"Honor Among Thieves"
A/N: This chapter is in loving memory of Nolan.
"Thmbody hewp, yo! Thmbody hewp." Friday afternoon caught Todd with his tongue extended as far as it would go, at least the part that wasn't caught in the gum ball machine in the local Kroger. People stared, and a few children gave laughs and points, "Hey, wha a oo sparin a?" He sighed and let his forehead rest against the glass and watched the people pass by. Luckily it was in an obscure corner, so not as many people noticed him as he would have thought.
The manager already hates you, why do you still come in here?
If only I had a goddamn quarter, he thought. I wonder how many people actually are noticing me...
Well, you've certainly gotten yourself into a slime ball.
My tongue hurts, it aint supposed to be stretched out for this long.
Oh, it's probably going to get stuck this way. You're going to look even more ridiculous with your tongue flopping out of your mouth.
This started him struggling again to get unstuck. Then he felt someone come up to him.
"Is no wha ii looth lie...I thwear..." He started, frantically trying to hide his face and wondering how much of his life the manager was going to leave him.
"Don't worry, I'll get you out." He looked up. He saw Leala reach into her pocket and pull out a quarter, "Now, if you don't mind sweetie, your head is blocking my quarter."
He stretched as far as his tongue would allow, and a twist later the stretchiest appendage Toad had was freed from its gum ball prison.
"I'm not even sure I want to know how you got your tongue stuck in there."
"I still taste grape." He smiled, licking his lips, "Thanks, yo."
"No problem, I know you would of done the same for me." She turned, ready to enter the main part of the store.
"Obviously you don't know me, yo. Part of the brotherhood code." He said, eying a fly buzzing near his head.
"You guys have a code?" She asked as she turned back, surprised.
"Course we do, we got morals too," he said, and caught the fly with his tongue, "Hey, still works."
"O...k," She turned again and grabbed a cart.
"Hey, wait a sec," Todd yelled after her as she strode away, "I need ta ask you somethin', do ya mind?"
"Ask away," She said, heading towards some canned foods.
Hey, is she messin with me? I can't tell.
"Well, I don't really got anyone else to ask this too, but umm...One of my friends, yeah, a friend of mine has this crush on this girl," Leala raised an eyebrow at him. He sighed and hung his head, "Ok, so I have this crush on a girl, ok!"
"At least you're honest," She mentioned, "What do you want to ask me about this girl?"
"Well, she don't really like me back, yo, so I was wondering if you could give me some advice on how to win her over."
Leala slowly rolled the cart to a stop, then she looked at a fixed spot in the cart, as if thinking. He could see the cart shake the tiniest bit.
"Yo, are ya gonna help me or not?" He asked frantically.
"I know nothing of romance, how do you expect me to help you?" She said, apparently out of her trance.
"Well, I dunno. You're a girl, I thought all girls knew about stuff like that." Todd was trailing her around the store.
"I'd love to help you, Todd, you can't comprehend how much I appreciate what you did for me." She turned to him for a second and slowed down. He could see that her black eye was looking better.
"Please, I got no one else who'd be willing to help me." He clasped his hands together, "Please."
"What are your grades like?"
"Huh? What's that gotta do with anything?"
"You strike me as someone who doesn't like school that much." Leala said.
"I'm smart enough that I don't need school." Toad stuck out his chest.
"Is that why I had to get your tongue out of a gum ball machine?"
"It was just a misculcu...ah...it was just a bad idea." His shoulders collapsed in on his chest.
"So is not coming to class."
"Pfft, I don't need school, I'm probly gonna end up in jail anyway."
"Yeah, you would make a good bitch for some thug." Leala smiled.
"Hey!"
"What? You have nice legs," She sighed, looking into her cart, "Sorry."
"Well, it is kinda weird to hear that comin' from a nice girl like you, yo." Todd said, trying to be sincere.
She rolled her eyes as she put a box of cereal in the cart, "Well, you can suck up, that's going to be a handy tool for getting your grades up."
"What, who the hell said I was doin' that?"
"You want advice to win over this girl, don't you?" He nodded, following her as she headed down to the frozen foods, "Well, if you keep your grade point average at least at 2.5, I'll give you one piece of advice a week."
