A Mouse's Tale- chapter 5

"Your dad? " Charley gulped. Throttle and Modo were equally shocked. Vinnie hardly ever spoke about his family. They once saw his baby picture. But that was all. He had told them that his mom said he was the cutest thing she had ever seen when he was born. They didn't know a thing about his dad.

"You've never mentioned him." She said.

"Isn't much to tell. Walked out on me and my mom when I was thirteen." He replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"Bro, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Throttle told him.

He was glad of that. Seeing the statue of his father made him uncomfortable. It brought back the old memories and feelings he had.

Flashback...

"Radical ear piercing, Bone." Vinnie said, admiring the diamond stud in his cousin's left ear.

"Thanks, Vin. My dad took me yesterday to have it done."

Vinnie and his cousin Bone had skipped school and were racing dirt bikes up Olympus Mounds. They had stopped to have lunch.

"'Course, if it were me, i'd have gone with a simple gold hoop. That's what I'm getting."

"Your dad's taking you?"

"He claims he is. " Vinnie said, rolling his crimson eyes, "But I hardly ever see him."

"What happened? Your mom forget to pack your lunch again?" He asked, at seeing Vinnie open up a near empty lunch kit.

"She hasn't been the same since Dad up and left."

"Here, have some of mine. You know my mom always packs too much." He said, handing him a chicken salad sandwich and a bottle of lemonade.

"Thanks."

Vinnie remembered waiting on the door step of the family cave for hours waiting for his dad to pick him up.

Finally his mother came outside.

"Come inside, you'll catch a cold."

"He ain't coming, is he?"

His mother was at a loss for words.

"I'm sorry, son. You know your father. Sometimes he gets really busy." She explained.

"Is he so busy he forgets he's got a kid?" Vinnie asked, angrily, then stomping off to his room.

He slumped on his bed lying across it hands folded behind his head.

"That scumbag! I've had it up to here with his empty promises!" He thought.

Within a few minutes. There was a knock on his door.

"Vinnie, honey. Can I come in?" His mother asked.

"Yeah." He muttered.

She walked in and closed the door. Then sat on the edge of the bed next to him.

"Could you sit up? I need to talk to you."

He did as she asked till he was sitting next to her.

"First of all, I'm sorry I haven't been there for you lately. I want to make it up to you. I want to take you to get your first ear piercing."

Before Vinnie could protest, she held up her hand.

"I know it's Martian tradition for the father to do this, but I don't want you to feel like you're left out of anything because your father isn't here."

"Thanks, mom." Vinnie smiled gently.

"Hey, what are mothers for?" She grinned.

"To buy me a new bike, maybe!" He teased. His mom picked up his pillow throwing it at him. He ducked and chuckled. He then went towards his bedroom door.

"Psyche." He laughed.

"Oh, you!" She groaned, then laughed with him.

"Think I'll go for a ride. Be back soon." He told her.

"Don't stay out too late. School's tomorrow, you know. And no more skipping class."

He froze and turned around. The smile she had moments before became a frown. Somehow she knew he and Bones had skipped school today.

"Bones dropped off your bookbag. Inside was a crimsonberry. The only place they're found is on Olympus Mounds. This better not happen again, young man or you'll be in trouble, is that clear?"

"Crystal." He muttered.

"I'm so gonna neuter Bones when I see him!" He thought.

Right now, he needed to clear his head. A bike ride was what he needed. He got up and walked outside to an area off from the cave home he shared with his mother. Inside was his dirtbike. He got on and rode down the road.

He rode waving to other neighbors standing outside their cave homes. He soon saw a pretty blond Martian mouse girl in shorts and a loose blouse waving at him.

"Hi, Vinnie!"

"Oh, hey, Brittany." He replied, stopping to talk to the girl.

Brittany Danvers was the prettiest girl at school. He wanted to go out with her but never could work up the courage to ask. He always got nervous when talking to her. Not only that but she was dating the star quarterback and he knew it. But he was still drawn to her.

"Nice bike. Gimme a ride on it?" She asked.

"Sure." He said.

She climbed on behind him and they rode off.

They rode around happily enjoying each others company. They soon rode near Red Rim Pass.

"Having fun?" He shouted to her.

"A blast! I need to talk to my dad about getting my own bike!" She squealed.

