Chapter 16: An Emerald
The next day, Diddy was arriving at Kong Kollege with the advance of the pyramid in his hands. This time, he would have to be as careful as possible that none of his four annoying classmates appeared; although a long time ago he no longer had confrontations with them, he also didn't want to trust himself from them when he had some homework or some school project that was in view of that group.
Then, Dixie arrived also with her pyramid in her hands and met with Diddy.
"Hi, Diddy."
"How are you, Dixie?" he replied cheerfully. "Did you finish your pyramid?"
"Not yet, I'm going to put more stones around here," Dixie pointed out in small corners of her pyramid. "Oh, yes, and I'm also planning to paint it-"
"Hey!" one of their classmates suddenly appeared before them. "Can you come for a while? There is a surprise... Well, to Dixie specifically."
This time, it wasn't one of the bad kids, but of the rest of Kong Kollege's students, which was strange to Diddy and Dixie since they almost didn't speak to them, much less telling them that there was a surprise for one of the two of them.
"Excuse me, what's it's about?" asked Dixie, looking at him strangely.
"Just go, they're calling you," the kong child replied to Dixie.
Diddy and Dixie continued to look at him the same way, but they were also curious to know what it was, so they went where they were told. They crossed a few trees until they reached Kong Kollege's yard, when suddenly...
"Surprise!" Rocky, Mandrew and Melenky appeared in front of Dixie.
"Wait, we didn't have to say that," Melenky said.
"Uhh. Hey, Dixie, you have to watch this," Rocky said, pulling her arm along with the other two. "Come here."
"But what?! What?" Dixie asked, trying to resist them. "Oh, no…" she added, rolling her eyes after noticing the scene in front of her.
In the middle of the schoolyard, there was Jemky, who this time was holding a huge bouquet of flowers... In fact, one almost the same size as Dixie. The orangutan boy adjusted his vest as he headed towards Dixie with the huge bouquet, which only made her eyes twist again; it wasn't the first time Jemky had made such details toward her. Even Diddy used to twist his eyes and look with disgust at those details that Jemky had with her.
"Hello, Dixie," Jemky said, smiling. "I have something for you, pretty."
"Jemky, I've already told you thousands of times-"
"Hey, wait, just watch this," he interrupted, smiling and grabbing her arm, which Dixie immediately pushed away.
Suddenly, Rocky, Mandrew and Melenky carried a medium-sized box, which was quite decorated and had a few jewels in it. Jemky took the box while the other three held the huge bouquet of flowers.
"Look what I brought you," Jemky said as he showed her the box and showed the jewels, which were very bright. "I bought them just for you, pretty. They made me think of you because they are as beautiful as you are. Every time I see you-"
"Hey," Melenky interrupted. "Aren't those jewels the ones we steal from the newlyweds?"
"Melenky!"exclaimed the other three kids, throwing a withering look.
"Hey, don't listen to him, it's not true," Jemky whispered to Dixie before speaking to her normally again. "As I was saying, baby, I just wanted to tell you if," he added as he knelt before her and held out the gift box, "would you agree to date me?"
"Ugh, you don't understand!" exclaimed Dixie instantly. "I have repeated to you thousands of times that I don't love you and I won't date you!"
"Hey, but why?!" Jemky exclaimed, holding out the box with the jewels and holding her hand. "Come on, at least take this gift, and no, don't reject it, it's yours."
"No! I've already told you no!" replied Dixie, removing her hand away as she held her pyramid.
"Hey, but it's a gif-"
"Leave her already!" came in Diddy to defend. "Don't bother her."
"You don't mess around, dwarf monkey!" Jemky exclaimed, pushing Diddy.
"Don't tell him like that or I'll split your face!" Dixie replied, nudging Jemky with one hand and defending Diddy.
Dixie was about to start fighting, when suddenly, the rest of the kong children in the class began to arrive to see what was happening. Everyone watched curiously, since a "romantic" detail seemed to catch their attention and murmur about it.
"Look, again a loving proposal!" they whispered among themselves looking at the scene sideways.
"I bet she will say yes to him this time!" they added while laughing quietly.
