Chapter Three: Parental Advice

As the Threehorn family prepared to settle in to their sleeping place for the night, Cera steeled herself, getting ready to ask her father if he knew anything about the funny feelings she had been having around Bambo. She acknowledged that the answer could possibly be an unpleasant one, but in spite of that possibility, she was determined to know the truth about what was happening to her.

"Dad?" Cera asked nervously. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure, honey. What is it?" replied Topps.

"Well, I met this Threehorn boy today, and then I started getting these really funny feelings...." started Cera.

"Oh, really?" asked Topps nervously. He had long been dreading this day, the inevitable day when Cera would start asking him about 'boys' and 'feelings', and he was in no way ready or willing to talk to his daughter about such topics. Hurriedly, he deferred the matter over to his mate. "Tria, Cera would like to talk to you." he told her, before quickly whispering "It's about a boy." Tria nodded in understanding, and Topps hurried over to the other side of their sleeping place, busying himself by playing with Tricia.

"So, what's all this I hear about a boy?" Tria inquired.

"His name is Bambo." Cera answered. "He's from that Threehorn herd that just migrated to the Great Valley a few days ago. And ever since I met him, I've been starting to have these really funny feelings, in my head and in my chest."

"Hmmm." pondered Tria. "Tell me, would this feeling in your chest be a sort of fuzziness?"

"Yeah, it is." confirmed Cera.

"And would the feeling in your head be a kind of hot prickliness?" Tria pressed on.

"Yes, exactly!" said Cera. "So, what's wrong with me, anyway?"

"Nothing's wrong with you, honey." smiled Tria. "You're probably just in love with this 'Bambo' boy."

"'In love'?!" Cera repeated panickedly. "Are you sure?"

"Completely sure." said Tria. "I felt the exact same way back when I first met Toppsy. Ah, those were the days." she sighed, remembering those bygone times fondly. "Sometimes, we'd go to the other side of the local watering hole, just the two of us, and we'd just..."

"Stop." said Cera, a little disgusted. "What am I supposed to do about this 'love' thing, anyway?"

"Well, that all depends." said Tria. "Does this Bambo feel the same way about you that you do about him?"

"I don't know." admitted Cera. "I mean, he does like me, but I'm not sure if he likes me likes me. And I'm not going to just ask him, 'cause if he doesn't 'like me like me', he'll probably just laugh at me and think I'm dumb!" She said all this very quickly, feeling it was best for her to voice her fears as rapidly as possible, so as to make the problem perfectly clear for Tricia.

"I'm sure he won't." Tria reassurred her.

"How do you make a boy like you?" Cera asked desperately.

"Well, you can't 'make' a boy like you." said Tria. "But it wouldn't hurt for you to act a little more ladylike around him."

"Ladylike." repeated Cera with a grimace, as if the word was a sour sweet bubble on the tip of her tongue.

"You know, carry yourself with a more sultry air." Tria continued. "Walk gracefully, and talk softly. Swing your tail slowly from side to side. And rolling in some flowers wouldn't hurt either, some boys like a flowery scent on a girl. If he really does 'like you like you', then that'll definetely get a response out of him. If not, then he probably only thinks of you as a friend."

"Is that how you got dad to like you?" asked Cera.

"No." replied Tria. "He and I liked each other right from the moment we first met. But those tactics always seemed to help my sisters attract boys, so they should work for you, too."

"Okay," said Cera, an air of gritted determination in her voice, "It's worth a try. First thing tomorrow. Thanks for the advice, Tria."

"You're very welcome, honey." smiled Tria. "Best of luck for tomorrow!" She then walked over to Topps and whispered "Problem solved." to her mate's great relief.

As Cera curled up to sleep, her mind was abuzz with various emotions: Relief, for finally knowing what was happening to her. Annoyance, for having to act like a 'lady' tomorrow. And finally, anxiety, about whether or not Bambo liked her the same way she liked him.

'Well, I guess I'll find out tomorrow.' Cera thought to herself drowsily. 'One way or the other.'

And with that, the young Threehorn drifted off into a fitful sleep.

To Be Continued...

(The Land Before Time series, and it's characters, are the properties of Amblin Universal. Bambo is my creation, although I did take the name from what Cera was originally to be called, before the creators decided that she was to be a girl.)