WARNING: This story contains graphic depictions of violence and other mature or controversial themes/topics that not all audiences will find suitable. Please continue reading at your own risk.
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♪ Yes, I didn't talk to anyone. ♪15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXFSOdcDVT
♪ I was made fun of by everyone. ♪15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZ9G3lB59E
♪ It's something I wish could be undone. ♪15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXcQbYWxemT
♪ She asked me. I wish I'd had respond. ♪15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6s9AnAxm6
♪ But hear me out: We're all worth being loved! ♪15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLUCFcVMSJ8
♪ Please hear me out: We're all worth being loved! ♪15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExiBE4QE3A
♪ I'm crying out: We're all worth being loved! ♪15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtMurU3Ke5
♪ I have no doubt we're all worth being loved! ♪
♪ Please, I beg you all, let's become friends! ♪15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzMFUwdvvn
♪ Let's not judge each other by what's been! ♪15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BA4UIezlF
♪ It was years ago! It came and went! ♪15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkMbROpkrjk
♪ That's a past chapter! New one begins! ♪
***
Something
***
In the previous chapter of Something... Xandra was once again up to no good, injuring many small frogs in her backyard and blaming Ikjot as the reason for her newfound evil! And what's worse, she pinned the frog abuse on her own sister, Helena, who hadn't even planned on ratting Xandra out in the first place! It was apparent that Xandra just had a darkness about taking joy in hurting others.... And who's to say Xandra's evil would stop there, considering the fact that she got an innocent and faithful boy kicked out of the Young Horseflies Hangout?! It seemed Xandra's end goal of making this repeated timeline into a living nightmare for Ikjot and everyone else... was coming to fruition.
Ikjot... of course... was not innocent either. His mistrust for women, minus Xandra and crew, was what led him to keep leading Herbertia on. It was apparent that, after so many heartbreaks, Ikjot became a backstabber himself! That and... just maybe... his unending affection for Xandra played a part too in his bad decision. Wake up, Ikjot! Much as you wish to forget it... don't you remember the horror you witnessed from Xandra in the future?! You HAVE to stop blaming her evil actions on yourself! They KNEW you weren't going to reply to their questions!
Meanwhile, Marta and Ram managed to get Penelope to agree with taking down Tiane. And Penelope quickly did away with the two girls who were interrupting her beauty time—what a twist!
"Ooooow!" said Ram, regaining balance and still rubbing her back before asking Marta, "Do you think that sometimes, Penelope's rather... strange?"
Also regaining balance and still rubbing her back, Marta replied, "If by 'strange,' you mean 'mean,' then yeah... totally.... Ow."
Will good triumph over evil? Will Ikjot ever trust Herbertia? Will Penelope take down Tiane for once and for all? Will anyone ever stop Xandra?! There's only one way to find out: Stay tuned for Something!
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Something15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsJMOd3gdk
1315Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7UhSXJEZGG
Ikjot's Wacky Side
***
Back at the shack with Derick and Mike, Vanessa and Vicky's lives were no better than the day before.... "AAAAAAH!" cried Vicky upon the pop! sound of Derick's hoof. He struck her face, sending Vicky to the floor.
Derick said, "YOU'RE SO PATHETIC!" before kicking Vicky in her back.
Holding Vanessa in a body lock, Mike laughed and said, "Yeah! Why can't you girls be tough like US?!" Then punched her in the stomach.
Vanessa bent over, only to scream, "AAAAUH!" while straining her already-disabled right foot.
Mike laughed again and said, "You're pathetic too!" Then threw Vanessa to the floor.
Vanessa screamed, "AH!"
Breathing heavily with great pain, Vicky looked to Derick and begged, "Derick... please, stop this—!"
"SHUT UP!" said Derick, kicking Vicky in the face.
"AAAAAAH!" screamed Vicky. Blood was soon enough dripping from her nostrils.
Derick then looked at his shoe and noticed Vicky's blood on it. "AH?!" he yelled with shock before gritting his teeth with anger.
Vicky trembled in fear, knowing she was in very big trouble now.
Derick said, "You little... MUST YOU ALWAYS STAIN MY SHOE WITH YOUR STUPID BLOOD?!" Bending down to Vicky and grabbing her head, she screamed in pain while he continued, "HUH, YOU PIECE OF TRASH?!" and balled his hoof into a fist, slamming it into her face.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!" screamed Vicky.
***
Back at the Young Horseflies Hangout, Xandra and her girls were still in the dance room and laughing over their victory—being that they wrongfully got Vincent kicked out.
