A Twist of Kate
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Author's Notes: Now, for the reviews from our last segment...
Kat and Nini-
(gasps) Thank you so much! I was wondering what her full title was!
Thanks to you, I have made changes to the previous chapter. :) Thanks again!
Tabitha the Nox-
Yeah, I wanted to create a dramatic tone at the end of the last chapter, to build suspense... :)
Cartoonsey DeJubbyjub-
I know! Isn't she the meanest?? )
Thanks for the comments! Well appreciated!!
PhantomGoDeo-
Yes, Duchess is evil, isn't she?
I think Craig and the other FHFIF staff broke the mold making her a villainess... and I love expanding upon her cunning. :D
Here's Part Two, everyone! Enjoy!!
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Chapter Four: "A True Friend"
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A few hours passed since Kate stormed her way upstairs into Duchess' room. No one really bothered to go up there; only Frankie usually found herself at that door, and even she decided to stay away for a while.
Strangely enough, it was Eduardo who waited outside. Once he had finished his lunch, he promised the others that he would meet them outside later. For now, he wanted to talk to Kate.
The large purple friend paced back and forth nervously. He wanted to go inside, but he was too afraid of Duchess. Perhaps she would be nicer to him, with Kate around... but how could he be sure either of them wanted him around?
Finally, the door opened. "Thanks again, Duchess," Kate chimed, stepping outside with a fluffy white wrap around her neck. "This feather boa is great! You have no idea how true a friend you really are."
"Thank you, darling," Duchess replied from inside her room. "Now, off you go- I'm sure you have quite a bit to do."
Nodding, Kate chuckled. "I'll see you later, Duchess," she said, closing the door and turning around to see Eduardo. "Oh- hi, Eduardo."
A small smile crossed Eduardo's face. "Hola, senorita," he greeted, fidgeting with his fingers.
Kate sighed heavily. "Oh, Ed," she responded, "I know this might be difficult for you to understand. Have you ever met Duchess personally?"
Eduardo was unsure of how to respond. "Uh..." he murmured, "I too afraid... Senorita Duchess es muy asustadizo!"
The doglike imaginary friend let a small grin cross her face. "Eduardo, there's no reason to be afraid," she assured. "Duchess is really nice, once you get to know her." She gently took his hand. "You should really come with me and meet her sometime."
Another thought hit Eduardo. "Senorita Kate," he squeaked, "usted es trastorno porque a sus heridas?"
Of course, Kate didn't understand Eduardo's fluent Spanish. "Excuse me?" she asked.
In an attempt to explain himself, Eduardo pointed to Kate's bruised arm. "Mad... because... I hurt you?" he repeated in slightly broken English.
Surprised, Kate gasped. "Oh, no, no, no, Ed!" she cooed. "That was an accident. Accidents happen all the time." She smiled. "I could never be mad at you, Ed- you're too nice."
A goofy smile across his face, Eduardo blushed slightly. At least she still liked him.
Hugging her friend, Kate gestured to the stairs. "Come on, Eduardo," she suggested. "Let's go downstairs and have a little fun, huh?"
With a smile and a nod, Eduardo followed Kate downstairs. Perhaps she was friends with Duchess, but as long as she still liked him, that's all that really mattered to him...
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It was a nice day out, and many of the imaginary friends were playing outside. Mac sat on the porch and controlled his RC car with the remote as Bloo, seated atop the car, enjoyed a free ride. Wilt and Coco were off playing various sports with the other friends, but often kept an eye on Mac and Bloo, and waited for Eduardo (and hopefully Kate).
After a while, Eduardo and Kate finally stepped outside. Most of the friends were too busy playing to notice, but those that did took a long hard look at them. Ed seemed to be okay, but Kate... was she wearing one of Duchess' boas?
As Eduardo wandered off to play some games, Kate sat down next to Mac. "Hey, kid," she greeted, noticing the boy's concentration. "What 'cha doin' there?"
Mac gave Kate a sidelong look. "Hey, Kate," he said. "You came downstairs?"
Kate nodded. "Yeah," she replied. "Duchess is just my more sophisticated friend. We can stil be friends, right?"
The boy shrugged. "I guess," he answered. "Kate, I'm just curious- did Duchess say anything about us? You know, the rest of us at Fosters?"
Though she knew otherwise, Kate was not about to let Mac know that- she didn't want to stir up any more controversy. "Oh, not really," she lied. "She said a few things, but not much."
Curious, Mac decided to inquire further. "Like what?" he asked.
Since lying obviously didn't work, Kate thought that half-truths would be the better option. "Not much," she responded. "I guess the jist of it was that... well, you guys aren't quite as sophisticated as she is."
"Uh-huh," Mac noted, still keeping an eye on Bloo. "What about Frankie?"
Again, Kate kept on telling half-truths. "Well, Duchess explained to me that she's a bit high-maintenance," she informed. "She doesn't ask much, though- she was created to be cultured, and there's no changing that."
Now the big picture was coming together- Mac knew immediately that Duchess wasn't being completely truthful with Kate. "So, Duchess was created to be a cultural friend?" he queried. "No offense, Kate, but you're just like us- you aren't exactly the cultured type... are you?"
While questioning Kate, Mac kept less and less attention on the car. Bloo soon found himself winding around obstacles and through the legs of other friends. "Excuse me! Pardon me! Coming through! Watch your step!" he screamed. "Mac, are you the one driving here or me??"
Meanwhile, Kate struggled to answer the question given to her. "Well... no, I guess not," she admited, "but she said that she could make me more cultured." She tossed her feather boa around her neck and smiled. "You like?"
Unimpressed, Mac set the remote aside. "It's nice," he said, "but do you like it? It doesn't really suit you."
Bloo struggled to keep control of the RC car. "Mac!" he shouted, steering his way through the backyard. "Help me out here!"
Kate rolled her shoulders, showing off her boa a little. "Well, Erica and I used to play dress-up all the time when we were kids," she answered. "Besides, I think I look nice in it."
With a heavy sigh, Mac finally picked up his RC car control again. "Okay, if you say so," he replied. "I'm just saying, you can be friends with Duchess if you want, but I wouldn't trust her completely if I were you."
"Mac!!" Bloo cried as the RC car drove full-speed in the direction of the house... and stopped on a dime.
Worried, Mac ran over to his friend. "Bloo," he gasped, "are you okay?"
The little blue friend sat up in the car, watching the little yellow birds circle round his head. "Ooh, hey Mac," he responded woozily, his vision not entirely focused. "Say... I didn't know you had twin brothers..." With a heavy sigh, he collapsed onto the front end of the RC car.
As Mac attended to Bloo, Kate stood and wandered to the doorway. She gave her friends and the others a sidelong glance; were these the people she really belonged with, or was Duchess her true and only friend?
Sighing, Kate pushed the door open and strode inside. She needed to think about this...
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All was quiet at dinner that evening. Kate was downstairs eating with everyone else, and since her outburst that afternoon no one was too willing to talk to her... or say much of anything, for that matter.
Needless, that made Kate feel a little nervous. She looked over at her friends: Bloo was too busy shoveling food into his mouth, and Wilt and Coco both seemed to be enjoying their meals as well (though they often glanced at her every now and then). As for Eduardo, he just smiled, and she would smile back.
This time, Wilt started the new conversation. "So, Kate," he began, "how was your first full day at Fosters?"