"What?! No!" Dixie, who was clearly listening to what they were saying, exclaimed. "Stop-"
"Oh, yes, of course!" Jemky interrupted, taking Dixie's forearm again and kneeling back before her. "Tell me, Dixie... Do you agree to date me, pretty?"
Dixie didn't lack the desire to beat Jemky so he would leave her alone, but in the presence of the rest of her classmates, she couldn't do it, which only annoyed her much more.
"I repeat to you that no! Understand it!" Dixie whispered between teeth in a threatening tone. "I'm going to give you-"
"Oh, come on, don't be like that," Jemky interrupted, holding out the box to her. "Open the box at least, look at what's inside!"
"What for or what?" Dixie asked, on the verge of losing her patience. "It's a trap, right?"
"No, just open it!" he replied, trying to hand her the box insistently. "Look at what's inside."
Dixie pushed aside the gift box while Jemky insisted on handing it over and over again. Until later, he opened the box in front of her face, so Dixie pushed it away in the opposite direction. Instantly, a large number of pieces of colorful papers shot out of the box as an explosion, at the same time a balloon came into view; the latter was also decorated and had "I love you, Dixie" written inside a heart.
Suddenly, Dixie stared in the direction of the balloon, with an apparent impression.
"Ah, is it true that you liked the surprise, Dixie?" Jemky said, looking up repeatedly. "And look at what's inside: more jewelry!" he added, taking other shiny jewelry inside the box. But suddenly, Jemky noticed that not only Dixie, but also Diddy, kept looking in the direction of the balloon. "Huh? What's wrong?"
Diddy and Dixie showed a forced smile with their teeth, while repeatedly pointing behind everyone. The kids turned to look at what they were pointing out and, to their surprise, it was none other than Mr. Pinky, who had his head stamped from the pieces of colorful papers that had shot out of the box, apart from his fixed and hard gaze that he frequently brought.
Jemky turned his head again and dropped the box to the floor while maintaining a forced smile not knowing what to do.
"Good morning, sir students!" Mr. Pinky pronounced firmly. "Class is about to begin! Everyone to the classroom!" he added as he subtly shook the pieces of paper from his head with an expression about to burst.
Immediately, all the students began to walk towards the classroom. Everyone took tense steps and didn't utter a word.
"Mr. Jemky and company!" the teacher exclaimed to the quartet, and then pointed to the box with the pieces of paper lying on the floor. "Kindly clean all this up!"
The quartet, although tense at first, stopped very reluctantly to collect everything as ordered by the teacher, while the rest of the students entered the classroom.
"Silly Dixie," Jemky muttered as he collected everything. "I know she liked the gift but she pretends that not."
"I told you she was going to turn it down to you," Melenky said with a laugh. "Girls no longer pay attention to you as before your last breakup, accept it."
"At least I wasn't cheated on with three ones like your ex-girlfriend did to you," Jemky replied to Melenky, infuriating him.
"Don't go that far, Jemky," Rocky said with a shrug. "Your last girlfriend agreed to break up with you along with the others, so don't call yourself a winner."
"Hey, Rocky, and neither do you," Mandrew added. "You were your ex-girlfriend's other boyfriend and you didn't even know it."
"Shut up! That yours left you for someone uglier than you," Rocky replied, earning a slap from the mandrill boy.
"Anyway, I know that someday Dixie will love me," Jemky added with a smile again. "Perhaps I should give her a better gift to convince her, and at least she must think I'm handsome."
"Yes, but the truth is that the one she really loves is Diddy," Rocky said.
"But if that silly monkey doesn't pay attention to her," Jemky said, shrugging as he rolling his eyes. "He doesn't seem so in love that he wants to conquer her. That fool doesn't even do any detail for her."
"Well, because the monkey is like a coward," said Mandrew.
On the other hand, Diddy and Dixie, in a disguised way, released the laughter they had been holding since they saw the teacher's face stamped with papers.
Then, with everyone already inside the classroom, the class began, but not before the students received a stern look from Mr. Pinky.
