Chapter 13 - Opportunity knocks
After an eventful evening full of surprises and accomplishments, Yakko felt absolutely exhausted. He, along with the rest of the kids who volunteered to perform tonight, had loaded onto the shuttle bus that would drive them back home. It was well past nine o'clock by now, and it was needless to say that he was ready to slip out of these uncomfortable clothes and into cozy pajamas. All this excitement had tired him out, and he now desired getting into his bed and going to sleep.
Letting out a soft yawn, Yakko stared out the window, watching as the bus zipped through the city streets that made up Burbank. His brother and sister were sitting on opposite sides of his body. They were leaning their heads against his shoulder, snoring into his arms. Yakko had wrapped an arm around each of them, holding onto them tightly so they wouldn't fall over. He found it funny how quickly Wakko and Dot were falling asleep; they practically passed out the moment they sat down in their seats. While Yakko was pooped from his performance, he still had enough energy left in him to keep awake the whole ride home.
He used this rare moment of silence to reflect on all of the events that had led up to tonight. Hours upon hours of practicing his toon abilities, strengthening his skills, following everything by the book. He didn't know what he would do without those books. Ever since Jake had gotten him invested in those toonology books, it was like he became a whole new toon. There were times where he and Jake would skim through those books together, trying to mimic every trick that they came across, leading to catastrophic but hilarious results.
Oh…right, Remembered Yakko. A frown started to emerge. Jake isn't here anymore.
It just came out of nowhere. He wasn't ready for this to happen, at least not today. He knew in the back of his mind that this day would come, that one day, his best friend would be adopted by a family who was willing to take care of him. And that's not to say that Yakko wasn't happy for his friend after finding the family that he deserved; it's an orphans dream to be adopted. But he sure wished that Jake could have been here with him tonight, performing alongside him. No doubt It would have been amazing if they would've been able to do it all together, that they could have shared this memory that they could cherish for the rest of their lives.
Yakko was no fortune teller, but he knew for certain that the chances of him getting another opportunity to perform again were little to none.
But what if Jake hadn't left yet? What if Jake was still here? The fox has so much stuff in his room: his comic books, his action figures, the Star Wars poster that hung over his bed, and that enormous pile of laundry that Wakko used to rummage through for dirty socks. Surely he wouldn't be able to fit everything into one tiny little backpack. Surely he would need a lot more time to pack up all his belongings before he hit the road…
Yes..yeah, that sounds right to me, Yakko thought hopefully. It kind of sounded plausible in the moment, and he desperately wanted to believe it to be true. But what if it wasn't? It's a lot more likely that Jake would have already left by now, long after Yakko and his sibs had gone off to the talent show. Yakko couldn't be too sure.
Ten minutes later, the bus had started to slow down. Yakko could see out his window that the bus was pulling over to the side of the road, right in front of the foster home. As the bus screeched to a halt, that desperate feeling grew inside him. Yakko was aching to know whether or not Jake was still here. Even if he wasn't, he still wanted to know the answer. He shook the thought out of his head, though, not wanting to rile himself up over the subject, and instead fixed his attention on his siblings.
"Wake up, sibs," he whispered in their ears, "We're home."
He gently shook his siblings with a light amount of force. Wakko groaned, his eyes were starting to open, and he was rubbing them profusely. Dot, meanwhile, remained latched onto his shoulder, still in a deep trance of sleep. Guess I'm carrying her in, he thought as he swung his sister over his shoulder, tightly gripping onto her waist.
As soon as the red stop sign started flashing its lights, Yakko grabbed his brother's hand, while simultaneously carrying Dot, and started leading him off the bus. All of the children had gotten up at the same time and had formed a long line in the middle of the aisle. Luckily, Yakko was sitting up towards the front of the bus, so he had an easier time getting off the bus than the other kids did. Looking back to make sure his brother was still following him, Yakko shuffled past the bus driver and carefully stepped down onto the sidewalk.
"Watch your step," he told Wakko, assisting his brother in climbing down the short flight of stairs, advising him to hold onto the bus' railing.
Once Wakko was safely off the bus, Yakko started walking towards the foster center. Mrs. Rentman was already standing by the doors waiting for him, her smile as big as ever. Yakko smiled back, knowing how pleased the caretaker was with him regarding his performance tonight.
"Congrats, Yakko," she said as she grabbed the door for him.
"Thank you," Yakko nodded in gratitude as he and Wakko made their way inside.
When Yakko stepped into the lobby, he was struck with a feeling of familiarity. He was home again. He was no longer a star out on stage; he was back to being an orphan. It was fun while it lasted, but after taking so many risks over the past two weeks, he was glad to be back in his comfort zone.
Rachel was sitting at the front desk where Mrs. Rentman usually sat. She had opted to stay back at the foster center so that she could attend to the handful of kids who decided to skip out on the show and stay here. Her eyes glanced up from the newspaper she was reading, copying Mrs. Rentman's mannerisms to a tea. A smile landed upon her eyes when she caught sight of Yakko.
"How did it go?" She asked.
"It went great!" Yakko said, approaching the caretaker, "Everyone loved my performance."
"I'm glad to hear that, Yakko. I knew you would do well," Rachel praised. She focused her gaze on Dot, who was fast asleep in his arms. "I can see that you're all exhausted."
"Yeah," admitted Yakko, "I'm ready to sleep."
"Me too," Wakko drawled. The child let out a loud yawn, his eyes becoming heavy. "I'm sleepy."
Now that he mentioned it, Yakko was starting to feel more exhausted than he was before. Sometimes, he would have a hard time falling asleep. His body would still feel awake enough for him to stay up as late as one in the morning. But he had done more than enough for one day, and he knew that he would have no trouble at all in falling asleep.
"Well, you all get a good night's sleep, alright?"
"Alright," Yakko sighed. He tightened his grasp around Wakko's hand as he started leading him towards the stairwell. He took one last look at the caretaker and said: "G'night, Rachel."
May 3, 1990
Yakko was in Jake's bedroom. The fox had sat down next to Yakko, and had put an arm around his shoulder. Jake was holding a binder in his lap, flipping through each page. He was showing Yakko his collection of Looney Tunes trading cards that a friend had given him.
"Pretty cool, huh?" Jake cocked an eyebrow at Yakko, a playful smirk on his face.
But Yakko didn't respond. He just sat there admiring the colorful cards that were neatly tucked in the pocket sleeves of the binder. He knew that Jake was a fan of the Looney Tunes, but he never knew that the fox had a collection that ran this deep. He remembered asking Jake if he had any Bugs Bunny merchandise. His small query inspired Jake to show off his entire collection, which is how they got to the point they are now.
Jake had claimed previously that his trading card collection was small, but by the look of it, Yakko had to disagree. If the fox had so many cards that he needed a binder to hold all of it, then that's proof that he owns much more than just a puny stack of cards.
