Over the fence ch. 7
by
Mastermindhunter
The next day, the four boys got dressed, but had nothing planned, other than going to the sweet cream factory. They all got dressed in their origonal tuxedos, and tied their bowties for the day. They decided to eat some toast served downstairs in the dining room. They ate quietly, and watched Rico at the same time. Today was the day. He was going to ask Gwyneth out. He was excited, but also exremely nervous. He had never asked a girl out before. How do you ask a girl out? Do you just up and ask them? Do you kiss them? There was something else he had never done. He'd never kissed with a human mouth. They went up to the sweet cream factory as soon as they finished breakfast. Gwyneth was behind the counter, cleaning the top off with windex. Her sweet cream factory logo visor was casting a shadow over her eyes. They rang the bell, and she looked up. She was wearing makeup. it wasn't too much, but just enough to make her look beautiful. Her hair was down, today, and looked like it was wavy. There was no way Rico would have been able to look away, had Skipper been there to pull him away.
"Boys!" She smiled at them all, and took an extra second to glance at Rico. They all asked for a piece of pie. She handed them all a small porceline plate, with their choice of pie flavor. Skipper got apple, Rico got cherry, Private got derby, and Kowalski got pecan. She looked at her watch, and they stared at the clock. It said ten thirty. They all sat in the corner booth, waiting to talk to her. As soon as she took off to her break, she walked over to boys, carrying a lunch box. They had all made a place for her to sit.
When she sat, the boys looked at Rico, then at her. She told them that she only had five minutes. Whe the contents of the lunchbox came out, there was only a peanut butter sandwhich, and some apple wedges. They chatted about what the city was like, and what they did so far. Rico just smiled, and nodded when nesecarry, eating a few hunks of his cherry pie.
"So you guys are having a good time huh? Making the most of our city?"
"Uh-huh." Rico grunted with his pie being messed up and diced, as he absent mindedly spun his fork around in it.
"Ohp. That's all my time. I gotta get back to work. I'll talk to you all later." She picked up her lunch box, and resumed working at the front, turning back to take a small glance at Rico. Rico smiled, and brought a piece of pie up to his face. It accidentally glided over his cheek. Gwyneth couldn't help but giggle, as Rico blushed, and took a napkin to wipe it off. Private looked at Rico with a confused expression. Skipper crossed his arms with a sneer. Kowalski pinched the bridge of his nose. Rico had chickened out.
"Jeez, Rico! What the point in teaching you the ropes, if your just gunna sit there and do nothing?" Rico put his forehead in his hand, and sighed.
"Skipper, this is harder than it seems. Rico has enough trouble talking. Asking a woman out is even harder for him. Love is not a mission, so you can't treat it like one. I'm sure Rico will ask her out. It just depends on when he's ready, and just now, he wasn't ready." Skipper slowly nodded. Looking at the tiles.
"Hello ma'am. Welcome to the Sweet Cream Factory. My name is Gwyneth. How may I help you today?"
"A coconut ice cream. In a bowl. No nuts this time, dollface! Ya got that?" Gwyneth let out a sigh, and obliged to the angry womans voice. She ran over to the cocnut ice cream tub, her prosthetic foot making a clicking sound. None of them looked at the horrid sounding scene. She handed her coconut ice cream to the impatient woman. The angry womans voice was behind them. Kowalski turned around to see who would be so mean to someone like Gwyneth. It was Alice! Alice was just as cruel outside of the zoo, as she was inside. The boys shot angry glances in her direction. Rico was going to get up. He put his hands on the table, and slowly rose. Skipper pressed his shoulder back down. Alice had grabbed a spoon, and walked towards a table, when she saw the four looking at her. She smiled a creepy, and rather unsettling grin. She obviously missed their anger filled glares.
"Alright, boys. Just act natural. Don't even glance in her direction a second time." Skipper said in a motone voice, poking his apple pie. That's when things got really out of control. The woman that had been their worst nightmare walked over to them. Private was trembling with fear. You could only tell when you were close enough. Alice stopped at the table, staring at Skipper with a sly smile. Skipper raised an eyebrow, not understanding the smile. It made him feel wierd. He stared back at his food.
"Hello, handsome." Skipper's eye's darted open as she was apparently talking to him, not looking at her as he stared blankly at a spot on the table. The boys were biting their lower lip, as they were trying to hold in an amused laugh. This was priceless to the boys. Talk about humor on so many levels.
"Are you . . . referring to me?" Skipper asked turning a deep shade of green. Kowalski put a hand over his mouth, trying not to burst out laughing.
"Well yes I noticed that you were staring at me from the other side of the room." Skipper ate a small piece of apple pie.
"Oh, is that so?" He asked with his lip up in a nauseated fashion, with his back to her. She was being totally disgusting, but he wouldn't tell her that.
