Chapter 5
"Wow! I still can't believe that Grandma paid us $20 just to get out of the house!" Seth commented, fingering the handful of bills in his hands.
"You mean she paid you to get out of the house. She paid me to watch you." Kendra shot back. Seth had been bouncing off the walls and getting on everybody's nerves, so now they were headed for the mall a couple miles away from their grandparents' house.
"You kids stick together." Coulter reminded them as he dropped them off. Kendra rolled her eyes. You'd think they would be able to trust her by now.
"K! Bye" Kendra said. Coulter waved as he drove off.
"Hey, look!" Seth exclaimed. "Icecream is only a buck!" He was jumping up and down, pointing to a neatly decorated sign. "Let's go get some, please!" When he saw Kendra wasn't answering, he gave her the best beggars face. "Please, please, !?"
"Ok..." Kendra smiled. Her brother was a sucker when it came to sweets. As they strolled to the Ice Cream Parlor, Kendra looked around. It had been a while since she had been out, her parents thinking she was dead and all. She felt a small pang of home sickness when she saw a group of girls crowded around a fountain. That used to be me. She thought. Sometimes I wish all this fairykind business and the likes was on someone else's head, but, She sighed and shook her head. They need me. I can't let them down. At the counter, Kendra held out the one dollar bill. "A strawberry, please." The man growled as he handed her the cone. After Seth got his chocolate cone Kendra whispered to Seth, "Wow. Someone's not in a good mood." Seth giggled and nodded.
Together they strolled down the mall. Kendra didn't buy anything but Seth spent all his money on candy. "I need to go to the bathroom..." Kendra muttered to Seth.
"Aww, can't it wait?" he asked while simultaneously licking a lollipop and chewing on two Swedish Fish.
"No! I really gotta go!" she whispered fiercely.
"Fine... Don't expect me to go in there, though." Seth said while shoving Nerds down his throat.
Kendra shot him a you're-so-gross look then entered the public restroom. Seth sat on a bench and finished the rest of his lollipop. The sunlight that streamed through the sky-lights above and the extreme sugar intake made his head feel extremely light. He felt like jumping into the air and flying. He seriously was about to start flapping his arms when the thought of Bubda and his explanation of Warrens absence. What in the world could he mean by "arm flap"? What is he, a bird? He shook his head. There has to be a logical expla- wait, no there doesn't. Logic has no place in this weird, whimsical world. He came back to his senses to find Kendra staring at him.
"You okay?" she asked while wiping her wet hands on the back of her pants.
"Yeah, well, hobey-ho, let's go!" Seth said.
"Uhh, what?" Kendra asked.
"You know, Pendragon?" Seth stopped and turned to Kendra in amazement. "We just finished the series a week ago, remember?" he asked in confusedness (Fire: Yes, a word.). She had been the one nagging him to finish the book so she could read it.
"Oh yeah! I just couldn't remember the name of the series." Kendra said nodding.
"Uhh, Pendragon is all you talk about..." Seth said slowly. (Dawn: Sounds familiar...)
"I just forgot! Ok?" Kendra exploded. (Fire: Hey!)
"Jeez! Sorry!" Seth said then headed to where Coulter was waititng with the car. (Dawn: Seriously, this woman is obsessed with Pendragon. I have to keep a roll of duct tape handy or she'll tell me everything before I've read it. Fire: I deny it. Dawn: *Eye roll* I'll believe it when I see it. Fire: Continuing with the story...)
"Guess what! We actually finished some projects while you were gone! It's amazing how productive we can be when kids aren't bumbling around!" Coulter said happily.
"I do not 'bumble!'" Seth cried.
"Big whoop." Kendra said at the same time.
"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!" Coulter whispered to Seth as they headed home.
Seth, in return, stifled laughter. Through the whole drive, Kendra had not said a word. When they got home, she stormed up to her room. Seth, instead, went to help question Bubda where Warren went.
When he finally had cornered the little troll, Bubda just crossed his arms and shook his head defiantly. "Bubda no talk about scary man. Not for no thing!" the small creature growled. Seth finally gave up and stalked up to his attic bedroom.