"Are we in position?"
"Yeah."
"Huh?"
"Go back to bed, Private."
"No way, Barry!"
"Come on, guys, you said you'd help me." Kenny complained.
"I didn't count on not being able to sleep until one in the morning" Private said.
The three of them were currently waiting for Kowalski to come out of the room. They were trying to convince Kowalski to join the swim team. Kenny was sure that if Skipper and Rico were to support it, Kowalski would agree. Skipper had been told about the mission that morning and thought it would be a good idea for Kowalski to do it.
"What are you three doing?" Kowalski asked once he had opened the door. "I thought you were on your way to the gym."
"Yes, but we want to talk about something important." Barry said. "It concerns you."
"Okay, what is it?"
"An intervention." Skipper said. He had approached from behind with Rico. "You are in love and have avoided confrontation."
"Are you talking about Doris?" Kowalski mumbled.
"Oh no, we mean your affinity with the water."
"Come again?"
"We think you should join the swim team." Private said. "Kenny thinks you're a really great swimmer and we think it'll be a great way to meet new people."
"And not be married to your computer screen." Skipper added. "Don't worry about the shirt thing, we've seen special swim shirts for you to wear. Kenny told us."
Kowalski sent a confused look at his brother.
"So you don't get sunburned." Barry said.
"Right…I don't know."
"Next week is when they hold tryouts for swim team, then by Thanksgiving, they tell you if you made it or not." Kenny said. "I looked it up. This week is also elections for class representative. You can do both."
"Can't I just recover from last night? I had a crazy time."
"You sat, talked to Marlene, drank a cup of punch and called it a night." Skipper said bluntly.
"I didn't feel like dancing."
"You didn't even eat dinner here."
Kowalski shook his head. "I know what you're trying to do, but I don't think I can be on the team. Honestly, why take away from my studies to do something as-"
"Simon's on the swim team at his school." Barry said. "I do my research." He added in response to the stunned looks from the others.
"I will not be put against that ignoramus." Kowalski growled.
"Then beat him." Kenny said. "Come on, you've loved swimming since we came here. I barely know how to swim, but you got the hang of it right away. Please big bro? Pretty please with Doris on top."
Kowalski blushed. "Er…"
"Doris likes swimmers." Barry said.
"S-she does?"
"Oh yeah, she told me a long time ago." Skipper said. "Are you convinced or do we have to do anything?"
"Tell us why you can't go back to Denmark." Kowalski said with a sly grin.
Skipper's smile slid off and he stiffened.
"Why can't you go to Denmark?" Private asked.
"Classified."
"Tell us!"
"Yes, please to be telling us."
The boys turned to see Julien standing there.
Skipper was about to ask what he was doing, but stopped at the sight of Julien's clothes.
Julien was wearing a very bright orange shirt and a green and purple striped pair of pants. His shoes were bright yellow and his socks were neon blue. His crown, surprisingly, was the only thing that looked normal.
"You like?" He asked, thinking they were too amazed to speak.
In reality, they were too stunned by the mess that plopped itself out of room 4Q.
"I'm sorry; I didn't hear you because that outfit is too loud." Barry said.
"Did a clown throw up on you?" Skipper asked.
"It doesn't need to, he is a clown." Kenny said.
"Good golly, what are you wearing?" Kowalski groaned.
Julien narrowed his eyes. "Well, what about you?" He snapped at Private. "You got anything to say, pal?"
"Well, my parents always told me 'if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all'." Private responded.
"Yeah, and?"
"I'm not saying anything about your outward appearance."
"Hey, I only came because I heard you peoples talking over here. What is going on, my friends?"
"I can't do this anymore!" Barry yelled. "My eyes are burning…" He ran to the elevator.
"Yeah, suddenly I don't feel good." Kenny said, backing up.
"Oh dear, we better go talk to Alice about this." Private said.
"Oh fine, leave! See if I care…" Julien huffed.
"I-uh… I forgot something in my room." Kowalski said as he disappeared back into the room.
"I'll help him." Skipper said, slipping inside.
Once the door closed, Julien thought he heard a muffled laugh.
"How rude!" Julien scoffed.
It hit him a few minutes later that he was in the hallway with no one around…except for Rico. Rico was still trying to absorb the brightness of Julien's loud outfit and hadn't had the opportunity to escape.
Julien grinned nervously and began to back up towards his room.
"Sorry, I just don't want to be seen with someone like you."
Rico burst out laughing which caused Julien to look around frantically. He thought Julien had some nerve to say that when he was wearing such a ridiculous outfit.
"HELP ME! HE IS LAUGING LIKE A PSYCHO!" Julien screamed, darting past Rico to the elevator.
"HELP M- AAH!" He nearly crashed into Marlene.
"What is wrong with you?"
"Marlene, you gots to help me." Julien said. "I can make it worth your while."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Marlene said, taking a step back from Julien. "Did angry clowns demand their clothes back?"
"Don't be silly, Marlene, I am the king and everyone respects me."
Marlene laughed. "Might want to double check that. Hi Rico!"
Julien whipped around. "Demon!" He yelled. "Be getting away from me! I bet everything is true, you killed your mom and turned the school into your own demolition place. It's all your fault nobody likes a frea-OUCH!"
Julien had backed right into the elevator which had opened and the force of his body sent him falling down to the floor of the elevator.
Marlene and Rico laughed.
"Hey Rico, Julien has a red mask on." Marlene said.
Julien's face had grown red in anger. He sprung up and punched the buttons. Marlene and Rico slipped inside before the doors could close.
"So, you're into art?" Marlene asked, completely ignoring Julian's whimpers.
Rico nodded. "You?"
"Mmm, sort of. I like art, but I'm terrible at drawing. I've been told that I'm pretty creative, but if I have to illustrate my ideas…well, I think I'm better off explaining them." Marlene said.
