AN~ Most of this isn't spellchecked 'cause I typed it at work, where I don't have my beautiful auto-spellchecking Google Chrome.
And we have another winner! yahidontlikeyoueither, you get a small, free, internet-transferrable prize of your choice for being the 876th reviewer! I decided I like this prize thing and am going to do it whenever we get to a number I think is cool. :)
Know what's strange? (And maybe I'm getting a bit spoiled) But last chapter I got over thirty reviews, and this chapter I got ten. I think you get more reviews if you update on a Friday than on a Sunday night. Or you get more if you imply that Puck and Sabrina will be together soon than if you don't. Or a cliffhanger ending gets more. I dunno. I'm just speculating. Maybe it's a combination.
PinkAndBlack: Well, the only way to get better is to practice! All the time! I started out crap. I bet you that if you ask any author on the planet, they will tell you that their first stories were horrible. And if they don't, they're lying.
Agd: I have read the Artemis Fowl series, but I think Pinocchio is less likeable. I took interest in your penname because it seemed unusual.
Dontchawishyaknewme334: Thanks! I'm glad you like it! (I don't care whether it's your first favorite or not, all I care is that you enjoyed it) I'm responding to you now. :) So what was the point of the cheese related things at the end?
"You... you talk like a college proffessor." Daphne whispered.
"Told you." Bella yawned.
"I apologize for my verbosity," Pinnochio bowed stiffly, "however, I find that it is a necessary evil in order to achieve adult status in many conversations."
"Howzat?" Daphne tilted her head sideways.
"He says he's sorry but if he wants people to treat him like a grown-up he has to talk like that." Sabrina translated, then turned to Pinocchio and asked, "So why don't you just grow up?"
"Alas, I am incapable of aging past the physical manifestation which you see present before your honorable selves." Pinocchio sighed. "For, at the time when the esteemable Blue Fairy granted me the form of a child not made of wood, I was not quite as specific in my wish as I ought have been, and she translated the word 'boy' quite literally, dooming me to the physical age of seven years for the eternity of my existence."
Daphne looked close to tears as she said, "I can barely understand a word you're saying."
"That stinks." Sabrina said. "I can see why you might be a bit... wordy. It's awful when grown-ups treat you like you don't have a brain just 'cause you're short."
"But what is he saying?" Daphne asked.
"It's OK, Daphne, I don't know either." Red said sympathetically.
"I see you understand, at least slightly." Pinocchio said to Sabrina, warming up a bit, "but perhaps not quite as much as I do. Of course, that is understandable, as you have but a decade of being spoken to as if you have the mental capacities of a canine, versus my several centuries."
"I'm thirteen, thank you." Sabrina said. "And I may have suffered just as much as you. Just 'cause I don't talk like you do doesn't mean I'm not dealing with the same stuff."
"What's going on?" Daphne wailed.
Bella rolled her eyes but explained, "Pinocchio wasn't specific enough when he wished to be a real boy, so he's stuck as a boy and can't grow up, even though he wants to. So he talks all stuffy. Sabrina sympathized and he got all degrading, so she's ticked."
"Ohh..." Daphne said.
"Perhaps it's simply that your mental faculties aren't quite on par with mine, then." Pinocchio said. "Or that you haven't had as much time to make a study of vocabulary as I have with your... admiral age of thirteen years."
"Oh, so now you're saying I'm stupid?" Sabrina snapped. "Or are you just judging me the same way you hate it when everyone judges you? So smart, right there."
"Pardon me?" Pinocchio asked. "Are you inferring that my behavior is unethical or inappropriate?"
"Sure as heck I am!" Sabrina said, standing straighter and advancing slightly. "I see how it is. You're so used to people falling in awe at your 'awe-inspiring verbiage' that you've gotten cocky! You think you're the smartest guy on the planet and you're being a hypocrite! You're all talk and no action, and I hate people like you. Maybe you should take a step back and see who should really be looking down on who."
"I really wish I understood both sides of this." Daphne whispered to Red. "I think it'd be much funnier. I love it when Sabrina tells people off. It's almost as funny as when she gets told off."
"Am I going to have to translate everything?" Bella sighed.
"Yeah." Daphne nodded. "'Cause Sabrina's busy right now."
"Well, Pinocchio suggested that Sabrina wasn't as smart as he was, or maybe just too young to have a big vocabulary, which is funny 'cause she understood every word of what he said, and even I'm not quite sure on some of them, and she may not talk the talk, but she understands it, and she called him out on it and he's all offended now." Bella said. "You sister's a smart cookie, you know that?"
"She read the whole dictionary when we were in the orphanage 'cause she wanted to know the definition for something in the O's." Daphne said. "And I knew that already."