To Orabel, Xandra laughed and said, "Man, did you see the way he cried from his girlfriend dumping him?!" and laughed again.
"I know, right?!" laughed Orabel. "He was such a loser!"
"And a failure!" laughed Xandra.
Piper laughed and said, "I've got to say, Orabel, your lie was so awesome!"
Orabel said with a laugh, "I know, right?!"
Xandra thought with a clever smirk, Orabel's crossin' over to the dark side.... I always knew that being how impressionable she is, she'd soon mirror me. Too bad she'll never be as good at evil as moi though. Heh! Look at me spreadin' all this pain n' chaos throughout the timeline. I'm soooo cruel! Hehe!
Orabel's eyes then widened while she remembered something and said, "OH!" She ran towards the boy she was kissing earlier. "I've still gotta make-out with that guy!"
Xandra told the remaining girls, "As do the rest of y'all."
Walking away, Piper said, "Sure, Xan!" and the other girls walked away too.
Just then, Xandra looked to the side and noticed a young girl, just like herself and her girls, had walked into the hangout; not the dance room. The girl was an orange cat with long and very thick blonde hair, with bowl cut bangs. Her clothing was classy as a dance floor night. Xandra continued to watch as the girl would sit on one of the barstools. Jim seemed to offer her some soda, but the young girl refused. Interesting... thought Xandra with a sly smile. Making sure her girls were long gone and not around to see her next move, Xandra walked out of the dance room and towards the girl who was just given some water by Jim.
"Here you go!" said Jim.
"Thanks!" said the girl before drinking some water.
And Jim walked away from her.
Xandra, soon standing behind the girl, chuckled and told her, "Wow, water...?"
The girl stopped drinking and puzzled. She looked behind herself and saw Xandra.
Xandra went on to say, "Please.... Everyone knows that water is for girls."
She tilted her head and puzzled, "But... I'm a girl."
Xandra chuckled, "No, you're not! You're a woman!"
The girl reeled back a bit, slightly stunned. "A... woman...?"
Xandra chuckled and said, "You're in a bar, aren't you...?"
Looking down shyly, the girl responded, "Well... yes... but I don't drink."
"Hmmm..." puzzled Xandra with a smile. She placed her finger beneath the girl's chin, lifted her head and asked, "Tell me, hun... what is your name...?"
"My... name...?" puzzled the girl.
Gently setting her other hand on the side of the girl's hair, Xandra replied, "Yes, darling... your name...."
"...Well... it's Maricela."
Xandra told her with admiration, "Ah, Maricela... such a beautiful name...." And searched Maricela's hair with her fingers. "Beautiful like you...."
With awe, Maricela replied, "Really...?"
Placing her arm around Maricela's shoulder, Xandra continued, "Tell me... are you a model...?"
Maricela gave it some thought and said, "Well... no...."
Keeping a sweet smile, Xandra rolled her eyes while saying, "Eh, I figured...." Then she looked back to Maricela. "You're more of a monument."
Maricela blushed and said, "Aw... you're so sweet! You're actually the first person to ever give me a compliment...."
"Wow..." chuckled Xandra, folding her arms. "Seriously...?"
Looking down with a sad smile, Maricela responded, "Yeah... I don't have any friends...."
Xandra rubbed Maricela's chest and chuckled, "Well, consider me your first!"
"Wow... thanks!"
"No probs! Y'know, even though I just met you," and Xandra chuckled, "you're way better than the bunch of losers I came here with."
"Losers...?" Maricela responded, visibly stunned. "Isn't that kind of... mean...?"
"You wanna be cool, don't you...?"
"Well..." and Maricela looked down with guilt, "yeah...."
"Then you've gotta be mean..." Xandra said with calm laughter. "The reason you don't have any friends is because you're nice. If people know you as a backstabber, you'll have plenty of friends."
"Well, yeah, but... backstabbing is so... wrong...."
"Hmmm..." solemnly hummed Xandra, soon rubbing Maricela's chin. "Now why would you think that...?"
Maricela blushed and said, "Well, I mean... it hurts people...."
"Ah, of course it does, my friend.... But don't many things hurt people so we may get the things we desire? Don't we have to kill a dangerous person, just so they don't kill us?"
"Well..."
Xandra smiled and levitated Maricela's chin, ever so gently. "You fall into this category too, you know. Unless you become a backstabber yourself, you'll become victim to backstabbers instead." And Xandra temptingly stroked Maricela's face with her finger. "Picture yourself as a person stranded in a jungle, and you're surrounded by so many predators." Then Xandra stopped the finger stroking, lowering her hand behind herself. She looked left and right... and leaned down to quietly tell Maricela, "They're all gonna eat you... unless you show them how vicious you can be...."
