued, Duchess reached out her hand and gestured Kate closer with her well-manicured finger. "Come closer," she said softly as Kate closed the door. "Now, what is it you wish to return?"
Kate reached into her pocket and pulled out a yellow cloth. "I wanted to return your hankie," she explained. "That's why I was here in the first place- it must have fallen out of your laundry basket."
Duchess smiled, taking the hankie from Kate. "Thank you," she replied, taking notice of her sullen expression. "You seem sad. Tell me- what is wrong?"
Shrugging, Kate lowered her head. "I dunno," she mumbled. "It's just... well, I told my friends that you liked me, and they didn't believe me. They still think you're mean..." She glanced at the bed, then at Duchess. "Would you mind terribly if I sat down?"
"Of course not," Duchess answered, sitting down next to Kate. "Now, why don't you tell me those lies your friends told you?"
With a light-hearted sigh, Kate began her rambling. "Well," she began, "it happened like this..."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An hour or so later, three friends were travelling down the hallway- Wilt, Coco, and Eduardo. Lunch would be ready soon, so they needed to get downstairs.
As the friends laughed over a new joke, Wilt suddenly remembered something. "Hey, have any of you seen Kate?" he asked.
"Coco co," Coco responded.
Eduardo shrugged. "Si, me neither," he said.
Wilt thought for a moment. "That's strange," he commented. "I saw her a couple of times in the hallway, but she never said anything. I wonder where she is."
It was then that a nearby door opened. It was Duchess' doorway, and they expected the spoiled friend to step outside.
Of course, that was not the case this time. "Thank you so much, Duchess," Kate chimed as she stepped outside. "You know, I wish there were more friends like you."
A familiar voice trailed into the hallway. "It was no trouble, really," Duchess assured. "And remember- you can keep that handkerchief."
Kate smiled. "Thanks, Duchess," she replied, closing the door and gazing at the three astounded friends. "Oh- hi, guys."
At first, none of them said anything. It was too much of a miracle- Kate made friends with Duchess?? How was it possible?!
Finally, it was Coco who broke the silence. "Coco coco?" she questioned.
The doglike imaginary friend rolled her eyes. "I was talking to Duchess," she answered. "Why? Is that a crime?"
"Well, no," Wilt responded ernestly, "but... well..."
Quickly, Kate interjected. "Let me guess," she snapped. "Duchess is a mean, cold-hearted person, right?"
The three friends nodded in agreement. Hey, it was true!
An angry groan escaped Kate. "Well, you're wrong," she spat. "Duchess is a really nice person, and if you ever got the chance to know her, you'd see that."
Again, none of the three friends spoke. Wilt was always friendly with everyone, but Duchess was never nice to anyone, especially him. Coco had tried once before, but after that encounter never saw the point in trying again. And Eduardo- well, he was just plain afraid of her!
Surprised at what she assumed was arrogance, Kate snorted. "You know, I expected better from you," she hissed. "I thought it was bad enough that Mac and Bloo didn't like her, but I figured it was just that they were children. But you- you've been here longer than I have, and I think I'd know a bad person when I see one."
Before any of the friends could say a word, Kate turned away and stormed down the hallway. She couldn't believe it- how could no one like Duchess, whom she assumed to be a genuinely nice person? It didn't make sense to her!
Coco looked up at Wilt. "Coco co coco?" she asked.
Wilt shrugged. "I dunno," he replied. "She's probably just a little steamed; she'll cool off after a while."
As Wilt and Coco continued their way to the dining hall, Eduardo stayed behind a moment. He always thought Kate was a very nice friend- she was so kind, friendly, and forgiving- so why would she be friends with Duchess?
Eduardo sighed, following Wilt and Coco. Whatever was going on with Kate, he just hoped it was only temporary...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Downstairs at lunch, all the imaginary friends gathered in the dining hall. Of course everyone was there, and a space had been cleared for Mac to sit. Naturally, Bloo and his friends all sat together, and even Kate joined them (despite their disagreements).
Once everyone was settled and enjoying their lunch, Bloo decided it was time to question Kate's judgement. "So, Kate," he began, "do you still like Duchess?"
Kate's ears flattened against her skull, a sign that she was irritated. "Yes, Bloo," she snapped. "Now, stop, please- I just want to enjoy my lunch with you guys, and I'd rather not have it spoiled by our differences."
"Speaking of spoiled," Bloo continued, "haven't you noticed how spoiled Duchess is? I mean, look at all that fancy schmancy stuff she has!"
Quickly, Mac grabbed hold of Bloo. "Stop it, Bloo!" he hissed. "She doesn't wanna talk about it. Leave her alone."
Sadly, Bloo's influence had spread. "Coco!" Coco chimed, agreeing with Bloo whole-heartedly.
Wilt, Eduardo, and Mac turned to the birdlike imaginary friend. "Coco!" they shouted.
Coco shrugged. "Coco coco," she murmured.
Quick to react, Kate snarled, keeping her glaring eyes downcast. She couldn't believe how harsh her own friends were...
At that moment, Frankie stood and sauntered over to where the friends were sitting. "Hey, guys, what's going on?" she inquired. "Whatever you're fighting about, it's distracting everyone else."
Hoping for some enlightenment, Kate stood and turned to the girl. "Frankie, thank goodness," she sighed, gesturing to the others. "Please, tell them that Duchess isn't bad- that she's really a nice person."
The other friends winced. They were well aware of Frankie's perspective of Duchess.
To say the least, Frankie was shocked. "Duchess- nice?" she questioned. "Are you out of your mind??"
Kate was taken aback. "Excuse me?" she queried.
