Last chapter I forgot to mention Quacky and Brook's story was inspired by a scene from the book The Catcher in the Rye, and some of the scenes in this chapter are based on the same book.
The members of F.L.O.P.P. took their seats on the train as their friend the Bluffalo asked, "Vy are ve going to ze hotel again?"
"A supervillain is hosting a convention there," answered Meerkat excitedly before being interrupted.
"And we wanna be super bad!" Guess who.
The potential villains talked enthusiastically about who their host might be and what the topic of discussion could be when a female meerkat got in the car, carrying a large, heavy-looking bag. Escape Goat and Wannabee had taken the first seat on one side of the aisle while Meerkat sat on the other side, Bluffalo behind him.
"Anyone sitting here?" she asked Meerkat, a little breathless. Meerkat shook his head, scooting over to make room. The girl lifted her bag up to the baggage shelf before sitting down. Now that a civilian was among them, the villains could not discuss crime. Silence reigned.
Meerkat leaned back in the seat, looking up. He noticed something on the girl's bag, "Excuse me, but isn't that a Petropolis Prep sticker?"
The female looked up, "Yes 'tis."
"Do you go there?"
"Yes."
"I went there a while back. It's a nice school, isn't it?"
"Yes 'tis. The teachers and students very nice. School very clean."
"You don't sound like you're from around here."
"No, I from Africa. Come to Amelika for school. Be doctor."
"What's your name?"
"Geli."
"I'm called the Meerkat." They spoke for a while longer before they reached the next stop and the other F.L.O.P.P. members pulled their friend away.
Inside their hotel room, Escape Goat was laughing and teasing Meerkat about his new "girlfriend".
"She's not my girlfriend, we just met!"
Bluffalo snickered as Wannabee blew kisses in Meerkat's direction. "Stop it!" shouted the leader.
"Vell, ve haf some time before ze convention. Shall ve go down to ze ball room?" interrupted Bluffalo. The others consented and they all went out to the hall, piling into the elevator.
The ball room was more of a dining room with a small space before the stage cleared for dancing. A live jazz band was playing. The waiter seated F.L.O.P.P. at a table next to a booth where two buffaloes sat. Bluffalo could not keep his eyes off the female; she was dressed in a blue business suit, her black hair straightened and falling about her shoulders. It was Meerkat's turn to snicker as his friend alternated between looking at the glass of water before him on the table and the girl in the booth. She seemed to not have noticed him; she had her attention on the male buffalo next to her. He was much older than her, probably her father.
Finally Bluffalo could not stand it any longer. He got up and stepped over to the booth, "Vould you like to dance?"
The girl looked a little startled, but conceded. Her dad glared after them as F.L.O.P.P. laughed uproariously.
On the dance floor, Bluffalo was delighted with his dance partner. "Vat is your name?"
"Timira, and yours?"
"Sergio," he answered hesitantly, thinking she might recognize his criminal name (someday). "Who are you here vith?"
"My dad. We're from Africa. I've been going to school in the next town and haven't seen him in ages."
"You have a very good accent. Very local."
She smiled shyly, "Thanks, I practiced before I left home."
When they were done dancing, "Sergio" invited Timira and her dad to join him and his friends at their table. The older buffalo did not seem very happy with the intrusion, but said nothing. Timira repeated her story for the rest of F.L.O.P.P.
"What are you studying for?" asked Meerkat.
"I'm going to be a pediatrician. We don't have very many in Africa."
"In Africa you lucky see any doctor!" interjected her father, Ahadi. "Each town have maybe one clinic, and every day hundreds of people line outside to maybe see doctor, all injuries, all illness." He described some of the sights he had seen.
"Thanks for the morbid vision," mumbled Escape Goat, feeling too nauseous to finish his coke.
After an hour, Ahadi and Timira got up to leave. "It's getting late," Timira responded to her new friends requests for her to stay as she paid her tab. "Goodnight, Sergio, gentlemen. It was nice meeting you all."
"Goodnight, Timira. Goodnight Ahadi," they answered. After the family left, Meerkat, Escape Goat and Wannabee turned their teasing on Bluffalo.
"Goodnight, Sergio!" Escape Goat batted his eyes, "So nice to meet you Sergio!" Meerkat hugged Wannabee, both batting their eyes and making exaggerated smooching sounds.
"Oh, shut up!" the buffalo snorted.