Maricela moved her lip to the side and hummed, "Hmmm...."
"Don't you think it's the same case for this world we live in? Everyone is out to get you, Maricela...." Then Xandra came close to her ear. "Everyone except me...."
"Right, because you're my... friend."
"That's right..." she said while petting Maricela's cheek. "And I'm your only friend.... Everyone else just wants to hurt you...."
"They... do...?"
Xandra shrugged while saying, "Why else would they not wanna be your friend? Anyone who doesn't want to be your friend wants to be your enemy. Anyone who does wanna be your friend, like me, will never turn against you...."
Maricela slowly grew a smile. "So, then... you're like... the only friend I have...?"
"Precisely... and anyone else who wants to be your friend will just be pretending to like you. So, whatever you do, always betray them before they betray you...."
"Wow... thanks for your insight..." and Maricela punched the palm of her own hand. "I vow to be a backstabber—"
Xandra quickly placed her finger over Maricela's mouth while saying, "A backstabber must never reveal themselves.... Make yourself seem as though you're a trustworthy person. Act in the way you know... will make your prey lower their security."
"Right..." Maricela said while nodding with realization. She cleared her throat. "I vow to be a 'trustworthy person,' is what I meant to say!"
"You don't necessarily reveal it by saying that you're trustworthy. Rather, you prove it by comin' off as a friend to people." Xandra playfully gave it some thought. "For example..." and looked at one of the boys (a short light-brown bear), "go tell that kid how nice he looks."
"You mean... compliment him?"
"Yeah."
Maricela nodded while saying, "Okay!" and walked to the boy. She said, "Hey there! You're very dashing tonight!"
The boy blushed with a smile and replied, "Aw... thank you! You're such a nice girl!"
Maricela then walked back to Xandra and said, "He called me a 'girl.' Isn't he supposed to call me a woman?"
"Hey, as far as the people you're fooling are concerned, you're whatever they say you are. No backstabber's true identity is meant to be known by anyone, not even their own family."
"Not even themselves...?"
Rolling her eyes, Xandra laughingly responded, "Girl, of course you gotta know it!" Then she looked back down to Maricela. "But no one else though."
Maricela chuckled while saying, "Oooooh, okay."
"Just keep practicin' and you'll be just as good at this stuff as me. Oh, by the way... you'll wanna start drinkin'."
"Drinking...?" puzzled Maricela. "But... I don't drink...."
Xandra tilted her head, smiling sympathetically and told Maricela, "Why not?"
Maricela rubbed the back of her head and replied, "Because my parents tell me it's bad for you... and that I'm way under the legal age for it anyway."
Xandra chuckled, "Did your parents also tell you that bars are bad...?"
"Well... yeah..." shyly responded Maricela, seeing Xandra's point.
While rubbing Maricela's chest, Xandra told her, "Awwww.... They just don't wanna let you have any fun...."
"They don't...?"
Xandra chuckled, "Oh, absolutely not." Then searched her fingers through Maricela's hair while going on to say, "Parents are all about makin' their kids miserable...." And she got close to Maricela's face. "Which is why you should always disobey 'em...."
"But I was told that you're supposed to listen to your parents."
Shaking her head, Xandra giggled, "Was it your parents who told you that too?"
"Well... yeah...."
Xandra chuckled, "Well, of course they want you to believe everything they say." And Xandra stopped chuckling, keeping a smile on Maricela. "That way, you won't know when they're lying to you."
"But my parents would never lie to me...."
"Did they tell you that going to a bar could result in you getting hurt by someone?"
"Well... yeah, they did."
"Have you been hurt by anyone...?"15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzQ5ovtWxV
"Well... no..." said Maricela, rubbing the back of her head while looking down to the side. "In fact, if anything, I've made my very first friend here: You."
Xandra chuckled, "Then ya see? Your parents really can't be trusted...."
Giving it some thought, Maricela replied, "I guess you're right..." and looked down with sorrow. "I just... thought they were the only people I could trust when I couldn't trust anyone else, y'know?"
Xandra patted Maricela's back. "Aw... there-there, my dear friend... it's not your fault. Backstabbers could be anyone, even our own parents. All you have to do is fool 'em before they fool you. And remember..." and she came close to Maricela's ear, "I'm your friend...."
With a trusting smile, Maricela replied, "Oh, I will—um... what's your name...?"
"I'm Xandra, but you can call me 'Xan.'"
"Thanks, Xan!" Then Maricela went walking to one of the guys (a sheep) seated a few barstools down from her. "I'm gonna backstab someone before they backstab me."