Kate shrugged. "It was okay," she answered. "I made some new friends, had some fun..."
At that moment, Bloo looked up from his food. "You had fun with Duchess?" he remarked, his mouth full of food. "That's a new one."
"Bloo!" Wilt shouted.
"Azul!" Eduardo cried.
"Coco!" Coco agreed.
To say the least, Bloo didn't see why they were so upset. "Oh, come on!" he commented, swallowing his food. "You were all thinking the same thing, right?"
Wilt bravely interjected. "Of course not, Bloo," he replied.
Even Coco added her own thoughts. "Coco coco," she responded.
Eduardo said nothing. He just glanced at Kate hopefully.
Bloo dismissed the comments. "Whatever," he muttered.
As everyopne resumed eating, Kate looked at Bloo out of the corner of her eye. Perhaps there was a reason Duchess never liked associating with the others... and now she was beginning to see why...
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That night, Kate sat listlessly on her bed. Thoughts of what was good and bad flooded her mind... she couldn't possibly see how Duchess was bad, not after how nice and kind she had been to her. It was like having an older sister, a mentor perhaps. Then, why did everyone else not share her thoughts?
A familiar voice caught her attention. "Senorita?"
The doglike imaginary friend glanced aside and smiled. "Hey, Eduardo," she greeted with a sigh.
Naturally, Eduardo was concerned with Kate's depressed mood, as were the others. "Kate," Wilt interjected, "are you feeling okay?"
A faint smile slipped across Kate's face. "I'm fine," she answered. "I'm just thinking..."
"Coco?" Coco inquired.
Kate cocked her eyebrows at Coco questionably. "Nothing, Coco," she insisted. "I just... have a lot to think about is all."
Yet again, Bloo burst into the conversation. "Give it a rest, will ya?" he spat. "It's obvious that your 'friendship' with Duchess is causing big problems, so why don't you just forget about it and go back to the way things were before? When you were happy?"
It became apparent that Kate had grown tired of Bloo's butting-ins, and was at the end of her rope with it. "Shut up!" she snapped at the little blue blob. "I don't care what you or anyone else here has to say! Duchess makes me happy, and that should be enough for you! Got that??"
For a moment, Bloo said nothing. He just stood there in silence, wary of Kate's next move, and finally slipped away and crawled into bed.
Soon, everyone else did the same- they washed up (if need be) and crawled into bed. Then, at 10 PM sharp- like every night at Fosters- the lights went out, and it was time for everyone to go to sleep.
It wasn't long before Kate was awakened by Eduardo's nervousness. She felt drained of energy after dinner, and didn't see the point in getting up for much of anything. She hoped her friend would be fine on his own tonight.
After a moment, a claw-like finger lightly tapped her shoulder. "Senorita Kate?" Eduardo squeaked.
With a heaved groan, Kate turned over in her bed and faced her friend. "Yes, Ed?" she queried.
Eduardo shakily pointed his finger to the darkness under his bed. "Scary monsters," he whispered, gazing at Kate hopefully. "You protect, por favor?"
Blinking sleepily, Kate yawned. "I'm too tired, Ed," she mumbled, pulling the covers over her. "Just go to sleep- there are no monsters under your bed."
Heartbroken, Eduardo tried once again to convince Kate. "Senorita Kate," he whimpered, "por favor?? I so scared!"
Again, Kate gave her friend a tired (and slightly irritated) look. "Eduardo," she groaned, "there are no monsters under your bed. Just keep telling yourself that. Now go to sleep."
Before Eduardo could say another word, Kate turned away. She growled a little, as dogs will do to show aggrivation.
Biting his lower lip, Eduardo slunk back into bed. He curled up in the covers and murmured something to himself in Spanish, hoping Kate's advice would work.
However, those two friends weren't the only ones witness to the scene. Wilt, Coco, and even Bloo all caught a glimpse of what was going on, and obviously it was quite unnerving...
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Kate missed breakfast downstairs the next morning. She instead washed up, took her hankie and boa, and trotted over to Duchess' room. Her Royal Highness had invited Kate to enjoy breakfast with her; besides, she still had quite a bit to think about, and who better than her new friend?
Bloo and the others said nothing for a while. They quietly ate their cereal and drank their milk and OJ without a peep. Needless to say, that got awkward really fast.
Finally, it was Frankie who stepped in and broke the silence. "Okay, what is going on here?" she demanded, pulling up a chair and sitting among the friends. "Something isn't right here- you guys are always chatting with each other. What's wrong?"
Coco stood on top of her chair, as if to make a statement. "Coco!" she snapped. "Co cococo co coco co! Coco coco!"
Wilt nodded. "She's right," he agreed. "Kate isn't acting like she usually does. I'm beginning to worry about the whole Duchess thing."
Bloo groaned. "Would you quit talking about that??" he yelled, holding up his spoon to the 'accused'. "Kate's made her decision- she likes Duchess more than she likes us. If she wants to be a backstabber, that's her problem, nout ours!" With that, he sat back down and continued to chew his cereal.
To say the least, Frankie was (pardon the author's language) pissed off. "Alright, that's it," she growled, pushing her chair out and storming up the stairs. "I'm getting straight to the bottom of this, right now..."
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Meanwhile, upstairs, Duchess and Kate enjoyed a good laugh. Indeed, they were having a very good time, but they both had to make a few exceptions. While Kate struggled to see the humor of Duchess' dry wit, Duchess forced herself to take ardent interest in Kate's commonfolk stories. Either way, they assumed to be making excellent progress with the other.
As Kate finished with a hearty joke from Erica's childhood days, there was a silent pause. Duchess grinned almost to the point of pulling a facial muscle, but Kate sat there and went back to her pondering. "Duchess," she finally said, "I'm just curious... if I asked you to meet my friends... would you?"
Taken aback, Duchess puckered her lips for a moment and swallowed her tea. "Come again?" she inquired.
Kate turned her intent gaze to Duchess- she wanted answers, now. "Duchess," she addressed, "can you accept my friends?"
Of course, Duchess hadn't been completely asleep at the wheel; she knew who Kate's friends were, for she often observed them in the courtyards and in the halls, but accept them? Not a chance! Moreover, she planned to convince Kate to think the same way.
After a moment of thought, Duchess placed her teacup back on it's saucer and stared at Kate. "Tell me, darling," she implored, "do these friends of yours accept me as I am?"
Now Kate found herself in another unwelcoming position. "Well..." she began.
Suddenly, the two friends were interrupted by a hard slamming knock at the door. "Open up, Duchess!" Frankie screamed. "We need to have a talk, right now!!"
"Perfect timing," Duchess murmured under her breath, then addressing the door sweetly. "Come in, Frankie."
The door slammed open, and the angry redhead stepped inside. "Okay, Duchess, what's going on here??" she snapped, turning to the doglike friend. "Kate- what are you doing up here?"
The sudden intrusion made Kate wary, and did a considerable amount of damage to her trust with Frankie. "I was gonna ask you the same thing," she answered. "What did you come here for?"
Frankie turned an angry eye to Duchess. "I came to see her Royal Highness," she hissed, approaching the friend. "Now, look- I dunno what's going on here, or what you have to do with Bloo and the others being so upset, but whatever it is you're doing, stop! I have enough problems dealing with your average requests, but causing trouble is only gonna make things worse on your part."
A sly grin crossed Duchess' face. "I wouldn't worry about that," she noted.
