Walking fro hours across the dry desert was actually a lot easier now than
it had been before D tent found God's Thumb. Not only were all of them
rested and fed but they were also stronger and more expirienced. They all
could walk longer with less rest-even the boys who had to carry Zippy.
Chase always walked behind which ever boy was carrying Zippy so she could see her face and talk to her when she woke up. Zippy rarely ever woke up as they all walked but when she did she always wanted to know where they were and how long they had been walking. Chase was always there to answer.
"I wonder how long she'll be out of it," Squid said to Chase one time-it was his turn to carry Zippy again.
"I dunno," Chase replied sadly. "I hope not too long; it's pretty quiet without her bouncing around all the time."
"Yeah," Squid agreed. He glanced over at Chase who was walking beside him, but she was looking sadly at the dry ground beneath them rather than him.
"It was nice how you comforted Chase-ha-real nice," Twitch said to Fidget.
Fidget still had here period, and she still wasn't very happy, but the whole Zippy ordeal had made her realize what a bitch she had been. "Yeah," she agreed. "Listen Twitch," she started playing with her braids, "I'm really sorry about snapping at you earlier today-I was being a real jerk."
"Ha-that's okay," Twitch said smiling.
"No really," Fidget insisted. "I wanna make it up to you." She stopped Twitch in his steps and kissed him.
When the kiss was over Twitch still stood there his eyes closed-it was probably the longest he'd ever stood completely still.
"Wow," he said after a while, opening his eyes and twitching again. "Whoo! Ha!" He was grinning from ear to ear as he started walking along with everyone else again.
"Hahahaha!" Magnet laughed. "The little man got kissed!"
"Well at least he has a bigger love life than you do," Magnetic snapped.
"Go to hell," Magnet replied darkly.
"WOULD YOU GUYS JUST SHUT UP?!!!" Chase cried. "God, I'm getting sick of your stupid brawling! Just kiss and make up already!"
"Me kiss him? NO WAY!" Magnetic cried. "NEVER! I'd rather die than even get close enough to kiss him!"
"Oy vey," Chase said rolling her eyes.
Squid started laughing. "You think they like each other also?" he asked.
"Definitly," Chase replied. "Why? You agree?"
"Yeah, I mean isn't it obvious?" Squid replied, "They're always lookin' at each other and talking to each other and stuff; they just have to much pride to admitt anything."
"Yeah............" Chase said quietly; she could relate.
"So," Squid said, Squid said changing the subject. "What do you look forward to most when you get home?"
"What don't i look forward to?" Chase asked. "Aw, my mom, my dog, my nice soft bed, my friends from school-everything! Why, what do you look forward to the most?"
"I dunno," Squid replied, a hazy look in his eyes. "Not my mom, that's for sure........"
Chase felt really sorry for Squid again. "It must be tough living with an alchoholic, eh?" she asked, building up her bravery."
Squid gave a heartless laugh. "You have no idea," he said, shifting Zippy's weight to his left arm making her head bobble for a second before resting on Squid's left shoulder.
Chase stroked Zippy's hair every now and then-one time as she was doing so her hand brushed past Squid's ear; she had embarrassedly pulled her arm back and hadn't stroked Zippy's hair for a long time after that.
"It's so hot out!" Magnetic complained later that day.
"I know," Chase agreed. "My head is frying."
"Wanna wear my hat?" Squid suggested.
Chase was too in love with Squid to answer imediately. To wear his hat would probably be the next best thing to kissing him. But Squid took it the wrong way.
"Don't worry," he said with a laugh. "I don't have lice or anything." He took his cap off and held it out for Chase.
"You don't wanna use it?" Chase asked.
"Naw, I got this," Squid replied, pulling the do-rag back over his head.
Chase took the hat, hesitated for a moment, then set it on her head. "Thanks," she said quietly.
"Anytime," Squid replied smiling.
Embarrassedly Chase turned her head the other way as she blushed. Lei and Static grinned at each other.
"Let's rest here for a while," Xray said, sitting down on one of the few rocks that jutted out of the ground.
Chase sat down on the ground. "You can lay her here," she said to Squid.
Squid set Zippy down on the ground before Chase then sat down on a rock next to Xray. Zero sat down on the ground next to Zippy and Chase and stared sadly at Zippy.
Chase watched him for a moment. "So you really do love her don't you?" Chase said smiling.
Zero looked a little bashful but nodded all the same.
