Here it is, chapter 3.
Reviews are nice, thanks for the ones I've gotten so far!
Enjoy.
- Mira
Chapter 3: Schooltown Follies
A thick fog rolled over the morning backdrop of The Unknown. Trees clothed in dark green leaves stood tall, singing birds dancing among their branches. Walking along a grassy path, two boys and a bird made their way through the forest towards their destination. A short stone wall stood besides them, small white flowers growing up here and there along its length. The sun brought warm golden light to the land, giving the leaves and the grass a brilliant and beautiful shine.
As the three walked, the elder of their group walked along, talking nonstop to fill the peaceful silence, "I'm just not sure if we'll be able to make it home before Aunt Cass worries too much. A full day and more have already passed and we haven't really seen anything even vaguely familiar. I'm worried."
Taking his cap off and holding it in his grasp, the boy turned his eyes downward, then back to his companions "Are you we'll be able to get to Adelaide's soon?"
"I'm sure," Beatrice droned, not even bothering to look at the other as she spoke. For hours now the college student had been fretting over this and that, asking her again and again if they would be there soon. She was starting to get a little annoyed.
"Come on, Tadashi, there's nothing to worry about," Hiro replied easily, walking alongside his elder brother with a relaxed frame. There wasn't anything wrong with them being on a little adventure, minus the fact that Aunt Cass would be worried, but they could explain it all to her. Tadashi was just over-worrying, as he always did.
Tadashi, though, was still worried. Would this Adelaide really be able to help them like Beatrice said she would? So far there was no reason to doubt the little bluebird, but still, Tadashi worried. And worried. And worried. Putting his hat back on his head, the male relented, "I guess you're right. Let's just keep going."
Letting out a sigh, Beatrice gave a nod, "Thank you. Now, let's get going, we're losing daylight with all of this worrying!"
Frowning a bit, the young of the brothers shrugged, "What's wrong with taking our time a bit. It's not like she's just going to disappear, right?"
In response, Beatrice flew down low by Hiro's face, giving him a dissuading look, "No, we should go as soon as possible. You want to get home, right?"
"I guess?" the younger replied, giving shrug. Yeah, he wanted to get back to their aunt, but this was a chance! A chance to go out and do something! Who knew what they would end up finding?
"Yes, you do want to get home, knucklehead," Tadashi chuckled messing up his brother's hair.
"Hey!" the other protested, patting his hair back down again. Why did Tadashi always feel the need to mess up his perfectly fine hair?
"Haha," the elder laughed again, watching his brother with a fond expression. Pausing for a moment, the male notice his shoe was untied, "Oh," he muttered, bending down to tie up his white laces.
"So, Beatrice-" the fourteen year old continued, walking a bit further ahead with Beatrice. The child was so caught up in his new conversation that he hadn't noticed his elder sibling stop.
"For the last time, I am not a robot," the bluebird cut in, keeping pace with Hiro, "And, Tadashi, keep moving," she commanded, the two turning around to face the taller boy.
"Oh, sorry, I was just tying my shoe," the other apologized, standing up and leaving his shoes untied, "Alright, let's go," he relented, walking back over with them.
As the trio continued on their way, the smaller of them spoke up, "...But really, you have to be a robot," there was no other explanation, and no matter how many times the other denied it, Hiro knew it was true! He was going to get to the bottom of this.
"You know, I'm really not," the bluebird immediately shot the idea down, "So now, we can just keep walking, silently, you know," she continued, a momentary look of long-suffering painting her features. There was absolutely no way she was going to suffer through more of the same stupid questions she didn't understand, the hours so far had been more than enough for her lifetime.
"And-" Beatrice continued, only to stop at something she spotted in the corner of her eye. Letting out an aggravated sigh, she turned around, "Tadashi! Let's go, come on!"
"Sorry," the young adult apologized, standing up from where he had been kneeling on the ground. He had attempted to tie his shoe once again, the action needing only a moment, really, but it seemed like Beatrice had caught him before he could. Tadashi didn't want to slow their pace down, getting home was important, more important than tying his shoe. It would be alright to leave it untied for a bit, right?
Approaching the group for the second time that day, the boy gave a small smile, "Sorry," he apologized again, looking slightly abashed.