"Hey, what's that?" He said, looking down from the pass. It looked like some kind of boot camp.

"Silly! Don't you know? Those are new recruits for the new Martian military. It's a training camp. General Stoker is running it." She replied.

"General Stoker? Cool! I heard he's a five star general plus he's fought in a number of wars and won lots of medals. He's a legend! Wish I could be a soldier like him." Vinnie mused, as he watched the young soldiers in training perform basic maneuvers on the make shift obstacle course.

"Dude, did I see you with Brittany the other day?" Bones asked him at school the next day.

"Just gave her a ride on my bike, that's all." He replied.

"Fine by me. Just hope Big Brett doesn't find out. You know she's his girl."

"And speaking of rides, my mom found out about me cutting class yesterday.

"Bummer."

"She pretty much told me I'd be in big trouble if it happened again. Hey, who're those guys?"

Vinnie pointed out two Martian Mice who just stepped into the hall. A tan mouse with dark sunglasses sauntered in followed by a large grey mouse. They got their trays and began walking to an empty table.

"Them? They just transferred here. They look like bikers."

"They're cool!"

"Hey, you, Van Wham!"

Vinnie looked up and then cringed. Big Brett and three of his jock friends came to their table rudely pushing Bones aside.

"Hey, what gives?" Bones cried out.

"Take a hike, string bean! I got a bone to pick with Casanova here." Brett told Bones, pointing his thumb at Vinnie.

"You take my girl for a ride yesterday?" He asked Vinnie.

Everyone in the cafeteria stopped talking and eating to look their way.

"And what if I did?" Vinnie asked him, without flinching.

Bones scowled and motioned for him to keep quiet. But Vinnie looked Brett full in the face.

"You got guts, Van Wham. I hate that."

"Too bad. You gotta pay the penalty!' He told him.

" Let's give him a wedgie, Brett!" One of the jocks said.

"No, I got a better idea. Let's give him a swirlie!"

The jocks laughed sadistically grabbing Vinnie and pushing him through the doors and into the boys bathroom. They went into the first stall. One jock pulled up the toilet seat. Brett pushed Vinnie's head into the toilet bowl then pulled him back. Smelly toilet water dripped off his face and fur.

"Now then, you gonna stay away from my girl?" Brett asked.

"You can't make me." Vinnie said.

"I can try!" Brett shouted, preparing to dunk him again.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Said a voice.

There standing in the doorway was the tan mouse with the sunglasses.

"Stay out of this, Four Eyes." One of the jocks said, trying to swing at him. The mouse dodged him. He then socked the jock in the groin knocking him to the ground.

"Who you calling Four Eyes?" He questioned.

"Get him!" Brett yelled at the other two. They went to approach them when the large grey mouse came behind the tan mouse. He looked angry and had his fists clenched.

"You guys are outnumbered. It's three against two." Brett told them.

"Wrong. It's three against three." Vinnie said, standing next to the tan and grey mouse.

The grey mouse clobbered two jocks by banging their heads together.

"Now it's three against one." He chuckled.

Brett turned as pale as a ghost and ran out followed by the three jocks who stumbled out. The three mice laughed as they watched them go.

"Thanks for the assist. Vinnie Van Wham's the name. Who are you?"

"I'm Throttle Thorneboy. Nice to know ya." The tan mouse replied.

"And I'm Modo Maverick. Likewise." The tall grey mouse said.

"Wow! That was awesome! Where'd you learn to fight like that?" Vinnie asked.

"Stoker taught us." Throttle replied, with a shrug.

"Really?"

"But I already knew some from family. Stoke knows everything: hunting, fishing, fighting."

"You think he could teach me?"

"You could ask him."

"Of course, Stoke thought I didn't have what it took to be a soldier." Vinnie remembered.

"That scrawny punk wouldn't even make private!" He spat out, after taking one look at me.

"Who're you calling scrawny, old timer?" I shouted.

He made him mad! General or no, he wasn't gonna push him around.

"C'mon, Stoke, give him a chance." Modo pleaded.

"He's got spunk. He can do this." Throttle joined in.

"I need real soldiers. Think you can beat my obstacle course?" He questioned me.

"Give me one day and i'll prove it to you!" I said.

Throttle and Modo looked at him like he was out of his gourd. But he knew he had to prove himself.