"Well, sir students! Today I will review your project progress that I asked for! But first, I will ask some questions!" he exclaimed firmly. After a moment of silence, he turned to the quartet of bully children. "By the way, Mr. Jemky... from this very moment, you start solving one hundred mathematical exercises because of the antic you just did!"
"B-but Mr. Pinky, it was an accident, it won't happen again," Jemky replied with a forced smile. "Moreover, it was Dixie who pushed the box in your direction."
"According to what I saw, she was just pushing it away at your insistence, so you are to blame!" he replied, pointing at him. "So, start to work right now!"
"Ah, what if I don't do it?" Jemky asked with a shrug, which only made Mr. Pinky's face change to a red color of fury.
"I'll make you do two hundred, or else I'll fail you!" the teacher exclaimed, raising his voice and frightening Jemky. "Beware of that attitude, Mr. Jemky!"
After the reprimand, both Diddy and Dixie smiled victoriously, and for a moment they felt comfortable that Mr. Pinky was there. While Jemky only rolled his eyes while looking towards Dixie for the umpteenth rejection he received from her.
Later, Mr. Pinky began teaching his class. As in previous days, all the students were tense at the lessons of their strict new teacher. On that day, everyone was to bring their pyramid advances to be inspected by the teacher, as he had mentioned.
"Mr. Melenky! Tell me what photosynthesis is!" said the teacher with a fixed gaze towards Melenky.
"Uhh... taking pictures of a synthesis?" Melenky replied without knowing the answer.
"I don't want incoherent answers. You got a zero!" exclaimed the teacher, pulling out his notebook and jotting down. "Mr. Mandrew! Tell me the answer!"
"Uhh, is it when plants eat?" Mandrew replied in the same way as Melenky.
"Almost, but I want a better formulated answer! Zero too!... Miss Dixie! Answer the question!"
"Is it... the process in which plants make their own food with organic matter?" Dixie replied tremblingly.
"Correct!" said the teacher, before writing down and leaving his notebook on the desk. Afterwards, he turned towards the students. "Now I want to see how you are doing with your final projects!"
All the students began to take out their pyramids: many of them were well made with creative details... with the exception of those of the quartet of Jemky and company; those were the simplest that, just by seeing them, it was almost likely that the teacher would send them to repeat them, the only thing that stood out were the jewels that had been put on them... and that they had surely been stolen by the four of them.
Mr. Pinky passed through each of the posts to inspect the pyramid works. Most were approved, while others, for small mistakes, were sent to repeat.
"Where are your advances, Messrs. Mandrew, Melenky, Jemky, and Rocky?!" he asked the four sternly.
Each one of the quartet took out their pyramids, while Mr. Pinky observed them carefully and frowned with an expression of sternness.
"Messrs. Mandrew, Melenky and Rocky's are not bad, but they still have to work on some details and change several pieces… The jewels look great, in fact," he said earnestly, before pausing. "But Mr. Jemky's... He has to repeat it!"
"What?! But it took me a long time to do it," replied Jemky.
"A pile of earth with stones around it doesn't take three minutes to make!" he said, raising his voice while describing Jemky's pyramid as it looked, which was the simplest of all.
"But, Mr. Pinky-"
"You still have time to do it, or else you will be failed!" he interrupted, pointing firmly, and leaving him paralyzed. "I see that, to make those loving details, you do put more dedication."
Then, Mr. Pinky stopped by Diddy and Dixie. Both pyramids were almost finished, and they only needed to place the jewels at the top. But these two had a tense look at the teacher as he looked closely at their works and frowned too much. The two were only afraid that the teacher would tell them that the pyramids were poorly made and send them to repeat them.
"Not bad!" the teacher said to them after a long silence. "Keep it up! Just don't forget to put your jewelry on them, guys."
Diddy and Dixie smiled at each other when the teacher said that, and felt enormous relief, while the quartet of bullies looked at them with disgust to see that they had done well. The teacher continued to inspect the work of the rest of the class, until later, he let them all out and the day ended.
Everyone was leaving the classroom. The group of the four bad children could no longer bother Diddy and Dixie much because the new teacher had them well guarded like a security guard, because he always wanted to make sure that the children went home and avoid any mishap.