"And you and Squid?" he asked. "Is there a connetion there?" he grinned.
"I dunno," Chase said a little shyly. "No, not really."
"That's too bad," Zero said, still grinning. "Squid's a great guy you know."
"So I'm told," Chase replied smiling. "So..........what are you gonna do when you get home?"
"I don't-I don't really have a home," Zero said sadly.
"Oh," Chase looked taken aback. "Zippy never mentioned that."
"Yeah, it's okay," Zero said seeing the questioning look on Chase's face. "First me and my mom were living lots of places-then we lived no where. It wasn't that bad though, i mean at least i still had her and she had me. We usually slept at this park-Laney Park, i would always sleep in the tunnel under the slide."
Chase studier Zippy's pale face in sadness; did all the members of D tent have terribly upseting backgrounds?
Zero went on; "Then one morning I woke up and my mom wasn't there. So I left the park looking for her-i should've just stayed there, but.........." Zero trailed off, his eyes fell. "I never saw her again," he said quietly. "I remember she used to try so hard to make a better life for us; but things just didn't work out that way you know?"
Chase nodded-and she'd thought her life was dramatic! She tried to imagine what life would be like to be sleeping in a tunnel at a playground every morning, and then waking up to complete lonliness.
"Do you mind me asking what you did to get arrested?" Chase asked.
"I stole Clyde Livingston's shoes," Zero replied.
"Really?" Chase asked in surprise.
Zero nodded. "They were on auction at this homeless shelter I went to when the weather was bad-if I could find someone to pretend to be my my mom; If they knew i didn't have a mom they would have made me a ward of the state. This one day I went to the shelter I just found the shoes there on display- I didn't know the shoes were famous or anything-there was a sign but back then i couldn't read at all. I just thought the shoes were someones old shoes and i thought it would be better to take someone's old shoes than steal a new pair. So i just took them, put them on, and walked out of the shelter," Zero shrugged. "No one seemed to notice at first, but the next thing i knew everyone was bawlin' out 'The shoes are gone! The shoes are gone!' So i took them and set them on top of this parked car. The next day I got caught stealin' a new pair of shoes from a Payless." Zero smiled.
Chase shook her head. "All that craziness and you didn't even get caught," she said with a laugh.
Zero grinned. "Yeah.......It was kinda' funny in a way; I was just standin' there in the shoes and everyone was running around me yellin' about the shoes and everything."
Chase laughed. "And then you got caught the next day stealing from a Payless; who would have guessed?" she laughed.
Zero shrugged. "So," he said. "What did you do to get arrested?"
Chase studied his face for a moment and decided sh'e had enough tears for day. "I'll tell you another day," she replied.
Zero raised his eyebrow.
"I promise!" Chase insisted.
Zero smiled. "I'm holdin' you on your promise," he said grinning.
"I look forward to it," Chase said with a laugh.
Zippy opened her eyes and looked around.
"Where are we?" she asked slowly, her voice was still very feeble and cracked.
"Somewhere in the middle of the desert," Chase replied.
"How long have we been walking?" Zippy asked again.
"For hours and hours and hours," Zero replied.
"Why have we stopped walking?" Zippy asked.
Chase laughed. "Everyone needs a break Zip!"
Zippy gave a great sigh.
"You're just dieing to get home aren't you?" Zero asked Zippy.
Zippy grinned. "I had a dream that I was at home and I woke up believing I really was home," she said. "It was a good dream," she smiled. "All of you guys were in it."
Zero grinned. "Ooh!"
Zippy laughed, but her laugh was hoarse and it made Chase feel really bad.
"She's awake?" Squid asked, he and coming over to see if Zippy was okay.
Zero grinned at Chase.
"Hi there," Zippy said staring up at Squid and Xray.
"Hey," Squid said, kneeling down beside her. "You feelin' any better."
"Kind of," Zippy replied. "I'm still really dizzy and I'm sore all over."
Squid smiled in sympathy.
"Well we've come a long way since we started," Xray reassured Zippy.
"That's good," Zippy said yawning. "Aw man, I'm still sleepy."
"Sleep all you want Zippy," Lei said smiling. "You've got three strong, handsome guys carrying you everywhere."
Zippy's eyelids fluttered as she slowly drifted off to sleep again.
"We better get going," Xray said, picking Zippy up. "We still have a really long ways to go."
