Boober was in his hole reading a book on diseases when Wembley and Jessa walked by.
"Hey Boober," Wembley began as they paused in the archway. "We're all getting ready to play Hidey-Ho."
"Wanna join?" Jessa asked him.
"No, I'm in the middle of a fascinating chapter on viruses."
Boober looked up at her and noticed her sword and holster were missing.
"Where's your sword?"
"It's on my bed," Jessa answered him. "I'm not going to need it right now."
"Are you sure you don't want to play, Boober?" Wembley asked.
"I'm sure."
Jessa and Wembley exchanged a look before shrugging and walking off. But Jessa remained there a second longer.
"Boober, you're more than welcome to play when you feel up to it."
Boober blushed. Her tone with him was soft, making his tail wag.
"Enjoy your book," she said before catching up with Wembley.
Boober never liked the games the other Fraggles played as they were too extreme for him. He watched Jessa walk away, his heart racing as he put his hand to his chest. Boober sighed lovingly before resuming his reading.
"I guess Boober doesn't like Hidey-Ho?" Jessa asked Wembley once they were out of earshot.
"He doesn't like most games. Actually, all games."
"All?"
"Boober has his own kind of fun. Safe and cozy fun."
"Let me guess, his words."
"Yep."
A moment of silence passed between them before Wembley spoke again.
"I do worry about him though. He's always so caught up in those books and laundry. It's like he never allows himself to have any actual fun."
Hearing the sadness in his voice, Jessa couldn't help but feel sympathetic.
"You're a good friend, Wembley."
They entered the Great Hall and soon began the game of Hidey-Ho. Red initiated the role of seeker while everyone else hid.
"Hidey!" She yelled after counting.
"Ho!" Everyone shouted in unison.
Wembley and Jessa hid in the same place as Gobo.
"How long do you think it will be until Red catches someone?" She asked.
"Knowing her, not very long," Gobo replied. "She's very good at this game."
"Hidey!"
"Ho!"
Some Fraggles even came out to run to new hiding places, but Red heard their footsteps and began chasing after them.
"I just hope I don't become 'it' like I did the last time we played," Wembley said.
"Why's that?" Jessa asked.
"Because I can never decide which Fraggles to chase after and where to hide."
Jessa turned back to Red just as she yelled.
"Ho!"
Gobo ran out to a different location while Jessa and Wembley stayed put, though she planned on running out after the next 'Hidey'.
"Here's to avoiding getting captured," she said to Wembley before running out and stopping just a few inches from Red.
She had her back turned while yelling 'Hidey,' the others responded with a unanimous 'Ho!"
"Ho," Jessa said a second later as Red turned around and tried to grab her, but to no avail.
Jessa leaped over Red before taking off.
"You're not getting away that easily, Jessa!"
"Try to catch me then!"
This resulted in a playful chase between them, Gobo laughing in amusement. Mokey and Wembley watched on in amazement as Jessa began leaping up some steep rocks.
"Tell me this, Red," Jessa began. "Is bouncing up a few levels against the rules of Hidey-Ho?"
"No, it isn't."
"Then I guess I'll have to keep evading."
Jessa grabbed a nearby vine and swung down to ground level. Red managed to find her way down but lost track of Jessa.
"Hidey!"
"Ho!"
Mokey ran past Red unnoticed. Jessa had found another hiding place but unknowingly bumped into Gobo.
"Ow."
"Sorry, Gobo."
Red came closer, prompting both of them to move deeper into the cave they were in.
"Hidey!"
"Ho!" Everyone sans Gobo and Jessa shouted.
"She's coming closer," he whispered.
Jessa began backing away without Gobo noticing, and before long, he was caught.
"You're it, Gobo," Red teased.
"Thanks a lot," Gobo said to Jessa, who only giggled in response.
"You're welcome."
"Just you wait, Jessa," he began while tying the blindfold onto his head. "I'm going to return the favor."
Gobo then went out and started counting to five, leaving the girls to laugh wholeheartedly.
"One, two, three, four, five! Hidey!"
"Ho!"
Wembley saw his chance and ran and amazingly, didn't get caught by Gobo.
"Hidey!"
"Ho!"
Red and Jessa ran out of the cave but went in different directions. Red near the pond, Jessa near the Terrible Tunnel entrance. She stayed hidden there for the majority of Gobo's run as the seeker before getting bored and running out to the other side of the Great Hall.
"Hidey!"
"Ho!"
While all this was going on, Boober walked out of his hole to watch the game from afar, but not participate in it. He just happened to see Jessa zooming right by Gobo, who turned around at the last second before chasing her. Boober felt his heart rate increase again while Gobo tried to catch Jessa. Just like in Outer Space, she effortlessly avoided all the obstacles. Boober's tail began wagging furiously and he blushed.
"Come on, Slowbo," Jessa teased.
"If I'm slow, then how come I'm right behind you?!"
They laughed and continued running around the Great Hall, Boober melted at her enjoyment of the game. Gobo was about to catch her when Jessa jumped onto a vine and started climbing it, rendering Gobo unable to tag her.
"Where did you go?" He asked, only to receive no answer.
Boober watched her climb, anticipating the vine to snap at any given moment. She was almost to the top when it did, taking her by surprise. Boober gasped and was about to call out her name when she made better use of the broken vine. Jessa reacted fast and threw it around a ledge, securing it and swinging safely to the ground. Boober couldn't believe it as he fell to his knees, his heart going 100 miles an hour. He thought for sure that she was going to be injured. Boober let out a small nervous groan while watching Jessa walk into another cave. But Gobo caught her.
"Ha! Payback for selling me out to Red and calling me slow."
"No need to thank me," Jessa replied humorously.
Gobo handed Jessa the blindfold and took off running. She put it on, though she decided to cheat by using her X-Ray vision. Jessa closed her eyes before opening them a second later, her pupils turning white. Since she was blindfolded, nobody could see this change, but she could see very clearly through the fabric. Boober, still recovering from his shock, watched her as she began counting.
"One, two, three, four, five!"
Jessa took a few steps before shouting.
"Hidey!"
"Ho!"
Jessa saw two Fraggles running in the distance but didn't want to make it obvious that she could see, so she yelled again.
"Hidey!"
"Ho!"
Somebody ran past her, prompting Jessa to run after them. Seeing her chase after the fraggle made Boober's heart go wild. He could've sworn he heard Sidebottom in the back of his mind.
"She sure is lovely when playing," he heard him say.
Boober had to agree though. He didn't say it out loud, but what Sidebottom said was true. Jessa was beautiful. He watched her chase another fraggle around until she caught them.
"You're it!" She said before removing the blindfold.
Jessa made sure to go back to regular vision before doing so. Once the next Fraggle was blindfolded, Jessa took off. After not being able to see her, Boober went back to his hole.
"Boober, if you don't snatch her up soon, somebody else will!" Sidebottom yelled from his subconscious.
Boober grunted in response, but he knew that Sidebottom had a point. He had to win her heart. But how? All he knew how to do was cook, do laundry, and treat sick and injured Fraggles. What purpose would that serve in attracting a mate?! Boober knew there was only one person he could ask for advice. And that was the Trash Heap.