Xandra highly raised her arms and fists, shouting, "Woooo! That's the spirit!" Then placed one arm around Maricela's shoulder. "Oh, and one more thing..."
Maricela turned her head while saying, "Huh...?"
"A good backstabber is a cool backstabber—you're not cool unless you start drinkin'."
Again, Maricela gave it some thought. "Well, if my parents lied about one thing, then they probably lied about that too. I'll take your advice. I mean, you're my friend." And she awkwardly rubbed the back of her head, chuckling, "My only friend!"
"Exactly, and as your friend—your true friend—I would never steer you in the wrong direction. If it makes you feel better, I drink all the time and nothing 'bad's' ever happened to me. As a matter of fact, every person I know who drinks has always lived forever...."
Maricela's eyes widened. "Get out.... Eternal life just from...?"
"Oh heck yeah!" Xandra said, smiling and folding her arms.. "Drink now while you're alive, and you'll never die, sweetie...."
"Woooooow!" awed Maricela. And she ran to the counter. "I'm gonna start right away!"
"That's the spirit, Maricela! Drink to your heart's desire!" Then Xandra thought, keeping her smile, And that's another life I've ruined. And in your case, Maricela... I've ruined it again! Hehe!
***
Back at the hotel, it was still just me and 1098 in the room. 1098 was organizing some towels, and I realized that I was maybe being a cad for not helping her with that. Then again, I also remembered our dispute from earlier. Of course, she knew these thoughts that went through my mind, considering that she could always know what Herbertia and I were thinking. Folding another towel and placing it on the bed, 1098 said, "You know, Ikjot, you can help me, if you want...."
I turned my head and puzzled, "Huh...? Really...?"
"Mhm..." hummed 1098, nodding.
"...Well..." and I got up and headed towards her, "okay." From there, I picked up a towel and said, "Um... hey, 1098...?" Holding a towel in her hand too, 1098 looked to me with puzzle while I went on to say, "I'm... I'm sorry about earlier... y'know...?"
1098 knew all too well what I would say next, but felt it was still fun to play along. She puzzled, "Mhm...? Go on...?" before folding the towel.
I folded mine as well and continued, "Well... I was thinking about what you said in terms of Herbertia.... I mean, so what if she's a backstabber or not? Do I really want to be the bad guy in the event she isn't one?" I then placed the towel on the bed.
"Well..." and 1098 placed her towel on the bed too, before picking another, "it's not your fault... not entirely, at least. I mean," and she started folding it, "you've been through a lot—that much I've gathered from reading your mind."
Just then, I paused.... I picked up another towel and prepared to fold it, but... my quivering lips and the tears forming in my eyes were standing in my way.
1098 puzzled, "Ikjot...?" She put the unfolded towel on her own bed, then approached me. She hugged me close and said, "Hey... Ikjot...."
And I started crying.
1098 said, "Ikjot, listen to me... you've been through a lot, but you can't let that hurt you...."
Feeling it was safe to do so, I hugged 1098 and replied, "But... it just hurt so much..." and I sniffed. "I mean... every time I looked around, some girl was making a fool out of me... again...."
"Ikjot..." 1098 said while patting my back, "trust me, it won't happen again... not so long as you stay with Herbertia.... I've read her mind, Ikjot.... She isn't like those other people you encountered. Herbertia is pure... she is patient... and she will never do anything to hurt you...."
I sniffed, saying, "I know where you're coming from, 1098, but..." and sniffed again, "how can I..." and again, sniffed, "trust you...? What if you're really not... what you say you are...?"
1098 smiled softly. "If that were true... how did I know you wanted to help me with folding the towels?"
"Well... maybe you just made a lucky guess...."
"Oh, really...? Then how did I know that you were thinking about your past experiences this morning?"
I paused.... Looking down, I replied, "Well..."
"Just know one thing, Ikjot... I may be a giver of knowledge to you and Herbertia, but I also know your need for comfort when you're sad...." Her eyes narrowed. "...I also know that without that comfort, you become depressed.... I would leave you to that pain had I not been born with a heart."
"...You mean how you walked out earlier, right?"
"Mmm," 1098 hummed, looking down with guilt. "...Ikjot, I'm... sorry."
"It's... fine," I said, looking down and away from her, knowing I was at fault earlier too. Then something came up in my mind. I asked her, "Curious, how..." And I paused with shyness.
Once again proving her credibility as a mind-reader, 1098 smiled and concluded, "How old am I...?"
I puzzled, "Huh...? You mean, you're not offended...?"
