Chapter 36: Stomach Butterflies
"You know, there are perks to having long tentacles, guys." Callie smiled at her cousin and Agent 8 from the pantry. "One example is this!" She undid the bow her tentacles were tied in and placed them against the floor before lifting herself up off the ground with them. She reached for the top shelf and grabbed a jar of peanut butter from it.
"Whoa! Those are, like, super strong" Arisara looked up at her.
"You want anything while I'm up here?" Callie asked them.
"You could have just grabbed it with your tentacles instead. Nah. I don't think I put anything I need up there" Marie replied.
"Yeah, but that's not as fun as doing this." Callie giggled while using her tentacles to walk toward the booth. "Wee! I am the cryptid Sasquid!"
"I hope you can tie those back yourself."
"Oh...right...Heh." She chuckled. "I can...but can you help, Marie?" She sat down in a chair.
"Oh, you" Marie smiled and sat down with her.
"Thank you." Callie hugged her cousin before turning around. "Want any peanut butter, Arisara?" She asked while spreading some on a cracker.
"Oh, no thanks. I already ate." The octopus replied from her seat.
"Okay. More for me!" The cheerful squid replied before stuffing a cracker in her mouth.
Marie tied her cousin's tentacles back into a bow.
"Thank you, Marie." Callie smiled with a mouth full of crackers and peanut butter.
"Gross. Don't talk with your mouth full, Callie" Marie snickered.
"Sorry." She replied before swallowing.
"Alright, I'm ready if you are, Callie. I guess." Adstrum replied while walking back from brushing his fangs. "So guess we should get go-" He stopped when he noticed her. "Really? You gestured me to look good and here you are with peanut butter all over your face." He laughed and shook his head.
"Peanut butter is good!" Callie smiled widely.
"He's got a point, you know?" Marie replied.
Adstrum wetted a paper towel with the sink and started wiping Callie's face. "You silly squid. You are lucky you are cute."
Callie just giggled in response. "That tickles."
"Well, I guess I'll see you later then. Mom and Dad are probably waiting anxiously" Marie smiled and started walking out of the bus.
"See you later, Marie!" Callie waved before grabbing Adstrum's hand. "Let's go!" She dragged him out the door, making him drop the now peanut butter covered paper towel. They ran past Marie as the excited Squid Sister dragged the jacketed inkling off.
"You have fun, guys!" Arisara waved her tentacle, "Geez…. Now what will I do... to pass the time… or two weeks rather..."
"We got board games and puzzles." Jim said from the driver's seat.
"Don't worry, I'll watch the bus while you are visiting your wife and kids."
"Thank you, Arisara." The middle aged urchin smiled at her before hopping off the bus with a suitcase.
"So it's just me and you..." Shelly replied from her clam shell, "So you being Octarian means you are very tech savvy, right?"
"That's species-ist… But why?" Arisara seemed a bit sour.
"Well I was thinking we could work together to make some stuff."
Arisara climbed onto the shell, "Fine… what do you want?"
Callie was still dragging Adstrum behind her as she led him around Calamari County, taking him through paths and down streets she remembered.
"Huh, this place has changed a bit. That street looks new. And they shut down an old restaurant. I never went there, but sad to see it go…" Callie sighed as she turned a corner.
"You getting nostalgic, Callie?" Adstrum asked.
"Yeah, but I like that some of the street markets are still around. They have the most interesting foods and desserts."
"Heh. Maybe we can get some while here." He smiled nervously.
"Yeah, maybe later. First, parents!"
"Okay…" His nervous smile got smaller. "Let's go meet them…"
"Right this way!" She gleefully skipped, dragging him along.
"Yay…" Adstrum sighed, his feet getting dragged on the sidewalk.
"I bet you don't really see chickens running around freely in the city, huh?"
"Nope. That's awesome." He smiled at the random poultry.
"Don't kick them. They will fight back as a mob."
"Temptation. Temptation. Temptation." He smiled wider when a chicken seemingly glared back at him. "More temptation."
Callie picked one up. It bawked and pecked at her. "Hello chicky."
"Chicken!" Adstrum yelled as one jumped onto his head from higher up.
Callie petted it and let it go.
The chicken atop Adstrum's head sat down on his hood. He smiled before Callie started dragging him off again. "And we're off."
The chicken jumped off and scurried away.
"Awe, man. I wanted to name that chicken for its bravery of sitting on my head." Adstrum started giggling.
"They are quite friendly, huh?"
"Yes." He waved at the chicken. "Bye, Cocky!" He facepalmed and started laughing uncontrollably.
"Seriously?"
He couldn't reply. His face was red from laughter.
"Come on, you silly squid."
"It looked arrogant." Adstrum finally said, still laughing.
"He seemed like a proud one."
"HA!"
"So why are you so on edge?" Callie asked
"Heheheheheh. Wh-what?" He asked while wiping a tear from his eye.
"Well, I never seen you so uneasy before, so I thought to ask you."
"Huh? Oh. That." He sighed. "I'm scared."
"What? Seriously?"
"Yes. I'm terrified to meet not just the parents of an idol, but the parents of the woman I love." He looked at her, a frown on his face.
"They are really kind and happy people. Like I said before I am pretty sure they would invite Ari in with an open mind. My dad is such a dork sometimes too."
"Not going to stop me from being scared, though. What if they don't like me? What if I upset them accidentally? What if-?"
She kissed him to shut him up, "Addie, I trust you. And I know you are perfect."
"I am far from perfect. No one is perfect. But thank you." He kissed her back.
She nuzzled her nose against his and held him close.
"They will love you too! I just know it!" She excitedly yelled as they turned down a neighborhood street.
"I hope you are right." He smiled nervously and followed her, looking at the different houses.
Callie danced with him as they walked down the block. Adstrum more or less just tapped his feet and smiled.
A couple minutes later she stopped in front of one house, Adstrum nearly tripping from the abrupt halt. "This the place?"
"We are here!" She hugged him.
"Yay." He lightly smiled before she started dragging him to the front door.
She held him close and kissed him. "Everything will be great! I just know it."
"I'll hold you to that." His smile got smaller as she knocked on the door.
Author's Note: I am sticking to this weekly update schedule for now. If something happens that prevents me from updating, then I will let you guys know.
Anyway, thank you The Bowser Monster, Agent Cherry, guest, and Noodle Doodle for leaving reviews. I really appreciate them, guys. :D
I thought they had just become a couple, Agent Cherry.
Glad it gets more interesting, guest. Thanks for reviewing.
Well, here's another chapter, Noodle Doodle. Enjoy it! And we all want to kick Rubert's ass.
See you all next week with the next chapter! Look forward to it!