"What will you put at the top of the pyramid, Dixie?" asked Diddy as he walked alongside Dixie with the pyramids and placed that emerald on his.
"I have some pearls in my house that I found with Tiny; those I will put on it."
"Hey, can we ask you something?" Jemky said, appearing with the group behind the two.
Both Diddy and Dixie clung their pyramids to themselves after sensing the presence of the quartet nearby.
"Yeah?" Diddy said, turning and looking at them strangely.
"How did you make those pyramids?" Jemky asked, pointing to them.
"With our hands," Dixie replied mockingly.
"Oh, please, it's serious," Rocky replied, arms crossed. "We don't know how to do them well, that's why we asked you."
"We made them with wood, dirt and a few tree branches," Dixie replied again. "And that's it."
"We cut pieces of wood from large to smaller sizes and put them in order," Diddy added.
"Then we'll paint them a little and put some stones on the top," Dixie continued. "That's all," she finished with a shrug.
The four of them got a little closer and began to observe carefully the pyramids of the two, while they remained attentive to any suspicious movement of the four.
"Hmm, it doesn't look difficul- Ops, I'm sorry!" Jemky exclaimed when he touched Diddy's pyramid and moved a piece of it.
Instantly, Diddy and Dixie moved their pyramids away from the four in disgust, while also being grateful that their teacher was present watching in the distance.
"Wait a minute," Mandrew said, looking intently at Diddy's pyramid. "Is that an... emerald?"
"An emerald?!" said the other three kids in unison and astonished. Diddy and Dixie looked at them with great strangeness at their reaction. "I want to see it!"
Suddenly, the four began to push each other to take the emerald from Diddy's pyramid that, when touched, took it off a little.
"No, get out!" Diddy exclaimed, pushing the four of them aside and protecting his pyramid.
"Hey, let me see it!" exclaimed Jemky, suddenly grabbing the emerald until it was torn off.
"Hey, what's wrong with you?!" Diddy replied, trying to snatch it from him along with Dixie.
"Let that, you robbers!" Dixie ordered them, managing to snatch it from them. "This is from Diddy!"
"We just want to see it!" Mandrew exclaimed, trying to take it off again.
"I said no!" Diddy replied by pushing his hands away from it.
Diddy and Dixie immediately walked away from the quartet upon seeing their kleptomaniac attitudes; it could have started another two-on-four fight that they hadn't had for a long time, but the Mr. Pinky's constant vigilance prevented it. Until later, both began to run towards their homes.
But in the meantime, the quartet of bully kids stared at Diddy and Dixie from a distance, especially... they seemed to observe their pyramids.
"Hey... did you notice that emerald that the lizard monkey has?" Mandrew whispered to the group, without looking away from the pyramid of Diddy, who was already far away with Dixie.
"It looks a lot like... the ones Dad always mentions," Rocky added in the same way. "It's that same shade of green: that dark and bright."
"Or did the monkey steal it from our dads?!" Melenky exclaimed.
"Don't be silly, that monkey is no use for that, nor does he know our dads," Jemky replied before pausing. "Even so, that stone doesn't look bad at all."
"That's true," Melenky added. "It's so bright and dark green... And our dads are looking for one like that."
"Hey... We need it!" exclaimed Jemky. "We have to steal it from that monkey! What do you say? And with that maybe our dads will be happy and take us with them to hunt monsters."
"But how did we steal it from them? We have no way," Rocky replied. "We don't even know where the monkey lives... Nor do we have weapons to steal it by force either."
"There must be a way," Jemky said thoughtfully. "Perhaps we can steal it from them by ourselves."
"We don't have weapons," Rocky repeated. "Even our dads already have them well hidden from us."
"Exactly," Jemky added, shrugging. "But anyway, we could do it…"
"What if we go right now and snatch it away from them?" Mandrew suggested.
"No, I would say the last day of school," Melenky added. "We can take it away from them between all of us and in a better way."
"I don't think that monkey will let that stone be stolen easily, other than Dixie will run us away with her hair," Jemky said, before becoming thoughtful. "We could try it in a good way first, do you think?"
"What are you saying with a 'good way'?" Mandrew asked strangely.
