Disclaimer: All your base are belong to Mr. Warburton.

A/N: …yeah, I've got nothing. Go read!

…

Cruddy Diary!

Chapter 9

July 20th

I AM SO PISSED OFF RIGHT NOW! ANGRY, ANGRY, ANGRY! MUST KILL SOMETHING!

This is why I joined the Kids Next Door! I joined because I wanted to fight for kids' rights! This is not kid justice, for crying out loud! I feel like screaming! I wanna punch something! Then again I have been doing that for the last ten minutes. It's now time to write down my anger.

Mom can be such a pain in the butt sometimes! She freaked out because I defenestrated that stupid RC car yesterday. She flipped this morning after Mrs. Peterson had told her… I'll go drown Jay in that cruddy stream later! Then we'll see who'll tell on me from now on! Not him, that's for sure!

AAAARRGH! I AM ANGRY!

Phew… Good to get that off my chest. But that doesn't mean I'm not angry anymore.

After I had finished my breakfast this morning, Mom told me she wanted to talk to me. She brought me into the hall, pulling my arm hard. Then she turned around to face me. Her eyebrows were lowered, and I understood that instant that she was angry with me.

"Would you mind telling me what you did yesterday with Jay's RC car?" she asked with an angry voice.

"I dropped it," I answered and lowered my eyes.

"You dropped it?" she replied resigned. "Wallabee, that toy costs a lot of money! And since you destroyed it, we'll have to pay for it! Do you understand? You threw that expensive toy out of the window! That was like throwing money out the window!"

"I defenestrated it," I replied. "And it wasn't like throwing money out the window, because when you defenestrate money it won't break, unlike the RC car did." I smiled slightly.

"Wipe that smile off your face, young man!" she snapped.

"Don't call me a man!" I barked. "I'm a kid!"

"That's not what we're discussing here, Wallabee Beatles!" she said, sounding even angrier.

I knew she was pissed now… She only refers to me by my whole name when she's really, really angry.

"I am very upset with you, do you understand?" she continued. "I don't want you doing that ever again, do you hear me?"

I nodded and lowered my head in shame.

"Now, go and tell Jay that you're sorry!"

"What?" I cried.

"Do it!" she hissed.

So I had to go and find that douche bag of a moron. He was in the living room, watching TV.

"Hey, Jay," I said to catch his attention.

"What do you want?" he asked, at me. Then he looked passed me and his face quickly softened up. I turned around to see what he was looking at. In the door behind me stood our mothers. They expected me to apologize with them standing there!

So I walked closer to the couch. "Listen, I'm sorry about your RC car. I won't do it again."

"You can't do it again!" he growled. "The car is completely smashed thanks to you, you little wannabe Kids Next Door operative!"

"Ahem!" His mother looked at him warningly.

"Sorry," he muttered through gritted teeth. "Apology accepted." He didn't mean that, and I knew it.

With that, I left the room. I went outside to find something to throw my fists into. And now I'm here. I'm still very angry.

He called me a wannabe KND operative! I'm not a wannabe! I am a KND operative! I'll show him my freaking ID card if he really needs to see it to believe me!

…

2:30 PM

I know Jade told on me, too. I understood it by the way my mom brought up something about boys hitting girls and stuff. It's not important. I've just learned a valuable lesson out of messing with those two, though. They're truly evil, and they want to make my life cruddy! I guess somehow they pulled it off. They got Mom and Dad upset with me. Everybody in the house is against me, except Joey because he doesn't know any better. Wait! That means he's smart, if he's on my side. Hah! Take that, losers! My bro is with me to the end!

Not that any of it matters now, really… We're leaving soon anyway. And I can't wait! I can't stand this family! I wouldn't get along with them even if my life depended on it! I actually thought we could be friends when I first came here, but boy, was I wrong! We could've been, if those two weren't so rude and bratty. Fair enough that Jade is a pain in the butt, she's a cruddy girl. But Jay? That's not right.