"Okay, you're on!"

It usually took new recruits at least a month to master Stoker's made up obstacle course. There was a sandpit you had to jump over, a climbing wall, and finally you had to beat him in a fight. Within an hour, he beat it.

"Not bad, punk."

"The name's Vinnie."

"Uh, Vinnie. You're a pretty good climber."

"Naturally."

Stoker then took up two wooden staffs. He handed one to Vinnie while he welded the other.

"Now, let's see if you fight as well as you talk." He replied, stepping on top of a big wooden log that was over a babbling brook, "Try to knock me into the water."

"Old mouse, you've met your match." Vinnie grinned, climbing up and facing Stoker.

"This is gonna be fun." Modo chuckled.

"Think we should warn him?" Throttle asked, smiling.

Other cadets stopped practicing maneuvers to watch.

Vinnie tried to come at him but Stoker was too fast for him. The experienced general ducked and tripped Vinnie's feet from under him knocking him into the water. Everyone laughed.

"Hey, no fair!" Vinnie said, spitting out water and climbing out of the brook. Water poured off of him. He was completely drenched.

"Shouldn't have called me old timer. I'm still young enough to whip your furry hide. Remember that."

"Fine. Quit calling me scrawny and we're even."

From that day forward, Vinnie became a member of Stoker command unit of soldiers alongside Throttle and Modo. The three boys became inseparable. Stoker became like a second father to the three boys. Vinnie never told his mom what he was doing. He knew she'd never approve. But he was able to convince his mom to let him and his two friends come with them for his first ear piercing.

"That looks good, bro." Throttle said.

Vinnie was at home glancing admiringly in the mirror at the gold hoop in his left ear.

"Mine hurt a bit when I first had it done. But it got better quickly." Modo said.

"My son, you're becoming a man mouse. My baby is growing up." His mother said, wiping away a tear.

"Aw, mom. Don't cry." Vinnie said, turning from the mirror to comfort his mom.

"I'm sorry. This is a happy occasion." She replied, drying her tears, then to Stoker,"Thank you for coming, General. It meant a lot to my son."

"The pleasure was all mine, Mrs. Van Wham. Vinnie didn't tell me had such a pretty mother."

"Why, thank you." She blushed, as he kissed her hand, "Come into the kitchen, everyone. I've made sandwiches, drinks, and scarlet berry muffins in honor of the occasion!"

Vinnie was about to go in when he saw his mom pull Stoker aside. He didn't know what was going on. But he could tell they were in a deep conversation.

"You and Stoker seem kinda close." Vinnie told his mom later that night when they were alone.

"What?" She asked, looking up from a large book, "Oh, no, dear. It's nothing like that. He knew your father a long time ago. We're just talking."

"Uh-huh. Ugh! Not that picture!" He frowned, pointing at what his mother was looking at in the book.

"Oh! Your baby picture? Oh, it's my favorite."

"Ugh! Get rid of that picture! I look hideous!" He frowned, making a face.

"Nonsense. You were just a little plump. Most babies are." She said, waving him away.

"I was a porker!" He snorted.

He'd always hated that embarrassing photo. Always wondered why she kept it. His mother once told him:

"Someday you'll be glad to have that picture."

"Don't bet on it." He thought.

Little did he know how right his mother would be.

Then the war between Mars and Plutark hit. The Fish Heads blocked all contact between Martian Mice soldiers and their families. Getting any letters and photos from immediate family to soldiers were of the greatest importance. His mother sent him the photo and he hid it deep in his wallet. Later he and his bros crashed on Earth and met Charley.

He forgot about it till Charley found it. She then showed it to Modo and Throttle. They at first laughed at it. But when Gorgonzola and Monsterella captured them preparing to eat them, Charley showed it to them knowing that laughter weakened them. They laughed so hard they shrunk down to size so that Throttle and Modo could take them out with one punch.

End Flashback..

Now his dad had arrived on Earth. But when?

"Where had he been all this time? Has he ever thought of me? " Vinnie thought to himself.

A gentle squeeze on his hand pulled him out of his thoughts. He looked down to see Charley standing next to him. Her hand on his arm.

"I'm sorry. I'll always be here for you, Vinnie." She told him, with a gentle smile.

"Thanks, Sweetheart." He replied, with an equally warm smile.