Chapter Five! Yes, I'm still alive, just haven't found the time to write for a while.. But here it is :)
Mac and Kay anxiously ate their dinner, making and breaking eye contact with Shane and Bloo across the table. They received glares full of mischief and taunts, unable to read their thoughts in order to see what was to come.
"Frankie, may Mac and I be excused?" Kay asked, since Frankie was the closest authority figure. She looked over to Shane and Bloo, who were shaking their heads "no." She smirked, and replied,
"Why? What's going on?"
"Oh, just... Just some homework! Yeah, we have a lot," Mac stated.
"Liar!" Shane called, pointing to Mac.
"Master Shane," Mr. Herriman interrupted. Clearly he could sense the misuse of manners from miles away.
"We do not point at the dinner table." Shane mumbled under his breath and crossed his arms, causing the brunette duo to chuckle.
"We'll give you something to laugh about, just wait," Shane threatened, followed by a raspberry from Bloo.
A few moments passed, and Mac and Kay purposely finished their meals early, and asked again to be excused.
"Very well, but do not be causing any trouble," Mr. Herriman warned.
"Oh, they won't cause any trouble. You have fun, dearies," Madam Foster intervened, with her sweet old-woman smile.
"Thank you, Madam," Kay said politely, returning the smile, and hastily walked out of the dining room with Mac.
"No! What? Shane-" Bloo blathered, finding it unfair that they were dismissed. Shane, however, actually looked satisfied.
"They can have a head-start. It'll be more fin to hunt them down," he said semi-evilly, yet with that rare playful gleam still in his eyes. In fact, that same gleam hasn't left since the three left school earlier today.
"Oh, okay... But seriously, how are we gonna find them before they have to go home?"
"It's the weekend, they may be planning to stay over, if the Madam says so, of course," Shane lowered his voice so only Bloo could hear, " 'Cause you and I both know what Herriman will say."
"Pfft, duhh," Bloo replied, taking the last bite of his dinner as well as Shane.
"May we be excused?" the two asked simultaneously.
"Go ahead, guys. Have fun," Frankie said.
"But no shenanigans!" Mr. Herriman added.
"Us? Shenanigans?" Shane asked sarcastically, looking insulted.
"Never!" Bloo finished as the two laughed and raced out of the dining room, beginning their search for Mac and Kay.
Meanwhile, the two brunettes were looking for a hiding place, when Kay decided on a random door.
"Let's hide in here, Mac," Kay suggested, opening the door.
"Are you crazy? That's Mr. Herriman's room! He'll kill us if he finds us in there!" Mac said, pulling her from the door.
"He won't find us, and neither will Shane or Bloo," Kay reasoned.
"I don't know..." Mac hesitated.
"Plus, it's only 6:30. Herriman won't be going to bed yet, will he?"
"I guess not..." Just then, the two heard footsteps, like someone was running, coming for them.
"Only until the coast is clear!" Mac gave in, and followed Kay into Herriman's room, shut the door, and hid under the bed.
"Weird.. I was sure I heard them around here. Then again, there are other friends walking around," Shane said to Bloo as they slowed down, now walking in the same hallway as their prey.
"So, how about that super hearing of yours, wolf-boy?" Bloo taunted. Shane glared at him.
"Shut up! I don't see you doing anything to help," Shane pointed out, still straining his ears. Then, he noticed Herriman's door was cracked open.
"Bloo... Isn't Herriman's door always shut?" Shane asked.
"Yeah. So? Maybe he didn't shut it all the way when he left," Bloo replied.
"That doesn't sound like Herriman... Maybe a couple of someones didn't shut it all the way when they went in," Shane said, followed by an evil chuckle.
"Who would even think of going into... Oooooh," Bloo said, catching onto what Shane was trying to say. He reached for the door, but Bloo grabbed his arm.
"Wait! If Herriman catches us, we'll be dead!" Bloo said frantically.
"You're right... But we should only be in here for a couple minutes. He can't possibly think of going to bed this early, can he?" Shane thought out loud. Bloo shrugged.
"Well, we'll make it quick," Shane said, pushing the door the rest of the way open and entering. They barely searched the closet before they heard familiar thumps down the hall. The boys looked to each other.
"Herriman!"