"Yeah," Squid agreed. He stared at Chase a minute or two though before turning and following Xray.
Zero grinned a big clownish grin at Chase who just rolled her eyes.
Chase always walked behind which ever boy was carrying Zippy so she could see her face and talk to her when she woke up. Zippy rarely ever woke up as they all walked but when she did she always wanted to know where they were and how long they had been walking. Chase was always there to answer.
"I wonder how long she'll be out of it," Squid said to Chase one time-it was his turn to carry Zippy again.
"I dunno," Chase replied sadly. "I hope not too long; it's pretty quiet without her bouncing around all the time."
"Yeah," Squid agreed. He glanced over at Chase who was walking beside him, but she was looking sadly at the dry ground beneath them rather than him.
"It was nice how you comforted Chase-ha-real nice," Twitch said to Fidget.
Fidget still had here period, and she still wasn't very happy, but the whole Zippy ordeal had made her realize what a bitch she had been. "Yeah," she agreed. "Listen Twitch," she started playing with her braids, "I'm really sorry about snapping at you earlier today-I was being a real jerk."
"Ha-that's okay," Twitch said smiling.
"No really," Fidget insisted. "I wanna make it up to you." She stopped Twitch in his steps and kissed him.
When the kiss was over Twitch still stood there his eyes closed-it was probably the longest he'd ever stood completely still.
"Wow," he said after a while, opening his eyes and twitching again. "Whoo! Ha!" He was grinning from ear to ear as he started walking along with everyone else again.
"Hahahaha!" Magnet laughed. "The little man got kissed!"
"Well at least he has a bigger love life than you do," Magnetic snapped.
"Go to hell," Magnet replied darkly.
"WOULD YOU GUYS JUST SHUT UP?!!!" Chase cried. "God, I'm getting sick of your stupid brawling! Just kiss and make up already!"
"Me kiss him? NO WAY!" Magnetic cried. "NEVER! I'd rather die than even get close enough to kiss him!"
"Oy vey," Chase said rolling her eyes.
Squid started laughing. "You think they like each other also?" he asked.
"Definitly," Chase replied. "Why? You agree?"
"Yeah, I mean isn't it obvious?" Squid replied, "They're always lookin' at each other and talking to each other and stuff; they just have to much pride to admitt anything."
"Yeah............" Chase said quietly; she could relate.
"So," Squid said, Squid said changing the subject. "What do you look forward to most when you get home?"
"What don't i look forward to?" Chase asked. "Aw, my mom, my dog, my nice soft bed, my friends from school-everything! Why, what do you look forward to the most?"
"I dunno," Squid replied, a hazy look in his eyes. "Not my mom, that's for sure........"
Chase felt really sorry for Squid again. "It must be tough living with an alchoholic, eh?" she asked, building up her bravery."
Squid gave a heartless laugh. "You have no idea," he said, shifting Zippy's weight to his left arm making her head bobble for a second before resting on Squid's left shoulder.
Chase stroked Zippy's hair every now and then-one time as she was doing so her hand brushed past Squid's ear; she had embarrassedly pulled her arm back and hadn't stroked Zippy's hair for a long time after that.
"It's so hot out!" Magnetic complained later that day.
"I know," Chase agreed. "My head is frying."
"Wanna wear my hat?" Squid suggested.
Chase was too in love with Squid to answer imediately. To wear his hat would probably be the next best thing to kissing him. But Squid took it the wrong way.
"Don't worry," he said with a laugh. "I don't have lice or anything." He took his cap off and held it out for Chase.
"You don't wanna use it?" Chase asked.
"Naw, I got this," Squid replied, pulling the do-rag back over his head.
Chase took the hat, hesitated for a moment, then set it on her head. "Thanks," she said quietly.
"Anytime," Squid replied smiling.
Embarrassedly Chase turned her head the other way as she blushed. Lei and Static grinned at each other.
"Let's rest here for a while," Xray said, sitting down on one of the few rocks that jutted out of the ground.
Chase sat down on the ground. "You can lay her here," she said to Squid.
Squid set Zippy down on the ground before Chase then sat down on a rock next to Xray. Zero sat down on the ground next to Zippy and Chase and stared sadly at Zippy.
Chase watched him for a moment. "So you really do love her don't you?" Chase said smiling.
Zero looked a little bashful but nodded all the same.
"And you and Squid?" he asked. "Is there a connetion there?" he grinned.
"I dunno," Chase said a little shyly. "No, not really."