A low growl from behind her alerted Frankie. She slowly turned around; Kate was crouching, her claws and teeth bared, and the hairs on her back were standing on end.
That sight made Frankie a bit fearful. "Kate?" she addressed. "Kate?"
The doglike friend only growled louder. She approached Frankie, who slowly made her way to the door. Finally, when she saw no other option, Frankie ran out and slammed the door behind her.
Duchess sighed. "You see, darling?" she reminded Kate. "True friends accept each other as they are, and you can clearly see that they do not accept me as you do."
Kate calmed down a little, the revelation all the more clearer to her. "I guess you're right," she murmured. "They don't accept you, do they?"
Again, Duchess hoped to appeal to the innocence in Kate. "I would respect them," she lied convincingly, "but they... they are too arrogant. Who would want such friends?"
With a light sigh, Kate laid down on Duchess' bed. "You don't mind if I stick around a little longer, do you?" she queried. "I need time to think about all this."
"You do that," Duchess replied, chuckling inwardly. "Take all the time you need. I will be right here if you need me..."
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Downstairs, Bloo and the others greeted Mac at the door. It made everyone else feel better about the current situation; spending time with a kid like Mac seemed to get their minds off their worries.
Of course, Bloo wasn't entirely happy. "Whadda ya mean, you FORGOT??" he snapped.
Mac shrugged. "So I forgot to bring the toy car," he said nonchalantly. "It's okay- there's plenty more stuff to do around here."
Bloo scoffed a little. "No, it's not okay!" he screamed. "That was the coolest car ever! Why'd you leave it at home??"
Dubious, Mac rolled his eyes. "Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I didn't wanna bring it today?" he questioned.
That remark only further 'confirmed' Bloo's suspicions. "Ah-ha!" he cried, pointing an accusing finger at Mac. "So you DIDn't forget after all, did you??"
At that moment, Frankie came storming down the stairs. She groaned loudly, clearly upset, almost to the point of pulling her own hair out. She added something muttered under her breath, too low for most to hear, though the comment was best left unheard.
As Mac and Bloo continued agruing, Wilt and the others turned their attention to the young lady. "Hey, Frankie," he greeted, noticing her moodiness. "What's wrong?"
Frankie growled. "It's Duchess," she spat. "She's so... aggravating! Do you know what she just did??"
"Coco co?" Coco inquired.
Emotionally charged, Frankie swept her hands out in a shocking display. "She threatened me!" she roared. "I asked her what was going on between her and Kate, and she signaled Kate to attack me!"
To say the least, everyone was surprised to hear that; even Mac and Bloo couldn't avoid turning their attention to it. Kate wouldn't attack Frankie, or anyone... would she?
Quickly, Wilt scanned Frankie for any injuries. "You seem okay," he noted.
Nodding, Frankie sighed. "Luckily, Kate was only threatening me," she explained. "I managed to get out of the room before she could attack."
Without a word, the friends immediately pushed past Frankie and ran up the stairs. That was the final straw- Kate could NOT be around Duchess anymore. The selfish haughty friend was quickly proving to be a seriosuly bad influence.
Only Mac and Bloo remained downstairs with Frankie. Bloo wanted nothing to do with Duchess, especially after the way she almost had him eaten by that Extremosaurus. Mac wasn't willing to forget that day either, but still... he felt that he should do something.
With a heavy sigh, Frankie continued downstairs. "I'm gonna have a talk with Herriman," she commented. "Permanant residence at Fosters just isn't working with Duchess- if you ask me, what she needs is solitary confinement."
As Frankie sauntered downstairs, Bloo smiled. "Well, that takes care of that," he chimed, walking up the stairs. "Come on, Mac- let's go play some video games or something."
Mac wasn't following him. Instead, he turned around and made his way up the opposite stairwell, where the others had gone earlier.
Once Bloo realized Mac wasn't behind him (or in front, for that matter), he turned about and faced him. "Hello? Mac?" he addressed. "'Whack-A-Mole' and 'Space Invaders' is THIS way!"
The boy glanced at Bloo. "I know," he replied, continuing up the staircase. "I'll meet you there in a minute- I just wanna talk to Kate quick."
Aggravated, the little blue friend called after his creator. "You know, you're wasting your time!" he shouted. "Frankie said that she'd take care of it, Mac!" He paused for a reply, and none came. "Mac? Mac?? Are you listening to me?!"
No answer came.
Bloo shrugged, turning around. "Just as well," he remarked, walking upstairs to the arcade. "More practice for me... with all this extra time, I can kick Mac's butt at 'Virtual Paddle-Ball'..."
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Kate sighed as she sat listlessly at Duchess' make-up counter. She gazed at the many glistening bottles of perfume; she remembered her first time in this room, and these were the first things to catch her attention. They looked so beautiful, so majestic...
Suddenly, Duchess picked up one of the bottles- a pretty rose-colored one. "Now, sit still," she advised sweetly. "You don't want any of this in your eyes, darling."
The doglike friend closed her eyes, and Duchess held the perfume close to her face. She gave the bottle two or three squirts, but boy- were they powerful! The scent permeated the entire room, and it was impossible to ignore (unless, like Duchess, one had grown used to it after a while).
Taking her first deep breath, Kate found herself gagging on the very air she breathed. The scent of the perfume was so thick and vibrant, it becamed hard for her to breathe (especially considering her heightened sense of smell). Not to mention, the perfume wasn't as pleasant as she expected it to be.
Of course, Duchess didn't see the problem. "Oh, what is wrong, dear?" she queried, in an almost harsh tone. "Can't you handle a little fine perfume?"
Surprised, Kate struggled to speak through her coughs. "Come again?" she asked.
"This is the one of the finest and most expensive perfumes in the world!" Duchess exclaimed. "The ingrediants are European, and the perfume itself is made and bottled in Paris!"
The thickened perfume-sprayed air began to clear, and a connection was being made in Kate's mind. She suddenly realized, in her perspective, that Duchess and her perfume bottles were very much alike. What that similarity was, she couldn't figure out...
A soft knock came to the door. "Kate?" a familiar voice said. "It's me, Wilt."
Duchess rolled her eyes. Not those nuisances again...
Perplexed, Kate approached the door. "Wilt?" she inquired. "What's up?"
A brief chuckle escaped Wilt. "Say, Kate," he addressed, "you wouldn't mind stepping outside a moment, would you?"
As Kate reached for the door handle, Duchess quickly took her hand. "Don't be foolish," she hissed. "Why don't you ask him to come inside?"
Although she thought it was pointless, Kate saw no reason not to go along with it. "Wilt," she replied, "would you mind coming inside?"
For a moment, Wilt didn't speak. "Um..." he chuckled nervously, "I'm sorry, Kate... I was wondering if you wanted to talk... you know, without Duchess."
Kate veered back slightly, glancing at Duchess out of the corner of her eye. That's what she meant- Kate's friends were still intolerant of Duchess. She couldn't allow that, could she?
With a sigh, Kate addressed Wilt one more time. "Sorry, Wilt," she commented, "but if you have something to say to me, you can say it in front of Duchess too."
Not wanting to impose on Kate's apparent comfort, Wilt did the polite (though misguided) thing. "Okay then," he answered, walking away.
Again, Kate turned to her thoughts. Was that wrong, dismissing Wilt like a stranger?
Another knock came to the door. "Coco?" Coco clucked.