And boy, did the fox have quite the collection going for him. He owned Bugs Bunny cards, Daffy Duck cards, and a good amount of baseball cards, too. As Yakko watched his friend flip through the pages of his binder, his eyes suddenly fell upon a certain card of a cartoon character he was not familiar with.
"Who's that?" Yakko asked, pointing at the page in the binder.
Jake was about to flip the page when he stopped suddenly. He looked at Yakko, then his eyes shifted towards where Yakko was pointing his finger. The particular card was of a grayish squirrel, who wore a green hat on her head, and was holding a pink purse around her arm.
"Oh, her? That's Slappy."
Yakko made a face. "Slappy? Uuuhh…I don't know about you, Jake, but I don't think she's from the Looney Tunes."
"She is," Jake confirmed, "I've seen a couple of cartoons of her a long time ago. I remember reading somewhere that she was unpopular with audiences, so WB didn't make many cartoons of her."
"Weird," replied Yakko, studying the image of the cartoon squirrel, "I dunno why, but she looks kinda old."
Jake chuckled. "I mean, she probably is old now. Her cartoons were made a long time ago."
"I heard that old people are cranky."
"They are," agreed Jake, touching his knee, "She's probably the crankiest of creatures in the whole wide world."
"I bet."
Jake and Yakko laughed as they continued to joke about Slappy. They both found great humor in the thought of an old, grumpy, squirrel who was cynical to everything and everyone around her.
It felt good to laugh.
Yakko's eyes blinked open, his brain returning to reality. He felt dazed for a moment, as his mind had to register the fact that he was just sleeping and had woken up. But he soon came to the sad realization that he was dreaming, dreaming of a time not too long ago, a time where Jake was still with him.
It only hurt more when he remembered that this was the first night he was sleeping in the fox's absence.
His body waking up more, Yakko sat up in his bed. He turned to his left and gazed at the bunk beds where his siblings slept peacefully. Of course, the room was nearly pitch black, with only a dim light from a streetlamp outside seeping through the curtains, so it was difficult to make out the silhouette of his sibs. But he wasn't worried about them. Both Wakko and Dot blacked out the moment their heads touched their pillows. Yakko too had a trivially easy time falling asleep.
Which is why Yakko found it quite strange that he still managed to wake up early. Looking out his bedroom window, he saw that the sky was still clearly dark. His siblings were still snoring away in their beds, and they'd probably sleep in until nine o'clock, per usual. Yakko could easily just lay back down in his bed, throw the covers over his body and go back to sleep…
..But he didn't.
Instead, he got out of bed and started tip-toeing across his bedroom. He was being as silent as possible, so as not to accidentally wake his siblings up. Luckily, Wakko was usually a heavy sleeper, and so was Dot to a degree. Still, waking his siblings up from their slumber would inevitably lead to disaster – Dot in particular is a living hurricane whenever she's accidently woken up in the early dawn hours.
Yakko reached his arm out, trying to locate the doorknob. His fingers eventually felt where it was and latched onto the handle. Turning the knob slowly, he creaked the door open just a smidge. Afterwards, Yakko slipped through the thin crack in the door using a squash and stretch technique that he learned in one of his toonology books.
Once his whole body had emerged into the hallway, Yakko began to walk at a more moderate pace. The hall was dimly lit, but he had more of a visual range than he did in his bedroom. He looked up at a digital clock attached to the ceiling, reading 5:13 AM. It wasn't as early as Yakko had originally thought it to be, but it was still early enough that he was the only child currently awake at this moment. But he didn't mind. In fact, the ambience of fluorescent lights proved to be quite peaceful. In a weird way, Yakko has sort of become attached to the noise throughout his many nightly ventures.
He trudged down the hall, passing the several doors that were aligned across the hall where children slept inside their bedrooms peacefully. It was astounding to Yakko just how many kids inhabited this place. So many kids who were floating in the same boat as he was, forced into the same horrible living situation that no kid ever wanted to get stuck in. Ultimately, there were two ways an orphan could get out of foster care: be adopted, or wait until they're eighteen to be dismissed. Of course, the former option sounded much better to Yakko, but only time could tell which path he would end up going down.
After passing several doors, Yakko approached one particular door to his left. The door was cracked open just slightly, the lights had been turned off inside. When a door was open like this, it indicated an empty room, a room that did not have a child inhabiting it. There were several vacant bedrooms like this scattered throughout the foster home; the center was never fully occupied. But this bedroom, just down the hall from his own, stood out to Yakko much more than the rest.
It used to be Jake's room.
I was just in here last night, Yakko remembered, sadly. Right before I left for the talent show, I had to say goodbye to my best friend. Jake had been adopted. He had left me. How I wish I had known about it sooner. It happened too fast…
Yakko creaked the door open and quietly crept into Jake's bedroom. He flipped on the light switch and gasped. As expected, his bedroom was completely empty. Jake's bedsheets and pillow cases have been stripped, and his laundry basket emptied. The Star Wars poster that once hung over his bed was taken down, leaving an imprint on the wall. His football, his action figures, his comic books had been taken off his bookshelf. Even that creepy clown costume, the one that Jake had used to scare him and his siblings, was absent. All that was left of the room were dust bunnies that infested the floor, and a room that felt deprived of life.
It was bizarre seeing his friend's room like this. Yakko could barely comprehend that what he was seeing was real, that this was the current state of Jake's bedroom. All the memories that he and the fox had made in this bedroom, all the laughs, the tears, and hugs that had happened here. Seeing Jake's room empty was another painful reminder to Yakko that his friend was gone from his life.
Yakko felt a tear start to form in his eye. For the first time in ages, he felt alone. He remembered all of the times that Jake had brought him up when he was feeling down, making him smile, wiping his tears away. He was the first person who approached him with open arms, during a time where Yakko was at his lowest point. He didn't know how he would have survived living here without Jake. Now that he was gone from his life, Yakko was back to being alone.
He still had Mrs. Rentman, and Rachel. They were kind to him thus far, and were his favorite caretakers of the facility. But still, Yakko wouldn't consider them his 'best friends' in the same way he did with Jake. The fox was much younger than they were, and thus, Yakko was able to connect with him on a much more personal scale. They were both orphans, so they shared the same feeling of dread that came with those circumstances. But what made Jake special was that he knew how to overcome those circumstances. He knew how to make the best of a bad situation, and he always kept an open mind no matter what.
Yakko didn't know if he could ever find someone who shared the same qualities as the fox did. He wasn't sure if he would ever find a new best friend as good as his old one.
Probably not. His eyes winced at the thought. I guess I'm on my own again. It'll be just me and my sibs, just the way things used to be.