I wonder what the guys are doing right now, back in the Treehouse. Right now, just as I'm writing this. I don't think I've been away from them for so long before, after I joined the team. I know that the Treehouse is somewhat empty without me. They've probably noticed the difference. If any of them ever went away for a long period of time, I know I would have noticed it. Especially if that person just so happened to be Kuki.

I'm bored again. I drew a stick version of Kuki on a piece of paper just now. But I don't have any colors, so Kuki is now just gray. I should get some crayons. Pencils tend to be boring drawing material. At least they are to me. Then again I really like colors.

I want some ice cream. So I'll go get some now.

…

8:17 PM

Hah! You'll never guess what Mom told me! She said it was time we headed back home. She thought it would be better for me to come back to my usual every day, and that living here brought out the worst in me. But she was cool about it, and Dad appears to be so as well. He's usually always cool with stuff. He doesn't like to worry too much. And he never yells at me.

Anyways, Mom said that she wanted to go back home soon, too. And she thought since things had gone so wrong here that it was the best for everyone if we just left. I know it's hard to bring Joey with us on vacations as well, so yeah. I'm just really happy we're leaving!

…

July 21st

We left this morning. I had to say goodbye to everybody and thank them for everything. It was very awkward to say goodbye to Jay and Jade. I gritted my teeth and just got over with it.

"Bye, guys," I muttered.

"Yeah, take care," Jay replied, sounding just like me. "Try not to break some other innocent kid's toys from now on, 'kay?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Yeah, and you try not to be a butthole from now on, 'kay?"

He just looked away.

"Have a blast with your girlfriend," Jade said to me. I turned away from her and growled. I had too much dignity to start arguing with her now.

I overheard my mother and Mrs. Peterson as they said goodbye to each other.

"You guys have a nice trip back home," Mrs. Peterson said. "Just remember that you're welcome back here whenever you'd like."

Yeah, right! Like we'd ever come back here after this! Jerk!

Mom just thanked her and hugged them all. Dad was polite and shook their hands and stuff. I was just standing there and observing them. Joey was already in his baby seat in the car. He was stuffing some plastic toy into his mouth, drooling all over it.

After a little while we finally left. I was actually happy to be back on the road. I was happy because I knew it meant that we were going back home! So now I'm in the backseat of the car, listening to music.

I haven't told the guys that I'll be back home soon, so I'll surprise them. It'll be fun to see their faces when I suddenly just show up in the TV room, acting like nothing was different. Not that anything's different, I'll just be back. Like always. I always come back. I care too much for them all, and I care too much for the KND, so there.

I want ice cream! Yeah, I just called that out to my mom. I wonder if we'll stop for ice cream if I keep whining about it. Actually, I don't consider it as whining. People always tell me to stop whining! All I'm doing is just telling them all what I'm thinking. Am I not allowed to share my thoughts with people?

We just stopped. I think there's a car accident somewhere ahead of us. I wonder what I would have done if I ever was in a car accident. Would I freak out and cry and stuff? Would I remain calm? Would I get angry? Would I be speechless? I wonder, I wonder… Not that I really want to be in an accident or anything. I'm just curious. And what is the last thing you usually think about in an accident right before you die? Does your life flash before your eyes? Do you think about your loved ones?

I've really started to ponder about stuff lately. I can't help it. I suppose I'm in a phase or something. A phase where I wonder about stuff. Complicated stuff. Stuff I'll never get the answers for. It'll blow over, I think. But that means I probably won't write much in this diary anymore. Hmmm, I said it like it was a bad thing… But is it really? At least I won't have to think all that much anymore.

Yep, it was an accident up front somewhere. An ambulance just passed us in high speed. I think someone died or something. My parents are talking about it. And they're talking about safety in traffic and all that stuff.

"I really hope nobody died over there," Mom muttered, stretching her neck to see better. But she obviously couldn't see all the way to the scene of the accident, because she sat back down again.

