Chapter Eight - NO! I don't wanna bathe!

I picked my self up off the pillows and looked up to spot a several giggling girls in the doorway. I paled. Maaliki hadn't been kidding... I would have to take a bath. I pulled myself to my feet and I bit my lip. You know... indoor public bathing wasn't really my thing. Invented by the Grecians, adopted by the Egyptians... and yet... I still prefered a river over a warmed stone pool. Warm water was to say the least, disturbing.

The girls came over and grabbed me by the arms still giggling.

"Look at that hair! It's darling! AWWWWwwww!"

"Is it real? Oh, I want to touch it!"

"Can I wash your hair, pretty boy?"

I had been officially stunned. I had been helplessly dragged by a bunch of girls who were admiring (not the mention touching) my hair! Someone save me!

Maaliki was standing in the hallway dressed in nothing but a shawl.

"You looked distressed. What's wrong?" he tilted his head.

"What's wrong!" I practically latched myself to his arm and tried to put on an expression that said, 'Get them all away from me!'

He frowned skeptically and then smiled, "Ok, I guess we don't need them around. Girls." he looked up, "Go help my sister find her makeup, she lost her orange eyeshadow."

"O Hathor! She lost her eye shadow! How will she ever see her boyfriend Maahado! Oh no!" and they all ran off squealing and whining pathetically for the loss of their mistress's eye shadow.

"Thank Nephythis..." I said leaving Maaliki's arm.

"Nephythis..." Maaliki cringed, "Goddess of the night and death... that's an unusual goddess to thank, uh... where do you come from again?"

"Just up the river a ways..." I needed to change the subject, "You're bathing in that?"

"Well it's more of a decoration than anything else... I really don't need it." he started to tug at it to pull it off.

Eye twitch. "NO!"

"Huh?" he froze and looked up.

"I mean uh... no. Leave it on for modesty's sake, I know we're both boys here and all but GEESH..."

"Modesty?" Maaliki tilted his head, "Oh!" he giggled, "A commonfolk worried about modesty. That's a good one. Funny."

"I'm serious!" I flushed, my eye still twitching, "Just shut up, ok!"

Maaliki did some more chuckling, and turned down the stairs, the cape-like shawl flowing freely, "We can bathe separately if you're that picky! Heh..."

I frowned, rolled my eyes, and crossed my arms. Who had said I wanted a bath anyway? I crossed my arms and followed him.