Song Listened To - Jungle Bae by Skrillex (sue me, I love gnarly dubstep) Though I only listened to this song towards the end of this chapter and mostly all of the next chapter...
*Chapter 41*
"Tessa, you dog," Tammy garbled with a playful smile as she swiftly caught Tessa around the neck with her hooked, inner elbow. She lightly gave Tessa a noogie, something of which Tessa almost grew fond of over the months of being babysat by her oldest cousin.
"What now," Tessa mumbled as her, Penny, Tammy and Oliver messily met in the Great Hall. The morning sunshine peered through the hall's tall, majestic windows, which gave the Saturday arcade day a nice, summer touch.
"You went out on a date with Zane?" Tammy beamed curiously, though Tessa felt her face get hot as Oliver and Penny's attention quickly darted to her in surprise.
"Aww you took my advice!" Penny chimed in a girly way as she tucked her fists under her chin with glee.
"Yeah, yeah, make fun of me, go ahead," Tessa muttered, though she couldn't even begin to force her genuine smile.
"He's a cool guy," Oliver said kindly to her as he put his large hands on his hips. He inhaled a deep breath, which caused his strong chest to broaden, "I say go for it."
"Go for it," Tessa repeated in a confused manner as she cocked an eyebrow, though everyone flinched once Tammy blurted out with laughter.
"Ask him to be your boyfriend!" Penny beamed, though Tessa largely rolled her eyes and softly glanced back at the large hallway that lead to her bedroom.
"Alright guys, I'll get right on that," Tessa muttered sarcastically with a small smile, though she furrowed her eyebrows and softly called to Lickity.
"She seems to be doing well, yeah?" Tammy wondered kindly as she crossed her arms, though everyone softly peered down the dim hallway, in which Tessa's bumbling, medium sized dragon slowly moseyed down the hall with a kind grumble.
"Yeah, she's good," Tessa smiled a loving smile towards her sleepy companion, she shook her head lightly and glanced at Oliver, "I coded her to Sugar Rush last night. It tired her out, but I was able to fix the fur and feathers on her back."
"She looks so new and shiny!" Penny exclaimed softly as Lickity slowly moseyed up with a sleepy hello of a grumble; Penny's kind excitement gently dwindled, however, as she took a step or two away as Lickity's lazy, big paws grew closer.
"It's a good thing, too," Oliver started. Lickity softly, and sleepily, nuzzled her snout into Oliver's center, "That old saddle was about to cut off circulation."
"Yeah, last night was definitely a doozy, getting all those mats out of her fur, and getting her scales to sit right," Tessa said as she softly ran a long, tender swipe down Lickity's soft, flawless fur along her spine, "She was so worn out afterwards, she didn't even need direction to my room. She just left me in the code room, and when I finally got to my bedroom, she was asleep in the middle of the floor."
"Poor thing," Tammy raised her eyebrows in a loving way as Lickity let her eyes lull closed.
"Zane and I were looking to make her a new saddle," Tessa chimed, "We're going over now to meet up with him. You guys want to come?"
"You sure you don't want more alone time with Zane?" Tammy teased, though Tessa furrowed her eyebrows and gave her a look as if to suggest she was getting on her last nerve.
"I have all the time in the world to be alone with Zane some other time," Tessa urged in a playfully annoyed tone, "Sort of thinking about Lickity, here."
"So, you going to fit her to race?" Penny chimed, she knew her cousin well enough to get the subject switched.
"Potentially," Tessa eased as the four, including Lickity, began to head towards the castle's front entrance, "She's bound to be fast, either on foot or in the air. Either way would be cool."
"Maybe you could race mom," Oliver chuckled, though Tessa shot him an annoyed glance.
"Yeah, maybe then we can get our nails painted with Aunt Taffyta," Tessa barked with a wide smile.