Surprised, Kate stayed by the door, but kept her paws away from the handle. "What is it, Coco?" she queried.
"Coco coco," Coco remarked. "Coco co co, coco cococo co co co! Coco co! Co coco co?"
Rolling her eyes, Kate turned away from the door. "You don't understand, Coco," she snapped. "Duchess is my friend- she's nice to me, she listens to me... she even lets me borrow her stuff! How is that mean?"
The bird/plant/airplane thing on the other side of the door was as angry as an imaginary friend like her could be. "Coco!" she fumed. "Coco coco coco! Coco!!" With that, she stormed down the hallway; she gave up on talking any 'sense' into Kate, especially if she wasn't going to listen.
The doglike friend growled. She would never admit it, but Coco did get on her nerves occasionally... even if she never minded being laughed at now and then... and was always willing to share her plastic prize eggs... and made living with the other guy friends a little more tolerable...
Before Duchess could speak, yet another knock drew their attention. "Kate," a boy's voice addressed. "It's Mac. Can we talk?"
Turning around to face the door, Kate folded her arms to keep them from reaching the doorknob. "About what?"
Mac took a deep breath, hoping his idea would work. "Kate, can you please come downstairs?" he asked. "Everyone misses having you around... well, everyone but Bloo, but he just plain hates Duchess." He quickly changed the subject. "Anyway... let's play some video games, or go outside or something."
Kate was silent for a moment. "Can Duchess come?" she inquired.
This dependancy Kate seemed to have on Duchess was quickly irritating Mac. "All we're asking is a few hours," he responded. "Please, Kate?"
As much as she wanted to say 'yes', Kate knew what she had to say; she couldn't upset Duchess. "Maybe some other time," she lied. "Duchess and I are busy with other things."
The boy sighed. "Fine," he murmured. "Go ahead and do what you want. Bloo and the others don't want anything to do with Duchess, and neither do I, so if you'd rather be friends with her than us... that's your choice, I guess."
To say the least, Kate was shocked to hear that remark. She knew it was true, though- was she better of with Duchess as her only friend, than with the rest of the Fosters imaginary friends? Needless to say, that was a hard decision for her to make.
"Don't listen to him," Duchess advised. "He's just upset, darling... but he does have a point."
The doglike friend nodded. "Yeah," she mumbled, "yeah, he does."
One more light knock came to the door, and Duchess glanced at the clock. "It's 11:30," she noted. "That must be Frankie with my good linens." She grinned evilly. "Kate, please tell Frankie how you feel, before letting her in."
Taking a deep breath, Kate turned to the door. "Before you say anything," she snapped, "let me tell you something about Duchess- she's a great friend. She's been nicer to me than most of the other friends at Fosters, including you. In fact, she reminds me- if vaguely- of my former owner, and that makes me feel comfortable here. So don't bother us again, or I'll be sure to tell Mr. Herriman about this abuse." She sighed, reaching for the door handle. "Now, come inside and change the linens, and I'd better not hear another word about this."
She turned the doorknob and opened the door, expecting Frankie... and found, instead, Eduardo.
Assuming all the things she said were about him, Eduardo was crushed. He covered his eyes and bawled like a baby, running down the hallway, with every step shaking like an earthquake.
Kate was also crushed. She covered her mouth in shock. "Oh no," she murmured, "what have I done?"
Quickly, Duchess intervened. "Forget that giant purple coward," she hissed. "You have me now, darling."
It was then that Kate realized her folly. She now understood why Duchess was like her perfume- she seemed attractive on the outside, but inside she was repulsive. How could she have been fooled by mere appearances?
Duchess knew that she was quickly losing Kate's attention. "Kate?" she queried.
At that moment, Frankie arrived with a huge hamper filled with linens. "Sorry I'm late, your Highness," she groaned nonchalantely, "but I had an argument with Mr. Herriman downstairs, and this load needed an extra 10 minutes in the wash cycle-"
A low growl escaped Kate. "Don't talk to me," she spat, turning to Duchess. "You drove away- no, you made me drive away my friends. How could you do such a thing? How could you make me turn against my own friends??"
Frankie sat back, watching the scene intently. "She finally figured it out," she muttered. "I have to watch this..."
Again, Duchess attempted to defend herself, but Kate interrupted her. "No, I don't wanna hear it," she growled. "I don't care how 'cultured' and special you are- that has nothing to do with this! You have no excuse for making me send poor Eduardo crying down the hallway!!" She snarled a bit. "Forget ever having me as a friend, or having any friends at all, if that's the only way you can get them."
Furious, Duchess glared at Kate. "Fine!" she screamed. "I want you out of my room, and I want all my things returned! I never want to see you in my sight again, you filthy mongrel!"
Being so close to her newfound foe's face, Kate gave a quick snap at Duchess, to show her that she was prepared for a brawl if necessary. She then turned and ran out the door, never to be seen in that room again.
Finally, Frankie turned to Duchess and smirked. "Ooh," she remarked, "you sure got what was coming to you."
Duchess growled. "Be quiet," she hissed, "and change my linens. Mark my words, they had better be perfectly clean..."
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Kate sprinted up and down the hallways, listening carefully for any sign of her friends. "Come on, come on," she murmured. "Where are they?"
Suddenly, Kate stopped. She heard a faint noise coming from down the hall; it sounded like someone crying. "Eduardo."
Slowly, Kate tiptoed down through the hallway and ended up in the bedrooms. At the end of the room was a small balcony, which could be opened and closed during the hours so the room could get a little fresh air. There stood Eduardo, crying miserably.
The doglike friend bit her lip. "Oh, poor Ed," she mumbled. "I can't believe... I didn't mean to..."
Sighing, Kate knocked lightly on the door. "Eduardo," she said sweetly, "can I come in?"
Eduardo stifled his crying a little. "Senorita?" he queried.
A small smile crossed Kate's face; she liked how he called her that. "Ed," she sighed, approaching him, "I'm so sorry about all this. Honestly, I didn't know it was you... though, even if it wasn't, I shouldn't have said those things in the first place."
This made Eduardo feel a little better. "You... still like Eduardo?" he asked.
Giggling, Kate hugged her friend. "Of course!" she replied. "You're my friend, Ed- nothing could change that." She smirked. "We won't be seeing Duchess any time soon."
Surprised, Eduardo turned to Kate. "You no like Senorita Duchess?" he inquired.
Still upset with Duchess, Kate shook her head. "Not anymore," she answered. "Everyone was right- she is a meanie, isn't she?"
The large purple friend nodded, hugging Kate again. It felt good, being around her...
Then, Kate cringed and recoiled from Eduardo. She rubbed the area of her arm where Eduardo had stepped on it before.
Before Eduardo could say anything, Kate held her good paw up. "Ed, it's okay," she explained. "Accidents happen, and friends forgive their accidents. You didn't see where you were going, and I forgave you... just like I couldn't see where Duchess was leading me, and you forgave me."
The two friends stood together. They looked around, taking in the placid atmosphere. It was relaxing...
Eventually, Kate and Eduardo would go downstairs to the arcade, and Kate would explain everything. For now, though, they sat there on the balcony and relaxed, enjoying the good weather and their own company. After what they had gone through, quality time with a real friend was exactly what they needed...
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I apologize to everyone that these last two chapters haven't been quite as funny. I'll make it up to you in the next chapter. ;) Later!