"What?" Toad yelled, "2.5, that's impossible."
"No it's not. I'm sure you're just unmotivated, not retarded. Thats my offer, keep your grades at c's and b's and I will give you advice. I can check your grades on line."
"Pfft. Ok, but you gotta give me tutoring too, I'm not sure I can do that by myself, ya know what I mean?"
"Okay. How about you meet me in the library every Friday at lunch and I can help you then? That way I can give you advice at the same time."
"Sure thing. I aint promising anything though." He waves his hand and turns around and starts walking away.
"Just remember, teachers love suck ups." She called after him as two teens led by a tall blond with a red lettermen jacket turned into their isle. Todd froze.
"D-Duncan." He stuttered as he took a step back.
"Well, well, if it aint stink boy?" He laughed and put his hand up, indicating the others to stop, "I've been looking for you, I need to thank you for ruining Frankie's fun the other day."
"Tell him to stop botherin' me, Duncan. I ain't askin' for trouble."
"Really now," The jock said menacingly, cracking his knuckles,"Is that why you busted his nose?"
"That was last week, you're so slow you're just getting back at me now!" Todd said, trying to get his confidence up.
"Hahaha," Duncan said sarcastically, "By the way, how's that fuck buddy of yours doing? What's his name," He turned to his pals jokingly, "Lard ass, is it?"
"Take that back!"
"I don't take orders from someone who lives with a fag and street trash."
"You're the fag, Duncan!" Todd's muscles were tight and he unconsciously balled his fists up.
"Really, is that why that gothic slut was coming on to me yesterday?"
Screaming, Todd lunged at Duncan, head butting him in the gut. They both flew back, hitting a pyramid of cans. A few hit the football player in the head, but surprisingly enough none landed back down on Todd. After the initial shock, Todd tried to get up, but Duncan grabbed his shirt. They struggled on the floor, Todd trying to break free, Duncan trying to get him to hold still so he could hit him. After rolling over strewn cans of beans Todd managed to get on top again. He positioned his legs on either side of the bigger teens chest, getting his shoes on his jacket.
"Hold still you slimy little freak and let me knock your lights out!" Todd smiled, "What are you smiling about, ya little freak?"
"Let me tell you what it feels like to be a freak." he the spit slime in his face and jumped away. As Duncan's thugs rushed to help him up, Todd grabbed Leala and dashed out of the isle.
"Whew that was close," Todd gasped as they headed towards the dairy section. A man was searching for the expiration date on a carton of milk. Toad started eying him.
"Who were the people he was talking about," Leala asked.
"My roomies at the boarding house," He said as he continued to follow her, "It aint that bad. We just don't got a lot to eat."
"Oh, you poor thing. No wonder you don't get good grades."
"That ain't got nothin to do with it, yo," He said as she picked up a half-gallon of milk and, like any good shopper, looked for the expiration date. This made Toad's eyes wander back to the man, who was now pondering over yogurt, "Hey, I'll be right back." He told her as he snuck off.
"Ok," Leala said as she set the milk in the cart and reached for some eggs, not looking at him.
Todd snuck up behind the man, slowly tiptoeing up to him and trying to be as quiet as he could. He looked around. Leala was searching through eggs, and there was no one else around. Perfect. He reached into the man's pocket and pulled out his wallet. Todd backed up a few steps and looked inside it. Holy shit, theres gotta be at least $50 in here, yo! He snapped the wallet shut. He looked back at Leala. She closed a carton of eggs and placed it back on the shelf, then reached for another one. He looked back at the man, who started to turn around. Fuck. I told you to take a shower, but did you? Noooo. Think fast you idiot.
"Umm...You dropped this, yo."
"Oh, why thank you young man. This had all my shopping money in it, if I were to loose it I would be in deep trouble. Most teens today would just keep the wallet. Thank you." He took the wallet from Todd's hand and turned back to the choices of yogurt.
You're not welcome, ya looser Todd thought as he dug his hands in his pockets and walked back towards Leala, who was still looking for the perfect carton of eggs. I'm so hungry I could eat a dung beetle.
"Interesting," Leala said as she finally put eggs in her cart.
"What?" Todd asked.