1098 chuckled and said, "Well, I'm not an earthly girl, Ikjot! Maybe if I were, I would be offended; but I'm not."
I shyly rubbed the back of my head while saying, "Oh...."
"I'm eleven, in terms of my appearance; but actually a few days old, since I was just born. Also, Herbertia wouldn't have been offended by your question either."
"Huh...?"
1098 shook her head. "She wouldn't. As her boyfriend, Herbertia will always believe that you're saying or doing something to please her; not hurt her. Now, in other news, she's been having problems at school...."
"Yes, I heard about that. Ilana, right?"
1098 nodded, saying, "That is correct."
Just then, my eyes widened with shock and I said, "Oh, wait!" I laughed and shyly rubbed the back of my head. "You already told me your age, back when we first met Somer, Julian and their friends!"
1098 giggled. "It's okay.... I've read your mind and know the problems that trouble you tend to make you forget things...." 1098 grew a stern expression. "Now, about Herbertia..."
I quickly stopped laughing, grew the same expression and nodded, "Mhm...."
"...Now... I know that this may be difficult for you to take in, but you'll have to do something about this.... Per se, you'll need to tell these people to back off." Though I didn't say what I was thinking, 1098 still knew what it was and said, "And listen, don't worry about ruining your rep—as you call it—with these people, just because you stand up for what's right. Please, Ikjot... you have to defend Herbertia as she would do for you."
I gave it some thought... and said, "Well... I suppose I can trust you as a mind reader, since you've pretty much proven that you are one."
1098 was silent for a good couple of seconds. "Mhm..." she hummed soon enough with a nod.
"...And... you have been reading Herbertia's mind.... You've gathered that she isn't against me...."
"...Yes...."
I paused... and sighed before saying, "...1098...?"
"...Hm...?"
"...You're... going to hate me when I say this, but... unless I could read your mind and Herbertia's for myself... I just can't trust you...."
1098 was shocked.... She looked down with disappointment and said, "...I'm sorry to hear that... Ikjot...." And so 1098 let go of me, so that she could get back to folding towels.
I too looked down with disappointment... but what was I to do? Was I supposed to risk everything for someone who probably didn't really care about me...? With all the backstabbers I'd faced in my life, how could I trust anyone anymore...? Yes... I understood the potential of... Xandra being a backstabber too but... that wasn't going to happen this time. So far, she was even kind enough to out Nydia as the one of our class who'd been going around backstabbing others. And while their methods of... getting back at her were brutal at minimum... at least it showed that Xandra and her girls had my back; a scenario that was finally possible thanks to me doing things differently this time in 2005.
Just then, we heard a card slide at the front door—1098 and I both knew it was Somer and the gang returning.
Somer opened the door and said, "Hey, guys! We're back!"
I couldn't help but notice that Herbertia seemed awfully strange.... She just stood at the door, smiling at me. I stared at her, waiting for a response... but eventually said, "Uh..." then smiled. "Hi, Herbertia!"
Come on, give me the kiss... excitedly thought Herbertia, still keeping her smile.
Somer also kept a smile—a sly one—while she watched Herbertia wait.
I just puzzled, tilted my head to the side... and said, "Uh...."
Finally growing tired of waiting on me, Herbertia sighed and said, "Okay, fine... I give up." And so she walked forward to peck me on the lips.
Somer giggled.
With a blush, I happily said, "Aw, thank you!"
"No probs!" happily said Herbertia, nodding. "You see, I betted that you would kiss me when I got home; but Mom said you wouldn't—" and her mouth was quickly covered by Somer's hand from behind.
I nervously laughed, "Wow." And I said, "You guys made a bet like that?"15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqkY15xP01
I secretly felt like I wasn't being a good boyfriend if such a thing had to be put into place for me—1098, of course, could read my mind and know that I had this feeling. In addition, I also found it strange how Somer didn't want Herbertia to tell me anything.
Somer paused.... She looked down with a shy smile and said, "Um..."
Removing Somer's hand from over her mouth, Herbertia replied, "Yeah, we did!"
"Am I not being a good boyfriend...?" I puzzled.
"Hm?" puzzled Somer.
"Huh...?" puzzled Herbertia. "What?" And she gave a pleasant smile while saying, "No, you're being a GREAT boyfriend, Ikjot!"
"You sure?" I asked.
"Absolutely!" she said while giving me a hug. "You're the best boyfriend a girl could ever ask for!"
Having a guilty smile, I looked down and thought, Right....
"So, how was your day, Ikjot?" asked Herbertia.