"Well, in a good way," Jemky said with a shrug. "In order not to get into so much trouble here or be given away, we could first try it in a peaceful way... Hmm, I think I know how."
After noon, Dixie was walking home, with the pyramid in her hands. She was all quiet, until she could hear someone following her; it could have been Diddy who would come looking for her for something at school or to go for a walk, or it could have been her sister or her cousins playing a joke on her, but no... to her torment, it was the orangutan boy of the quartet.
"Hi, Dixie," Jemky appeared, speaking to her in a cheerful tone.
"What the heck are you doing around here?" Dixie exclaimed, showing alertness and protecting her pyramid firmly.
"Don't worry, I'm not here to steal your pyramid, baby," he said, approaching to give her a hug. "I come to steal your heart," he said before winking.
"Get out of here!" she exclaimed, giving him a push.
"Oh, what's up? Are you waiting for that useless Diddy to tell you that?" he told her before laughing in a mocking way.
Instantly, Dixie blushed and was enraged at the same time by the tasteless joke.
"Look, shut up!"
"You can't wait your whole life for him, what if… you date me instead?" he said with a playful look and trying to hug her. "You'll do much better with me, baby. I'd do anything for you."
Dixie had had enough of such insistences on Jemky's part, and would beat him up if she didn't have to protect her pyramid.
"Leave me alone!"Dixie replied. "Don't you have anything better to do?! Don't you get loved or cared for in your home?!"
As if all at once, those last words seemed to have silenced Jemky... who even changed his mischievous face to one as if he were a simple offended child. Even Dixie gestured at his sudden change.
"Oh… I-I'm sorry," Dixie said as she noticed him. "Well, I did mean it, but... sorry if it's true," she added with a forced smile.
"Uhh, no, it's okay," Jemky replied, smiling a little... although with different gestures than he was a few seconds ago.
"Uh, no, no, really... I'm sorry," Dixie apologized, not knowing what to really say when she saw Jemky's expression.
In the face of the awkward moment, Dixie just turned around and continued on her way home.
"Uh, hey, w-wait, Dixie!" Jemky called her again, running towards her.
"What do you want?" Dixie asked, looking at him oddly and returning to protect her pyramid.
"Well, okay, Dixie. I just wanted to ask you for help, can you?" he said with a smiling look.
"I don't accept dates, I have already repeated it to you," replied Dixie, pushing him aside and continuing on her way.
"No, no, it's not that. I just wanted to tell you if you could... tell me how those pyramids are made," he said with a forced smile and a pleading look.
"Is it serious?" Dixie replied, looking at him strangely and stopping. "And can't you ask me directly instead of with your pathetic flirts?" she added, rolling her eyes.
"Oh, well," replied Jemky. "I just want you to explain that to me, please, we really need to know... Now I'm telling you directly, okay?"
"Look, I'll write the instructions on a piece of paper, okay?... But then you get out of here!"
Dixie put her pyramid aside, and then took out a pencil and a sheet of paper from her backpack. She sat on a nearby rock to write down all the instructions of how she and Diddy had made the pyramids, at least so that Jemky would leave her alone at once.
"Oh, you're so cute, Dixie," Jemky said, playfully taking her hair. But instantly, Dixie grabbed his wrist tightly to speak to him.
"You behave or I give you your comeuppance right now!" Dixie replied between teeth and in a threatening tone.
"Oh, well, well, okay, okay," Jemky replied, rubbing his wrist.
Dixie continued to write on the sheet of paper, while Jemky sat near her to wait. Obviously, she was trying to write as fast as she could to get Jemky out of the way. When suddenly... what she had answered to Jemky a few minutes ago came to her mind and, being overcome with curiosity after remembering the expression he made, it occurred to her to ask him some questions in particular.
"Hey, Jemky," she called him as she wrote.
"Yeah?"
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Huh? No, I don't have a girlfriend now in case you ask me," he said, giving her a little push playfully.
"No, not that! It's just... I've always wanted to ask you something," Dixie said, stopping writing. "You four... why are you the way you are?" she asked, looking at him seriously, which earned a strange look from Jemky. "I mean, why did you treat Diddy badly and are doing inappropriate things?... Do you really have no control in your homes or something?"
