Chapter 6: The Lost Boys and Lost Girls

Lilo considered.

Then, taking a handful of green hoodie she yanked hard. "BOO!"

"Jesus!"

Sweetly, Lilo smiled as the three older boys jumped. Spinning off the window sill and hiding a set of toy binoculars, Aladdin, Flynn, and Peter searched the room wildly. When they saw it was Lilo, rocking smugly on her heels, they scowled.

"Lilo!" Flynn clutched his chest, "Geeze girl. My aorta just exploded."

Lilo giggled as the boys returned to the window. "Watcha doin?"

Aladdin spoke over his shoulder, "Nothing. Go to bed. Hey!"

"I know what you're doing." announced Lilo, squirming between Aladdin and Peter. Happily, she pressed her nose against the glass. "And my sister told me it's bad!"

"Did she?"

"Yep! Real bad! She said you're peeping to—"

"—Lilo." Pressing a landline to her chest, Nani signaled to her little sister. "Lilo, leave those creeps alone."

"Yeah, Lilo." Peter said, "Leave us creeps alone."

Lilo pretended not to hear. The spitting image of her sister, Lilo squinted through her refection in the black window. Following the binoculars, she strained to see what the boys were looking at.

Three stories down, five people were stepping out of a car. Cocking her head, Lilo watched as her friends Mowgli and Tarzan said their goodbyes to….

Lilo's stomach rumbled. A family. A daddy with a big moustache and big tummy; a mommy with pretty hair and pretty eyes; and even a little brother with a little face and a little, goofy grin. Perfect. They were perfect.

Lilo scowled. She hated Mowgli for it! Well, she'd show him a thing or two later!

"How much you think they're worth?" Flynn mused as Tarzan shook hands with the prospective parents and gestured Mowgli to do the same.

Aladdin shrugged as Peter adjusted the plastic binocular dials. "Dude, who cares they've got a Porsche. And check it: that guy's definitely sporting the gold ring-blinage. He must be a politician or anesthesiologist or something."

"And a little brother," Peter leaned forward, "Bonus. Go Mowgli."

Half listening to her phone conversation, Nani crossed the room. She gazed out the window. Then, her sharp eyes fell softly on Lilo.

Sighing, Nani wound the phone cord around her finger. "David," she said wearily, "I'll see you tomorrow, ok? What? Ok…Lilo? Lilo, David wants to say goodnight."

Perking up, Lilo grabbed the phone. "Hi, David! Yes…no…" Lilo burst out laughing, "No!" she giggled, bouncing up and down. "No! What?….um…one sec…"

Lilo's eyes swept quickly over Nani, "…pajamas, why? I don't know, an Elvis shirt and yellow shorts with a hole in the bu—"

"—say goodnight!" Nani snapped as Peter, Aladdin, and Flynn turned simultaneously.

Lilo grinned as Mowgli and Tarzan entered the room. "Fine…David, I gotta go….No, I gotta go beat someone up now. Bye."

Slapping the phone in Nani's hand, Lilo hopped off the window sill and charged at Mowgli.

"Lilo!"

"Easy." Lilo swung, just missing Mowgli's head as Tarzan lift her onto his hip. He caught Mowgli by the forehead as the boy rushed forward at Lilo. "Calm down. Both of you."

"She tried to hit me!" Mowgli said, wrestling Tarzan's arm. Other children looked up, interested in the commotion. "I didn't do anything!"

"Oh yeah!" Lilo struggled as Nani seized her, "Oh yeah, well you look like a stupid head!"

Mowgli ripped off his faded grey tie. "I do not!"

"Do to!" Lilo shouted, thinking of the big man in the fancy car. He had also worn a tie. "And mommies and daddies don't adopt stupid heads!"

It took all of Tarzan's agility to catch Mowgli and hold him back. Growling like a panther, Mowgli clawed at Lilo's face. "Take that back!"

"You take it back!"

"Stupid head!"

"Baby!"

"Mowgli!"

"Lilo!"

"What are you little brats doing up!? Get into bed!"

The orphans scattered. Boys and girls fled to opposite sides of the room in the wake of Sir Ector and Lady Tremaine, the orphanage wardens.

"To bed!" bellowed Sir Ector, smacking Tootles and Cubby as they scampered by, "Get into bed! What do you think you're doing up after hours?"

"Sir Ector. It is not their fault." Tarzan quickly interceded Sir Ector and Lady Tremaine. "I asked them to stay up. Mowgli had dinner with interested parents. I went with him and thought—"

"Excuses."

Tarzan stopped interrupted by Lady Tremaine's harsh tone. The tall lady glared over her hooked nose. "Lights go out at eight, regardless. Regardless!" She barked, sending orphans diving under the covers.

"And what's this about interested parents?" Sir Ector huffed, thrusting out his enormous stomach, "Why wasn't I notified, Boy?"

Tarzan's eyes flashed. With only a year left of school, Tarzan was the oldest orphan. Over six feet of pure muscle hardened by seventeen years of broken dreams, Tarzan clearly resented Sir Ector's subordination. But he was still a minor, legally dependant on Sir Ector and the orphanage. With any luck, his internship would solidify into a position on the zoo veterinary staff and in a year, he would be free. But for now…

Tarzan closed his savage blue eyes. "You were notified," he said calmly, "But I saved you the trip."

Sir Ector grunted. "Get there on the company car did you?"

Tarzan shook his head. "The family drove us back."