With a pathetic sigh, Yakko took one last glance at his friend's empty bedroom as he made his way towards the door. But as he was about to leave, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. It looked like something was attached to the back of the door. Yakko tilted his head behind the door and, upon further inspection, he saw a piece of paper taped to the door. Curious, Yakko tore the paper off the door and held it close to his face. His eyes widened when he noticed there was handwriting on the paper.
It was a message from Jake.
Dear friend
I have a feeling you might not ever find this, as the cleaning ladies have probably already found it and tossed it into the garbage. But if you are reading this by chance, I want to let you know just how proud I am of you. You have worked so hard leading up to tonight, and I bet everybody and their mother loved your performance. And while I was not there to see you and your siblings in action, I bet you kicked butt!
I know that I'm not going to be there by your side as you continue to grow and change as not just a toon but as an individual, but know that this fox is proud of everything you do. I knew that you were good at your skills, but man oh man, are you good! Those toonology books really did you justice.
Also, while we're on the subject, please keep that toonology book with you. It's the toon tips and tricks book, the one I gave you when we first met. I have a feeling you already know how special that book is to both you and me, but just remember that book was my first toonology book as well as yours. Wherever you go, keep it with you to remember me by. Who knows? Maybe you'll give it to your children.
There's not much else I have to say. Just remember that Jake is still your friend, and it will always stay that way even when we're apart.
Sincerely,
You know who.
Yakko felt tears well up in his eyes. He didn't know that he needed this sort of pep talk to reassure him about this debacle, but for a moment there, he really felt like Jake was talking directly to his head. He could hear the fox's voice so distinctly in his mind. It was as if the fox was right there by his side for a brief moment. As soon as Yakko started to feel warmth in his heart, he was reminded once again that Jake was not present with him right now. He had a new home now, somewhere else much farther away.
To think that all that was left was this one note left behind the door. It was the one peice that connected his friend's caring words with reality. It was the reassurance that Yakko desperately needed to remind him to never give up hope during the most undesirable time of his life. A single tear rolled down his cheek as Yakko tucked the paper into his hammerspace. I'll read this to my siblings when they wake up. He promised himself. I can lie and tell them that Jake gave it to me last night before the talent show, and I simply forgot about it in the excitement of the moment.
As he was thinking all of this over, a fierce growl bubbled in Yakko's stomach. It was only then that he realized that he hadn't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon. He had originally planned on fixing himself a quick peanut butter and jelly sandwich before he went to bed, but he was so exhausted from the show that sleepiness overridden his hunger.
"I'm sure I have snacks here somewhere," Yakko whispered to himself, as he started digging through his hammerspace for food.
He used his hammerspace to create a single orange for himself. Yakko quickly peeled apart the skin before shoving the entire orange into his mouth. Usually, he would take his time when eating, but he was so hungry right now that he didn't care if he was eating like a wild animal.
He patted his stomach. He felt much better after eating something. After he had satisfied his hunger, Yakko felt it was a good time to slip out of here before Mrs. Rentman or whoever catches him snooping. He knew he wouldn't get badly punished if he were caught standing in Jake's empty bedroom, but it was usually against the rules for anybody but the janitors to be in here. Yakko would never forgive himself if he were to get busted for breaking the rules.
With a sad sigh, Yakko lumbered out of Jake's vacant bedroom. He took one last glance at the room, staring for almost a full ten seconds, before finally closing the door, leaving it cracked open just slightly. Nobody will ever know that I was in here, Yakko told himself, rather uncertain, Everyone…except me.
Two weeks passed since the talent show, and Yakko had settled back into his normal routine. In the late afternoon, Yakko found himself sitting on his bed, rereading one of his toonology books out of sheer boredom.
Most toon experts carry around what they like to call they're "funny weapons' sack". These portable arsenals usually take the form of a large potato sack that is stored inside of a toons' hammerspace. Many cartoon stars in the industry use these sacks to store their weapons of tomfoolery: bombs, pies, and the ever-useful oversized mallet. The funny weapons' sack allows a toon to store twice as many items in their hammerspace, making it easier to locate funny weapons that they can then use on their special friends.
Yakko was reading about stuff that he already knew before, but he still found himself locked in with the pages of the book. He has read all these books many times over, yet he still comes out knowing just a little more with each reread. In a way, Yakko has been teaching himself the inner workings of his own body. He still remembers when his aunt would teach him about using his hammerspace every time he went over to her house. Now that he had access to so many books at his own fingertips, he could rely on himself for learning about the physics and techniques that came with being a toon.
But he did occasionally miss those Sunday visits to his aunt's house from time to time. As bad as times were then, visiting his aunt on the weekends was usually the highlight of his week. Yakko remembered how much he dreaded having to do arithmetic and writing practice with her, how much he wanted it to be over with. He chuckled at the memory, because it was nothing but at this point. If he were to have somehow known then that he would someday be separated from his family, he probably would have enjoyed those visits just a little more than he did.
All of a sudden, a frown swept upon Yakko's face. He had been reminiscing about the past a lot more lately; Jake's departure served as a reminder of how much has changed over the last two years. It seemed like just yesterday that Yakko was babysitting his baby siblings in that crummy old apartment, his parent's nowhere in sight. He was only coming to realize now just how neglected he was by his own parents. They were never there for him when he felt sad, or scared, or anxious. They would slap him if he ever dared to misbehave or disobeyed their orders. Yakko was suppressed from ever having a say in his household.
But under all of that sludge, under a boatload of bad memories and bad emotions of living in his old household, there were some good memories he had with his parents. He remembers vaguely a time where they were there for him, where they comforted him, where they didn't hit him for misbehaving.
To this day, Yakko will never understand why his mother decided to get rid of him, Wakko, and Dot. It was clear to him that he was no longer loved by his parents, but Yakko had never imagined that they would ever do such a horrible thing.
Yakko had a sick feeling in his stomach that it was all his fault.
The door to his room opened suddenly, causing Yakko to snap out of his thinking. Wakko and Dot had just gotten back from playing outside on the playground. He assumed that his siblings also took a quick stop at the cafeteria, as Wakko was holding a half-eaten roast beef sandwich in his hand.
"Hi, sibs!" Yakko greeted them warmly. Placing his book on his lap, he gestured to his siblings to come over by him. Wakko and Dot trotted towards him, sitting on either side of him. "Did you enjoy playing outside?"
Dot nodded. "Uh huh! Me and Wakko went on the swings, the monkey bars; we even played tag with some other kids."
"That's good," replied Yakko, approvingly. He felt relieved knowing that his brother and sister were socializing with other kids their age.
"And Mr. Davis made me a roast beef sandwich," added Wakko, holding up said sandwich for emphasis. "He's so nice."
"Are you sure you didn't want Mrs. Bologna to make you a free sandwich instead?" Joked Yakko. This got a laugh out of both his siblings.
"No!" Wakko giggled, then took a bite of his sandwich, "She's an old crab pot!"