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Author's Notes: Now, for the reviews from our last segment...
Kat and Nini-
(gasps) Thank you so much! I was wondering what her full title was!
Thanks to you, I have made changes to the previous chapter. :) Thanks again!
Tabitha the Nox-
Yeah, I wanted to create a dramatic tone at the end of the last chapter, to build suspense... :)
Cartoonsey DeJubbyjub-
I know! Isn't she the meanest?? )
Thanks for the comments! Well appreciated!!
PhantomGoDeo-
Yes, Duchess is evil, isn't she?
I think Craig and the other FHFIF staff broke the mold making her a villainess... and I love expanding upon her cunning. :D
Here's Part Two, everyone! Enjoy!!
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Chapter Four: "A True Friend"
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A few hours passed since Kate stormed her way upstairs into Duchess' room. No one really bothered to go up there; only Frankie usually found herself at that door, and even she decided to stay away for a while.
Strangely enough, it was Eduardo who waited outside. Once he had finished his lunch, he promised the others that he would meet them outside later. For now, he wanted to talk to Kate.
The large purple friend paced back and forth nervously. He wanted to go inside, but he was too afraid of Duchess. Perhaps she would be nicer to him, with Kate around... but how could he be sure either of them wanted him around?
Finally, the door opened. "Thanks again, Duchess," Kate chimed, stepping outside with a fluffy white wrap around her neck. "This feather boa is great! You have no idea how true a friend you really are."
"Thank you, darling," Duchess replied from inside her room. "Now, off you go- I'm sure you have quite a bit to do."
Nodding, Kate chuckled. "I'll see you later, Duchess," she said, closing the door and turning around to see Eduardo. "Oh- hi, Eduardo."
A small smile crossed Eduardo's face. "Hola, senorita," he greeted, fidgeting with his fingers.
Kate sighed heavily. "Oh, Ed," she responded, "I know this might be difficult for you to understand. Have you ever met Duchess personally?"
Eduardo was unsure of how to respond. "Uh..." he murmured, "I too afraid... Senorita Duchess es muy asustadizo!"
The doglike imaginary friend let a small grin cross her face. "Eduardo, there's no reason to be afraid," she assured. "Duchess is really nice, once you get to know her." She gently took his hand. "You should really come with me and meet her sometime."
Another thought hit Eduardo. "Senorita Kate," he squeaked, "usted es trastorno porque a sus heridas?"
Of course, Kate didn't understand Eduardo's fluent Spanish. "Excuse me?" she asked.
In an attempt to explain himself, Eduardo pointed to Kate's bruised arm. "Mad... because... I hurt you?" he repeated in slightly broken English.
Surprised, Kate gasped. "Oh, no, no, no, Ed!" she cooed. "That was an accident. Accidents happen all the time." She smiled. "I could never be mad at you, Ed- you're too nice."
A goofy smile across his face, Eduardo blushed slightly. At least she still liked him.
Hugging her friend, Kate gestured to the stairs. "Come on, Eduardo," she suggested. "Let's go downstairs and have a little fun, huh?"
With a smile and a nod, Eduardo followed Kate downstairs. Perhaps she was friends with Duchess, but as long as she still liked him, that's all that really mattered to him...
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It was a nice day out, and many of the imaginary friends were playing outside. Mac sat on the porch and controlled his RC car with the remote as Bloo, seated atop the car, enjoyed a free ride. Wilt and Coco were off playing various sports with the other friends, but often kept an eye on Mac and Bloo, and waited for Eduardo (and hopefully Kate).
After a while, Eduardo and Kate finally stepped outside. Most of the friends were too busy playing to notice, but those that did took a long hard look at them. Ed seemed to be okay, but Kate... was she wearing one of Duchess' boas?
As Eduardo wandered off to play some games, Kate sat down next to Mac. "Hey, kid," she greeted, noticing the boy's concentration. "What 'cha doin' there?"
Mac gave Kate a sidelong look. "Hey, Kate," he said. "You came downstairs?"
Kate nodded. "Yeah," she replied. "Duchess is just my more sophisticated friend. We can stil be friends, right?"
The boy shrugged. "I guess," he answered. "Kate, I'm just curious- did Duchess say anything about us? You know, the rest of us at Fosters?"
Though she knew otherwise, Kate was not about to let Mac know that- she didn't want to stir up any more controversy. "Oh, not really," she lied. "She said a few things, but not much."
Curious, Mac decided to inquire further. "Like what?" he asked.
Since lying obviously didn't work, Kate thought that half-truths would be the better option. "Not much," she responded. "I guess the jist of it was that... well, you guys aren't quite as sophisticated as she is."
"Uh-huh," Mac noted, still keeping an eye on Bloo. "What about Frankie?"
Again, Kate kept on telling half-truths. "Well, Duchess explained to me that she's a bit high-maintenance," she informed. "She doesn't ask much, though- she was created to be cultured, and there's no changing that."
Now the big picture was coming together- Mac knew immediately that Duchess wasn't being completely truthful with Kate. "So, Duchess was created to be a cultural friend?" he queried. "No offense, Kate, but you're just like us- you aren't exactly the cultured type... are you?"
While questioning Kate, Mac kept less and less attention on the car. Bloo soon found himself winding around obstacles and through the legs of other friends. "Excuse me! Pardon me! Coming through! Watch your step!" he screamed. "Mac, are you the one driving here or me??"
Meanwhile, Kate struggled to answer the question given to her. "Well... no, I guess not," she admited, "but she said that she could make me more cultured." She tossed her feather boa around her neck and smiled. "You like?"
Unimpressed, Mac set the remote aside. "It's nice," he said, "but do you like it? It doesn't really suit you."
Bloo struggled to keep control of the RC car. "Mac!" he shouted, steering his way through the backyard. "Help me out here!"
Kate rolled her shoulders, showing off her boa a little. "Well, Erica and I used to play dress-up all the time when we were kids," she answered. "Besides, I think I look nice in it."
With a heavy sigh, Mac finally picked up his RC car control again. "Okay, if you say so," he replied. "I'm just saying, you can be friends with Duchess if you want, but I wouldn't trust her completely if I were you."
"Mac!!" Bloo cried as the RC car drove full-speed in the direction of the house... and stopped on a dime.
Worried, Mac ran over to his friend. "Bloo," he gasped, "are you okay?"
The little blue friend sat up in the car, watching the little yellow birds circle round his head. "Ooh, hey Mac," he responded woozily, his vision not entirely focused. "Say... I didn't know you had twin brothers..." With a heavy sigh, he collapsed onto the front end of the RC car.
As Mac attended to Bloo, Kate stood and wandered to the doorway. She gave her friends and the others a sidelong glance; were these the people she really belonged with, or was Duchess her true and only friend?
Sighing, Kate pushed the door open and strode inside. She needed to think about this...
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All was quiet at dinner that evening. Kate was downstairs eating with everyone else, and since her outburst that afternoon no one was too willing to talk to her... or say much of anything, for that matter.
Needless, that made Kate feel a little nervous. She looked over at her friends: Bloo was too busy shoveling food into his mouth, and Wilt and Coco both seemed to be enjoying their meals as well (though they often glanced at her every now and then). As for Eduardo, he just smiled, and she would smile back.
This time, Wilt started the new conversation. "So, Kate," he began, "how was your first full day at Fosters?"