The four, including Lickity, slowly pressed into Dead Zed's calm, warm environment. Tessa gave each jungle tree a nervous, contemplating look, as if to kindly beg for it not to randomly shape shift on them. She knew, if that were to unfortunately happen again, they would be safe with Lickity on their side. Tessa remained close to Lickity and kindly peered down at her, as they walked. She was calm and quiet, her large, green eyes remained trained ahead on the path they walked in. Her massive, bat like ears were flat to her soft, furry head. Her gentle, bow-legged march was fluid and compensated with her long, sturdy tail, in which acted like a rudder. Her tail fins, wings and sails were tucked tight to her body. Tessa lightly furrowed her eyebrows and had to wonder if Lickity missed her old life, or even her life prior to being under the care of a human. She easily got lost in thought as her warm, bumbling friend confidently walked next to her. She was surprised, after a few moments, to feel Lickity lightly open the base of her left wing and hook it behind and around Tessa, as if to protect her from any harm or danger that could potentially take place.
Tessa beamed a kind smile and threw her eyes to the distance; the air around her was warm and breezy, filled to the brim with her sibling and cousin's kind, gentle conversation. Her hair licked around in the breeze, as did the fur along Lickity's forehead and spine. Tessa lightly let her hand meet the side of her dragon's neck as they pressed on. Her eyes scanned the distance for Zane's loft. She felt her heart jump in an excited way. She knew the two were silently on a level-up from friendship, though she wasn't exactly certain what they would properly call it. She so badly wanted to solidify their situation, though she wasn't positive if Zane was even ready for that, let alone if that was even on his mind. Tessa continued to get lost in thought as the five strolled through town. A few people were bustling about on Saturday morning errands, plans and things to do. A few onlookers gawked at the dragon that ever so calmly walked the streets; Tessa began to wonder just how rare of a sight a Dead Zed dragon really was. She lightly hooked her arm over the back of Lickity's large neck and ruffled her ear a little, as if to state to bystanders that she was a peaceful, harmless creature.
"I wonder why Zane lives on the outskirts of town," Penny wondered as their conversation carried on, though Tessa's thought bubble was pierced by the sound of his name.
"I don't know," Tammy lightly shrugged, "Maybe he likes his privacy?"
"I'd live on a hilltop, outside of town, as well," Oliver muttered with an annoyed smile, "If I had the choice."
"Well, when you're of age, you can move out, y'know," Tessa beamed a sarcastic smile in his direction, though Oliver furrowed his eyebrows in mild annoyance.
"So quick to get rid of me, eh?" Oliver quipped as he lightly gestured his large hand.
"Yes, that's exactly what we want," Penny said in a dull, sarcastic tone with a gentle eye roll and a charming smile. She opened her mouth to continue, though was largely cut off by Tessa's sudden, sharp inhale which caused Lickity's ear to quickly perk.
"Zane!" Tessa said in sudden, deep horror, which caused everyone to freeze, as if they were under attack.
Tammy largely furrowed her eyebrows and watched as Tessa immediately tore off down the road, in which Zane's loft hung at the end of. She flinched once Lickity exhaled a hard noise of disturbance and bound after her at a quick speed. The three quickly exhaled quick quips of worry and confusion, though Tammy felt her heart sink at the sight at the end of the road. Zane's beautiful loft was sat in grieved, tattered shambles; hot yellow graffiti messily scribbled the large doors of his garage, while the single, wall of windows in his loft were all shattered with ugly, gaping holes. Hanging on the trees right next to his loft were delicate, soggy strands of toilet paper, strewn everywhere.
"Oh no," Tammy heaved as she quickly caught eyes with Penny and Oliver; the three quickly scrambled into action and sprinted to catch up with Tessa and Lickity.
"Zane!" Tessa yelled in a nervous tone as she busted into his loft's curiously open door.