They hurried under the bed, smacking right into Kay and Mac.
"Ow! Watch it!" Mac said, having been elbowed in the head by Bloo.
"Sorry, guys, temporary truce, we heard-" And the door flew open as Mr. Herriman entered, completely unaware of the four trouble-makers under his bed. They heard a *clang *, and Mr. Herriman's monocle rolled under the bed, right in front of Kay. The four of them went pale.
"Oh, confound that thing!" he said, getting on his hands and knees to retrieve it. Everyone scooted to the other side, as quickly and quietly as possible. Kay, being on the closest end to Mr. Herriman, wasn't able to get away in time to avoid his grasp, and took her wrist. Herriman gasped in surprise, and pulled Kay out from under his bed. While he was distracted, the boys made a break for his door. Shane tried to stay back, but Kay made a motion with her hand, telling him to go on. They would stand at the door, listening to the surely brutal scolding.
"Miss Kay? What is the meaning of this?" Mr. Herriman asked sternly, sitting her up on the bed. Her ears drooped and panicked, not knowing what to say. Therefore, she stepped off the bed, picked up his follicle, dusted it off with her shirt, and handed it to the old bunny.
"Y-you dropped this," Kay said with a mixture of innocence and fright. He took it from her small hands, not exactly knowing how to respond. He had grown used to dealing with rowdy, loud, obnoxious boys. Realizing she actually meant well, he softened his voice and asked again,
"What brings you in here? Under my bed? Surely it wasn't to retrieve my monocle."
"Well, the boys and I were playing hide and seek, and I heard them coming, so I hurried into this room. I didn't know it was your room, I'm sorry," she explained, and it wasn't a total lie. They had been kind of playing hide and seek, and Kay hadn't known who's room it was.. Until Mac told her, but Herriman didn't need to know that little detail.
"Well, I suppose there is no real harm done, is there?" Mr. Herriman stated, and Kay shook her head. He patted her head, and smiled.
"Right, then. You may go, continue your game and whatnot. You are here for the night, are you not?"
"I am, if that's okay with you," she said shyly.
"You are more than welcome to stay. I do not believe you are the one we need worry most about," he said, more than likely referring to Bloo or Shane.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Shane whispered to Bloo from the outside. The blue friend shrugged.
"Well then, I am preparing for bed, and I believe you and the boys should do so as well. I'm sure one of the friends can escort you to a guest room."
"Okay. Thank you, Mr. Herriman," Kay said fondly, wondering why the boys were so afraid of Mr. Herriman. He was a good guy... Rabbit... But good, in the least. Unless your Bloo or Shane maybe, and can't control your childish outbursts.
She opened the door with her three friends waiting for her, not expecting her to come out alive.
"You're okay!" Mac said, impressed with her not getting hollered at.
"If that were one of us in there..." Bloo started, and looked to Shane, who shuddered.
"... We wouldn't have come out alive," the wolf finished.
"Maybe I hit a soft spot on him. I like Herriman," Kay stated, then began speaking like him.
"Now then, one of you escort me to a guest room, so I may prepare myself for bed."
The boys laughed, and Bloo and Shane led Kay and Mac down a few hallways to another door.
"This is my room. I'm the only one who sleeps in here 'cause my roommates got adopted, so Mac and Kay can have the two extra beds," he offered.
"And me, right?" Bloo whined.
"You have a room, and it's two doors down," Shane scolded.
"I'll let Mac sleep on the floor!" Bloo tried to reason.
"Hey!" Mac intervened.
"No, he won't, but fine, you can sleep in here too," Shane gave up. Sometimes, there was no use in arguing with Bloo.
"YES!" Bloo shrieked in victory, and the four went in to find one bunk bed and a separate bed, one dresser, and a small bathroom.
"Your room's not bad, Shane," Kay said, with her hands on her hips, looking around. "I call bottom bunk!"
"Good, 'cause the top's always been mine," Shane stated.
"I guess Bloo and I will share the single one. It's kinda bigger, anyway." Mac said, as the four settled into their beds, all except for Shane.
"There's just one thing that needs taken care of..." Shane's warm smile made a sinister curve as he motioned to Bloo, who tackled Mac and began wrestling. Kay's eyes grew wide.