"Hm...?" I puzzled—then I remembered Xandra. "Well..." and I grew a sad expression, "I—" But I stopped, noticing Somer and Julian. I wondered if those two would let me and Herbertia talk without them adding rude or obnoxious comments, such as criticizing me for trying to call Xandra earlier... or giving Xandra a song, even though I never gave such a sweet present to my own girlfriend Herbertia.
All those thoughts and worries of mine were known by 1098 who simply nodded and told me, "It's okay, Ikjot."
Quickly realizing that she read my mind, I too nodded, knowing that I had the green light to say what I needed.
"Hm...?" puzzled Herbertia, noticing that brief interaction between 1098 and I.
"Yes, Ikjot...?" puzzled Somer with a straight face. "What about Xandra?"
"Is everything alright?" asked Julian.
I said, "Well, I... I called Xandra today..." and I looked down with sadness, "but she didn't answer...."
Somer thought, I would tell you off for this, you sick little mongrel... but I'd rather act as if this is okay, just to see if you'd realize for yourself that it's wrong to be that attached to someone who isn't your girlfriend. Then she said aloud, "Wow... that's mean...."
"You're telling me!" said Herbertia.
I said, "Well, I mean... she was probably busy—"
"Probably busy—yeah, right!" said Herbertia, visibly annoyed. "Tell me, did she ever return your call today?"
"Well..." I said, shaking my head, "no...."
"The nerve of that girl!" Herbertia said while taking her cell phone out and lifting its hood. "I can't believe I forgot to give you this..." she said while pressing a few buttons, then showed me its screen. "Here's my number." I took out my cell phone, popped open its hood and started dialing the number while Herbertia went on to say, "If Xandra ever disses you like that again, call me and I'll be glad to talk to you in her place."
Having added my actual girlfriend's number to my contacts, I replied, "Thanks, Herbertia!" and closed back my cell phone's hood.
Herbertia said with a pleasant smile, "No problem!" before bearing a look of displeasure. "The nerve of that girl! I could be trying to escape a burning building, and I'd still answer you the first time!"
I said with a smile, "Thanks, Herbertia!"
Also with a smile, Herbertia hugged me and replied, "No problem, honey! You're my greatest friend in the whole world!"
It was then that I looked down with sadness, feeling guilty about liking Xandra behind this gal's back the whole time.
***
Later that night, Herbertia and I slept in one bed while 1098, Somer and Julian slept in the other. Out of the five of us, 1098 was the only one who was still awake.
...Okay, I was still awake too. I was thinking about another past experience, being the time I was at one of the school dances. By that time, being 2007, Our Lord's Appearance Catholic Church and School had become just a church, and what was once the school part had been turned into a gym... because the school part had been merged with another school known as Cardiovascular Concealment Catholic Church and School. That all said, this was a dance that consisted of the students from both schools—the dance itself took place at a school called Righteous Kyle Catholic Church and School.
...Yes, I'd have a flashback:
I remembered how I once spun around like a... spinning top. I was crouching forward, shaking my rear while the kids in the crowd, along with Xandra, took turns slapping my behind as it passed them.
(1098, who was reading my thoughts, tried keeping a straight face... but couldn't help covering her mouth with a silent giggle.)
Indeed, I did many crazy things at those dances. From doing a cancan, to jigging and dancing while I'd sing all sorts of songs nice and loud... and acting wacky and crazy in the process, I was a complete lunatic. The only reason I did those things was because everyone previously knew me as the quiet, introverted Ikjot—I wanted to change that, especially for Xandra. After all, I still felt guilty about not answering back when she inquired about who I liked at our former school. I also remembered the time when I was hopping up and down like a frog, just to impress Xandra, Piper and some other girl she was with. Xandra, however, told me that I was dancing the wrong way, and showed me how to properly do it. She held her hands up, placed them together and slightly moved up and down, over and over while rotating her hips. I then copied that movement, as did Piper and the other girl.
Xandra whooped, "WOOO!" and told me, "Now you're gettin' it!"
While this wasn't my way of dancing, I didn't want Xandra to ever think that I thought I was smarter than her or wasn't willing to do things her way. Little did I know that my loyalty for the gal would soon betray me....
In 2008, when I was messaging Wynfred on a social networking site I had joined, she told me that everyone only pretended to like my frog dance, as well as the many other weird dances I performed, just to make fun of me. Some people had even recorded me back at those dances just so they could show my loserdom to other people and laugh about it. Yes-yes, I'd probably mentioned this story a dozen times by now... but they were things I couldn't take off my mind. The guilt would forever... haunt me unless I'd fix my past.