"That's too bad," Zero said, still grinning. "Squid's a great guy you know."
"So I'm told," Chase replied smiling. "So..........what are you gonna do when you get home?"
"I don't-I don't really have a home," Zero said sadly.
"Oh," Chase looked taken aback. "Zippy never mentioned that."
"Yeah, it's okay," Zero said seeing the questioning look on Chase's face. "First me and my mom were living lots of places-then we lived no where. It wasn't that bad though, i mean at least i still had her and she had me. We usually slept at this park-Laney Park, i would always sleep in the tunnel under the slide."
Chase studier Zippy's pale face in sadness; did all the members of D tent have terribly upseting backgrounds?
Zero went on; "Then one morning I woke up and my mom wasn't there. So I left the park looking for her-i should've just stayed there, but.........." Zero trailed off, his eyes fell. "I never saw her again," he said quietly. "I remember she used to try so hard to make a better life for us; but things just didn't work out that way you know?"
Chase nodded-and she'd thought her life was dramatic! She tried to imagine what life would be like to be sleeping in a tunnel at a playground every morning, and then waking up to complete lonliness.
"Do you mind me asking what you did to get arrested?" Chase asked.
"I stole Clyde Livingston's shoes," Zero replied.
"Really?" Chase asked in surprise.
Zero nodded. "They were on auction at this homeless shelter I went to when the weather was bad-if I could find someone to pretend to be my my mom; If they knew i didn't have a mom they would have made me a ward of the state. This one day I went to the shelter I just found the shoes there on display- I didn't know the shoes were famous or anything-there was a sign but back then i couldn't read at all. I just thought the shoes were someones old shoes and i thought it would be better to take someone's old shoes than steal a new pair. So i just took them, put them on, and walked out of the shelter," Zero shrugged. "No one seemed to notice at first, but the next thing i knew everyone was bawlin' out 'The shoes are gone! The shoes are gone!' So i took them and set them on top of this parked car. The next day I got caught stealin' a new pair of shoes from a Payless." Zero smiled.
Chase shook her head. "All that craziness and you didn't even get caught," she said with a laugh.
Zero grinned. "Yeah.......It was kinda' funny in a way; I was just standin' there in the shoes and everyone was running around me yellin' about the shoes and everything."
Chase laughed. "And then you got caught the next day stealing from a Payless; who would have guessed?" she laughed.
Zero shrugged. "So," he said. "What did you do to get arrested?"
Chase studied his face for a moment and decided sh'e had enough tears for day. "I'll tell you another day," she replied.
Zero raised his eyebrow.
"I promise!" Chase insisted.
Zero smiled. "I'm holdin' you on your promise," he said grinning.
"I look forward to it," Chase said with a laugh.
Zippy opened her eyes and looked around.
"Where are we?" she asked slowly, her voice was still very feeble and cracked.
"Somewhere in the middle of the desert," Chase replied.
"How long have we been walking?" Zippy asked again.
"For hours and hours and hours," Zero replied.
"Why have we stopped walking?" Zippy asked.
Chase laughed. "Everyone needs a break Zip!"
Zippy gave a great sigh.
"You're just dieing to get home aren't you?" Zero asked Zippy.
Zippy grinned. "I had a dream that I was at home and I woke up believing I really was home," she said. "It was a good dream," she smiled. "All of you guys were in it."
Zero grinned. "Ooh!"
Zippy laughed, but her laugh was hoarse and it made Chase feel really bad.
"She's awake?" Squid asked, he and coming over to see if Zippy was okay.
Zero grinned at Chase.
"Hi there," Zippy said staring up at Squid and Xray.
"Hey," Squid said, kneeling down beside her. "You feelin' any better."
"Kind of," Zippy replied. "I'm still really dizzy and I'm sore all over."
Squid smiled in sympathy.
"Well we've come a long way since we started," Xray reassured Zippy.
"That's good," Zippy said yawning. "Aw man, I'm still sleepy."
"Sleep all you want Zippy," Lei said smiling. "You've got three strong, handsome guys carrying you everywhere."
Zippy's eyelids fluttered as she slowly drifted off to sleep again.
"We better get going," Xray said, picking Zippy up. "We still have a really long ways to go."
"Yeah," Squid agreed. He stared at Chase a minute or two though before turning and following Xray.
Zero grinned a big clownish grin at Chase who just rolled her eyes.