"Hey, Tadashi, is something wro-" the younger Hamada questioned, curious as to why his sibling kept pausing in their journey when he was the one who wanted to leave quickly.
"Hiro, I think you should be more like your brother," Beatrice cut him off again, landing on top of the shorter boy's head.
Hiro frowned at the suggestion, looking up at the female on top of his head. One, he didn't like her sitting in his hair, it was just a magnet for bird's nest jokes. Two, he didn't like being compared to his brother, just like his brother didn't like being compared to him. Yeah, he knew he wasn't as good as Tadashi, he had already been told that throughout his high school career. He didn't need Beatrice telling him what to do.
"Just always doing what you're told," the bluebird continued on.
"Huh?" the teen looked confused, never having heard that before.
"Just a pathetic pushover who relies on others to make all his decisions?" the female questioned, looking down at boy.
"Hey, now," Tadashi frowned, looking up at Beatrice. He certainly was not a pushover! He was just a nice and polite person. Still walking along, the boy continued, "I'm not a push over."
"Hold on, Tadashi, let me get to my point," the bird replied, gesturing towards the boy with her wings.
"Ah, sorry," the male frowned, stepping back a bit. He might as well let her finish speaking, it was only polite.
"See, Hiro?" she questioned, shrugging her wings, "No willpower whatsoever!"
"That wasn't-" the college student started, frown deepening. There was a difference between being a pushover and being polite, and Tadashi was just being polite. It was only right for him to wait for the other to get to her point before interjecting with his own opinion.
"You need to be more like that," Beatrice ignored the man's disagreement, looking down at his younger brother as she commanded him to change his behavior.
"Hey, Tadashi isn't a pushover," the teen frowned, looking up at the bird on his head, "And besides, I'm fine the way I am."
"The world is a miserable place, Greg," the bluebird flew off of his head, flying down to be at eye level with the younger boy, "People don't want others who aren't pushovers," she explained.
Letting out a breath of air, Hiro turned to the other once more, "Then I'll do what I need to do, I guess," he shrugged. Yeah, he would do what he needed to do, but that wasn't exactly what Beatrice wanted him to do. Heh.
"Thank you, we'll just focus on getting you guys to Adelaide's so I can wash my hands of this whole affair, oh, and if you could pick up the pace a bit, that would be great, okay?" the female spoke, keeping her eyes ahead of her as they walked on.
"...Okay?" she questioned again upon receiving no response, looking back for the first time. Hiro was gone. Of course he was.
Stopping in their trek, Beatrice turned her gaze to Tadashi, "Hey, where's Hiro?"
"Oh, uh, wandered off, I guess," the other mumbled, glancing around them. It seemed like he was still in a daze about being called a pushover, because it took him a moment to fully process what he said. Eyes widening, the male turned this way and that, "Wait...Hiro? Hiro!"
"Cheese and crackers!" the girl exclaimed, smacking herself in the face with one of her wings. That kid was more trouble than he was worth.
Going further away from the pair, Hiro pushed away some branches and leaves, "I'll make something great that will prove to Beatrice that she's wrong," he exclaimed, running through the woods. The cool metal in his pocket brought about a smile on his face, and the teen laughed, "Haha, that's right-" then he paused, "Huh?"
A bell tone resounded, filling up the air with a ringing sensation. Blinking at what must have been the source, the teen ran ahead into the clearing, "Woah..."
A fairly small red and white school-house stood in this clearing, the golden bell on top the obvious source of the sound. Stopping in his tracks, the teen frowned, "School? Why out here?" he gave a look of disdain, glaring at the building. He did not like school one bit, never had, really. Well, maybe when he was younger, but the constant bullying had been enough to change his mind on that.
Running ahead, the teen went to hide behind a large tree, not wanting to be spotted by his brother and Beatrice. There was no way he was going to get caught when he had just begun trying to prove himself!
"Hiro!" Tadashi called out, looking around them as he searched for his younger sibling. Just where had that guy run off to? Next to him, Beatrice searched around as well, eyes scanning the foliage for the missing teen.