Kate shrugged. "It was okay," she answered. "I made some new friends, had some fun..."
At that moment, Bloo looked up from his food. "You had fun with Duchess?" he remarked, his mouth full of food. "That's a new one."
"Bloo!" Wilt shouted.
"Azul!" Eduardo cried.
"Coco!" Coco agreed.
To say the least, Bloo didn't see why they were so upset. "Oh, come on!" he commented, swallowing his food. "You were all thinking the same thing, right?"
Wilt bravely interjected. "Of course not, Bloo," he replied.
Even Coco added her own thoughts. "Coco coco," she responded.
Eduardo said nothing. He just glanced at Kate hopefully.
Bloo dismissed the comments. "Whatever," he muttered.
As everyopne resumed eating, Kate looked at Bloo out of the corner of her eye. Perhaps there was a reason Duchess never liked associating with the others... and now she was beginning to see why...
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That night, Kate sat listlessly on her bed. Thoughts of what was good and bad flooded her mind... she couldn't possibly see how Duchess was bad, not after how nice and kind she had been to her. It was like having an older sister, a mentor perhaps. Then, why did everyone else not share her thoughts?
A familiar voice caught her attention. "Senorita?"
The doglike imaginary friend glanced aside and smiled. "Hey, Eduardo," she greeted with a sigh.
Naturally, Eduardo was concerned with Kate's depressed mood, as were the others. "Kate," Wilt interjected, "are you feeling okay?"
A faint smile slipped across Kate's face. "I'm fine," she answered. "I'm just thinking..."
"Coco?" Coco inquired.
Kate cocked her eyebrows at Coco questionably. "Nothing, Coco," she insisted. "I just... have a lot to think about is all."
Yet again, Bloo burst into the conversation. "Give it a rest, will ya?" he spat. "It's obvious that your 'friendship' with Duchess is causing big problems, so why don't you just forget about it and go back to the way things were before? When you were happy?"
It became apparent that Kate had grown tired of Bloo's butting-ins, and was at the end of her rope with it. "Shut up!" she snapped at the little blue blob. "I don't care what you or anyone else here has to say! Duchess makes me happy, and that should be enough for you! Got that??"
For a moment, Bloo said nothing. He just stood there in silence, wary of Kate's next move, and finally slipped away and crawled into bed.
Soon, everyone else did the same- they washed up (if need be) and crawled into bed. Then, at 10 PM sharp- like every night at Fosters- the lights went out, and it was time for everyone to go to sleep.
It wasn't long before Kate was awakened by Eduardo's nervousness. She felt drained of energy after dinner, and didn't see the point in getting up for much of anything. She hoped her friend would be fine on his own tonight.
After a moment, a claw-like finger lightly tapped her shoulder. "Senorita Kate?" Eduardo squeaked.
With a heaved groan, Kate turned over in her bed and faced her friend. "Yes, Ed?" she queried.
Eduardo shakily pointed his finger to the darkness under his bed. "Scary monsters," he whispered, gazing at Kate hopefully. "You protect, por favor?"
Blinking sleepily, Kate yawned. "I'm too tired, Ed," she mumbled, pulling the covers over her. "Just go to sleep- there are no monsters under your bed."
Heartbroken, Eduardo tried once again to convince Kate. "Senorita Kate," he whimpered, "por favor?? I so scared!"
Again, Kate gave her friend a tired (and slightly irritated) look. "Eduardo," she groaned, "there are no monsters under your bed. Just keep telling yourself that. Now go to sleep."
Before Eduardo could say another word, Kate turned away. She growled a little, as dogs will do to show aggrivation.
Biting his lower lip, Eduardo slunk back into bed. He curled up in the covers and murmured something to himself in Spanish, hoping Kate's advice would work.
However, those two friends weren't the only ones witness to the scene. Wilt, Coco, and even Bloo all caught a glimpse of what was going on, and obviously it was quite unnerving...
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Kate missed breakfast downstairs the next morning. She instead washed up, took her hankie and boa, and trotted over to Duchess' room. Her Royal Highness had invited Kate to enjoy breakfast with her; besides, she still had quite a bit to think about, and who better than her new friend?
Bloo and the others said nothing for a while. They quietly ate their cereal and drank their milk and OJ without a peep. Needless to say, that got awkward really fast.
Finally, it was Frankie who stepped in and broke the silence. "Okay, what is going on here?" she demanded, pulling up a chair and sitting among the friends. "Something isn't right here- you guys are always chatting with each other. What's wrong?"
Coco stood on top of her chair, as if to make a statement. "Coco!" she snapped. "Co cococo co coco co! Coco coco!"
Wilt nodded. "She's right," he agreed. "Kate isn't acting like she usually does. I'm beginning to worry about the whole Duchess thing."
Bloo groaned. "Would you quit talking about that??" he yelled, holding up his spoon to the 'accused'. "Kate's made her decision- she likes Duchess more than she likes us. If she wants to be a backstabber, that's her problem, nout ours!" With that, he sat back down and continued to chew his cereal.
To say the least, Frankie was (pardon the author's language) pissed off. "Alright, that's it," she growled, pushing her chair out and storming up the stairs. "I'm getting straight to the bottom of this, right now..."
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Meanwhile, upstairs, Duchess and Kate enjoyed a good laugh. Indeed, they were having a very good time, but they both had to make a few exceptions. While Kate struggled to see the humor of Duchess' dry wit, Duchess forced herself to take ardent interest in Kate's commonfolk stories. Either way, they assumed to be making excellent progress with the other.
As Kate finished with a hearty joke from Erica's childhood days, there was a silent pause. Duchess grinned almost to the point of pulling a facial muscle, but Kate sat there and went back to her pondering. "Duchess," she finally said, "I'm just curious... if I asked you to meet my friends... would you?"
Taken aback, Duchess puckered her lips for a moment and swallowed her tea. "Come again?" she inquired.
Kate turned her intent gaze to Duchess- she wanted answers, now. "Duchess," she addressed, "can you accept my friends?"
Of course, Duchess hadn't been completely asleep at the wheel; she knew who Kate's friends were, for she often observed them in the courtyards and in the halls, but accept them? Not a chance! Moreover, she planned to convince Kate to think the same way.
After a moment of thought, Duchess placed her teacup back on it's saucer and stared at Kate. "Tell me, darling," she implored, "do these friends of yours accept me as I am?"
Now Kate found herself in another unwelcoming position. "Well..." she began.
Suddenly, the two friends were interrupted by a hard slamming knock at the door. "Open up, Duchess!" Frankie screamed. "We need to have a talk, right now!!"
"Perfect timing," Duchess murmured under her breath, then addressing the door sweetly. "Come in, Frankie."
The door slammed open, and the angry redhead stepped inside. "Okay, Duchess, what's going on here??" she snapped, turning to the doglike friend. "Kate- what are you doing up here?"
The sudden intrusion made Kate wary, and did a considerable amount of damage to her trust with Frankie. "I was gonna ask you the same thing," she answered. "What did you come here for?"
Frankie turned an angry eye to Duchess. "I came to see her Royal Highness," she hissed, approaching the friend. "Now, look- I dunno what's going on here, or what you have to do with Bloo and the others being so upset, but whatever it is you're doing, stop! I have enough problems dealing with your average requests, but causing trouble is only gonna make things worse on your part."
A sly grin crossed Duchess' face. "I wouldn't worry about that," she noted.