"You didn't think we forgot, did you?" Shane asked teasingly, pouncing on Kay so she couldn't get away. He cracked his knuckles and wiggled his fingers slightly, hinting to Kay what his intentions were.
"No, Shane! Don't!" she pleaded and struggled, while attempting and failing to conceal the grin on her face. He said nothing, feeling sinister and satisfied as he exacted his revenge on Kay's sides.
"Eeeek!" She squealed at such a pitch that Mac and Bloo stopped and turned their attention to the bottom bunk. Shane couldn't help but laugh at his new friend's struggling and breaking into hysteria. He forced his hands to her underarms, causing a sudden jerk and a more violent means of escape.
"Sh-Shane!" She barely managed to say through a laughing fit.
"What's the matter? Can dish it, but can't take it?" Shane asked tauntingly. Playing like this was new for the boy, other than his rare tickle-attacks from Wilt. He secretly enjoyed those times, since it was the only time he would laugh hard enough to cry.
"Y-Yes! Stop it, Shane! Hahahahaha!" she begged, with tears beginning to form within a couple minutes. He was thinking of going just a bit longer, until Mac and Bloo pulled him off her and onto the floor.
"Dog-pile!" Bloo yelled excitedly, throwing himself onto Shane, as did Mac. Kay was too breathless, but enjoyed watching the three-way wrestling match. Mac and Bloo knew that alone, Shane in no way could be pinned, but together they seemed like an unstoppable force. They expected Shane to start spitting out threats to let him up, to he just laid there on the floor, allowing himself to be pinned as he caught his breath.
Suddenly, the door swung open.
"What is the meaning of all this noise?" hissed a yellow imaginary friend, Duchess, who had on a face mask and too much jewelry. She spoke in such a tone it would probably be enough to make young children cry, which may be the reason she hasn't been adopted.
"What is the meaning of that green stuff on your face? It doesn't help," Shane remarked, causing Mac and Bloo to laugh hysterically.
"Ooooo!" She cried in frustration, clenching her fists as her temper boiled. "Listen her, I am trying to get my beauty sleep!"
"Have you considered hibernation?" Shane asked with a straight face. Mac and Bloo were loosing it as Kay sat quietly on the bed, admitting to herself that it was pretty funny, but deciding that it was best to not laugh.
"That is it! I am going straight to Herriman!" she threatened.
"Go tell him! See if I care!" Shane yelled back and she slammed the door behind her.
"Guys, I'm so dead," Shane said once she was gone.
"Nah, Mr. Herriman knows how Duchess can be," Mac stated.
"Yes, but how long will Herriman tolerate me? He has to put up with Bloo, you guys have an arrangement. I don't. They just feel sorry for me," Shane argued, beginning to believe that he's about to be kicked out of the house.
Mr. Herriman soon entered the door, with Duchess following close behind.
"Master Shane, must you always have the last word?" Mr. Herriman asked, sounding more annoyed than stern.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Herriman, but we were just minding our business, and no one else seemed to be complaining," Shane said and stood, already becoming defensive.
"Just quiet down for the night, we'll discuss this in the morning," Mr. Herriman said, sympathetically putting his hand on the boy's shoulder, as if to say "Just be quiet so Duchess will shut up."
Shane nodded, and replied, "All right, we will." Mr. Herriman was surprised that he was being so obedient.
"Very well then, good night to the four of you," he said, and softly shut the door.
"That went better than expected," Mac said as they all could feel the tension release itself from the room.
"We'll do something tomorrow, guys. Let's get to bed," Kay suggested as she, Mac, and Shane went to their beds.
"So we're all going to bed just because Mr. Herriman said so?" Bloo objected.
"Yes!" the three said sternly, apparently done with causing trouble for the night.
Realizing he was out-numbered, Bloo complied and settled down, ironically being one of the first to fall asleep.
While the others slept, Shane continued to stare at the ceiling, unable to sleep due to the restless thoughts flowing through his mind.
"He was probably just tired, and needed to sleep so he'd have the energy to ream my butt tomorrow. Or maybe he agrees with me for once. I just hope he doesn't make me leave, things are starting to turn up around here..."
Eventually, his mind grew foggy and his eyes grew heavy, and allowed him to finally fall into a deep sleep.