Chapter 11 Breakfast with Koopas

As we sat at the table in the restaurant, I kept my eyes as far away from the two koopas as humanly possible. My…blegh, "uncle" kept sending me concerned looks, almost as if he was just minutes away from asking me if I was alright and doing whatever he could to comfort me. I honestly don't know how to feel about that.

As for the koopa in the shades, he looked kind of scared. Whenever I happened to make eye contact with him, I could see his eyes shining with discomfort and goosebumps forming all up and down his arms.

Maybe that is just my imagination. My arms weren't exactly the smoothest looking at him either.

Doing my best to make sure my breathing rate doesn't reach hyperventilation levels, I take a sip of my Hoolumbian coffee. My eyes dart around the restaurant, not really paying attention to any one thing but trying to find something to lock attention onto. My thoughts dart back over to Mommy. Aunt Ruby said that she would report her missing while she's out today. I hope that is the case. I really hope that is the case.

"You okay, Albert?"

I do a double take at my uncle's voice. The concern in his eyes is stronger by at least tenfold. My stomach does a lurch. Sweat forms all over my body.

"I'm just fine," I say, practically spitting out the words. I avert my gaze, praying that I won't have to be on the receiving end of that red eyed stare much longer. He didn't turn away though, which made me bite my lip as my heartbeat sped up.

"You know, it'll be okay," Singe says. He smiles, the gesture probably meant to look reassuring. "Your mom probably didn't make it very far out of town."

I let out a breath. "I hope so." The sooner she was found, the sooner I got to go back on the tour around the Mushroom Kingdom, and the sooner I wouldn't have to spend time with these koopas. "Man, I hope so."

There was a silence at the table. The only sounds detectable were the chitter chatter of the other people in the diner talking or the clitter clatter of them eating. I send my gaze over to the door that leads to the kitchen. "Where in the Mushroom World is our food?"

Singe raises an eyebrow. "It's only been five minutes."

I shoot him a glare. "Five minutes too long."

Singe's eyebrows scrunch up as he gives me his own variation on a glare. "You know, you could have eaten and be full by now if you decided to eat what I made."

My stomach churns. If I had eaten his food. Food that was prepared by those razor sharp claws, claws that Mommy once told me were sharp enough to break skin. Food that was prepared by those hands, which Mommy says are coated in Salmonella causing germs. I tremble a little, my heartbeat speeding up at the thought of me dying in the hospital because of such an illness. That possibility in particular always freaked me out.

I sniff. "Like I would eat anything prepared by a Koopa."

Singe's glare becomes more concentrated. Right before he could say anything though, the shades wearing Koopa pipes up.

"You know," he says, "I went here last time I was on a date with Celia. The food is pretty much incredible."

He smiles, which causes me to inadvertently whimper. Those…those teeth. Why are they so sharp? They look like they could tear through flesh!

"Good…good to hear." I partially consider making my way to bathroom, but I would never stoop so low as to enter through the door of a public restroom. Mommy says that those places don't get cleaned.

Although, the sight of the Koopa's animalistic teeth is very close to making me say "screw it" and leave anyway. Combined with the claws, they make Koopas look like creatures that will haunt my nightmares. Creatures that had haunted my nightmares.

The shades wearing Koopa must have noticed my whimper, because he pulls back a little and sends me a look of concern. "What's wrong, dude?"

I shake. I don't know if the Koopas can see it, but I am definitely shaking. "I.." I take a deep breath and let out slowly. "Nothing. Everything's okay." You know, aside from the fact that I am in the company of two giant turtle monsters without Mommy here to protect me.

Oh man, I miss Mommy. I don't know where she is, what's she's doing, or who she's doing it with. I can't believe that she just went missing the way she did.

As if the universe sensed my distress and decided to send something to ease it, the waiter came out with our food. I sighed in relief as they set my waffle in front of me. My nose wrinkles, however, when I noticed something was missing.

"Hey," I told the waiter. "Where's my whipped cream?"

The waiter blinked. "You…you didn't ask for whipped cream."

"Because it's implied to come with the meal." I stare right into the waiter's eyes. "Is the service in this place always this garbage?"

The waiter's jaw dropped, hanging on by a loose thread for a little bit. But then, he smiles. "I'm sorry young man. I'll go get your whipped cream." He picked up my waffle and took it back to the kitchen.

I sigh in relief. "Thank Grambi." I laugh as I looked into the eyes of my uncle. "That guy needs to learn that the customer is always right."

Singe's mouth curves in the strangest of patterns. The shades wearing Koopaling (who I decided from that point on I would call Shady), cleared his throat.

"You know, he's probably going to sneeze on your waffle, right?"

I blinked before laughing. "What? That's insane! Waiters don't do that." I pause. "Right?"

Both Koopas nod their heads. My heart beat picks up.

"They do?" I gawk at the door to the kitchen. "Why that little…" I try getting up, but Shady grabs hold of my wrist.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, dude," he said. "The waiter probably doesn't want to be yelled at twice."

My heart skips a beat. He's…touching me. He's touching me! My breathing rate speeds up. My blood freezes in its tracks. Time itself comes to a halt until the only thing that I'm aware of is Shady's hand gripping my wrist.

He's gonna kill me, I think. My mind goes back to the night we all played that card game, how he almost punched my lights out. He's gonna kill me! I tremble, the thought of being beaten up and then torn apart by this type of reptilian turtle person making me want to scream. I want to scream, cry, and fall into Mommy's arms while she comforts me and tells me everything will be okay.

Thankfully, and to my immense relief, Shady lets go. He doesn't say anything, just looks at me with a furrowed brow. He must have noticed my fright. At least that's the hope; there's also the possibility that there's another reason he let go, a much worse and more frightening reason. However, part of me is willing to bet that the concern he's showing is because he noticed how scared I was.

I lower myself into my seat. Mommy always told me Koopas were the worst. I wish she was here right now instead of these two Koopas, one of whom by technicality of marriage is my uncle. I really hope she's found soon.

"Hey."

I blink and look into Shady's eyes. He slides his veggie and cheese omelet closer to me.

"Just in case your waffle is ruined, do you want to share breakfast with me."

I blink again. What? Was this really happening? Mommy always said Koopas are bloodthirsty, Princess kidnapping monsters. Yet, one was willing to share his food with me? I…I should say no, right?

Growl.

I sigh. My stomach certainly isn't going to allow me to say no. So, I pick up my fork and start taking bites of the closest side of Shady's food.

"T…thanks."

"Any time bro," Shady says as he takes a bite too.

Singe gives me a warm look after taking a bite of his own breakfast. "Say, since you were on a tour of the Mushroom Kingdom before, what do you say we give you a tour of the town?"

My stomach lurches again. However, part of me is afraid of what will happen if I say no, so I nod my head.

"Okay."