"You're absolutely right about that, baby bro!" Agreed Yakko, ruffling his brother's head. Usually, he would disapprove of Wakko for name calling, but he was going to make an exception this time, only because the subject here was Mrs. Bologna, who has become quite the inside joke with his sibs.
"I don't like Mrs. Bologna," Dot comments, "She looks like a witch."
"Like the wicked witch of the south." Yakko remarked. He then leaned his head closer towards his siblings. "Don't tell Mrs. Rentman I said this, but I'm glad that the old hag of a lunch lady got fired."
"Me too," Wakko and Dot concurred in unison.
"Now we have Mr. Davis. He's so much nicer than the crab pot was," Wakko states, taking another large chomp of his roast beef sandwich.
Yakko could only laugh at that statement from his proud younger brother. It felt good to laugh after feeling so dreary as of late.
"So, Yakko," his sister started once the laughter had died down, "What have you been up to?"
Yakko shrugged nonchalantly. "Eh, Nothing much. Just reading a book."
Dot leaned her head in and gazed at the book that was sitting on her brother's lap. She cocked an eyebrow when she noticed that Yakko had been reading one of the books that Jake had given to him. Her gaze then returned to her older brother.
"You've been thinking about him again. Haven't you?"
Yakko's eyes grew wide at his sister's query. He had to admit it; Dot was pretty smart for a five year old, able to pick up on even the most subtle of details and put the pieces together. I wonder if she gets that from me, he thought.
He had found himself reading a lot more of his toonology books lately since the day of the talent show. He was in a toon physics high after performing so flawlessly on stage in front of a huge crowd. Deep in his heart, Yakko knew that this is what his best friend would want him to do: to continue investing his time developing his toon skills. It hurt him to no end that the fox was not present to witness his shining moment, when he was at his best.
As Yakko pondered this to himself, he failed to notice Dot putting a thoughtful hand on his knee. The gesture caught him by surprise. Yakko looked at his sister, noticing the empathetic expression on her face. He didn't need to ask her to know that Dot understood and felt his pain.
"I miss Jake too, Yakko," she said softly, "I miss when he would pick me up and put me on his back."
"I miss when he would give me food," Wakko piped up as he tossed the last of his sandwich into his mouth in one gulp.
The responses he got from his sibling's only made Yakko feel worse about Jake's absence. Knowing that Wakko and Dot shared the same pain as him made his heart shatter.
"He always looked out for your guys," Yakko put his arms around his sibling's, pulling their heads into his shoulder. "He was the best friend a guy like me could ask for. Alas, he's in a better place now, with a new family that will hopefully love him as much as we did."
Yakko noticed a frown start to emerge on his brother's face. "What's wrong, Wak?" He asked, rubbing his hand across Wakko's soft sweater. "That roast beef sandwich didn't satisfy your hunger?"
"It did." Wakko said, then he sighed. "I'm fine. I'm just…thinking."
"About what?"
His brother paused for a moment, before speaking in a low, uneasy voice. "Do you think I'll ever get seperated from you guys? The same way that Jake was separated from you?"
Great! Look what you've done, Yakko! He should have known that mentioning the term 'new family' in front of his sibling's was a mistake. He loathed the thought of being seperated from Wakko and Dot. To think that his own brother would dare mentioning the thought of being separated was nothing short of heartbreaking.
"Now don't think like that, Wakko," Yakko told his brother sternly, tightening his grip around his shoulder. "You know that I love you and your sister more than anything this world has to offer. I would never let anyone adopt you if me and Dot weren't allowed to come with you. We're siblings, and siblings must stick together."
Wakko's goofy smile returned soon after, his tongue hanging out the gape in his mouth. The six year old threw his arms around his older brother, squeezing him as tight as he could. Dot followed suit, launching herself onto Yakko and hugging his back. Yakko closed his eyes and smiled as he took in his sibling's affection; he needed this as much as they did.
"I love you too, big brother," Wakko said sweetly.
"And me," added Dot, nuzzling her nose against Yakko's neck. "I love you more than any flower in the garden."
"And any flower on this earth," Wakko concurred, looking up at Yakko with cute, glittery eyes.
Yakko laughed. "Alright, alright! Get off of me you two!" He said jokingly, shaking his siblings off of his body. Yakko stood up suddenly, placing his book on top of his pile. "Now if you'll excuse me, sibs, I've gotta use the bathroom."
"Is it pee or poo?" Wakko asked wryly, soon falling into a fit of giggles.
Yakko didn't respond verbally, but he did let out a snort at his brother's childish humor. He quickly exited his bedroom and hustled down the hall. He had only gotten the urge to go to the bathroom just now, having not used the can since this morning. He doesn't typically use the restroom too often, and only does so when he really needs to go.
When he got to the bathroom at the end of the hall, Yakko was surprised to find that not only was the bathroom open, but it was clean. His only assumption was that the cleaning ladies must have recently come by here and did a clean sweep of this bathroom. Since this is the bathroom that a majority of the kids used, it was practically impossible to keep it tidy. This made it all the more relieving to Yakko that the bathroom was in a relatively usable condition at the time he was using it.
While Yakko was doing his business, he reflected on the conversation that he just had with his siblings. He knew that Wakko and Dot felt sad the day he told them that Jake had been adopted and was leaving them. Both siblings had their share of tears upon learning the news so suddenly, and during a time where all of them thought that the fox would join them up on that stage.
But it never dawned on Yakko just how much Jake leaving had affected his sibling's until Wakko asked that dreadful question
Do you think I'll ever get seperated from you guys? The same way that Jake was separated from you?
Yakko had initially frowned when he first heard his own brother ask this question in front of him and Dot. The question had been asked completely out of the blue, and seemed out of character for the usually laid back, happy-go-lucky Wakko that he had come to know his brother to be. It made Yakko question how many times his brother had pondered the thought of separation.
His immediate response was to correct his brother's thinking, but he had failed to tell him that he had asked the same question to himself several times before.
It seemed to Yakko that all of the people in his life had been taken away from him. His grandpa had passed when he was really young; his parents abandoning him and his siblings, and now, even his best friend had been taken away from him out of his control.
Losing Jake was devastating enough, but losing his sibling's would be an absolute tradegy.
Wakko and Dot meant so much to him. It had never dawned on him until just now how meaningful they were to his miserable life. He had lost so much of his family, so many of his friends that he made back at the apartments, and even his best friend is now gone, too. But for all of the people Yakko had lost over the years, Wakko and Dot had stayed with him through the entire journey, standing with him through the worst of times, cheering him up when he was at his lowest points.
He had promised his brother a long time ago that he would never allow anyone to hurt him, and that was a promise that Yakko was going to live by for the rest of his life. He was going to protect Wakko and Dot with all he had in him. They were the only two people from his real family that he had left. He had to protect them at all costs.
He didn't want to let himself down again.
