Emma & Malcom Peabody
Chapter 19: The Little Prince
After the whole Elizabeth's situation, Malcom was completely tired of everything. He felt so sorry about what he did. He knew that lie wasn't going to last, but he really liked Liz; she wasn't like the rest of the girls he has met before! And he needed to see her again! But he knew she was really mad at him.
-Hello-said suddenly Emma getting into the Malcom's room.-How you doing?-
-I'm fine, I guess-
-Don't worry about Elizabeth, we'll go back to see her and you'll be able to explain everything-
-Yeah, whatever-he leaned on his bed
-Malcom?-
-Yeah?-
-I must confess, you have a nice voice to sing-she said remembering his "Introducing me cover"
-Oh, you think? No, I have a normal voice...-he said looking down with a shy smile.-Well, ok, I have a lot of talent, haven't I?-he said being arrogant
-Ha, yeah, you have talent... Obviously that I'd have preferred an invented song instead of a Nick Jonas' 2010 song... but it was really nice, seriously. I didn't you can sing and how have you learned how to play the guitar?-
-Well, at the school's chorus, I go there with John-
-How long have you been going there?-
-Mmm... Like... a year and a half-
-Really? Wow... I had no idea-commented the blonde girl looking down. She didn't know that about her own twin... In that moment, she got to the conclusion that she didn't know her twin at all.-And... So... what's your favorite color?-
Malcom stared at his sister's question. His favorite color? Was she serious?
-Don't you know it?-
-Nope... but, hey! Do you know my favorite color?-
-Of course I do! It...Is... Pink?-
-No, it's red-
-Ok... you win! I don't know that about you... Mine is blue-
-Favorite song and band?-
-Song: Hey now by Martin Solveig, favorite band... I think that OneRepublic-
-Cool, I really like that band too-
-You do? I though you only listened to Mezart or Beethoven-
Emma laughed.-It's Mozart and no, I mean, I like some songs from them, because they are beautiful masterpieces and their music is quite pleasant... but I love imagine dragons more-
-I like that one too!-He stood up.-How weird... I have something in common with you-
He stood up smiling, but then he put a scared face. Was he turning into a nerd too?
-I'm not an alien as you think-she said rolling her eyes, but still smiling. With that, the young kid started to have a weird kind of unconditionally trust all of a sudden.
And that's how they started to talk about their likes and dislikes. But the most surprisingly thing was, that even though all their differences, they had a lot of things on common! They liked the same food, the same kind of music, and the same places! It was really weird and exciting for them being on that situation. It was the first time in which the both felt like they really fitted together, as brother and sister, and they really liked that. Maybe they actually had a bond after all.
-Now, what's your favorite book?-asked Emma sat on his bed beside him
-Book? I have never read a book that I liked-
-C'mon! There are many great books... like "The Little Prince", our grandfather gifted to you-
He looked at her confused.-Did he?-
-Yeah, before we used the WABAC-
The red-haired stopped to think a bit.-Oh, yes! You mean that short but really dull book with a blonde kid on the cover? I haven't read it-
-You should, I bet you'll like it-
-I won't read that thing. Just listen its name "The Little Prince"! It sounds like a girly book-
-You can't judge a book for its cover-Emma's eyes started to glow.-I have an idea!-
-Idea?-
-Yeah, I bet $20 that you can't read that book in only one day-
-What? I won't bet that...-
-You don't want as you know you're gonna lose and enjoy it...-
Malcom couldn't resist it. He was able to read that book in one day! It was quite short! And he wasn't going to like it... and he was going to win $20...
-Alright...-his decided.-Deal!-he said spitting on his hand and extending it to his twin
Emma almost jumped of happiness when he accepted. She was happy to see that her brother was finally going to read a book and not only let it on the floor of his bedroom as if it was litter. She was going to extend her hand to him... until he spotted on it.
The girl stared at her brother completely confused.-Why have you done that?-
-Ugh... just spit on your hand and crush it against mine!-
-What? Why?-
-Because it's fun-
-That's not a valid point-he said putting her hand away from his one
-Just do it, coward! We have the same DNA, remember?-
-Mmm... Ok?-she said extending her hand without spitting on it
-Uh-uh!-he said saying no with his finger.-You have to spit on your hand first!-
-I won't do it! It's so silly and nonsense!-
-Please! Can't you just act like a normal child once in your life?-
Emma sighed and without even looking at her hand, she spotted on It.-This is so disgusting...-she muttered crushing her hand against his brother's hand.-De-al-she said trying not to vomit as she was shaking hands with him
-It's a pleasure to do business with you-commented her brother trying not to laugh at Emma's face when she spotted on her hand.