A low growl from behind her alerted Frankie. She slowly turned around; Kate was crouching, her claws and teeth bared, and the hairs on her back were standing on end.
That sight made Frankie a bit fearful. "Kate?" she addressed. "Kate?"
The doglike friend only growled louder. She approached Frankie, who slowly made her way to the door. Finally, when she saw no other option, Frankie ran out and slammed the door behind her.
Duchess sighed. "You see, darling?" she reminded Kate. "True friends accept each other as they are, and you can clearly see that they do not accept me as you do."
Kate calmed down a little, the revelation all the more clearer to her. "I guess you're right," she murmured. "They don't accept you, do they?"
Again, Duchess hoped to appeal to the innocence in Kate. "I would respect them," she lied convincingly, "but they... they are too arrogant. Who would want such friends?"
With a light sigh, Kate laid down on Duchess' bed. "You don't mind if I stick around a little longer, do you?" she queried. "I need time to think about all this."
"You do that," Duchess replied, chuckling inwardly. "Take all the time you need. I will be right here if you need me..."
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Downstairs, Bloo and the others greeted Mac at the door. It made everyone else feel better about the current situation; spending time with a kid like Mac seemed to get their minds off their worries.
Of course, Bloo wasn't entirely happy. "Whadda ya mean, you FORGOT??" he snapped.
Mac shrugged. "So I forgot to bring the toy car," he said nonchalantly. "It's okay- there's plenty more stuff to do around here."
Bloo scoffed a little. "No, it's not okay!" he screamed. "That was the coolest car ever! Why'd you leave it at home??"
Dubious, Mac rolled his eyes. "Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I didn't wanna bring it today?" he questioned.
That remark only further 'confirmed' Bloo's suspicions. "Ah-ha!" he cried, pointing an accusing finger at Mac. "So you DIDn't forget after all, did you??"
At that moment, Frankie came storming down the stairs. She groaned loudly, clearly upset, almost to the point of pulling her own hair out. She added something muttered under her breath, too low for most to hear, though the comment was best left unheard.
As Mac and Bloo continued agruing, Wilt and the others turned their attention to the young lady. "Hey, Frankie," he greeted, noticing her moodiness. "What's wrong?"
Frankie growled. "It's Duchess," she spat. "She's so... aggravating! Do you know what she just did??"
"Coco co?" Coco inquired.
Emotionally charged, Frankie swept her hands out in a shocking display. "She threatened me!" she roared. "I asked her what was going on between her and Kate, and she signaled Kate to attack me!"
To say the least, everyone was surprised to hear that; even Mac and Bloo couldn't avoid turning their attention to it. Kate wouldn't attack Frankie, or anyone... would she?
Quickly, Wilt scanned Frankie for any injuries. "You seem okay," he noted.
Nodding, Frankie sighed. "Luckily, Kate was only threatening me," she explained. "I managed to get out of the room before she could attack."
Without a word, the friends immediately pushed past Frankie and ran up the stairs. That was the final straw- Kate could NOT be around Duchess anymore. The selfish haughty friend was quickly proving to be a seriosuly bad influence.
Only Mac and Bloo remained downstairs with Frankie. Bloo wanted nothing to do with Duchess, especially after the way she almost had him eaten by that Extremosaurus. Mac wasn't willing to forget that day either, but still... he felt that he should do something.
With a heavy sigh, Frankie continued downstairs. "I'm gonna have a talk with Herriman," she commented. "Permanant residence at Fosters just isn't working with Duchess- if you ask me, what she needs is solitary confinement."
As Frankie sauntered downstairs, Bloo smiled. "Well, that takes care of that," he chimed, walking up the stairs. "Come on, Mac- let's go play some video games or something."
Mac wasn't following him. Instead, he turned around and made his way up the opposite stairwell, where the others had gone earlier.
Once Bloo realized Mac wasn't behind him (or in front, for that matter), he turned about and faced him. "Hello? Mac?" he addressed. "'Whack-A-Mole' and 'Space Invaders' is THIS way!"
The boy glanced at Bloo. "I know," he replied, continuing up the staircase. "I'll meet you there in a minute- I just wanna talk to Kate quick."
Aggravated, the little blue friend called after his creator. "You know, you're wasting your time!" he shouted. "Frankie said that she'd take care of it, Mac!" He paused for a reply, and none came. "Mac? Mac?? Are you listening to me?!"
No answer came.
Bloo shrugged, turning around. "Just as well," he remarked, walking upstairs to the arcade. "More practice for me... with all this extra time, I can kick Mac's butt at 'Virtual Paddle-Ball'..."
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Kate sighed as she sat listlessly at Duchess' make-up counter. She gazed at the many glistening bottles of perfume; she remembered her first time in this room, and these were the first things to catch her attention. They looked so beautiful, so majestic...
Suddenly, Duchess picked up one of the bottles- a pretty rose-colored one. "Now, sit still," she advised sweetly. "You don't want any of this in your eyes, darling."
The doglike friend closed her eyes, and Duchess held the perfume close to her face. She gave the bottle two or three squirts, but boy- were they powerful! The scent permeated the entire room, and it was impossible to ignore (unless, like Duchess, one had grown used to it after a while).
Taking her first deep breath, Kate found herself gagging on the very air she breathed. The scent of the perfume was so thick and vibrant, it becamed hard for her to breathe (especially considering her heightened sense of smell). Not to mention, the perfume wasn't as pleasant as she expected it to be.
Of course, Duchess didn't see the problem. "Oh, what is wrong, dear?" she queried, in an almost harsh tone. "Can't you handle a little fine perfume?"
Surprised, Kate struggled to speak through her coughs. "Come again?" she asked.
"This is the one of the finest and most expensive perfumes in the world!" Duchess exclaimed. "The ingrediants are European, and the perfume itself is made and bottled in Paris!"
The thickened perfume-sprayed air began to clear, and a connection was being made in Kate's mind. She suddenly realized, in her perspective, that Duchess and her perfume bottles were very much alike. What that similarity was, she couldn't figure out...
A soft knock came to the door. "Kate?" a familiar voice said. "It's me, Wilt."
Duchess rolled her eyes. Not those nuisances again...
Perplexed, Kate approached the door. "Wilt?" she inquired. "What's up?"
A brief chuckle escaped Wilt. "Say, Kate," he addressed, "you wouldn't mind stepping outside a moment, would you?"
As Kate reached for the door handle, Duchess quickly took her hand. "Don't be foolish," she hissed. "Why don't you ask him to come inside?"
Although she thought it was pointless, Kate saw no reason not to go along with it. "Wilt," she replied, "would you mind coming inside?"
For a moment, Wilt didn't speak. "Um..." he chuckled nervously, "I'm sorry, Kate... I was wondering if you wanted to talk... you know, without Duchess."
Kate veered back slightly, glancing at Duchess out of the corner of her eye. That's what she meant- Kate's friends were still intolerant of Duchess. She couldn't allow that, could she?
With a sigh, Kate addressed Wilt one more time. "Sorry, Wilt," she commented, "but if you have something to say to me, you can say it in front of Duchess too."
Not wanting to impose on Kate's apparent comfort, Wilt did the polite (though misguided) thing. "Okay then," he answered, walking away.
Again, Kate turned to her thoughts. Was that wrong, dismissing Wilt like a stranger?
Another knock came to the door. "Coco?" Coco clucked.