For the first time, Dixie had launched into asking something like that directly to one of her bully classmates: why they liked to annoy so much and be evil.
"And what does that question come to?" Jemky asked, looking at her more strangely.
"I just want to know," Dixie replied with a shrug. "I mean, why do you behave like that?... Is no one really paying attention to you or have you had any inconvenience in your homes?"
With the last thing she asked, it only made Jemky's face take on a low and quite serious expression immediately, apparently, never seen on him before. Jemky even looked at Dixie this time as if she had said something offensive to him.
"Uh! Look, Dixie, I don't think I can give you a clear answer to all that," he replied, resuming the same expression he had made a few minutes ago. "But as for why we make fun of you, it's because you are two weirdos to us, that's it. Diddy was our friend before, but he didn't want to follow our games, he was a coward and didn't want to do anything we did, and also, we see that you're his little friend, you just walk with and defend him."
"Is it serious? It's the most incoherent excuse I've ever heard," Dixie replied with a serious look. "But then... Who educated you four? Don't you have your parents? I mean, neither do we, but we don't do bad things like you... Or do you four live alone?"
"Well... we just live with our dads," Jemky said, speaking with total seriousness. "Although they rarely spend time with us."
"What? Really?" Dixie asked again. "And why?"
"They always have to go to work for long days. They only bring us gifts when they return and leave us food for long periods, since we barely see them when we wake up and at bedtime. Only occasionally do they stay with us all day."
"Really? And... your moms?"
"We don't have moms. Dad told us that they abandoned us when we were babies. That's why our dads only spend working to give us a better life, according to them," he replied before giving a sigh and lowering his gaze. "But... the truth is that they only spend us scolding and punishing, lately they even treat us as if we were a burden to them and not as their children."
"I didn't know that. But at least you do have your dads," Dixie replied in a low tone. "And... I can ask what kind of work they have?... Aren't they thugs or something, just in case?"
"They go hunting giant monsters and take them to labs. We've always wanted them to take us, but they never do; it's like they keep it a secret. They tell us that they would only take us with them if we do something good that impresses them, but... we always try to do something good for them and we never seem enough to them."
"Wow... I didn't know that either. And is it true that you were once given guns for your birthdays?"
"Oh, those guns... We had actually stolen from our dads, but you know, Diddy threw them into the sea and ruined our game. And you cannot imagine the great beating that our dads gave us when they found out that we had lost them; from there they restricted us from many things and I think they have become more severe with us than before."
"Oh... That doesn't sound good at all," Dixie said in a tone of earnestness. "Hey, but then... haven't your dads educated you? That is... don't they share time with you at least to have taught you good manners and so on?"
Jemky just gave Dixie another strange look, as if she had asked him a question he didn't know how to answer.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied, shrugging and making a gesture of disgust. "But at least as far as I can remember... our dads hardly have spent time with us. I just can say that in almost all the time we have been living, they have always left us alone in other places where other ones supposedly would take care of us while they were working."
"Really?" Dixie asked again with a look of surprise as well, but increasing her curiosity. "And… what kind of places did your dads leave you in?"
"Uhh... Well... Ugh, in some dreadful places," he replied reluctantly, recovering a little to his normal tone. "Anyway, enough talking, girl, I just have come to you to explain to me better how that pyramid is made."
"But then you didn't have your dads present with you?" she continued asking him.
"Look, I don't even know why I'm talking to you about this," Jemky replied, shrugging and serious again. "I only came for the pyramid, and that's it."
Dixie just looked at him seriously and strangely at the same time; as far as she remembered, she had never seen one of those children talking like that. She was still curious about the topic, but decided not to wind it up anymore for the time being, so she just continued to write the instructions of the pyramid.
Meanwhile, Jemky remained silent and was waiting for Dixie. His expression only showed absolute seriousness, although then seemed to fade and return to being as at the beginning.
"Hey, Dixie... I also wanted to ask you something else," Jemky said, turning to look at her later. "Diddy had an emerald in his pyramid, right?... Do you know where he got it?"