"Hiro!" the student called again, a bit more desperate. It had been over five minutes since the other had disappeared, and there hadn't even been a shout in return. Tadashi was getting worried. Even more so than usual. Walking out into the sunlight clearing, the boy ignored the school in favor of searching for his brother and looked around, "Hiro?"
Stopping in his tracks, the brunet seemed to have just suddenly noticed the homely schoolhouse in front of him. Looking at it, he gave quiet, "Huh," then turned to look at Beatrice. Hey, maybe his sibling was in there. It was worth a shot, wasn't it?
With Beatrice following close behind, the man walked over to the building. Unlike Hiro, Tadashi liked school. It was nice to be able to learn and work in such a supportive environment, and his friends only helped to make the experience even better. The boy knew the troubles his younger brother had in school through the years, which was part of the reason he so badly wanted Hiro to get into SFIT. The people were friendly, the teachers great, and the atmosphere was perfect for a young and inventive genius like Hiro Hamada. It would be a good change for the boy.
Peeking his head through the doorway, Tadashi squinted a bit, glad to have his hat on as a shade against the harsh sunlight, "Hiro?" he called.
"Excuse me," a female voice cut-in, the origin from a petite brunette in the front of the room, "Please, take your seat, children," she beckoned, the placed her hands on her hips, "You're late!"
The school seemed to be filled with animals wearing various forms of clothing, each seated in a small wood and iron desk. In front of them stood the brunette woman, wearing a white dress-shirt and a light purple skirt with a bow tied around the waist. Her hair was up in a large upstyle do, and the piece of chalk in her hand signified she was the teacher.
Golden sunlight streamed in from the six side windows, three for each side. Behind the woman sat a black board, and written in script, "Once the bell has rung, class has begun", a phrase that the female seemed to take seriously.
"You know the rules," she continued, pointing to the chalkboard with the piece of white chalk in her own grasp, "Once the bell has rung, class has begun," she repeated.
"Oh, sorry everybody, sorry," Beatrice apologized from her perch on the side of the doorway, "No, he doesn't have a brain, he can't learn anything."
Tadashi frowned at the other's statement, clenching his fists at his sides. Why was she insulting him like this? What had he done to deserve her harsh treatment?
"Let's go, Tadashi, come on," the bluebird gave a whistle, "Come here boy!"
Cooling his anger, the boy took a deep breath and turned to the girl. He had an idea. Fighting back a self-servant smile, the male questioned, "What? Did you say something? I can't hear you because I'm too busy doing what I'm told," he countered, walking forward and making his way towards the empty desk in the back of his room. He had played this tactic against Hiro many times before, it would surely work just as well with Beatrice.
Eyes wide, the bluebird followed after, "What! What are you…" then she gave a sigh, realizing his game, "No, no, let's go," she commanded, landing on the top of his chair next to him.
"Oh, no, I can't. I'm just a pushover, remember?" the young adult offered, having been pushed to the limit by Beatrice's rudeness the past few days, "I have to do what the teacher tells me to do," he shrugged, shifting around a bit in his seat.
Letting out an annoyed sigh, the bird tried to reason, "Tadashi, your little brother could be in trouble somewhere!"
A sudden knocking on the window closest to them caught the pair's attention, and the two turned to look at the figure of Hiro outside the glass. The younger boy looked around the room, gazing at the desks and students inside. Pointing to his companions, he gestured sneaking outside and leaving. Honestly, he would rather meet back up with them than wait for school.
Tadashi gave the other a small smile and a shake of the head. No, he was going to stay here for a bit, sorry, Hiro. He had some revenge to get through, but afterwards they could leave. It wasn't like they were in any danger here, right? It was a good place to rest for a bit too.
Pouting a bit at the reply, the messy-haired boy turned tail and ran, going off to explore somewhere. Maybe he could build something with some materials outside to pass the time!
The two inside stared after the teen for a moment before Beatrice let out another sigh, "Bluebirds have a short lifespan," she started, placing a wing on her chest, "You two are literally killing me every moment I am forced to spend with you!" the girl exclaimed, opening her wings wide in aggravation.