Surprised, Kate stayed by the door, but kept her paws away from the handle. "What is it, Coco?" she queried.
"Coco coco," Coco remarked. "Coco co co, coco cococo co co co! Coco co! Co coco co?"
Rolling her eyes, Kate turned away from the door. "You don't understand, Coco," she snapped. "Duchess is my friend- she's nice to me, she listens to me... she even lets me borrow her stuff! How is that mean?"
The bird/plant/airplane thing on the other side of the door was as angry as an imaginary friend like her could be. "Coco!" she fumed. "Coco coco coco! Coco!!" With that, she stormed down the hallway; she gave up on talking any 'sense' into Kate, especially if she wasn't going to listen.
The doglike friend growled. She would never admit it, but Coco did get on her nerves occasionally... even if she never minded being laughed at now and then... and was always willing to share her plastic prize eggs... and made living with the other guy friends a little more tolerable...
Before Duchess could speak, yet another knock drew their attention. "Kate," a boy's voice addressed. "It's Mac. Can we talk?"
Turning around to face the door, Kate folded her arms to keep them from reaching the doorknob. "About what?"
Mac took a deep breath, hoping his idea would work. "Kate, can you please come downstairs?" he asked. "Everyone misses having you around... well, everyone but Bloo, but he just plain hates Duchess." He quickly changed the subject. "Anyway... let's play some video games, or go outside or something."
Kate was silent for a moment. "Can Duchess come?" she inquired.
This dependancy Kate seemed to have on Duchess was quickly irritating Mac. "All we're asking is a few hours," he responded. "Please, Kate?"
As much as she wanted to say 'yes', Kate knew what she had to say; she couldn't upset Duchess. "Maybe some other time," she lied. "Duchess and I are busy with other things."
The boy sighed. "Fine," he murmured. "Go ahead and do what you want. Bloo and the others don't want anything to do with Duchess, and neither do I, so if you'd rather be friends with her than us... that's your choice, I guess."
To say the least, Kate was shocked to hear that remark. She knew it was true, though- was she better of with Duchess as her only friend, than with the rest of the Fosters imaginary friends? Needless to say, that was a hard decision for her to make.
"Don't listen to him," Duchess advised. "He's just upset, darling... but he does have a point."
The doglike friend nodded. "Yeah," she mumbled, "yeah, he does."
One more light knock came to the door, and Duchess glanced at the clock. "It's 11:30," she noted. "That must be Frankie with my good linens." She grinned evilly. "Kate, please tell Frankie how you feel, before letting her in."
Taking a deep breath, Kate turned to the door. "Before you say anything," she snapped, "let me tell you something about Duchess- she's a great friend. She's been nicer to me than most of the other friends at Fosters, including you. In fact, she reminds me- if vaguely- of my former owner, and that makes me feel comfortable here. So don't bother us again, or I'll be sure to tell Mr. Herriman about this abuse." She sighed, reaching for the door handle. "Now, come inside and change the linens, and I'd better not hear another word about this."
She turned the doorknob and opened the door, expecting Frankie... and found, instead, Eduardo.
Assuming all the things she said were about him, Eduardo was crushed. He covered his eyes and bawled like a baby, running down the hallway, with every step shaking like an earthquake.
Kate was also crushed. She covered her mouth in shock. "Oh no," she murmured, "what have I done?"
Quickly, Duchess intervened. "Forget that giant purple coward," she hissed. "You have me now, darling."
It was then that Kate realized her folly. She now understood why Duchess was like her perfume- she seemed attractive on the outside, but inside she was repulsive. How could she have been fooled by mere appearances?
Duchess knew that she was quickly losing Kate's attention. "Kate?" she queried.
At that moment, Frankie arrived with a huge hamper filled with linens. "Sorry I'm late, your Highness," she groaned nonchalantely, "but I had an argument with Mr. Herriman downstairs, and this load needed an extra 10 minutes in the wash cycle-"
A low growl escaped Kate. "Don't talk to me," she spat, turning to Duchess. "You drove away- no, you made me drive away my friends. How could you do such a thing? How could you make me turn against my own friends??"
Frankie sat back, watching the scene intently. "She finally figured it out," she muttered. "I have to watch this..."
Again, Duchess attempted to defend herself, but Kate interrupted her. "No, I don't wanna hear it," she growled. "I don't care how 'cultured' and special you are- that has nothing to do with this! You have no excuse for making me send poor Eduardo crying down the hallway!!" She snarled a bit. "Forget ever having me as a friend, or having any friends at all, if that's the only way you can get them."
Furious, Duchess glared at Kate. "Fine!" she screamed. "I want you out of my room, and I want all my things returned! I never want to see you in my sight again, you filthy mongrel!"
Being so close to her newfound foe's face, Kate gave a quick snap at Duchess, to show her that she was prepared for a brawl if necessary. She then turned and ran out the door, never to be seen in that room again.
Finally, Frankie turned to Duchess and smirked. "Ooh," she remarked, "you sure got what was coming to you."
Duchess growled. "Be quiet," she hissed, "and change my linens. Mark my words, they had better be perfectly clean..."
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Kate sprinted up and down the hallways, listening carefully for any sign of her friends. "Come on, come on," she murmured. "Where are they?"
Suddenly, Kate stopped. She heard a faint noise coming from down the hall; it sounded like someone crying. "Eduardo."
Slowly, Kate tiptoed down through the hallway and ended up in the bedrooms. At the end of the room was a small balcony, which could be opened and closed during the hours so the room could get a little fresh air. There stood Eduardo, crying miserably.
The doglike friend bit her lip. "Oh, poor Ed," she mumbled. "I can't believe... I didn't mean to..."
Sighing, Kate knocked lightly on the door. "Eduardo," she said sweetly, "can I come in?"
Eduardo stifled his crying a little. "Senorita?" he queried.
A small smile crossed Kate's face; she liked how he called her that. "Ed," she sighed, approaching him, "I'm so sorry about all this. Honestly, I didn't know it was you... though, even if it wasn't, I shouldn't have said those things in the first place."
This made Eduardo feel a little better. "You... still like Eduardo?" he asked.
Giggling, Kate hugged her friend. "Of course!" she replied. "You're my friend, Ed- nothing could change that." She smirked. "We won't be seeing Duchess any time soon."
Surprised, Eduardo turned to Kate. "You no like Senorita Duchess?" he inquired.
Still upset with Duchess, Kate shook her head. "Not anymore," she answered. "Everyone was right- she is a meanie, isn't she?"
The large purple friend nodded, hugging Kate again. It felt good, being around her...
Then, Kate cringed and recoiled from Eduardo. She rubbed the area of her arm where Eduardo had stepped on it before.
Before Eduardo could say anything, Kate held her good paw up. "Ed, it's okay," she explained. "Accidents happen, and friends forgive their accidents. You didn't see where you were going, and I forgave you... just like I couldn't see where Duchess was leading me, and you forgave me."
The two friends stood together. They looked around, taking in the placid atmosphere. It was relaxing...
Eventually, Kate and Eduardo would go downstairs to the arcade, and Kate would explain everything. For now, though, they sat there on the balcony and relaxed, enjoying the good weather and their own company. After what they had gone through, quality time with a real friend was exactly what they needed...
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I apologize to everyone that these last two chapters haven't been quite as funny. I'll make it up to you in the next chapter. ;) Later!