"She read the whole dictionary?" Bella asked, incredulous.
"There wasn't much to do in the orphanage." Daphne explained.
"Wow." Bella said, impressed.
Pinocchio, who had been staring at Sabrina, affronted, sighed. "I apologize. Your words ring of truth. I shall attempt to rectify my behavior."
"That's better." Sabrina said, satisfied. "You know it's possible to be smart without shoving it in everyone's face."
"I never thought I'd meet someone who wanted to be a grown-up more than Sabrina." Red said, watching Pinocchio with an impressed look.
"I don't think I like him as much as I thought I would." Daphne said sadly.
"I told you." Bella sing-songed.
"What exactly was it that you wanted?" Ghepetto asked, looking sad.
Sabrina looked at the old man a little sadly. Granny had said that Pinocchio was Ghepetto's life, and, like every dad, he wanted his kid to be liked, and here they were getting angry at him at the first meeting. She'd have to do something, for Ghepetto's sake, if not for his son's.
"I wanted to invite Pinocchio to our study group." Sabrina improvised. "We meet most days after school, and I know you probably don't need to study, but we always need tutors."
The three other girls stared at Sabrina, then did their best to mask their shock.
"Speaking of which, how come you're not set up for the assignment?" Bella asked. "From gym?"
"I wasn't in school today." Pinocchio explained. "I had to help my father with the store today, we just recieved a shipment from outside town."
"I didn't realize business was still very good." Red said bemusedly.
"People always want toys." Ghepetto said. "And with over two hundred eternal children, well..."
"So question, testing a theory:" Sabrina said. "Can you see my handcuffs?"
"Handcuffs?" Ghepetto asked.
"Ah." Pinocchio said. "That would explain quite a bit. I assume the amphibiate and the younger Grimm are attached at the wrist? And that the assignment you mentioned has much to do with aforementioned handcuffs?"
"Roundabout." Sabrina agreed.
"See, the problem is that he's smart enough that we can't really call him out on how cocky he is." Bella whispered to Daphne.
"Do you want to come to the study group?" Red asked, getting Pinocchio back on task.
The boy thought about it for a moment. "I suppose, if it is true that your facility could use assistance in the intstructory department."
"Good for you." Ghepetto smiled. "It'll be good for you, to go out and make friends."
"Please, father." Pinocchio said. "Those... infantile everafters at the school aren't anywhere near my educational demographic. We have nothing in common on which to base a friendship. But I shall attempt, for the good of all involved."
"Great!" Sabrina smiled fakely. "Well, we meet after school in the library most days, Pinocchio. See you there!"
"We have to go now." Red said uncertainly. "It was... nice meeting you, Pinocchio. Bye, Mr. Ghepetto."
"Bye!" Daphne called, not quite as excited as she'd normally be.
"See you around." Bella said, waving and following Daphne out.
Sabrina and Red waved and joined the other two outside, then began walking back through the almost-dark of the late fall evening towards the school.
Once they were far enough away that they didn't have to worry about being overheard, Bella exploded, "Inviting him to study group! What were you thinking, Sabrina? He's such a prig!"
"Prig?" Sabrina asked. "What are we, British?"
"That's not the point!" Bella snapped. "You invited that little stuck-up brat to our safe harbor! That's the only place I get to see my friends outside of school, and half the time we're in the school anyway, and it's the only time I get to have much fun, and you brought that jerk in! How could you?"
"Maybe he's just lonely." Red suggested. "Lots of people act mean when they're lonely. They think if they pretend they're better than people, they won't know they care. It's a protective measure."
"You're good at psychoanalysis." Bella said, impressed.
"So you think if we're nice, he won't be so mean?" Daphne asked, looking around at the dark, empty streets aprehensively. "And maybe he'll talk with words I can understand?"
"I dunno, Daph." Sabrina said, putting a hand over her sister's shoulder. "Maybe. I was honestly just thinking about Ghepetto. Granny told me about him, and I feel bad for him, you know? I couldn't bear to let him see just how much everyone else thinks his son's a jerk."
"Ohh..." Daphne said. "That makes sense. So you weren't thinking about Pinocchio at all?"
Sabrina didn't answer, and on top of that, she stopped walking, forcing Red, too, to halt.
"Sabrina?" Daphne asked, turning back.
"Sh." Sabrina held up a hand, her head turned to one side, balancing on her toes.
"Wassup?" Bella asked, looking where Sabrina was faced.
"I thought I heard something." Sabrina said quietly. "Red, be prepared to take off, OK?"
Red slipped her hand into Sabrina's. "You don't want me to plan if we have an emergency, right?"