Angered, Frankie fehemently reeled on about Duchess and her tendancies. "Duchess is one of the pickiest, meanest, most spoiled friends at Fosters!" she screamed. "She always likes things done a certain way, and won't take them otherwise! Trust me- I have to do her laundry at least three times- sometimes five- so that it's just right! Plus, she insists on being called her given 'royal' name! She's never nice, Kate- NEVER!!"
Now it was Kate's turn to shout. "Frankie, I don't believe you!" she cried. "Duchess is one of the nicest friends I've ever met! She always listens to me, and lets me come into her room. She even gave me one of her hankies! I don't see how you could be so rude and make up all those... those lies!"
Everyone in the room gasped. Frankie, lie? No, that could never be true! They all knew Duchess was a mean-spirited friend- most of them had even seen it for themselves!
Again, Kate looked around for someone who would give her a sensible answer. "Mr. Herriman," she addressed, approaching the proper rabbit, "surely you can agree with me- perhaps Duchess isn't the best friend, but she's really nice at heart!"
Surprised to hear such an honest query proposed, Mr. Herriman said nothing. He merely cleared his throat and looked away, hoping Kate would drop the subject.
This was not the case; Kate finally drew her attention to the kindly old lady at the head of the table. "Madam Foster?" she squeaked.
Unable to answer the question to her liking, Madam Foster too turned away from Kate, whistling a quiet tune. Hey, even she knew that Duchess was a cold, mean imaginary friend!
Desperate, Kate turned to every other imaginary friend. "Come on!" she shouted. "Somebody, anybody- tell me that Duchess is a good person!"
No one replied directly to Kate's request. Some looked away, some whistled quietly, some cleared their throats, and some even muttered an insult under their breaths; the rest just said nothing.
To say the least, Kate was shocked. "I don't believe it," she murmured. "I'm living in a house of arrogant pigs."
"Hey!" a friend named Piggy cried from across the room. "I resemble that remark!"
Needless to say, Kate did not care. "May I be excused?" she snapped at Mr. Herriman, picking up her plate.
Before Mr. Herriman could say a word, Kate turned away. "I'm having lunch with my friend," she spat. "If any of you wanna wise up and join me, go ahead. Otherwise, you may continue in your hateful conversations." With that, she stormed out of the room and upstairs.
A brief moment of silence followed. Once everyone decided that it really wasn't something they should bother thinking about, they continued eating and talking.
Mac gave Bloo a sharp look. "I hope you're happy, Bloo," he remarked.
Of course, Bloo had little idea of what Mac was talking about, nor did he care. "Hey, don't go blaming her outburst on me," he snapped.
Coco gave Bloo a sidelong look. "Co coco coco," she reminded.
Bloo glared at Coco out of the corner of his eye. "Oh, be quiet," he hissed.
Suddenly, Eduardo grabbed hold of his plate. He stood up a little, and caught everyone else's attention. He froze, afraid of what to do next.
Mr. Herriman glanced at Eduardo. "Master Eduardo," he addressed, "where are you going?"
Eduardo wanted to tell him the truth- that he wanted to go upstairs and have lunch with Kate... and Duchess. It was odd, however, how everyone was staring at him. He never did like that.
With an heavy sigh, Eduardo sat back down at the table and put down his plate. He took a bite out of his sandwich and smiled, hoping everyone would stop staring at him like that.
Sure enough, most of the friends went back to their own lunches. Only his friends were still looking at him.
After a moment, Mac dismissed it and continued eating his own lunch. Coco did the same once she grew tired of staring. Even Bloo gave up after he realized he was still hungry, and started a different conversation with Mac.
However, Wilt was still concerned. "Are you okay, buddy?" he asked.
Nodding, Eduardo picked up his sandwich and took another bite. "Si, si..."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upstairs, Kate seated herself on the shelf of Duchess' balcony. "Can you believe them?" she growled. "I don't understand it, Duchess- you're so nice and polite. Why would anyone not like you?"
Duchess waved her hand in a dismissive gesture, herself seated at her own little private table. "Oh, forget them, darling!" she advised. "They know nothing about culture!"
"I know," Kate agreed. "And Frankie- she was the worst of all! I thought she'd have more sense, but I was so wrong! You should have heard all the lies she said about you!"
Nodding, Duchess took another bite of her sushi dish. "Yes, indeed," she responded. "I may be high maintenance, but really- I don't ask much. Perhaps I live in a pampered lifestyle, but that is how I was created."
Kate smiled, amazed at Duchess' apparent intellect. "I couldn't agree more," she noted.
It was here that Duchess saw an opportunity to influence her newfound friend. "You know," she said, standing from her chair and approaching Kate, "as much as I hate telling you this, you must realize how... uncouth your friends really are."
The doglike imaginary friend nodded. "Yeah, tell me about it," she answered. "I mean, I thought they were nice... and they were, for a while... but now I see their true colors." She snorted. "Some friends they were, huh?"
Taking pity on the doglike friend, Duchess sat down beside Kate. "Oh, don't worry," she assured. "Not everyone can be as cultured as I am. You can't really blame them."
A light sigh escaped Kate. "I guess you're right," she murmured.
Again, Duchess gestured with her hand. "Who needs them, anyway?" she dismissed. "They are only uncultured, closed-minded, arrogant pigs."
Smiling, Kate put down her plate and turned to Duchess. "Exactly," she replied, embracing Duchess. "You're such a great friend. It's like you can read my mind or something."
A sly grin crossed Duchess' snout. "You don't know the half of it, my dear Kate..."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Be Continued...
(PS- before you hit the review button, remember- this is only part one. All will be revealed in the next chapter, so stick around! Thanks again!)