Yakko finished using the bathroom soon enough. He flushed the toilet as he hoisted his pants up, pulling the silver button through a small gap in the jeans. He maneuvered himself over to the sink, where he took off his rubber gloves, and started to scrub his bare hands. Yakko would do this sometimes to ensure that his hands got thoroughly cleaned, washed away of any dirt or sweat that might have collected in his fur while he was wearing the gloves. He would force his siblings to do this, too, especially after a long day of them playing in the dirt out on the playground.
Which reminds me; I probably have to clean my sibling's gloves tonight, remembered Yakko. I don't know the last time that I cleaned them. Maybe I'll do that tonight after I help Wakko and Dot shower.
Once his gloves were barely spotless, Yakko slipped them back onto his hands. He flexed each of his fingers, making sure that he had put his gloves on correctly, before leaving the bathroom with a disgruntled sigh.
As he walked back to his bedroom, he noticed Mrs. Rentman standing in the middle of the hallway in the distance. It didn't appear out of the ordinary at first; it wasn't uncommon for the caretaker to make her rounds to ensure that everything was in working order. But as Yakko veered closer to the woman, he noticed something rather peculiar.
It seemed to him that the caretaker was standing right outside his bedroom, and it looked as if she was waiting for him.
"Hi, Mrs Rentman," Yakko greeted the caretaker as he usually did whenever he saw her.
"Hello, Yakko," she said, shooting a smile towards his way. "You made perfect timing. I was just about to knock on your door."
"Why?" He asked, his eyes widened slightly in concern. "Is something wrong?"
"Heavens no!" The woman answered, "You're not in trouble, but it is something important."
His assumption about Mrs. Rentman wanting something from him has proven to be true. It wasn't often that the caretaker would come and see him–more often than not, it was the other way around. So whatever she wanted to tell him had to be pretty damn important.
"What is it?" Yakko asked, growing anxious.
"Someone has come to see you."
He gasped. His heart skipped a beat. His eyes were bulging out of his eye sockets as he stared at the woman with a gaping jaw. Did he hear that right? Did Mrs. Rentman really say that someone was here to adopt him? Was this for real?
For a few seconds, Yakko was left stunned. He didn't know what to think of this. Ever since the day he was put into this awful living situation, Yakko had dreamed that he and his siblings were going to be adopted someday. He had dreamed of having a mother and a father who loved him deeply, two caring parents who would give their utmost affection towards him, Wakko, and Dot. He dreamed of living in a real home, where he felt safe and was left unharmed.
He desperately wanted to isolate himself from the dreadful feeling of loneliness that has nearly swallowed him whole throughout the majority of his life.
"Well, aren't you surprised?" Mrs. Rentman chuckled.
Yakko was taking several deep breaths, slowly easing out of the state of shock that he has been warped into involuntarily by this incredible news. But the strong feelings that had triggered inside his brain still remained intact.
"Wait? Are you saying that..I- ..i-is this real?"
The woman nodded. "Yes, Yakko. It is," she said with a humongous grin on her face. "There's a man waiting inside my office to see you."
Yakko was at a loss for words. He couldn't believe that this was actually happening, that someone has actually taken the time out of their day to come here to adopt him. It wasn't often that an outsider would visit the foster center. Whenever it did occur, Yakko would force him and his siblings to bunker in his room until the visitor arrived. He didn't want to risk one of them being adopted. How he would hate being separated from his own siblings.
Oh no! Yakko realized, I didn't even think of that! He remembered the conversation that he had with his siblings less than ten minutes ago. Has he seriously jinxed himself? The thought left Yakko with a worrying pain in his stomach.
If he was going to meet what might be his future father, then Wakko and Dot were going to meet him at the exact same time.
"Hey, Uuhh..can I tell Wakko and Dot about this?" Yakko asked Mrs. Rentman. "I mean, this is a pretty big deal so-"
"Of course." Yakko didn't need to explain himself for Mrs. Rentman to know what he was getting at. "I know how much your siblings mean to you, and it would break my heart to see you separated out of your guy's control."
Yakko sighed, slightly relieved that the caretaker understood how he felt. He knew that she would; Mrs. Rentman was well aware of how deeply he cared for Wakko and Dot's well being.
"Thank you," he told her gratefully, "You read my mind."
"Your welcome," said Mrs. Rentman. "I had a feeling you'd feel more comfortable if your siblings were with you. Now why don't you get your siblings and we can all go downstairs to my office. Okay, sweetie?"
Yakko nodded to the caretaker as he entered his bedroom. He was glad to find that Wakko and Dot were still there, sitting in the same position on his bed that they were before he left for the bathroom. His siblings greeted him with smiles.
"Did you finish going pee and poo?" Wakko asked innocently.
"Yes, Wakko. But there's something important that I need to tell you both."
"What is it?" Asked Dot, tilting her head with a curious look on her face.
"I just had a talk with Mrs. Rentman, and she told me that there is someone here who wants to meet us," Yakko explained. "Do you know what this means, sibs?"
Both siblings' eyes grew wide at this statement. This was surprising to Yakko. He thought that he would have to do a lot more explaining before Wakko and Dot understood what was happening. Perhaps this was partly because the subject of adoption was still fresh on their minds after the previous conversation he had with them.
"Our future Mummy and Daddy have come to visit us!" Wakko exclaimed, his eager eyes sparkling gleefully in the window lit room.
"I wanna meet them!" His sister shouted, aesthetically leaping onto her feet. "I hope Mommy is pretty!"
Yakko forced himself to smile as he led his siblings out of his bedroom. He was glad that neither Wakko or Dot reacted with fear at the idea of being adopted. As far as he was concerned, they seemed to be delighted at the idea of having actual parents. Both of their reactions to this news were nothing short of endearing.
Hopefully, my little sibs can use their cuteness to their advantage, he thought. The cuter they act, the more likely it is that someone would want to adopt them. Adults can't resist an adorable face.
Once he had rounded up his siblings, Mrs Rentman led all three of them down the hall. As he walked down the flight of stairs to the first floor, Yakko was left wondering about what his possibly future parents might look like. Would they be friendly? Would they give him hugs and kisses? Would they love all three of them equally? Those were all questions that Yakko unfortunately did not have the answer to; he would just have to wait and see.
Of course, if he ended up not liking these people, then he could always say no. It would be the safest option. He wouldn't have to worry about the possibility that his new parents would end up not being good parents, and risking himself, and, worse, his siblings, to abuse and neglect. For all he knew, he could end up in the exact same awful situation that he started in, and he would be back to square one.
It felt all the more nerve wracking to him that this was the first time that someone has ever come to visit him in hopes of adoption. This has never happened to him before. He was going into this as a blank slate.
After a short walk, the Warners arrived at the main lobby of the building. Mrs. Rentman opened the door to her office, leading them inside. Her office was cramped, with her desk planted smack down in the middle of the room. Three plastic chairs were planted in front of the caretaker's desk, with a padded office chair on the opposite side.
