Chapter 4 – Secret's Out

I honestly didn't think we would make it these 4 hours. Every so often while practicing my Puyo chains I would look over towards my backpack to see if Kirby was okay, which got everyone suspicious every time. During lunch, I gave Kirby some of my food, which from everyone else's point of view looked like I was dumping food in my backpack. Kirby did like the food though, despite me looking like a complete nutcase.

When class was finally over, I was so happy that I could release this build-up tension I've had the entire time. I was just about to bolt out the classroom but just as I was near the door…

"Oh, Amitie. Can I speak to you for a second?"

Crud.

Ms. Accord had asked if we could talk about something. No doubt about how I was acting today.

"S-Sure, Ms. Accord. Wh-What's up?" I said nervously. Ms. Accord noticed my stuttering, but continued anyway.

"Well, it just how odd you've been acting today. It's not like you."

"Really? I'm feeling fine. Never better."

"Amitie, you were feeding and talking to your backpack."

"Well, I am a little tired…"

"And what's this about Lidelle telling me that your backpack has a soul in it?"

Aw, get really real, Lidelle!

"Amitie…are you messing around with your hat?"

"What?! No! Of course not! I would never do something like that!"

"Just checking. We don't want a repeat of last time."

Oh, geez. Last time…I still get shivers thinking of that.

"A-Anyway, Ms. Accord. Can I go now? I really need to go grocery shopping."

"Oh really? What are you getting?"

"Stuff for dinner tonight. I'm making Superspicy Curry!"

"Superspicy Curry? I didn't know you liked spicy things."

"Well, I'm trying new things. Anyway bye!"

Before Ms. Accord could say anything else, I bolted out the classroom as fast I could.

A few meters away from the school I decided to take a break to regain my breath for a while.

"Poyo?" Kirby popped out from the bag.

"Yeah, I'm okay, Kirby. Just taking a breather. Hey, thanks for not blowing your cover back there. You were great!"

"Poyo poyo!"

"Although, I don't think we can keep this up much longer. People are starting to get suspicious."

"Poyo?" Kirby tilted his head.

I can't get enough on how cute that is!

"Those were my classmates and teacher. I already told you about Lidelle. The blue-haired boy is Sig. He's a bit spacey. The pink-haired girl is Raffina. She can be scary at times, but she's nice to me every once in a while. The boy wearing the purple clothes is Klug. He's a jerk. That's just all he is. And my teacher is Ms. Accord. She's really good at magic. Though she can be a little suspicious sometimes."

"Poyo…" Kirby sounded amazed at how I described everyone.

Anyway, let's head for the store now. I can't wait to have some of that Superspicy Curry."

"Poyo!"

Kirby ducked back into the backpack and I continued walking to the grocery store. After that run, however, I realized that I ran all the way to the park. Which is the complete opposite direction of where I need to go.

"Aw, fiddlesticks! I'm going the wrong way!" I wined.

"Hey! Amitie!" I heard a voice call out to me.

I looked over to see it was Arle and Ringo, who were heading towards me. Carbuncle was on Arle's shoulder hitching a ride. Probably got tired.

"Oh. Hey, guys!" I said while waving my hand.

"Whatcha doing? You feeling any better?" Arle asked.

"Yep! Feeling great! I was heading to the store to grab stuff to make Superspicy Curry."

"Superspicy Curry? Never heard of that. And I'm the curry expert!"

"Gu gu!" Carbuncle said.

"Yeah, me neither." Ringo added. "Where'd you heard of this Superspicy Curry?"

I can't really tell them that I got it from a friend. Because if I do, they're going to keep asking me about said friend and Kirby would be found out.

"I thought of it myself." I said.

"Right…" Both girls said.

"H-Hey! What's that's supposed to mean?!"

"It's not an insult or anything, Amitie. It's just that's not something you would normally think of." Arle explained.

"Yeah, you normally think of multitudes of sweets to eat." Ringo claimed.

"Well, doesn't that mean I'm maturing a little?!"

"Eh…"

"Meanies!"

"You just proved our point, Am." Ringo said.

While I was arguing with Arle and Ringo, I started feeling a jab on my backpack and looked to see what was happening.

"C-Carbuncle! Wh-What are you doing?!" I began panicking.

Apparently, Carbuncle had snuck off Arle's shoulder and went behind me. And was now punching my backpack with his ears.

"St-Stop it already! Y-You're damaging my bag!"