***
Indeed... with Dr. Blitz's time machine, I was finally rewarded the opportunity to undo all those past nightmares of my life. No longer would I have to live with knowing my former peers viewed me as a failure.
With a worried look, 1098 thought, Wow... I never thought that Ikjot had a wacky side. It's a shame he's been hiding it just to keep those... jerks pleased. She curiously rubbed her chin. I wonder what I could do to help him remember who he is.... Then her eyes widened with an elated smile. Wait! That's it!
***
The following Sunday morning, with Herbertia and 1098 standing outside of the room and on the balcony, Herbertia laughingly told 1098, "Ikjot with a wild side...? Please.... He's too shy for that! What, you think I don't like my boyfriend just because he isn't fun?"
"But, Herbertia, you have to believe me!" pled 1098. "Ikjot's had a past of being a real lunatic! He can be crazy, but that's what makes him happy!"
"Pfft..." remarked Herbertia before blowing a raspberry. Then she said, "Ikjot isn't the wild type. Besides, I would know if he were. He never hides anything from me."
Rolling her eyes, 1098 said, "Right.... Look, I'm not trying to make you believe that Ikjot's cheating on you with Xandra this time."
"He never was, doofus."
"Regardlesssss!" groaned 1098, trying to keep her cool while steam sizzled from her reddening head. "The least you could do is ask him for yourself. If he doesn't admit it, he's ly—"
Herbertia's displeased look quickly made 1098 cease her statement.
1098 gulped and rephrased as, "Um... if he doesn't admit it, he's... too shy to admit it...?" before shielding her face with her arms, fearing Herbertia would still attack.
Instead, Herbertia patted 1098 on the head and said, "Good girl...."
1098 dropped the defensive stance, looking up at Herbertia again.
"I'll ask him," Herbertia told 1098. "By the way, if you're lying," and she showed 1098 her shoe, "I'll stuff this in your ear."
1098 shrugged and said, "Works for me."
***
That same morning at Helena's house, Xandra, who was wearing a backpack, stood before her little sister and their mother at the door.
"Thanks for... coming over," greeted Helena, looking down as she was still sore about Xandra's actions the previous day. Regardless, she didn't tell their mother anything about it. Even with all the horrible things her older sister had done, she still couldn't find it in herself to try ratting Xandra out. That and she... figured that with how good of a liar that Xandra was, she'd only make Helena look like the culprit all over again.
"Daughter, I'm very happy that you could make it!" said Kyra Xaver, smiling face-to-face with Xandra... since Xandra was just that tall.
"Why thank you, Mom!" said Xandra with a pleasant smile. "Just so you know, the present I brought here for Helena is in my backpack. It won't trouble me at all to leave it here while you head down the street to pick up your medicine."
Kyra replied, "Xandra, you are just the sweetest child that Glendon and I both could have ever asked for!" and stepped aside for her. "Come on in!"
Walking in, Xandra chuckled so very innocently while saying, "Why thank you, Mom! I know we are all sinners, but I do my best to bring at least some joy into the lives of others." She made it inside and continued, "And might I say, you are still just as youthful and gorgeous as ever!"
"Aw, Xandra," said Kyra while hugging her, "I couldn't be more overjoyed to have you and Helena as my children! And the world itself should be overjoyed to have you both as its residents!"
Hugging her back, Xandra chuckled while saying, "Aw, why thank you, Mom! I say the same about Helena all the time!"
Looking to the side with sadness, Helena thought, Yeah right, Xandra.... You hate me; but I still love you regardless.
Standing by the door, Kyra said, "Well, you two have fun! I should be back in fifteen minutes!" and started walking off.
Xandra said, "You too, Mom!" Then leaning to her mother's ear, she whispered, "And..." and she chuckled, "do try to keep the men off you!" She patted Kyra's shoulder in a comforting way. "Good looks, such as yours, could make them go berserk!"
Kyra chuckled, "Aw, thank you, Xandra!" and walked off with a wave. "I hope Helena enjoys your gift, since you always know what will make her happy!"
"I always do my best, Mom!" Xandra said with the sweetest smile, waving back. "Making my sister happy is something that comes before any need of my own! Take care, Mom! Hope all is well for you at the store!"
Kyra said, "Thank you, my wonderful daughters! See you both in a bit!"
"No, thank you, Mom!" sweetly chuckled Xandra. "Can't wait for your return!" Then Xandra closed the door. Still holding a smile, she looked to Helena and laughingly said, "Hey, loser!"
"Hmmm," puzzled Helena, unamused. "You act so nice to me in front of other people; even our own parents." She rolled her eyes. "Don't think I forgot how cruel you were to me yesterday; not to mention those poor frogs."
