Chapter 8

Belldandy's Green Thumb

As a couple of days passed by, Belldandy felt the urge to make herself useful, at least in the sense of staving off the onset of boredom. She was quick to notice that most of the neighborhood had very nice landscaping in their yards, small flower beds and decorative designs that intrigued her to make a go at it on her own.

Urd and Skuld seemed disinterested in participating, but they highly encouraged her to do as she pleased with the yard. With that decided they all ventured to the local hardware store so that Bell could purchase the necessary supplies to perform her "yard creation". They spent quite a while in the store, picking out plants and flowers, and the soils and fertilizers. Bell also purchased an abundance of garden vegetables, and fencing and the common hand tools to do the job.

Urd: "Are you sure you want to do this Bell? Looks like a lot of work to me."

Bell: "Yes. I really want to do this. It will give me something to pass the time, and at the same time, make our house look better, and with a little garden we'll always have fresh vegetables to eat."

Skuld: "Eww..i hate veggies!"

Bell: "Skuld even Goddess' need proper nourishment. Don't they?"

Urd: "(whispers) Bell be careful where you say things like that, remember?"

Bell: "OH. I almost forgot I'm sorry."

Skuld: "It's ok, I think most folks would think we're just stuck-ups."

Bell: "Huh? What's "stuck-up"?"

Urd: "We'll explain on the way home. In the mean time, just be careful what you talk about to people ok."

Around the time Urd finished her comment, the neighbor from the incident the other morning walks up, smiling.

Danny: "Hi. How are you ladies this morning?"

Urd: "Why hello! Aren't you our next door neighbor?"

Danny: "Yes, I've noticed you moved in a couple of weeks ago. How do you like the neighborhood?"

Bell: "It's so very nice. We like it very much. We're here picking up items for our yard."

Danny: "Yeah, I'm doing the same. Haven't had much time to work on my yard in a month."

Skuld: "So you have family too? What's you're name? Are you married? How about whatcha do for a living?"

Bell: "SKULD! That is SO rude! Now you apologize to this nice man."

Danny just shook his head chuckling to himself.

Danny: "No. No. That's perfectly all right. It was rude of me not to introduce myself. My name is Danny. Danny Burdett. It's very nice to met you ladies."

Bell: "Hello Danny. This is Skuld my younger sister, and this is Urd. She is the oldest sister. And my name is Belldandy. WE're the Vidblain's."

Danny: "It's very nice to meet you all. Those are unusual names if I must say. Where are you from?"

Bell: 'Well we're from..umm."

Urd: "We're from Norway actually, but we've lived in the states most of our lives."

Danny: "Oh really? That's nice. I was going to say you didn't have much of an accent, but then again, the dialect is there."

Bell:"So do you live alone? Or do you have family at home?"

Danny: "Well I have a younger brother, Gregory, and an older brother John. Greg lives with me, but John lives about 30 minutes away. Greg is staying with him at the moment, he keeps him out of trouble."

Bell:" Oh I see, (giggles) I know what that can be like. (looks at Skuld)"

Skuld: "Don't give me that look. I don't get into trouble."

Urd: "Oh sure Skuld. What other lies are we going to tell today?"

Skuld: "Oh really funny Urd."

Bell: "Stop it you two."

Urd and Skuld: "Yes, Belldandy."

Danny: "Don't worry, my brothers and I are the same way. (laughs)"

Bell: "So you mediate too sometimes?"
Danny: "Yeah, more than I care to."

Bell: "Well I guess we should be going now. It was very nice to meet you. Please don't be afraid to come and see us sometime. We are neighbors after all."

Danny: "Sure I would. I'll do that some time."
Bell: "Well why not come have dinner with us this evening so we can all get to know each other a little more?"

Urd: "Uh…Belldandy I don't think that's…"

Bell: "Hush Urd! It's rude to interrupt me while I'm talking."

Urd: "ooooook…"

Bell: "So would you like to do that Danny. I think we would all have a very nice time."

Danny: "Well I don't have any plans. Sure why not. What time should I be over?"

Bell: "Umm. Let's say about sixish?"

Danny: "Sure thing. Well, I'll let you ladies get back to what you were doing. It was very nice to met you ladies again."

Bell: "Bye-bye then. We look forward to you this evening."

Skuld: "Bye Danny."
Urd: "Good-Bye Danny."