"Right." Sabrina said. "But if you want to plan now, it'd be a good idea."
"Relax, guys." Bella said. "You're just on edge because it's dark and creepy. It was probably just someone's TV."
"Do you see any lights around here?" Sabrina asked. "We're in the business district. So I think we should make a plan anyway. And Red needs to make that plan. And keep your voice down!"
"Fine." Bella rolled her eyes. "Plan, then. Red?"
Red looked uncertainly at the other three girls, but when both Sabrina and Daphne nodded encouragingly, she said, "Well, umm... Sabrina can fly, and I'm with Sabrina, but if you two are like you are, then you're not going to be able to get away if something comes after us. So I think Daphne should shapeshift into something small if there's trouble, and Bella should hold Sabrina's hand, too, so that we can all fly away and still keep doing our project. Does that sound good?"
"It sounds great." Daphne said. "But what do I shift into? And how do I keep from falling out of the handcuffs?"
"Let's keep walking." Sabrina urged. "We're more of a target if we stay still. Or run. But staying still makes it easy for people to aim."
The girls resumed walking, and Bella said, "I could put you in my sweatshirt pocket, Daph. That way you'd be able to hold on tight. Or we could both turn into frogs and go in Sabrina's sweatshirt pocket. That's huge."
"Smart." Sabrina said absently, looking around. "Maybe we should do that now. Like, now now."
Bella rolled her eyes again, but complied, along with Daphne. Sabrina stuck the duo in her pocket, noticing that the cuffs changed size when the girls did.
"That's convenient." Red noted.
"It is." Sabrina agreed, walking a little faster, her free hand on her sword, which was stuck into one of the black leather belts she'd found in the attic ages ago- she wore two, along with her sword, at all times now, much to her father's chagrin- running her finger absently along the paint of the hilt.
Red jumped back as Sabrina's sword morphed into fight-mode. "I wasn't expecting that. Should... should I get mine out, too?"
"How good are you with it?" Sabrina asked, eyeing Red's small frame dubiously.
"Okay, I guess." Red said. "Not awful."
"Get it out." Sabrina said. "I'm working with my left hand, so I'll be working too hard to keep myself safe to concentrate on you, too."
"Okay." Red nodded, pulling out her sword.
Sabrina stopped again, putting a finger to her lips at Red's questioning look. She spun around suspiciously, but after a minute of silence, said, "I could have sworn I heard footsteps."
Red shrugged and converted her sword to a rather stout, short thing with a small, plain ruby in the hilt. "Maybe you did."
The two kept walking, with frequent 'listening stops' insisted on by an increasingly antsy Sabrina.
"I never hear anything." Red said, sounding worried. "And I listen really well."
"They could be mirroring our steps." Sabrina said. "Walking as we walk, stopping every time we do. It's a shadowing trick, lots of people do it. I've done it a couple of times. It's hard, and takes lots of practice, but it can be done."
"So it would just sound like an echo?" Red asked.
"Exactly." Sabrina said. "It's easier the more people there are. If I'm right, it would explain why I hear it more now that Daphne and Bella aren't walking."
About five halts later, Bella sighed, exasperated. It was difficult for her to talk when she was fully frog-shaped, but she managed it.
"Honestly, Sabrina, you're being ridiculous." She said.
"Think what you want." Sabrina said, walking forward again, but on her toes, poised to run.
"You've been doing this for the whole walk home, and nothing's happened yet." Bella pointed out. "I'm tired of sitting in your pocket where I can't see, and I'm tired of being a frog. Can we just get back to normal?"
"The point of tailing someone is that you don't show yourself to anyone." Sabrina pointed out. "You can come out if you brought your sword."
"Who brings their sword to school?" Bella asked. "Especially when school is a declared neutral zone? I'm trying to pretend to be normal, at least sometimes! I thought you wanted that, too!"
"I do." Sabrina said, walking faster. It was full dark, and she still had a while to walk before she could justify the extra weight of Red on a flight home. "But I'm being practical. I can't be normal and safe at the same time. And if I'm not safe, I'll never be normal 'cause I'll be dead."
"Nothing is going to happen." Bella said, exasperated. "We're perfectly-"
"I heard something." Red said suddenly.
Sabrina spun, grabbing Red's hand. "Prepare for takeoff." She whispered, looking around.
"This is so stupid!" Bella cried. "There's nobody there! Do you see anyone? No! Because there isn't anyone!"
"Bella, shut up." Sabrina said, backing up.
"No!" Bella snapped. "You're being paranoid and stupid, Sabrina! Stop it, now! I want-"
That was when they struck.