She quickly skid to a stop and peered around his warm, familiar home, only now, it was cold and a total wreck. Tessa felt her shoulders drop as his large curtains flailed lightly in confusion, an uneven breeze made it's way into Zane's destroyed loft. She shook her head and eagerly peered about, though she flinched once Lickity easily barged in after her; she bellowed a nervous noise of confusion, as if to call for Zane as well. Tessa jumped and gazed back at Lickity in stunned fear, her pupils were mere slits and her ears were largely perked atop her head. Her posture was stiff and strong, as if she were ready to spring into action. The fur on her spine stood on end a little. Tessa shook her head and quickly moved about, though she was careful to avoid broken glass.
"Zane?!" Tessa hollered as she nervously glanced to the far end of his loft, where his bathroom hung.
His loft was eerily silent, as if he hadn't been home for hours. His bed, table, kitchen and drawers looked as if they had been ransacked and robbed of anything valuable. Tessa's eyes welled with tears as she shook her head. His home was in ruins; she quickly whirled around, again, to peer at Lickity and shook her head in a continuous fit of disbelief.
"Who would have done this?" Tessa asked Lickity; she bowed her head lightly, as if to explain to Tessa that she, too, was clueless.
Tessa peered at Lickity in pure, grief stricken confusion, before something above Zane's entrance caught her eye. Written in scribbled, hot yellow spray paint were the words 'Steal my girl, Dead Zane'. Tessa raised her eyebrows in surprise, though she could suddenly feel a core shaking, loathing hatred billow from inside her. She slowly furrowed her eyebrows and grit her teeth in seething rage that quickly billowed over the top of her head. In a fit of practically seeing red, she stormed past Lickity and burst out Zane's front door. She quickly peeled down his stairs and opened the garage door. She noticed his light bike was gone, though everything in his garage was tidy and untouched. She furrowed her eyebrows harder and quickly pushed back into the stairwell she was in. She grappled for the door that led to outside Zane's loft and flung the door open.
"What happened!?" Penny cried as her, Oliver and Tammy finally approached Zane's destroyed loft.
"Selka, that's what happened!" Tessa hollered as Lickity burst out of Zane's loft, as well.
"Selka did this?" Tammy worried loudly, as she gestured to Zane's loft.
"There's no one else that would have," Tessa argued deeply as she clenched her fists, tight, "I need to find the bastard."
"Why would Selka mess with Zane, like this?" Oliver asked as the three quickly scrambled to keep up with Tessa's quick moving feet, "Aren't Selka and Zane, I don't know... friends? Or used to be?"
"They hate each other," Tessa spat, "This is all my fault..."
"How could it possibly be your fault?" Penny wondered loudly as Lickity quickly bound behind them, as if to wonder just what was going to unfold.
"Selka saw Zane and I, at Tapper's, last night," Tessa barked, though she hit her head a few times, as if to punish herself, "I'm such an idiot!"
"Would you mind filling us in?" Tammy cried in angry annoyance, though everyone flinched once Tessa whirled around, her long, auburn hair whipped quickly over her shoulder.
"Selka wouldn't stop glaring at us from across Tapper's," Tessa hollered as the four skid to a stop, "With my brilliant thinking, I thought it'd really grind in deep into Selka's black hole of a heart if Zane and I sort of... 'Made out' in front of him."
"Ohhh, bold," Tammy raised her eyebrows in an impressed way and crossed her arms, though her facial expression sunk to gentle grief as Tessa continued on.
"You guys can tease me later, all you want," Tessa grit her teeth and practically seethed, "But I've got some wrecking to do."
"I like the sound of that," Oliver muttered with a daring, wide smile as he pounded his fist into his open palm.
"Selka destroyed Zane's loft because you guys went on a date last night? And did what normal, dating people do?" Penny cried in a voice of disbelief.
"This guy needs a hobby, really," Tammy barked as the five immediately pressed on.
"He's got one, he's the resident ass, who else better than him?" Tessa said darkly as she peered ahead, through harshly furrowed eyebrows, "He's crossed the line. He's messed with the wrong gamer."