"Oh, really?" Tadashi questioned, actually looking a bit worried. Did she really have such a short lifespan? Shaking his head, the boy sat straight again. He would be more than willing to go along with the other if she just admitted he wasn't a pushover and stopped being rude. Until she changed her ways, he wasn't moving an inch.
"Young man," the teacher in front of the room cut-in, "I will not stand for such nonsense in my classroom," she wagged her finger, "I got enough nonsense from that no-good two-timing handsome man of mine," she lamented, squeezing her arms together and looking forlornly at the ceiling. Clasping her hands together, the woman began, "Oh, Jimmy Brown, why did you have to leave me so?" she monologued, holding her hands on her chest.
Moving over to stand in the sunlight, the teacher continued, "And now, with my father threatening to close the school, and that wild gorilla on the loose," she clenched her fist, staring out the window with a fierce expression.
"Why, Jimmy, I have just one thing to say," she exclaimed, holding her finger up to the window.
Turning around to face the class again, the woman began to sing, "A is for the apple that he gave to me, but I found a worm inside," she bounced up and down, making various hand motions as she sang, "B is for Beloved that I called to him, before he," she went on.
"Whew, that lady has got some baggage," Beatrice let out a breath of air, finding the whole thing to be very pathetic.
"What's that?" the woman paused in her singing, her hands on her hips, seeming to have heard what Beatrice had said, "Young man, go to the dunce box," the teacher commanded, pointing to the small wooden box with bars on the little window of the door.
"Oh," the half-Japanese male frowned for a moment, then immediately perked up, "Well, sure!" he stood up, walking over to the dunce box, "Sure." Left behind, Beatrice voiced her disagreement, trying in vain to get the other to stop.
While he didn't like getting into trouble with authority figures, the man was more than happy to go if it meant getting back at the bluebird. His payback was far from over, and he was willing to keep this act up for as long as he could. Heck, he had gone in jail for Hiro, he could sit in a dunce box for a bit.
"Aw," the bird lamented as the other walked over to the box, slapping her forehead in utter annoyance. This was turning out to be a very stressful day.
Staring at the box for a moment, the college student tried to figure out how he could fit inside. It was sort of small, Hiro could probably fit in, but Tadashi was a bit too big for it. Shrugging it off, the twenty-something year old just sat on the floor next to the box, that being the best he could do in the situation.
Back in front of the classroom, the teacher put a hand to her face in thought, "Now, where were we?" she questioned, seeming to have forgotten her song. Clasping her hands to her chest once more, she continued, "Oh, yes. G is for the gentleman I thought he was, when he first said hi."
From the box, Tadashi gave Beatrice a little knowing smirk, a look with which she returned with a narrowed gaze.
Outside the schoolhouse, Hiro sat upon a large felled tree laying atop a small stream, a deer and a raccoon having taken up residence next to him. On the tree branch hanging above them, a possum hung by its tail, each of the animals wearing some sort of semblance of clothing. His hands on his knees, the teen, continued, "So, I'm just assuming you guys are well made androids," he explained, glancing at the two each of his sides, "Regardless of what that bird keeps trying to convince me," he shrugged, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb at the school Beatrice was inside.
"But you guys don't go to school, huh?" leaning in close to the raccoon that was now picking up and throwing a black turtle, Hiro grinned, "I'm not much of a fan either," he stretched a bit, looking around at the trees and plants.
As the turtle splashed into the cold water, the teen gave an amused smile. Well, it wasn't the most fun thing, but it was still better than school. Even so, they could stand to do something else for a bit. Patting the deer next to him, the black-haired boy spoke up, "Hey, I've got an idea! Let's do some bot fighting," he offered, standing up, "Er, do you guys know how to build robots?"
Giving no verbal response, the raccoon merely blinked.
"It's easy! I'll show you," the male offered, turning and running off of the log. Getting down on his hands and knees, the boy searched around under the school, "Here we go," he called back, pulling out a handful of leaves and some twigs the hole in the wood, "They're not the best, but we can use these," he showed off, the animals sniffing at his palm.
Over in the grass, the deer picked up an old and rotting log, holding it out for Hiro to inspect. Coming up to the wood, the teen noted, "You found another one," then paused, holding out his hand, "Wait, no, I think the wood is a bit too decomposed," he dismissed, the deer throwing the piece of wood back into the river.