"Yep, and I found that rather flattering!" With that, Skipper turned darker green, and choked on his pie, as the others were done with theirs. They were nudging each others arms with their elbows. Skipper had turned away from the green, and switched to a bright red.
"Well that's uhh nice, but I'm about twenty and you're . . . "
"Twenty five." The boys could barely hold their snickers as they sat there, their eyes tearing with giggles. Oh my gosh! Alice was about five years older than they were!
"The truth is that I have a girlfriend. And I don't want to cheat on her, thank you."
"Well what's her name?" Alice asked, obviously not believing his false statement.
"Her name is . . . Marlene!" The boys were snickereing now. What a bizarre coincedence they would meet here. Skipper said that it was flattering, but that they had to get going. They all gathered up, and scrammed out of the glass door, the doors bell overhead ringing as they left Alice standing there, confused. As soon as they left the shop, the three others burst into laughter leaning over each other. Kowalski could barely walk. Private was turning red as he held his ribs. He had never felt his ribs hurt from laughing before. Rico was trying to breath as he was almost done laughing about the hilarious thing that had happened before his eyes.
"Yeah hardy har har. The visit was a total waste of time. I got close to blowing bigger chunks than Rico, and Rico here didn't get his date." Rico had gained his breath by now, and was slapping himself on the forehead. "Don't worry I've got an idea." They walked up to the hotels entrance, and opened the door, the stuck up lady stared at the boys the same way she always did. Skipper had led them into the elevator, and they waited until they reached the top. Skipper had slipped his card into the card slot, waiting for the beep. When it did, he ran inside, and looked for the piece of paper Gwyneth's father, Bill had given them. It had her second jobs address, and everything. He gave it to Rico, and he nervously shook his head no. He couldn't intrude on Gwyneth's second job. That would be rude.
"Come on Rico. If you don't do it now, we'll be penguins far after you start to gain the courage. It's either now or never." Private laid a light hand on Rico's shoulder pulling his eyebrows up in a serious look. Rico stroked his scar, thinking of how bad he wanted to be with her.
They eventually persuaded Rico, and combed his mohawk tuft. When he looked presentable, they sprayed him with a very light cologne. The smell made Rico's eyes water. What a foul smell it was for their adapting nose. Then when they took a look, he seemed ready. They walked out of the hotel, and hailed a taxi. They gave him the paper, and he drove them to a very huge mansion. it was pure white, and looked rather old, and rustic. It was definitly older and larger than all the other mansions on the road, and even they looked old. The boys paused to look at the large mansion. It was not what they expected. Why would Gwyneth work at a residence as her second job? There was a boy with a dark blue scally cap, kind of like Bill's, a few yards away. He looked at the four, who were staring at the muscular boy. He was around their age, and was wider than they were, when he got closer.
"You all like a bunch of butlers. You all work here?" He pointed at the mansion. Rico looked at him, and shook his head. The young man stared at Rico closely. He got so close, Rico had to lean backwards a little. The boy was staring mainly at the scar. "Wait a sec! I remember hearing about you boys. You all are friends of Gwyneth." Rico nodded smiling. The boy stared at Rico's scar wincing. private stepped foreward.
"Yes that's right. We-"
"Hey, Nobody asked you Specky. Name's Kyle. I've heard one of you all's been talking to my girl. Who is it?"
"Listen kid we don't want any trouble. We just-"
The rather large teenager looked at Skipper with an eyebrow raised. "Hey looks who's brave. I'm not giving any trouble, Han Solo, but if you want any I've got some." Which one of you is the boy named Rico?" Kowalski laid a hand on this kid's shoulder.
"Listen, Kyle, if this has to do with Gwyneth, then Rico-" The kid swatted Kowalski's hand away with a sharp smack. He quickly grabbed his wrist, and flexed his hand, glaring at this kid. He smirked at Kowalski's observation.
"Well look who's a great evaluator. Your an average genius. Actually yes, Aristotle. It does concern her." He looked back at Rico. He got in his face, close enough for Rico to smell the cigarette smoke. Rico's eyebrows were down, and looked dangerous. "I expect your Rico. Gwyneth said you can't talk, and everybody shot out to me already. Ha nice scar. Listen Frankenstein, I am Gwyneth's man. She's my property, and you don't steal my property.' He lit up a cigarette, and blew the fumes in his face. Rico held his breath before the boy had a chance to blow the fumes in his face.
"Does she know you like her?" Private asked, his eyebrows worried. Kyle turned back. "Not yet, shrimp. You all know now, though." He took a final galance at them all. "Stay away from my girl, mutey, or you'll be sorry.
"Oh yeah? What are you gunna do to him?" Skipper asked, with sharpness in his voice.
Kyle blew his smoke out. "It's not what I'll do to him. It's what I'll do to one of you. Probably you, Bilbo Baggins." He pointed at Private. Private whimpered a little, clutching Skipper's shoulder.