Standing against the wall facing the door was the visitor. It was a man – a cartoon man, to be exact – dressed professionally in a blue shirt and red tie. The man had a bright smile on his face as he watched Yakko and his siblings enter the tiny office.
Something about this man seemed familiar to Yakko. After a moment, everything clicked.
"Joey?" He mouthed.
The man gave Yakko a head nod as he sat down in one of the orange chairs. He couldn't believe it! He had nearly forgotten all about Joey from that night. He never could have guessed that this man would come back to adopt him and, hopefully, his siblings, too.
I really gotta learn how to expect the unexpected.
Wakko and Dot trotted over to the orange chairs, settling up next to him. Yakko could tell that his siblings were nervous seeing the stranger in the room with them. Little did they know that he had already met this man two weeks prior, and already knew him by name. I guess stealing that water paid off, Yakko figured.
Mrs. Rentman was the last person to enter the room. She approached Joey, extending her hand to shake his. The two exchanged a few words with each other before the caretaker turned to face the Warners.
"Yakko, Wakko, Dot. This is Joseph Memlo," she told the Warners, gesturing at Joey. "Mr. Memlo attended our talent show program a few weeks back, and he was thoroughly impressed by your performance."
Yakko's eyes remained wide, his astonished gaze not looking away from the man for even a second. He was still in complete shock that any of this was really happening. He held back his feelings of amazement as Joey approached him with his hand stretched out.
"Hello again, Yakko," Said Joey, his eyes narrowing him warmly. "It's a pleasure to get the chance to see you again."
He blushed, unsure of what to say next. He didn't mean to act so skittish, but his brain was too befuddled in shock for him to be able to think clearly.
"I-it's nice to see you too, joey– I mean, Mr Memlo," Yakko replied, nervously shaking the man's hand.
"It's okay, Yakko. You can call me Joey, that's fine," Joey insisted, speaking in a more casual manner. "Don't you remember what I told you the last time we talked?"
Yakko nodded, hanging his head low. He sincerely hoped that he wasn't already making a negative first impression on Joey.
"And who are these two lovely faces?" Joey now fixed his gaze on Wakko and Dot. He loomed closer towards them. "If I'm correct, then you must be Wakko and Dorothy?"
Wakko's body tensed up, he recoiled in the orange chair. The boy didn't utter a single word at Joey, and he appeared to be completely on edge with the man present in the same room as him. Yakko frowned, there was a sour feeling in his stomach seeing how timid his brother acted in the presence of Mr. Memlo.
His sister, on the other hand, had a complete opposite reaction. The mentioning of her name incited her to leap up onto her feet, pointing a bratty finger at Joey.
"My name is Dot, thank you very much! Call me Dottie, and you die!"
"Dot! Sit down!"
Yakko shot a scowl at his sister, taking dislike to the way that she presented herself in front of Joey. Dot noticed the scowl and quickly sat back down in her seat. To his shock, Joey bursted into hearty laughter in reaction to the exchange. It didn't seem like the man took any offense to Dot's blunt sassiness at all.
"Ho ho! I love your confidence, Dot." Joey chortled. "You are perfect for the actress role."
Dot was flattered, her cheeks turned pink. "I get it from my brother Yakko," she said, clinging onto his arm endearingly. "He taught me how to be a real toon star."
Yakko felt his heart flourish from his sister's compliment. He put an arm around her shoulder, ruffling Dot's tuft on the back of her head. Both of his siblings had barely talked about the talent show in the last two weeks. It saddened him greatly, since all three of them had shared that memory together. He can't help but laugh reminiscing how much of a pain in the butt it was to teach Wakko and Dot how to use their hammerspace in a professional manner. Hearing his sister express her gratitude towards his effort was music to his ears.
The mention of the term "toon star" seemed to catch Joey's eye. The man took two steps closer towards the desk, his eyes narrowing all three of them. He was carrying a sly expression that Yakko found to be quite peculiar.
"Well, Yakko," Joey spoke now in a deeper, more sophisticated tone, "I think we should get down to business, don't you agree?"
"I already did business," Yakko replied, bluntly. "I just used the bathroom.
Joey chuckled. "Nonono. I meant I should tell you why I am here, but I appreciate the humor."
Yakko nodded his head, admittedly embarrassed that he had just admitted to everyone about his bathroom usage. He could see his brother and sister trying to prevent themselves from bursting into laughter. Joey leaned his arms against the desk, bending down to Yakko's eye level.
"Listen, Yakko," Joey started, "I want to reiterate just how impressed I was with your performance. I haven't seen a kid your age manipulate their toon powers so effortlessly in such a long time. Most kids don't have a tight grasp with their toon powers, but you have proven to be an exception to that."
Yakko's eyes glowed. He felt as if he and Joey were the only two people in the room at this moment. He had rarely taken his toon powers for granted for most of his life, but the way that Joey described his abilities in such a grand scope made Yakko feel grand.
"Well, um…uuhh..wow, thank you. Really, thank you." Yakko stammered, not knowing exactly how to react to being aroused.
"No need to thank me; thank yourself." Joey told Yakko, a warm smile embracing his face. "You must have worked very hard to obtain such a sharpness in your skill."
Yakko rubbed the back of his shoulder. He could feel himself start to blush; he admittedly was feeling rather embarrassed that he was receiving so much praise. It almost felt like he was being given too much credit for this.
"I mean, I am a toon," he admitted, sheepishly, "It's just a part of our culture to learn how to use our powers to protect ourselves."
"But you know that those powers can also be used to entertain folks," added Joey. "Our ancestors have been brought to life by paper and ink to cause belly laughter to erupt in our society. After seeing just how capable you were up on that stage, I think you have just what it takes to be a cartoon star."
Yakko cocked an eyebrow. "Cartoon star?" He asked, perplexed by the man's words. Now, Joey was clearly giving his performance way too much credit. "I-I mean, I'm no star, but-"
"Are you kidding?" Joey interrupted him mid-sentence, he sounded utterly shocked at Yakko's doubt. "I'm one hundred and ten percent serious! I really think that you have what it takes to be the next hit cartoon star at Warner Bros."
Yakko gasped. Was Joey kidding right now? Did he really just compare him to the likes of Bugs, Daffy, Porky, Elmer Fudd and the rest of the Looney Tunes? Yakko's performance at the talent show far exceeded his expectations, but he had no idea how much his brief appearance on stage had impressed the likes of Joey. He was just some kid living in an orphanage with his two young siblings; the course his life had decided to head down has proven to be far from Hollywood worthy.
"Really?" Yakko asked, amazed. "Do you really think I have what it takes to be a part of the Looney Tunes?"
"Well, not exactly a part of the Looney Tunes, but I believe you inherit the same kind of charisma as they do." Joey stated. "I'd know, because I've worked with them."