"It's the way of life, honey," Dad replied, resting his hands on the wheel. "People die, that's just the way it is now days."

"If you die in an accident, it's not really the way of life," I said.

Dad looked at me in the mirror. "What do you mean?"

"If you don't die of natural causes, it's not the way of life," I explained. "If you die from some disease or in an accident like this one, you don't die naturally. You die naturally if you're old and stuff."

"I see how you're thinking, but I don't really agree with you," Dad said. "If people don't die, the world would be overpopulated. You see, in the old days, before there was any medicine, people died from sickness all the time. Many kids never grew up. So because of the diseases, the world was kept in balance. Then the doctors came along and found cures for all the diseases. People stopped dying and the world population grew. But since their kids didn't die all the time, people didn't have to make so many of them anymore. In some countries they still make a lot of kids, like in third world countries. That way, they can hardy provide any food for them all. So people have to die so that others can live. That's the way of life."

"So… you're saying that the people in that accident up there died so that we could live?" I asked.

"Well… not really…" Dad scratched his blond hair. "But it's natural that people die every day. Don't worry about it, son."

Dad is a very confusing human being… I think he really hates to explain stuff for me. When I was eight, I asked him where babies come from. He said that it was something I would understand in time. What the crud is that supposed to mean?

I'll play my Game Boy now. I'm bored.

…

July 22nd

What a night! I came home earlier tonight, so I'm just really happy right now. After I got home, I just ran all the way to the Treehouse. Then I just walked up there and quietly made my way through the halls. I went to the TV room, not at all surprised to find the guys there, hanging out.

Numbuh 3 was sitting on the couch and watching some cartoon on TV, Numbuh 5 was reading a magazine in the big armchair, and Numbuh 1 and Numbuh 2 were playing cards on the floor behind the couch. They hadn't heard me or noticed me yet. I hadn't even told them I was coming home this evening.

Numbuh 1 and Numbuh 2 looked up at me from their card game. Numbuh 2 was about to greet me loudly, but I put a finger over my mouth to tell him to be quiet. He grinned and winked at me. He knew I had an idea. Numbuh 1 smiled at me, happy to see me back in the Treehouse.

I made my way to the couch without as much as a sound. Numbuh 3 was so busy with her cartoon that she didn't see me. Maybe she didn't bother to look up because she thought it was someone else?

I sat down next to her and poked her arm. She looked at me. I'll never forget the look in her eyes once she saw me tonight. Her violet eyes lit up like never before. She gasped happily and squealed loudly, ending it in a cute laughter. She threw her arms around me and hugged me real tight.

I could hear Numbuh 5 laugh over from the armchair.

"Oh, Numbuh 4!" Numbuh 3 cried happily. "I've missed you soooo much! It's been so boring here without you!" She tightened the grip around me.

"I've missed you, too," I managed to choke out. I tried in vain to take a deeper breath.

She finally let me go and laughed again. Her face was so bright with happiness. "We have so much to catch up on!" Her face turned a little worried. "Don't go away again, okay?"

I took her hands in mine. "I'm not going anywhere…"

"Yay!" she exclaimed and hugged me again.

We all turned off the TV and gathered on the couches so that I could tell them all about my vacation. I told them how much I disliked Jay and Jade, and when I told them that I defenestrated Jay's RC car, Numbuh 2 laughed so hard he blew soda out of his nose. Unfortunately for him, he was taking a big sip of his can of soda as I said it. I had to laugh at him, and Numbuh 1 and Numbuh 3 joined in. Numbuh 5 made a disgusted face and told him it was his job to mop it up.

It was so great to be back! I had missed them so much. I didn't tell them that, of course… I knew they'd missed me too, but they didn't say it either, so it was even. Telling Numbuh 3 that I'd missed her was different, though.

We ate some chips and played cards together before we all headed for bed. I was quite tired after driving for so long. Traveling is tiring.