"Sorry, buddy, we'll have to find some other materials," the boy turned and walked off, going to search for more things they could use for their battle. It would definitely be tough, but he would find a way to make it work out.
The raccoon, meanwhile, gazed sadly at the slowly sinking log.
Going over to where the possum stood, the teen pointed out, "Hey, Jeffrey, I think there's a good piece of wood behind you!" he exclaimed.
Turning around, the animal made his way to the bushes behind him and raised a hand, ready to search for some materials for their game. He stopped as heavy breathing filled the air, a large dark figure rising up from the bushes. Letting out a cry, a gorilla stood above the group, arms raised at it screeched.
"A gorilla?!" HiroGreg exclaimed, gazing up at the creature in shock and awe. Turning around, the boy called out a quick, "Run!" and fled the scene. What was a gorilla even doing here in the first place? Shouldn't it be at a zoo?
"And Y, yes, why, is the question that's on my mind…" a more disheveled looking teacher questioned from her position on the floor, having continued her singing, "Oh, why…"
"Hey, dunce, this is dreadful," Beatrice stared down at Tadashi from her position on top of the dunce box, trying to block out the singing that just wouldn't stop.
"Oh, really? I think it's nice," the male smiled up at her, glad to be getting his revenge. Revenge was, after all, a dish best served cold.
"Hmm," the little bird seethed, glaring daggers at her companion. She was not dealing with this.
As if a blessing from above, the school bell begun to ring, distracting everyone in the classroom. Pausing in her singing, the teacher suddenly sat up, "I remember like...Oh!"
Up above, Hiro and the animals clung to the bell, staring down in horror, "Gorilla! A gorilla!"
Still yelling, the beast looked up at the group, arms raised as if ready to strike at them at any moment.
"Oh? Meal time already?" the teacher questioned from within the classroom, patting her hair down, "Come along, children," she gestured towards the door.
Outside, the animals and the young teen ran around the yard, running in circles around a tree while the gorilla chased them. The possum hung from one of the branches, swiping at the beast with a stick he had found earlier. After a number of misses, Jeffrey spit on his hands and rubbed them together, determined not to miss the next hit. When the gorilla paused in confusion under him, the possum struck, whacking the animal on the head and knocking him off of his feet.
Giving his new friend a thumbs up, the fourteen year old gave a sound of approval, "Nice one!"
Back inside the schoolhouse, the teacher watched as all of the children filed out of the room and into the next, "You don't want to be late for meal time. My father will be visiting today, and we will need to be on our best behavior," she advised.
Standinig up and stretching his legs, Tadashi walked out with Beatrice flying after him, going to eat a meal with all of the rest of the animals. If he was going to school he might as well eat the food too! It had been a while since he had eaten, and the college student wouldn't mind a bite to eat.
"Quick, in here!" Hiro called out to his animal friends, rushing inside and after his brother and the other animals.
All of the children sat in two long rows of wooden tables, plates of completely bland mashed potatoes in front of them. In the corner, the teacher played a sad melody on the piano, a portrait of a blond man with the name "Jim" underneath it sat above the instrument. It was a somber atmosphere.
"Food? Nice!" the younger Hamada exclaimed, excited by the prospect of food. As a teenage boy, he had come to find food one of his favorite things. Picking up his spoon, the male scooped up a bit and turned to his possum friend, "This definitely beats being chased by a gorilla!"
Sniffing at the food, the animal took a mouthful of it, chewing a bit before slumping in disappointment.
"Aw, what's the matter, buddy?" the human of the two questioned, frowning at his new friend's sad expression. Placing the spoonful of food into his own mouth, the boy chewed thoughtfully before swallowing. Putting his spoon down, Hiro turned to look at Jeffrey again, "Mmm, kind of bland…" he remarked, turning to look around the room.
All of the animals looked tired and sad, slumped against the table or propped up on their paws. No one really seemed to be eating, and the music only served to make everything seem even more sad.
Picking up his own spoon, Tadashi made to try a bit, poking at it, when Beatrice stopped him, "Hey, nobody ordered you to eat yet," she shot, glaring at him.