She took away her hand and looked at it. It looked normal, but she could bet that it was full of saliva...
-Don't be so dramatic!-protested Malcom
-I... I'm not-she said.-You should start your reading... I'm...I'm going to my bedroom-she said leaving the room
The red-haired boy smiled and looked at her as she run to the bathroom and put her hands on water to clean it. The kid started to laugh as loud as he could, receive a glare from his sister, but he couldn't stop his laugh. She definitely needed to be act like a girl from her age...
He got into his room again. After some minutes of a desperate search, he found a light-blue book with a kid on its cover.
-The Little Prince...-he read out loud before sighing. Sure he made a bet and he really hated losing... but reading?
God, he couldn't believe she convinced him. He had always hated reading and books. Mostly because he had never found one he liked. All the books inside of his house seemed extremely boring! They didn't even have drawings! How do adults suppose children will like reading if the only things they see are words?
He opened the book muttering some curses and read the first paragraph:
"Once when I was six years old I saw a magnificent picture in a book, called True Stories from Nature, about the primeval forest. It was a picture of a boa constrictor in the act of swallowing an animal."
At this point, Malcom looked at the sides and read the book's cover again. Has he confused the book with a biology one? He sighed again and continued reading but, by his own surprise, he saw an image. It was a drawing of a boa eating an animal.
The kid smiled at the violence; perhaps it was a book about a snake that wanted to kill everyone!
"In the book it said: "Boa constrictors swallow their prey whole, without chewing it. After that they are not able to move, and they sleep through the six months that they need for digestion."
I pondered deeply, then, over the adventures of the jungle. And after some work with a colored pencil I succeeded in making my first drawing"
Another drawing appeared. It looked like a hat... but it had eyes. "Eyes?" asked Malcom to himself. "Perhaps it's a snake that ate an elephant..." he thought laughing at how ridiculous that that theory sounded.
"I showed my masterpiece to the grown-ups, and asked them whether the drawing frightened them. But they answered: "Frighten? Why should anyone be frightened by a hat?"
My drawing was not a picture of a hat. It was a picture of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant."
The red-haired kid's face suddenly showed a bit more of interest on the story as he realized that his theory was right.
"But since the grown-ups were not able to understand it, I made another drawing: I drew the inside of a boa constrictor, so that the grown-ups could see it clearly. They always need to have things explained"
The boy smiled at the last phrase, remembering all the times his parents had asked him "Why?" "What's that?" "How?" The author had a point: they always needed things clearly and explained. They didn't have imagination... or at least they never wanted to use it.
"The grown-ups' response, this time, was to advise me to lay aside my drawings of boa constrictors, whether from the inside or the outside, and devote myself instead to geography, history, arithmetic, and grammar .That is why, at the age of six, I gave up what might have been a magnificent career as a painter."
Malcom didn't smile this time, instead he sighed. He understood how the boy in the story was feeling. Grown-ups definitely never let you be yourself! They expect you to do boring things just because they do them! Instead of telling him that those drawings were awesome, they told him that they were weird and different and bad! And being different isn't something bad... But it is something difficult.
Malcom was quickly caught in the story. He wasn't really sure why, or how, but he was it. He loved the adventures of the little prince on his trip around his different planets! And the rose... she remained him of Liz. And let's not forget about the fox, which was like the Prince's best friend! He was pretty cool, too.
The story showed how the adults could be so boring and nonsense and desperate too! It was like reading Malcom's mind; he had never felt so related to something like that before!
But everything he loved about those three hours in which he has been sat and reading the story disappeared in the last chapter... When something horrible happened...
Oh... what should have happened? Well, if you read the book, you'll know it... if not, I'll spoil it on the next chapter xD
I really love The Little Prince, it says so many smart phrases! And I'm sorry about not being able to quote them all on this chapter :(
Anyway, I recommend you the book! You'll really love it!
Thanks for reading! And don't forget about reviewing, following and favoriting! :D