I decided to walk Numbuh 3 to her room.

"Oh, you've gotta see my new Rainbow Monkey!" she exclaimed as we reached her room at the end of the hall.

I rolled my eyes, but followed her into her room. She walked over to her bed and picked up a yellow Rainbow Monkey.

"This is Sunny Beach Rainbow Monkey!" she said and held it up with a happy smile on her face. "I can bring it to the beach the next time we go there. And I can play with it and make sandcastles with it!"

"Yeah, great…" I muttered and looked around at all her stuffed animals. Does she actually need more of those toys? As if she isn't already drowning in them!

As I scanned the room, I noticed something on her bed. It was a small pink book with green writings on it. I made out the letters from where I was standing, which was difficult because of my distance to the bed. It spelled; "Numbuh 3's Diary."

I didn't even know she had one!

Numbuh 3 had been talking about her stupid stuffed animals, so she hadn't noticed that I now knew she had a diary.

I can't help it… I have to read that thing! What if she has written about me? Stuff about me that she doesn't want me to know about… What if she has said that she likes me in it? Man, I have to know! I just have to!

Uhm, after Numbuh 3 was done talking to me about her toys, we talked a little more about stuff we could do together soon.

"We should go to the beach!" she said. "I really wanna go!"

"Because of your new Rainbow Dorky, right?" I muttered, irritated.

"Not only because of it," she replied. "I want to be with you at the beach, too, Wally. We can build a sandcastle! And bury you in the sand, since you like it so much." She sent me a heartwarming smile. I returned it. I suddenly noticed that she was wearing the necklace I had given her on the night of our 4th of July party.

I carefully held up the little heart and studied it. "You're still wearing it…" I said with a low voice. I must have sounded pretty amazed, which was unintentional.

"Well, of course, silly!" Kuki replied and giggled. "I told you that I'd always wear it, remember?"

"Right…" I muttered and smiled at her.

"Well, I'm going to sleep now, so you'll have to leave," she told me and gave me a gentle push towards the door.

"Fine," I said, trying to sound disappointed, but my smile gave it away.

"Yep, so see you tomorrow," she said, unable to hide her smile. "Maybe we can have some fun, since you're back and all. I'm going to ask Numbuh 1 if we can go to the beach tomorrow." She followed me to the door.

"You do that," I replied and pulled the curtain out of my way. I stopped and turned around to face her.

"So sleep tight, and I'll see you in the morning," she said.

I actually had the courage to reach out and give her a hug. She put her arms around me. I never wanted to let go. Even though I was nervous and my heart was beating like crazy, I felt indestructible. As long as I stood there with my arms around that girl, it was as if time stopped. I know it sounds really lame and all, but that was stuff I actually felt when I was standing there. It's nuts! I can't believe that emotions can make me think so much. It can't be healthy..!

After a while, Kuki pulled away carefully. She was blushing. I assumed I was as well.

"Err, you should probably go now…" she muttered while she avoided eye contact.

"Yeah… I probably should… Err, I'll see you tomorrow and stuff… Goodnight, Kuki." I turned away from her and was about to leave.

"Wally?"

I stopped and turned my face towards her. "Yeah?"

"I… I mean… Do you… like me?"

The question was so unexpected that I didn't know what to answer. "Err, I… I just remembered that I have something I need to do! So... we'll talk about this later or something, okay?" Then I walked away quickly.

I feel kind of stupid about that last part… I don't even know what Kuki's reaction to that was… Maybe she's really upset? I tried not to think about it as I came down here to my room.

Why do I need to worry? Kuki never holds a grudge against anybody. Especially not with me. She might be angry with me for the first ten minutes, and then she's over it. There's nothing to worry about. She's probably forgotten all about this by tomorrow.

Now, about that diary of hers… I have to read it! I can't bear the thought of her having such a book without me knowing what's written in it. I think I have an idea to find out… I'll know what she's written in it, no matter what!