Dixie looked at him strangely again at that question; she was about to answer him, but preferred to spare herself the explanation in case any inconvenience would arise.
"Well... I don't know, he bought it himself," Dixie replied, lying and shrugging.
"Really? And where?" Jemky asked again.
"I don't know either," Dixie replied as she continued to write. "I think he bought it a long time ago. Why?"
"Uhh... No, I was just asking," he replied, shrugging and looking away. "Or well... The truth is that there is something I wanted to propose to you, what would you say?"
"I don't give dates," Dixie said bluntly as she continued to write.
"No, not that. It's rather... a proposal for you and Diddy," he said with a forced smile.
"And now what do you want?" Dixie asked him without looking straight at him.
"Well, I wanted to ask you if... could you tell Diddy to give us that emerald?" he said with an apparent look of pleading. Dixie looked at him weirdly immediately at such a sudden question that seemed somewhat shameless. "I-I mean, not exactly that he gives it to us, but rather… that he gives us that emerald, and we in return will give him other shiny stones for his pyramid, even one for you too... What do you say, Dixie?"
Dixie only gave him a stern look of weirdness. She thought that he was being so brazen and daring to come and tell her out of nowhere to give him that emerald, which she and Diddy had already seen was generating a certain wake-up call in those evil children.
"What are you talking about?" Dixie said to him with the same weird expression. "Diddy won't accept that, forget it. He's not going to give it to you like that."
"Hey, but I'm not saying that he just gives it to us, I just told you that we want to exchange it for other shiny jewels that we have, it's just that."
"And why would we want more jewelry? Diddy already has that emerald, and I also have chosen some pearls for my pyramid."
"Come on," Jemky exclaimed, giving her a little push and a look of supplication. "I'm saying we want to make an exchange for you two, we're not demanding you or anything."
"Jemky, that's not going to happen," Dixie replied. "I don't know what this is about, but honestly, the answer to that proposal is no."
"Oh, but why? That emerald is very beautiful, we'll want it for our pyramids, don't you want to help us?"
"Well, if you say you have more shiny jewels, so wear those," she replied again. "The emerald is something important to Diddy; we're not going to give it to you four, you're crazy."
"But we'll give in return for you two a lot of shiny stones better than that! You're going to have more."
"No, I said no!" Dixie exclaimed, raising her voice firmly. "And better not insist or I'll throw you out of here."
"Ugh, but how stubborn you always are, Dixie," Jemky said, his hands at his sides and rolled eyes.
Dixie rolled her eyes too, downplayed it, and just continued to write down the instructions. Meanwhile, Jemky leaned on the same rock to wait, but in turn, he stared silently at Dixie and smiled at her.
"Hey, Dixie... and do you really like that fool monkey Diddy?" he asked her with a mocking smile later.
"And what do you care about," Dixie replied without looking up as she continued to write. "And Diddy is not a fool."
"Maybe that monkey doesn't really love you," he said with a mocking laugh. "He doesn't even try to get close to you or anything."
Instantly, Dixie rolled her eyes and tried to restrain herself so as not to give Jemky his comeuppance at that comment. Meanwhile, he kept looking at her with a sweet look.
"Oh, Dixie... You're really so pretty," he said, gently grabbing her hair. "You could give me a chance instead, I-"
Immediately, Dixie gave him a withering look and pushed him away hard. She then reluctantly handed him the paper with the instructions by sticking it to his face, before finally retiring, even without having finished writing.
"Thank you, Dixie," Jemky replied, smiling and taking the sheet. "Precious," he added before winking at her and then leaving, but not before being slapped by her.
Dixie rolled her eyes again and kept walking home with the pyramid in her hands. She turned to see if Jemky had already left, and fortunately he was; she couldn't stand him anymore. Even so, at that moment she began to think about the conversation she had had with him; she didn't remember talking like that to any of those evil children or seeing them that way. She wondered what kind of family and environment these children would have had to be misbehaving now. However, she didn't know if anything more could be known about them, so she downplayed it afterwards.
Later, Dixie arrived at her house. She knocked on the door, and was greeted by her sister, who greeted her immediately.