"Carby! Knock it off!" Arle shouted.

"Gu gu gu gu!"

"Huh? There's something in there?"

"Well, of course there's something in there! It's my schoolbooks!" I yelled.

But that didn't stop Carbuncle. He did one last powerful punch on my backpack that it flew off my back and landed on the ground. Sending Kirby right out of it.

"GAH! Kirby! You okay?!" I shouted, still in a panicked state as I ran towards him.

Kirby was able to get up on his own and began rubbing his head in pain.

"Poyo…"

"You're not hurt, are you?"

"Poyo."

"Well, I'm glad for that. But now we have a new problem."

"A-Amitie! Wh-What is that thing?!" Ringo asked, blown out of her mind.

"It's so pink…and puffy…" Arle said.

"Look, guys. I know I don't have a choice but to explain everything, but can we talk about this at my house, after I go to the store? I don't want other people to know about this."

Arle and Ringo looked at each other with confused faces then turned back to me.

"Uh, sure Amitie." Arle said.

"If it helps, we're willing to wait a bit." Ringo said.

"sigh. Thanks, you guys. Come on, Kirby. Let's get you back in the bag."

"Poyo."

Kirby got back in the backpack and we all headed for the nearest grocery store. This time, I made Arle carry Carbuncle in her arms. Because now I don't trust him walking on his own two feet.

I managed to go to the store and grabbed the stuff I needed without Arle and Ringo saying a word. Which is a bit odd, because normally whenever one of us has a secret, the other two would constantly bug secret holder until she broke. They either respect the problem I'm in, or they really want to know the secret.

I'm going with the latter.

We were now walking to my house and Arle and Ringo still haven't said a word. Which was great because it gave me time to think to myself.

Fiddlesticks! This is not good! Kirby's been found out and now I have to explain everything! And we were doing so well, too! I can just only hope it doesn't get any worse.

"Amitie!"

We were just now approaching my house when I heard a voice call to me. When I came to and saw who it was, I was even more of a nervous wreck.

"R-Raffina?! Wh-What are you doing here?!" I asked in a panicked state.

"I came to check on you." Raffina said. "You were acting weird all day."

"What? Me? No. I'm perfectly fine. Completely normal."

"Yeah…I wouldn't call talking to your backpack and feeding it food normal."

"Talking to your backpack?" Arle asked.

"Feeding your backpack?" Ringo asked.

"Yeah, she did that during school today. It had me suspicious all day. Something's up with your backpack, Amitie. And I'm not leaving until I find out what it is!"

Why me?

I did a huge sigh as I facepalmed my entire face like I've given up hope. Which is oddly fitting for this situation.

"F-Fine, Raffina." I said. "But I'm not telling you out here. You'll have to come inside."

"As long as I get to know what's going on, I'll do anything."

As the four of us (five if you count Carbuncle and six if you count Kirby) walked inside my house, my heart began beating faster. I was a nervous wreck. I didn't know how any of them would react to seeing someone like Kirby. What if they tell people and have Kirby taken away? I don't want that to happen! Kirby's my friend! He's made me happy these past few hours and I don't want to lose him. If I could get him back to his own world, at least…that'll be enough for me…I think…

"So what's going on, Amitie?" Ringo asked. "What was that thing that fell out your backpack?"

"Wait, you saw a thing?" Raffina asked.

"Yeah, it was pink, round, and puffy." Arle said.

"Okay, okay! Just let me explain. Or better yet, I'll just show you."

I took a short break of silence before continuing on with this whole confession thing.

"sigh. Alright, Kirby. You can come out now."

"Kirby?" The three girls asked.

"Just watch."

Just then, Kirby popped his head out the bag and eventually climbed out of it. As he stood on his two feet, the three girls were in shock.

"Everyone, this is Kirby. He's a friend of mine." I said.

"Hiiiii!" Kirby said.

"Oh…" Arle said.

"My…" Ringo said.

"God…" Raffina said.

Then, after a few seconds of silence…

"HE'S SOOOO CUTE!" They all squealed.

"Wait, really?" I was shocked to get that reaction.

"I can't believe you've kept such a cutie all to yourself, Amitie!" Raffina said.

"Such an adorable little thing! I could just cuddle it all day!" Ringo added.

"Hey, say something, little cutie!" Arle begged.

"Poyo."

"*girly scream x3* CUTENESS OVERLOAD!" They all screamed.