"They'll be wanting reimbursement, then." Sir Ector sniffed through his red moustache, "Gas doesn't pay for itself, Boy."

Peter took the opportunity to blow a raspberry.

Sir Ector turned, fist raised like a club. Peter dodged, but Sir Ector was distracted by a commotion in the doorway.

"Wart! Cinderella! Confound it all!"

Fumbling in the doorway, Wart and Cinderella knelt in a puddle of soapy water. Two buckets rolled innocently to the side, stopping at Lady Tremaine's sharp heels.

"We're sorry!" Cinderella beseeched Sir Ector. Her bright eyes stood out against the grime on her cheeks. Beside her Wart silently pressed a dirty towel into the water. "It was an accident. We're cleaning it."

"What happened?" Lady Tremaine's voice dropped an octave as she stared at Cinderella. The bucket was poised beneath her sharp boot.

"I…" Cinderella swallowed hard, water seeping into her skirt. "…I…it was…"

"I tripped."

Cinderella looked quickly at Wart. She shook her head as Lady Tramaine's eyes narrowed. Sir Ector stepped forward, eyebrows angled, "What's this Wart?"

"I…tripped." Wart repeated, pointing to the bucket, "Up the stairs. I didn't mean—"

"Lady Tremaine!" Cinderella flinched with the rest of the orphans as Wart buckled, his ear bright red. Horrified, Cinderella rounded on Sir Ector, "Sir Ector, it wasn't his fault! Please, don't let her hurt—"

"In bed!" bellowed Sir Ector, seizing Cinderella and Wart. "I'm going to count to ten and if you all are not in bed I swear by the powers hang it all-!"

"He's bluffing," Peter muttered darkly as Flynn bounded into the next bed, "he can't count to ten."

"Oh yeah," Aladdin turned over his pillow, "neither can you."

"BED! BED! BED! BED!"

Storming as violently has his fat bottom allowed, Sir Ector followed Lady Tremaine across the narrow aisle. "GOOD NIGHT!" he roared, slamming the door.

Utter silence ensured, save for the turning of a lock.

Peter was the first to sigh.

Nani was the first to whisper, "Cindy…honey you ok?"

A general dialogue followed, uninterrupted and scattered as a breeze. The little ones complained that they were hungry. The middle ones still wished allowed. The older ones tried not to crush their dreams.

Peter gazed out the window, tracing stars with his back eyes before lifting his head. A dark, crumpled outline in the farthest corner told him Wart was pretending to be asleep. Peter championed himself as hero of the boys, but left Wart alone. He glanced at Cinderella, cradled in Nani's arms. Sympathy came easily accepted for an unloved step-daughter: but it was another source of pride to be the whipping boy.

"Hot one tonight." Flynn mused, hands behind his head.

Aladdin grunted. "Dude…I thought Sir Ector was going to have a heart attack or something. Guess we're not that lucky."

"I didn't mean that, Stupid." Propping on his elbows, Flynn nodded at the window, "I mean, the scenery!"

Peter's ears pricked as Aladdin grinned. His perfect, white teeth gleamed even in the dark. "Oh yeah…the scenery!" Aladdin paused, "You mean the girls, right?"

Flynn reached for Peter's pillow and threw it at Aladdin. "Bingo. Hot, hot, hot! Did you see all of them? Twelve in a row! It was like a friggin circus train! "

Aladdin caught the pillow easily and tossed it back to Peter. "Heels too. You know I like it when they run in heels. Ahhhhh…"

Aladdin sighed. He looked refreshed as if he'd downed a carton of iced lemonade, "…oh yes…what more could a malnourished, psychologically compromised orphan with no discernable future ask for? See any you like Pete?"

Peter crossed his legs. "They were ok. Sub-par."

"Sub-par?"

"You kiddin'? Pete..." Flynn knocked on Peter's forehead, "…Pete, my friend. My friend. Listen: Fast food is sub-par. Urinating girl-style is sub-par. 50th anniversary rock concerts, those are sub-par. But those girls…" Flynn kissed his fingers, "…oh, those girls. They were par."

Peter grinned out the window. "Maybe so. For you…" he consented, suddenly inspired by the twinkling night sky, "…but I shoot for the stars."

Aladdin gagged, "Think I'm going to puke."

Flynn rolled his eyes, "Shoot for the stars! You? Oh please, you shoot for anything as long as the bra unfastens in the back!"

"And you don't?"

"Nope!" Flynn pounded his chest, "I can do back or front clasps!"

"That was an interesting gym class," Aladdin mused dreamily, "Who knew front clasps were the brand of choice for the girls in our graduating class. Ha! I thought that little babe was going to kill you Pete. What was she anyway? Front or back?"

Peter shrugged, smiling at the memory. "Dunno," he said, massaging his cheek, "She was wearing a hoodie. Too much fabric to feel through. And she slapped me."

"You sound proud."

Peter considered. He smile curled, remembering the look in the girl's big, blue eyes right before she decked him with her little hand, "Yeah…I kinda am."

"Well don't be." Aladdin nuzzled against his pillow, hair spread around his head like a thick black mane, "Jasmine told me she's kinda a prude. Don't waste your time."

"SCHOOL TOMORROW BRATS! NO MORE TALKING UP THERE!"

Peter drew the covers over the enormous grin on his face. "Wouldn't dream of it," he smiled at the sheet, "I don't even know the girl's name."