"What would you have done if he caught you?" She met his eyes.
He was thrown off by the question, "You saw that? I thought you wasn't lookin'."
"I saw, and I am shocked and very disappointed."
"Well sorry, but what would you do if you hadn't eaten a decent meal in two days?" Todd said.
"I would go out and get a job."
"Do you realize what it's like being a mutant? Especially one like me, I can't just go get a job at McDonald's or somethin'; they wouldn't let me back in the kitchen!" He stomped off.
"Wait." He stopped, but didn't turn around, "I'm sorry." She pushed the cart up in front of him and stood face to face with him, "I just wish you would think about your actions. Think, if you had taken his wallet, he wouldn't be able to eat for a while. Who knows, he might have a family."
"You can't buy much for a family with 50 bucks." His hands went deeper in his pockets as he looked down at a spot on the floor.
"Maybe he's broke. I'm sorry that you haven't eaten in so long, I didn't know, but that doesn't give you the right to go messing with other peoples lives."
Bleeding hearts of the world unite!
But she's right. She is totally right.
Maybe you could use this to get her to buy you somethin'.
"Well that doesn't solve me gettin nothin to eat."
"You know, I'm going to have a little bit left over when I'm done shopping, maybe I could get you something to eat." Leala said.
"What about the others. I don't wanna eat and leave them in the cold, yo."
"Hm...How about a frozen pizza? Your oven is working, right?"
"Even if it ain't, we can get Pyro to cook it!"
"Cool, that must be a useful trick."
"Yeah, as long as he doesn't nearly burn the house down...again."
"Can't he control his powers?"
"Nah, he's just kinda insane, yo."
"Oh, ok then. Go pick out a pizza and meet me at the checkout counter."
"Ok, thanks, yo. Where's frozen foods?"
"Over that way," She pointed to the left and set off for checkout. They met back up, Leala with her cart of groceries, Todd with his Tony's Meat Lovers frozen pizza.
"What are you doin' shoppin' anyways?" He asked as they stood in line.
"Oh, my father gets off of work about half an hour after school lets out. He gave me money this morning to go shopping and said he'd be waiting outside after he got off work." It was their turn after the lady in front of them paid. Leala started putting things on the conveyor belt.
"Oh, kinda like a multi-tasking thing, that's cool, I guess." He started helping her pile food on the moving counter. Then the space in front of them was free. Todd flimsily smiled at the glaring cashier. She started scanning the food.
"Here," Leala said to Todd, "Would you put the cart back for me pleas Todd?"
He smiled at hearing his real name, "Sure," He put it back with all the other carts, and by the time he got back all the food was in bags and Leala was paying. His pizza was in its own bag. They went outside. "Thanks again, yo. The guys will really be greatful for this."
"Isn't that them by that parking meter?" And sure enough, Todd looked over and saw that Lance, Pietro, Freddy, and John breaking a parking meter and stealing the quarters.
Oh no! They're coming over here.
"No, never seen those guys before in my life, yo," He said, trying to hide his face with the pizza box as they came over.
"But didn't I see you sitting with them yesterday?" Leala asked
"Yeah, that was outa the kindness of my heart, yo," He lied, "But I don't know them, and I certainly don't live with them. Plus, my real friends don't wear costumes in broad daylight, 'specially ones that tight." They came up to him.
"Hey, Toad, we're gonna go play Donkey Kong, wanna come?" Pietro asked.
"No thanks person I've never met before!" Todd blurted out, looking helplessly at Leala, who now had her arms crossed over her chest and was looking angry.
"Ah, come on Toad," Lance tried coaxing him, "You have the highest score on that game, and we got a bunch of quarters, same as last time."
Fred laughed, "Remember the ticket cop who came running after us that time. Haha, she could never catch up to the Brotherhood, though." Everyone but Todd high fived each other at that comment.
Just then a cop car pulled up. Pietro spotted it first and yelled out "COP! Every costumed mutant for himself!" And sped off. All of the other members started to run.
Todd picked up his pizza and started to do the same, but Leala grabbed his arm, holding him back. "What? Let me go, yo!"
"He's not here for you."
"Of course he is, when are they not after us?"
"Because he's here for me."