"Yeah, but," the man began to protested, then stopped and let out a sigh. Placing his hands on the table, the boy looked down at his food, "Mm."
He was not going to give up that easily.
His hand on his cheek, Hiro thought to himself, letting out a quiet, "Hmm," as he pondered what to do. This was all so boring, the opposite of what he liked to do. There had to be someway he could make this interesting! Looking over to the woman playing piano, he spotted the bottle of molasses on top of the instrument and got a sudden idea.
"Oh," the brunette lamented, playing her tune sadly. Oh, if only her Jimmy would come back. Where had that man gotten off to anyhow? That no good Jimmy Brown…
"Hey! I know what to do!" the smaller Hamada stood up, cutting through the thick and slow silence. Moving over to the piano, the boy addressed the woman, "Here, Ms. Langtree, play something like this," he offered, tapping a few keys to make a lighter tune.
Next to him, Ms. Langtree looked confused for a moment, then gave a smile. Playing a new tune, the woman questioned, "Oh, like this?"
Standing next to the piano, the teen closed his eyes in thought as he listened for a moment, "Mm, yeah, that's great!" he gave her a thumbs up and reached up to grab the molasses jar.
Holding up a plate of potatoes and the molasses jar, the teen began, "Potatoes and molasses, if you put them together, you can add a bit of flavor to your meal," he explained, slowly pouring out some of the sticky substance onto his raccoon friend's plate.
At his table, Tadashi smiled as he watched his brother, the pug in a sailor suit next to him licking his lips at the sight.
"Alone, neither are that good, but together they can make something great!" he exclaimed, the raccoon impatiently flicking his eyes from the slowly traveling topping to Hiro and then back again, "You've just got to look at things through a new angle! Trying and experimenting with things makes life ten times more fun," he grinned, finally getting the molasses on the potatoes and taking a bite.
At the mention of his own phrase, the elder Hamada gave a proud smile. Yes, Hiro really was growing, and he was growing well.
All around the room, the animals swayed happily at the newly invigorated meal as they added molasses to their own plates, much cheerier than before. All the while, the teenager kept talking, "Potatoes and molasses may seem bland, but you've gotta look at it through new eyes," at this point, he put a pair of glasses on the deer's face as it attempted to read sheet music while holding a trumpet, "Learning new things can inspire you to come up with your own ideas," he continued on, Tadashi nodding his head in agreement.
Behind the young adult, the gorilla slowly rose up in the open window, stopping only when one of the children, a pig, accidentally lobbed a spoonful of potatoes and molasses at his face, effectively knocking the beast back.
"There's a whole world of unknown things out there to discover," at this point, the students had managed to pull out instruments of their own, playing along to the piano as the teen spoke on, "You can't just go with the flow!" Hiro waved his finger around the room, bouncing up and down to the beat. He was really starting to get into this! Not that he would sing. Ever. He wasn't the best singer, really, and it was already embarrassing up here as it was; but he was on a roll, and when Hiro Hamada got on a roll, he didn't stop until he was done.
"Even something as simple as this can get your ideas moving!" he raised his spoon above his head, "A simple little thing. Something like potatoes, and-"
"That's enough!" an authoritarian voice cut-in, stopping Hiro and the other students in their places.
Flinching back, Ms. Langtree looked to the imposing figure in the doorway, removing her hands from the piano, "Father!
"Is this," the broad-shouldered man pointed, sweeping his hand across the room, "what I've been paying for?"
"S-Sorry, it was just sorta bland, so I wanted to spice it up," Hiro offered, flinching back a bit and shrugging his shoulders. He didn't like public speaking in the first place, if this counted, and to have his vibe get ruined so quickly by an imposing adult only made him feel worse. At least it was good practice for the SFIT admissions show...
"I didn't invest in this school to 'spice things up'," the old man crossed his arms, then marched over to where his daughter sat upon the piano stool. Shaking his fists, Mr. Langtree punched his right hand into his left, "I thought we were trying to do important work here! Teaching animals to count and spell," he glanced over to a pig student, the poor child pulling his pants up again and again as they kept falling down.
"We are!" Ms. Langtree protested, "Oh! Please, father, don't close the school! It won't happen again," she shook her head.