Danny waved as he left. Thinking to himself as he looked back at them. He was stunned by their appearance, but kind of freaked out by how nice they were.

Danny: "Wow they were nice. But really..strannnnge."

Danny checked out as the three ladies he just left were beginning to get in the checkout line his eyes met with Belldandy's and she simply smiled and they waved at each other as he exited the store front.

He thought to himself, "Really strange. But that Belldandy is just too pretty. And Norway? Damn, that's first time I've met anyone from there that spoke English that well." He contemplated not going to the dinner. But halfway home he decided not to be rude and attend. Maybe they all had something in common? He guessed he'd find out tonight.

The girls left the hardware store, Belldandy was in a much cheerful mood. Urd and Skuld were somewhat astounded at how bold Belldandy had become, not quite shy as she once was, still a little naïve. Urd was still cautious to point out that they shouldn't just jump into the neighborhood social scene so quickly.

Urd: "I wish you had of waited a bit longer before inviting someone over to dinner Bell. We need to have a little caution until everything has settled more."

Bell: "I don't see why we can't make friends with the neighbors around us. We don't want them to think we're rude or anti-social do we?"

Urd: "NO. But I still think we should be careful."

Skuld: "Aww. Come on Urd. Let Belldandy have a little fun ok? So what if she's just trying to flirt with someone."

Bell: "WHAT? I..i wasn't trying to FLIRT with anyone! I was merely being nice. Is that a crime too?"

Urd: "(laughing along with Skuld) Well Bell. It just certainly seemed as though you were. Especially how you butted us out of the conversation when we simply tried to speak up. Hehehe.."

Bell: "But I really wasn't flirting..i was..Oooh, Forget it."

Skuld: "Come on, don't be angry Belldandy. I was only commenting on it cause I thought it was cute the way you acted. You've always been quite shy before."

Urd: "I don't mind Belldandy. I only wanted to point out that, we have nothing to eat at home. We haven't gotten any stuff from the market in almost a week."

Bell: "Huh? OH NO! Then we must go to the Market! I don't want to have to postpone it after I insisted he come to dinner!"

Skuld: "Yeah I need more ice cream anyway."

Urd: "I need some drinks for the weekend too. Make I should pick up something for you two lovebirds?"

Bell: "Love birds? Who do you mean?"

Skuld was laughing so hard at what Urd said, she almost lost her breath, and fell into the floor of the car in the back. When she sat up, she noticed Urd was also laughing very hard, and the lady in the car next to them was staring intently at them as they traveled along the road.

Skuld: "URD! Grab the steering wheel! The lady next to us is staring because you aren't "driving" the car!"

Urd: " OOPS! Looks like I got a bit carried away. (She was turned completely around in the drivers seat facing Skuld)"

Bell: "And to think I'm the one that might give our secrets away..haha! (Belldandy laughing very loudly)"

Urd: "Ok you've made your point. Guess all three of us need to watch ourselves."

Bell: "At least I don't have to worry about having my powers noticed. (giggles)"

Skuld: "Yeah but you never know when they may manifest again, so watch it anyway."

Urd: "Yes. It could come back when you least expect so just be careful."

Bell:"Ok. What's a good American style dinner anyway."

Urd: "Huh? Oh. I don't know. Hamburgers? Or Hot dogs?"
Skuld: "I dunno either."

Bell: "I mean something that would be a "good" dinner. Like maybe pasta? I think?"

Skuld: "Oooo. How about Lasagna?"

Bell: " Ok. How do you make it?"

Urd: "We'll look at some cook books at the market and find something Bell. Then we'll buy what we need."
Bell: "Thank you. That's a great idea Urd!"

Urd: "Oh, it's not a problem. I AM the older and WISER sister after all."

Skuld: "It was MY idea URD!"

Urd and Skuld began a quarrel match as they pulled into the parking lot of the store. Bell could only sigh and shake her head, wondering if they were always like this, even before her "accident".

They wandered the store for an hour finding a good cookbook and get the things they needed. Which was a couple of shopping buggies worth. But they got all the things they wanted and headed home. Bell was beginning to worry if she'd had enough time to prepare everything, Skuld was busy with her nose in the young women's magazines she bought, and Urd. Well, Urd was busy flirting with practically every male employee in the store after ogling over all the different alcohols she bought. It seems this dinner might get a little interesting, if it doesn't turn into a catastrophe.

Chapter 9 Dinner with Desert