"Dixie! How is it going?" Tiny said as Dixie entered the house. "How did you do with the pyramid?"
"Everything went well so far," Dixie replied, smiling as she left it on a table. "The new teacher just told me that I should put the jewel on it, you know, the pearls you told me."
"Didn't he send you to repeat it?" Chunky asked, also arriving at the scene. "Since you said that that new teacher is a grump."
"No, not at all," Dixie replied with a shrug. "He was very good to us."
"And Diddy? How did it go to him?" Tiny asked.
"The teacher also approved it to him; he just told him that he is doing well."
"And... did he put that emerald?" Tiny asked, curiously.
"Yes, he did. It seems that he has considered it," Dixie said smiling.
"And didn't he tell you anything important?" asked Tiny again with a mischievous look.
Suddenly, Dixie changed her expression, showing a face of some frustration in her.
"No... I think he didn't understand that," Dixie replied in a low tone. "I don't know what else to do. I told him what that emerald meant, but he didn't seem to get it... He even always says that if we dated, it would be weird or silly."
"Hey, maybe he says that to disguise," Chunky said with a shrug. "Surely he must be thinking at some point to tell you that he likes you."
"Yes, he may not be ready yet," Tiny added. "But maybe at any moment he will show up with flowers and a huge gift to ask you to be his girlfriend," she said, jumping with excitement.
"Ugh! If the only one making that bad joke is that crazy orangutan," replied Dixie, rolling her eyes. "In fact, this morning he did it again."
"That ugly orangutan boy again?" Chunky asked with a frowning look. "Doesn't he give up?"
"Or why don't you give him a chance to see what that boy is like?" Tiny said innocently and unknowing of the context of those children. "Don't you think he's cute?" she added with a little laugh.
"Ugh, no, what are you saying?" Dixie replied in a disgusted tone. "He may have his appearance, but he's a braggart, believe me."
"Or what if you tell Diddy yourself that you like him?" Chunky suggested with a shrug. "And that's all."
"What? No, not that!" Dixie replied. "I don't think that's a good idea. That would be… weird."
"But why?" Chunky exclaimed, hands at his sides. "Wouldn't that be the most convenient?"
"Hey, no, Chunky," Tiny added. "Dixie isn't the one to do that, she can't be that fast."
"Exactly, he's supposed to be the one to tell me, isn't he? I don't want him to think I'm hasty or he might get scared."
"Hey, but with Diddy it's more than clear," Chunky said with a shrug. "Dixie, haven't you ever thought about what would happen if you better tell him once and for all?"
"No!" Tiny replied. "Girls can't confess like that to boys, that scares them."
"Well, Chunky doesn't think Diddy will be scared," Chunky added. "So, Dixie can tell him without problems."
"No, no, I'm not going to do that," Dixie reaffirmed firmly. "No way... Oh, but I don't know what to do either," she added, looking down. "How am I supposed to take the first step with Diddy?"
Chunky looked at her with folded arms and serious, while Tiny thoughtfully, which made Dixie shrug and sigh.
"No, no, there has to be a way anyway," Dixie said, moving her head from side to side. "Maybe I can give him some other gift or tell him in some other way so that he will understand it."
"Oh, you'll see it's not going to work that way," Chunky said with a shrug. "If you are not more direct, you won't see results or even you could lose the opportunity with him."
"No, what are you saying?" replied Dixie, her hands at her sides. "Of course I can try another way."
"Yeah, boys are scared when a girl tells them she likes him," Tiny added. "They can only be given signals."
"Yes, I wouldn't even say that directly," Dixie said as she began to walk to her room. "Or what would you do?"
"Well... Chunky knows nothing about love," Chunky replied with a shrug. "Although thinking about it, I think you should just tell him."
"I don't know what I would do either, really," Tiny added in the same way. "Although... maybe you just have to wait a little longer for him to confess to you, Dixie."
"But he doesn't even show signs of wanting to say it to me," Dixie replied with some frustration, before continuing to walk. "Anyway, and where is Kiddy?"
"He's sleeping," Chunky replied. "Not long ago he took his lunch."
Dixie nodded and shrugged, before continuing upstairs to go to the rooms.