"I should say it won't," the grumpy old man said, walking further into the room. Grabbing the trumpet from the deer, "This," then walking over to the kitten, "This," and taking the tuba from the pig, "And this! Are all coming with me," he grumbled, carrying the instruments in his grasp.
Turning to his daughter, the man yelled out, "Now send them to bed!"
"You heard father, off to bed with you," the teacher ordered, holding one hand behind her back as she gestured towards the sleeping quarters.
In single file, the animals changed into their evening gowns and slumped off into bed, discouraged by the ruining of their fun. Tadashi, Hiro, and Beatrice followed behind, the two boys also changing into evening clothing and getting into one of the green covered beds.
The animals all moped in their beds, the raccoon even crying a bit. Hiro watched all of this with a frown, wondering what he could possibly do the fix the situation. Looking at the ceiling, the teen spoke, "Well, that's the last time I stand up in front of a crowd of androids and almost start singing," he gestured around the room, "I mean, this is just too gloomy."
The ceiling gave no response.
"Okay, Tadashi, I'll admit it. You seem like a pushover, but you're not," Beatrice began, sitting on the headboard near the man's head. It had been a long day and she had been through more than she wanted to. Stubbornness be forgotten! Right now, she would rather get out of here and get this all over with.
"Oh really now?" the now hatless boy questioned, smirking a bit.
"Deep down in your heart, you're a stubborn jerk! When are you gonna give this up?" she exclaimed, waving her wings around in aggravation.
"When you're ready to admit you were wrong and change your ways," the elder Hamada replied, eyes narrowed. That had not been the response he had wanted.
Next to him, Hiro looked curious, "What is going on with you two anyways? No, wait!" he exclaimed, brightening up considerably. Hopping out of his bed, the teen turned to his brother and bird friend, "Tadashi's right! We've just gotta get that old man to change his ways!" he threw his arms up. Taking the bed sheets, the smaller boy tied together a rope, "Come on, Tadashi. Let's go save the day!" the male exclaimed, throwing the rope out and over the window, allowing for them to climb down. He had done this a few times back home, so it was all very natural to him.
"Okay, if you say so," the other relented with a shrug and a fond smile, ignoring Beatrice's expression and hopping out of bed as well.
It didn't take very long for the two to get dressed in their own clothing again. Following Hiro down the hand-made rope and back into the woods, Tadashi glanced around as his younger sibling spoke, "Come on!"
An owl hooted in the evening air, crickets and other insects playing their nightly tunes. Catching up a bit with his brother, the elder child questioned, "So, what's the plan, Hiro?"
"...Plan?" the teen repeated, stopping his tracks and turning around. Oh, right. A plan. He had sorta forgotten that part of his rescue mission, "Oh…I don't know-"
"Oh!" a voice cut-in, the voice of Mr. Langtree.
Eyes widening at the sound, the fourteen year old turned to follow the sound, his brother continuing after him, "What the...?"
"Who'd have thought making a primary school for animals was a bad idea," the man lamented, curling in on himself in the patch between the bushes, all of the instruments he had confiscated surrounding him. Hiro and Tadashi blinked in confusion at the sight, wondering what was going on with the grumpy man.
"My life savings, my home! Everything I had went into that dear, dear school," the elderly gentleman sighed, "And now I'm forced to sell these instruments," he picked up the trombone, "just to keep it open!" the man exclaimed to no one.
"All the while, that loathsome Jimmy Brown is off gallivanting who knows where," Mr. Langtree growled, pulling off his large coat to reveal his small frame. Extending the trombone, the man held his coat up with the instrument and took his hat off, crawling under the meager canopy it offered, "Not to mention that wild gorilla on the loose."
Letting out a sigh, the homeless fellow spoke on, "If only something would go right for a change…" then promptly fell asleep, snoring all the while.
At that, Hiro got a sudden idea. Turning to his brother, the teen spoke, "Okay, I think he's asleep. Let's go steal his stuff."
"What?" Tadashi and Beatrice spoke at the same time, each with their own tone of disbelief. What was Hiro thinking?