"What!?" His jaw dropped. He was utterly astounded. "Y-you did?"
"Yes. Mr. Memlo has a lot of experience with working on several cartoons for Warner Brothers," Mrs. Rentman clarified. "His family has a reputation at the studio, aiding in the creation of several of the greatest cartoons of our time."
"Thank you, Betty." Joey gave the woman a nod of gratitude, before shifting his gaze back to Yakko. "I'll have you know, Yakko, that I have a lot of experience working for many different stars throughout my tenure. Our staff is always looking for the next biggest star in the game, a toon who possesses a strong sense of their own abilities. I've seen the way you use your powers, and what I see is a star in the making."
Joey poked his finger at Yakko as he uttered those last few words. Yakko didn't know what to say. To think that this man saw so much potential in his toon abilities to the point where he was even referred to as a star; it made him start to think that he was a lot more special than he gave himself credit for.
After a few moments of astonished silence, Yakko plucked up enough courage to ask Joey a question, a question that has been eating at his heart throughout this exchange.
"Wait– Joey? Can I, uh, ask you something?" He stammered, feeling rather embarrassed at the thought.
Joey raised a brow. "What is it, Yakko? Is something wrong?"
"No, but– let's say that if you decide to adopt me, would you adopt just me, or all three of us?" He gestured at both Wakko and Dot as he was saying this. Please say yes, he prayed to himself.
Joey stood there in deep thought for a few seconds, processing the difficult question that Yakko had just asked. After a moment, a reassuring smile embraced his face.
"Yes, Yakko," he said, "Of course I would take all three of you."
Yakko let out a sigh of relief, a massive weight being carried off his shoulders. He found himself wearing a wide grin. He was glad that such a horrible idea as separation was off the table. Good riddance!
"Oh, what a relief!" Yakko said in an exasperated voice. "Thanks, Joey. You had me worried for a while."
"Don't worry yourself. I see the potential in all three of you." Joey told Yakko. "I want to take you all under my wing and teach you everything I know about toon performance, and my fellow colleagues want to do the same."
Yakko's eyes sparkled, his tail started to wag like that of a dog. "Really?"
Joey nodded. "Yes. The chairman of the board of animated pictures wants to have a talk with you and your siblings about how we can strengthen your skills even further. In other words, I wanna teach you how to act like a real toon."
"You mean like that of Bugs Bunny?"
"Exactly. We were hoping that you and your sibling's can be tried for your own cartoon series that we can air on all television stations in the country." Joey reached his arm out to Yakko. "So what do you say, Yakko? Are you in?"
At this point, Yakko didn't know quite what to say. He was still completely astounded that a representative from Warner Bros had approached HIM to float around the idea of getting his own cartoon. It was something that Yakko thought wasn't possible for him, but lo and behold, he was being given the opportunity of a lifetime.
Yakko had admired the Looney Tunes since he was a little kid. He remembered watching The Bugs Bunny Show on the small television set in the living room at his old house every Saturday morning. He knew that a lot of toons looked up to the rabbit on what the ideal toon was supposed to look and act like, but Yakko admired him for everything he did. Bugs was THE face of Warner Brothers Studio. And to think that he was getting the chance to work at the very same studio as many other famous toons did before him…
"Well, I…um.."
"Remember, Yakko. This decision is totally up to you and your siblings," Mrs. Rentman butted into his thinking with some advice. "It is okay if you say no if you think that is what is best for you."
Yakko remained silent, absorbed in thought. Looking back two weeks prior, he relished his time out on stage. He had a bad feeling in his mind that he wasn't going to do so well out there; he had never even considered the idea of a toon performance until that night. But thanks to the words of his best friend, he didn't give up hope, and performed with near ease. He didn't remember the last time that he had felt so free, so vibrant, living in the moment without a care in the world.
If he were to accept Joey's offer, allow him to take him and his siblings under his wing, then he would get the chance to show off his toon powers on a much broader scale than what the talent show allowed for. He had the opportunity to reverse the course of his life, free himself from the misfortune that life has thrown at him and forge a new path for himself.
It didn't take too much longer for Yakko to realize what he thought was best for him. But there was one more thing that he had to address before he made his mind up.
"Sibs?" Yakko turned towards his siblings. Wakko and Dot have sat patiently the entire time, listening into the whole conversation without saying a single word. It was important to him that he gave his sibs a say in the matter.
"What is it, Yakko?" Dot asked, tilting her head.
Yakko exhaled deeply. He put his arms around both his siblings, narrowing his eyes at the two of them.
"What do you think of all this?" He asked them, "Do you guys want to become cartoon stars?"
Wakko and Dot exchanged looks with each other. Then, they looked at their big brother and smiled.
"Yes!" They shouted in unison, throwing their arms in the air.
Yakko was surprised. He hadn't expected his siblings to react so enthusiastically about the idea. Then again, both of them desired to be close to him at all times, so of course they would be inclined to stick together as a unit.
"I wanna be a movie star!" Dot exclaimed, "and walk down a red carpet while people flash the camera at me!"
"Me too!" Wakko concurred. "I wanna live with Dadoo!"
Joey smirked at the middle Warner's comment. "Dadoo? What'a a dadoo?"
"You know, like a daddy," answered Wakko confidently. His confidence was short-lived as his face soon turned pink, realizing the error in his sentence. "Oops! I-I meant daddy. Can I call you Daddy?"
Joey laughed. "No, Wakko. Keep calling me Dadoo. I sorta like the nickname," he replied jokingly. "Can I call you Ringo?"
Wakko made a face. "Ringo? Who's Ringo?"
"Ringo Starr? He's the lead drummer in The Beatles," Joey explained. "Ya sorta sound like him, if I'm being honest."
"I still don't get it," Wakko said, scratching his head unwittingly.
"Ah, you don't have to," Joey waved a dismissive hand, "He's way past your time."
Wakko's face soon lightened into a smile, too aloof to muse over such an obscure topic. Yakko, who watched the conversation unfold, knew who the Beatles were and had a rough idea of who Ringo Starr was. He was pretty sure his dad used to own a couple of their albums, and would listen to them on occasion.
The past is the past, Yakko! His conscience reminded him. Focus on the present moment!
From what it seemed, Wakko and Dot seemed to be excited by the idea of being cartoon stars as much as he was. After witnessing that short exchange his brother had with Joey, it seemed as though all of the tension Wakko felt had melted away, and now he felt more comfortable talking to Joey. The man has approached all three of them with open arms and grounded warmth, and treated them like decent beings.
At last, Yakko made his decision. He knew exactly what he wanted, as well as what his sibling's wanted, and he knew that all he had to say was-
"Yes." Yakko told Joey, tears filling in his eyes.
"There ya go!" Joey praised, reaching out to shake Yakko's hand again. "Now that's the confidence I wanna see."