"Anything?"
"Am I good at anything? Well, I think I'm a pretty good at debating, but I have a little stage fright."
"You in play?"
"Well yes, that was when I was eleven and it ended horribly…well, the ending was salvaged, but I wasn't the best. I kept forgetting my lines and it was a musical, my voice was horrible. I'm better when no one can see me."
"Not me." Rico said.
"That is completely true, it sounds like a frog with Lobsteritus." Julien chuckled.
"Okay first, it's Laryngitis. Second, everyone has their own differing qualities and shouldn't be judged based solely on the bad ones. Third, no one asked you so remove your giant ego from the pedestal you call your 'Kingdom' and get a reality check." Marlene said furiously.
"Question, do you mind defining a word for me?" Julien asked nervously.
"What?"
"The following words I do not understand: differing, qualities, based, solely, pedestal, and reality check."
"Idiot."
"I understand that word."
"Good, so you know it defines you."
"That's not nice."
Rico and Marlene gave Julien blank stares. They exited the elevator without another word to Julien.
"Don't be rude!" Julien yelled.
"Uh-oh, looks like someone's in trouble." Marlene said.
"-don't even know what you were thinking, do you?" Alice was saying angrily.
"But I just forgot something and I had to go back for it." Private said.
"I don't care! My rule was return by midnight or prepare to be told off."
"I did come back before midnight, I think it was ten or something."
"YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO LEAVE AFTER THAT! WHAT IF YOU GOT HURT? THEN I'D BE IN TROUBLE FOR NOT WATCHING YOU!"
"But I'm perfectly fine! Not a scratch on me at all."
"Come on, Alice, let him go." Kenny said. "He was just trying to stay out of trouble."
"I saw him." Marlene said. "In fact, I'm the one who told him I'd wait in the elevator for him and if he didn't return by the time Rico and Skipper did, then I'd look for him. He told me exactly where he was going and he returned where I was waiting for him."
"Yeah." Rico said.
"I was only a few seconds later than them." Private said.
"Fine." Alice huffed. "But be warned, Alvin, this behavior will not go unpunished in the future so watch yourselves. How you snuck by me, I'll never know." She grumbled as she walked away.
"Easy, look at the lady asleep at the front desk." Barry said. "Talk about not paying attention."
"Thanks Marlene, I owe you one." Private said.
"Hello," A boy said, walking up to him. "I don't think we formally met, I'm Hans Riber."
"Er, hello." Private said. He shook hands with the older boy. "I'm Private. Not to be rude or anything, but Skipper doesn't seem too fond of you."
"Skipper? Why, he's my best frenemy!" Hans stated proudly.
"More like most wanted enemy." Skipper's voice growled. He stepped off the elevator with Kowalski.
"Ah, Skipper, still can't get over Denmark, can you?"
"It. Was. Completely. YOUR FAULT!" Skipper barked.
"Aw, come on, I was just testing you." Hans said. "You just don't know how to respond to a good joke without the violence."
"And you just don't know when to keep your mouth shut to avoid taking it too far."
"It wasn't that bad."
"WHAT?!"
"No one died! Just a few people got hurt."
"Yeah, one of those people was THE PRIME MINISTER!"
"Oh yeah…"
"He made it quite clear that he never wants to see us in Copenhagen ever again. They put out a national warning on both of us, plus it was on the news."
"That's not too bad…"
"It was broadcast GLOBALLY, you idiot! They just didn't put our names or photos because we're minors."
"So they don't know what we look like."
"THE ENTIRE CITY KNOWS BECAUSE THE ENTIRE CITY SAW IT!"
"STOP ARGUING!" Alice yelled, stomping over to them. "Everyone else, move it."
No one needed telling twice. Hans flashed an innocent smile and left while everyone else went about their business. Skipper, Barry, and Private were about to leave when Alice stopped them.
"Barry, your sister called the front desk looking for you. You should give her your cell phone number so I don't have to deal with it." she said, before walking away again.
Barry scowled. "Why didn't she tell me? I was standing right here."
"Alice is a mystery." Skipper said. "By the way, I don't think your mother knows about Alexis."
"It's going to stay that way." Barry said.
"He knows?" Private asked.
"I know Barry's in a foster home." Skipper said.
"How-?"
"Let's say that I know a lot of things…some I should know, and some I probably shouldn't. And to warn you now, the Denmark incident is highly classified. You cannot ask me or my brothers or my sister or my parents. Mostly because they'd like to forget it too."
"Aw, fine." Barry said.
"Yes, sir." Private said. "Why do I feel like everyone I meet is hiding something?"
Barry shrugged.
"GUYS!" Kenny said, "Guess what? Kowalski said he'd join the swim team!"
"Great!" Barry said. "Now what?"
"We go to the gym like we were going to do in the first place." Private responded. "I could use a good workout."
And so the boys were on their way to having a great day…or as great as they could make it while Private was still with them.
A/N: I feel that this was more of a filler chapter. Hopefully I can clear everything and get going! I do have ideas, but I need to pass time in this story…
I will NOT abandon this story. It just takes me longer…especially now since I just realized I'm trying to write six different stories at once… I'm ultra busy with school…and another is worming it's way into my head…Is there any way to ki- I mean get rid of plot bunnies?
PS: For followers of Camaraderie, We Are The Penguins, and/or Luna's Digital Adventure. I realize that the character name of Izzy is used in all three stories. Sorry for any confusion.
Remember that Izzy in Camaraderie/We Are The Penguins is the same character (and my OC); a goofball with a heart of gold or something stupid like that...Izzy in Luna's Digital Adventure is Koushiro Izumi, a canon character.
In this story, Izzy has light brown hair as opposed to Izzy Izumi's dark red.