The next morning saw a sunrise as brilliant as the day prior. A drop of morning dew collected on the edge of a leaf, falling on the face of the sleeping elderly gentleman and waking him up. Blinking his tired eyes, the man glanced around him, letting out a shocked gasp at the sight of the missing instruments.
Shrugging the coat off his back, the old man sat up, "The instruments-they've been stolen!" he exclaimed, raising his arms up in lamentation.
"Who would do such a thing?" he questioned, crawling forward and through the bushes. Pushing aside the leaves, the old man gaped in confusion at the sight before him. A large crowd stood in front of a stage, the animal students playing the stolen instruments with skill.
Using one of the teapots from the schoolhouse, Hiro went around collecting money from the onlookers, smiling at his large haul. Gold, silver, and bronze coins filled the appliance, and people were more than willing to continue dropping more into the overflowing pot. Up ahead, a whole wooden tub was filled with coins, the teen dropping the teapot's money into the tub as well.
"What is this…?" Mr. Langtree questioned, coming up to Tadashi as he leaned against a nearby tree and watched all of this take place with a smile, Beatrice sitting on a lower branch.
"It's a benefit concert for the school," the boy explained easily.
"Ah, isn't it grand?" the school's teacher admired, holding her hands to her chest. Coming over to stand with the taller male, the girl smiled broadly, "All these fine people giving out of the goodness of their hearts. Oh, not like my Jimmy Brown," she put her hands to her cheeks, the three listeners all frowning at the name.
"Oh, here we go," the bluebird sighed, not looking forward to yet another musical number.
"All he ever did was steal my heart away," Ms. Langtree sighed, not noticing as a large shadow came upon her.
"Behind you!" Hiro called out, pointing to the beast in hopes of warning the woman.
"Hah!" letting out a gasp, the brunet turned to stare in horror at the beast coming upon her.
"Young man, do something!" the old man turned to look at the college student he had been speaking to.
"Uh," the other replied dumbly, deciding to just let it go to the wind and ran straight ahead at the creature. There wasn't enough time to think! Running forward, the man tripped over his own shoelaces, still untied, and fell forward with a shocked yell. The force of the fall was enough to knock the gorilla over, and surprisingly enough, knock the gorilla's head off as well.
Everyone gasped in shock at the sight, watching as a man seemingly inside the gorilla suit sat up. The fellow's head was now clearly visible, and the blond reached up to pat at it, "Oh, finally!"
"Jimmy…?" Ms. Langtree watched in confusion, shocked by the fact her long-lost lover had suddenly appeared after such a long absence.
"That's right, darling. I was the gorilla," the man replied, placing a hand on his chest in identification.
"But...why did you do it?" she asked, looking confused by the revelation. What reason would her Jimmy have to dress up and scare her children?
"I got a job in the circus so's I could finally buy you that wedding ring," he explained, standing up to meet her, "But when I got stuck in the dang suit, everyone was too doggone scared to help me out."
"Oh, Jimmy," Ms. Langtree swooned, holding her hands to her cheeks, "Oh!"
"Darling," the male replied, hugging his girl close with a smile. Finally they were reunited.
"Heh, nice," Hiro smiled from the stage, a pair of squirrels attacking the detached gorilla head.
Wiping away a tear, the old man smiled at the scene, "I guess the world really is as sweet as potatoes and molasses," he remarked with a small smile.
"One, two, three!" Hiro began again, the band following his cue as he waved a conductor's stick along with the song.
Turning to Beatrice, Tadashi questioned, "So, want me to tell Hiro it's time for us to go?"
"Nah, let him have his fun," the bluebird replied easily.
In front of the stage, Mr. Langtree, Ms. Langtree, and Jimmy Brown all swung back and forth to the music, the other patrons enjoying the song as well. Hiro conducted the band, looking happier than he had all day in his new musical position.
"Hey, Tadashi," Beatrice spoke up, turning to look at her companion.
"Yeah?" the man questioned, looking up at the other curiously.
"Tie your shoe," she commanded, holding out her wing with the order.
"Huh?" the half-Japanese male blinked, looking down at his feet. Oh, right, he still hadn't tied his shoe! Bending down, Tadashi replied, "Oh, right," and got to work on his knots.
Beatrice couldn't help the fond smile from appearing.