"W-Wow." I stood there, blown out of my mind.

"Poyo poyo?"

"No, they're not normally like this."

"Wait, you can understand him, Amitie?" Ringo asked.

"Lucky! I wanna know what the little cutie's saying!" Arle wined.

"Gu gu!" Carbuncle said, sounding a bit angry.

"Well, yeah. You're cute too, Carby. But I'm with you every day."

"Gu…"

I think Carbuncle's getting jealous of Kirby.

"Yeah, I can understand him. It's like some kind of special power."

"Special power?" They all asked.

"W-Well…you see…I may have placed my hat on Kirby's head…"

"YOU DID WHAT?!"

"I was out of ideas, okay!"

"Yeah, but that was a risky thing to do!" Raffina said.

"But it worked, didn't it?"

"…"

"Yeah, true."

"Anyway, after I did that, Kirby told me that he came from a world named Dream Land that's on a planet called Popstar. And that he crash-landed in my backyard after riding something called an Air Ride."

"Whoa! Another world?! He's just like us, Ringo!" Arle said.

"Yeah, it's kinda weird. Everything tends to fall into this world." Ringo claimed.

"Yeah, but you get used to it." Raffina said.

"Poyo…"

"You know now that I listen closely, whenever Kirby talks, it sounds like he's saying Puyo."

"Yeah, I've had the same thought when I first met him." I answered. "But it's actually poyo."

"Poyo?" Ringo sounded confused.

"It kinda means everything."

"Oh, I get it! It's like Carby saying Gu all the time!" Arle said.

"The two of them are quite similar." Raffina noted.

"GU GU GU GU!"

"Hey, don't be mean, Carby!"

"GU! GU! GU!"

"You're being ridiculous!"

"Arle, is Carbuncle…" Ringo began asking.

"Yeah. Sounds like he's jealous of Kirby. For what, I don't know. But what do know is that he's going to BEHAVE!"

"Gu!" Carbuncle turned to face away from Arle, folding his arms and pouting like a little kid.

Yep. Definitely jealous.

"S-So, guys. Can I trust you to not tell anyone about Kirby? At least until we find a way to send him back home?"

"Sure, Amitie." Arle said.

"Whatever we can do to help." Ringo added.

"Your secret's safe with us!" Raffina agreed.

We all then looked at Carbuncle, who still had his back turned to us, and still pouting.

"Carby…you better promise not to say anything." Arle demanded.

Carbuncle didn't say anything and instead walked over towards the living room.

"sigh. So stubborn."

"Thanks, everyone." I said.

"Poyo."

"Oh right. Kirby, these are my friends."

"Hiya, Kirby! I'm Arle!"

"I'm Ringo. Nice to meet you, Kirby."

"My name's Raffina. I hope we can all be friends."

"Hiiiii!"

"*another set of girly screams* SO CUTE!" They all squealed.

I started laughing. The way they're acting is starting to become funny now.

"Anyway, you guys want to stay for dinner? Me and Kirby were about to have some Superspicy Curry."

"Superspicy Curry? Is that from Dream Land?" Raffina asked.

"Yeah. Apparently, Kirby eats it all the time."

"Poyo poyo!"

"Curry from a different world? Now I really want to try it!" Arle cheered.

"Well, I just have to make it first. You'll help me, right Kirby?"

"Poyo poyo!"

"*giggle* Thanks, little buddy."

As I was making preparations for the curry, I felt a heavy amount of stress lift off me. Now that I have fewer people to keep Kirby a secret from, finding a way to get him home should be a little easier now.

But then my heart began to ache at the thought of returning Kirby back to his world. Sure, it's the right thing to do…

But do I really want him to go?

A/N: Chapter 4 complete! Sorry it took longer than usual. The best way to explain is when you own the only computer in the house, your family tends to borrow it a lot. And it sometimes dies on them too, so there's that wait time as well.

Good news, everyone! (I tried to do that in my best Professor from Futurama voice, btw) You can now read Sig's New Interest and Lidelle's Smartphone on AO3! Had to wait 2 weeks to get an account, but I've finally got one! I'm still new to it, so I'll upload both Love of Puyo Puyo stories to there once I figure it out.

That's all I have to say. Feel free to review, favorite, and/or follow the story. Just another reminder, this and a second story I'm currently working on will be updated at the same time. So there's going to be a wait for the next part. Hopefully not as long as this, though. Until then, thanks for reading.