"Well, it's settled then. You three will be staying with Mr. Memlo from this point forward," Mrs. Rentman declared. "I am sincerely hopeful that your trials will be successful, and that you'll all be able to get along with your new caretaker."
Yakko pulled his siblings into a tight embrace, kissing Wakko and Dot's forehead multiple times out of pure happiness in this wonderful moment. He shed a few tears of joy out of his control. But Yakko didn't care if it looked embarrassing. It was an orphan's dream to be adopted by a loving parent, someone who is loving and sincere. He was being gifted a second chance, a chance to seek that fulfillment he could have only dreamed of until now.
After their session with Joey was over, Mrs. Rentman gave each of the Warner's a decent sized backpack for them to put their belongings in. Yakko assisted both his siblings in putting clothes, toys, and some snacks in their backpacks. Once that was done, he moved on to putting his own stuff in his backpack. He packed a few outfits for himself, and then he proceeded to stuff as many of his toonology books into the backpack as he could fit. He mainly only put the important ones in there – like the one that Jake gave him when they first met – and the rest he figured could be donated to the small library next to the main play area.
If he was going to become a cartoon star, then surely some of his old textbooks would come in handy. It was through those books that Yakko expanded his knowledge on his toon powers and abilities, and it was partially the reason why he was getting adopted by Joey in the first place. He especially didn't want to let his best friend down by ignoring his wishes:
Remember: that book was my first toonology book as well as yours. Wherever you go, keep it with you to remember me by.
Once all of their belongings were stuffed into their backpacks, Yakko grabbed his sibling's hands and led them downstairs to the lobby for the last time. Mrs. Rentman and Joey were already waiting for them by the front desk. Yakko ran towards the caretaker and threw his arms around her. The two of them hugged each other tightly, exchanging some final words with each other.
"I'm gonna miss you, Yakko." She whispered in his ear. "You were among my favorite children here."
Those words tugged at Yakko's heart strings. This was the woman who took him in when he was at his lowest point, and now, after being taken under her protection and hospitality for so long, was leaving her watchful eye forever.
"Thank you, Mrs. Rentman." Yakko thanked the women; it was the least he could do. "Thank you for..everything, really."
Mrs. Rentman's eyes shimmered, she brushed her hand against his cheek.
"It's just my duty to take care of those who need it most," she told him, a bright smile embracing her face.
Wakko and Dot wanted to say goodbye, too. They ran up to the woman and hugged her leg, latching onto her in a tight grasp.
"I'll miss you too, Mrs. Lady," Wakko said sweetly, nuzzling his head against her thigh.
Mrs. Rentman chuckled, narrowing her eyes at the two little ones. "I'm gonna miss you two, you little cutie pies."
The cuddle session ended too soon. Yakko broke the embrace and walked over to where Joey was standing, waiting for him. Wakko and Dot noticed their brother walk away and soon followed after him. Joey patted a hand against Yakko's back. He was a little startled by the sudden gesture, not expecting physical affection. He looked up at the man, who had eyes that expressed eagerness and spirit.
"You ready?" He asked, cocking his eyebrow slightly.
He was admittedly a bit nervous to leave the foster center with a man that he really only knew for a single day. But he had already made his mind up; it was time to move forward.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Yakko replied, forcing a grin out of himself.
"Good," Joey smiled. His feet began to veer forward. "Let's head out to my car."
Yakko watched as Joey made his way towards the front doors of the foster center. This was it. No longer was he an orphan. No longer was he going to be confined in the thin walls of the rundown foster center. No longer was he without a guardian. Everything was changing.
Joey grabbed onto the door handle, pulling the glass door open. He looked back at Yakko, who was still standing in place.
"Well? You guys coming or what?"
He couldn't wait around any longer; it was time for him to go. He turned to his siblings, a hopeful smile emerging. "You ready, sibs?" He asked them. Wakko and Dot nodded in response. Latching onto his sibling's hands, Yakko walked forward to where Joey was standing patiently. He waved to Mrs. Rentman one last time before he stepped out the door. The woman winked at him, before she sat down at her desk and picked up her magazine.
The afternoon sun shone upon the streets of the intercities of Burbank. Yakko could see people walking past, cars buzzing past, and he could hear seagulls squawking as they swooped over the navy blue sky. A gust of wind bristled Yakko's fur, blowing his tufts upwards. It felt wonderful outside.
The Warner's followed Joey into the visitor parking lot that was located on the right side of the building. Joey stopped in front of a red midsize sedan parked in front of a brick wall. He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and stuck one of the keys into the driver's door. He opened the car door, and then stuck his hand into the back row and unlocked one of the backdoors.
Yakko opened the car door and climbed into the back of the vehicle. He scooted down the row of seats until he sat on the opposite side of the car. His siblings followed suit, climbing their way into the backseat. Dot sat in the middle next to her eldest brother, and Wakko sat on the opposite side of her. Joey got in last, sticking his car key into the metal keyhole, igniting the car's engine.
"How do you feel back there?" Joey asked, looking back at the Warners. "Are you nervous at all?"
Yakko shrugged. "I dunno. I mean, it's been a long time since I've been in a car."
"I bet." Joey figured. "My car's a real beut. Just got the oil changed on this baby."
"Your car looks like a Hot Wheels car," noted Wakko, "Only bigger!"
Joey laughed. "Does it now?"
"Yes!" Wakko said, certain of himself this time. His response was immediately followed up by a ferocious growl coming from his tummy. "Man, I'm hungry! I could really use some food right about now."
"Wakko, you're always hungry!" Dot moaned, facepalming.
Joey continued chuckling to himself. "Okay, I guess we should make a dinner plan for ourselves. How does Pizza Hut sound to you guys?"
Wakko's eyes grew wide. The boy licked his lips, rubbing his hands together aesthetically. "Ooo, pizza!" He drawled, his mouth watering. "That sounds scrumptious!"
Yakko felt his stomach growl, the subject of food made him realize that it's been a while since the last time he ate.
"I'm in for pizza," he answered, "I could eat anything right now!"
Dot shook her head. "Boys. I can't with them."
Joey burst out laughing at the Warner sister's remark. "Way to throw your brother's under the bus!" He snickered.
"I'm just funny like that," Dot stated, making an irresistibly adorable face. Yakko and Wakko simply rolled their eyes at their sister's mannerisms.
"Well guys, I reckon we better get moving," Joey said, "I wanna get there before a line starts forming. It's happy hour, after all."
Joey reached for the clutch and put the car in reverse, slowly rolling out of the parking space. Shifting the car into drive, Joey slowly drove out of the parking lot and onto the main road. Yakko turned his head to look out the window, seeing the foster center grow further and further away from him. And before he knew it, the foster center was nowhere in sight.
Yakko sighed to himself. First Jake gets adopted, and now me, he thought to himself. Time sure is moving along fast.