"Sis, that's why I came here today!" She then hugged Helena. Her smile became a frown while she leaned down a bit to look her sister in the eyes. "Helena, I... know what I did was wrong. The present I've brought is to make up for how horrible I've been to you." Xandra furrowed her brows angrily. "I've had no reason to hurt you nor other people the way I have and I want to be a better person. My present to you will be the start of this new chapter for me, and that I guarantee!"
"Mmmmm," hummed Helena, uncertain while giving her sister's words some thought. "Well..."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMbV7eB2m0
Xandra unzipped her backpack while saying, "Here, sis...." She took out a blindfold and two ear plugs, then zipped her bag back. She showed Helena the items. "Can you put these on? That way my present will be a surprise for you?"
Helena, however, was a bit skeptic... and said, "Um... curious, you're not planning to do anything malicious, are you?"
"Oh, absolutely not!" Xandra said, shaking her head. "That Xandra is gone, starting here and now!" She smiled sympathetically. "I love you with all my heart, little sis. I just want your gift today to feel special and memorable."
"Well..." puzzled Helena, giving it some thought. "Okay...."
Xandra said, "Awesome!" and held the blindfold before Helena's face. "Now, tie the blindfold around your eyes."
And Helena took the blindfold and did as Xandra dictated.
Xandra then said, "Now, I'm gonna place the earplugs in your ears," and put an earplug in Helena's ears—first the right, then the left. "Perfect!" Then she yelled, "CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"
But Helena gave no response.
With a sly smile, Xandra thought, Oh, this'll be fun.... Then walked away from Helena.
"Hey, I know I won't hear your response to this, but let me know when I can take these things off!" said Helena.
Xandra thought, Oh, I will... and it'll be too late by then, dweeb. Soon enough, Xandra was passing the bedrooms before coming across Helena's and thought, There we go! She unzipped her backpack and said, "You can come out now, Logan...."
And a small, fat and brown pug, wearing a black collar, revealed his head from Xandra's backpack. Boy, did he look thirsty for havoc.
Xandra petted her finger beneath his chin and temptingly said, "Now listen, Logan... I'm gonna need you to destroy everything in Helena's room, okay? Bite her CDs into pieces, claw-up her bed, chew-up her homework—anything reckless you can think of doin', do it. After all..." and Xandra's eyes narrowed, "she deserves this for existing." Picking him up and setting him on the floor, Xandra told the dog, "Now then, go!"
And Logan followed Xandra's command, running into Helena's room and hopping on top of her bed. Logan then started clawing holes into the sheets while Xandra laughingly told him, "YEAH, THAT'S IT! WOOOOO! LET THE DESTRUCTION BEGIN! YEAH!" She whooped again, "WOOOOO!" while Logan leaped off the bed and onto Helena's CDs.
From there, Logan grabbed a disk with his mouth and started crushing it with his teeth.
Xandra laughed wildly from seeing this and cheered, "BITE THE NEXT! BITE THE NEXT!"
Logan spat the first CD out in pieces, picked up the next and bit down just as hard.
"WOOOOOOO!" whooped Xandra while watching it shatter to pieces.
Helena, this time being so trusting of her sister, kept an unsuspecting smile while saying, "Ready when you are, sis!"
Overhearing this, Xandra briefly looked to Helena... then back to Helena's room and saw her little sister's homework laying on the floor. There were a bunch of papers, seemingly essays. Xandra pointed to them and told Logan, "Okay, now go rip those papers to shreds! Haha!" She laughed with saying, "Helena will never be able to write all that again before tomorrow; Mrs. Ives will punish her SO bad!" And Xandra just kept laughing.
Once again following his owner's orders, Logan ran to the papers and used his claws to rip them all to shreds.
"YEAH!" laughingly said Xandra. "YEAH! WOOOO! KEEP IT UP! YOU ROCK, LOGAN! WOOOOO!" She then commanded, "Okay, now start clawin' up her walls too!" Helena's walls were painted with horizontal purple and black lines. Xandra happily told Logan, "I know it'll hurt her to see 'em destroyed 'cause they're her favorite colors! Haha!"
And Logan ran to one of the walls, clawing lines down it.
Xandra laughed, "YEAH!"
Logan ran to the next wall and did the same, clawing like he'd lost his mind.
"YEAH!" laughingly cheered Xandra. "WOOOOO! WAY TO GO, LOGAN! Okay, I think we can go to phase two before her mom gets back!"
With that, Logan immediately ceased fire, leaving Helena's room in shambles. He walked to Xandra who petted him.
With her lips puckered, Xandra told Logan, "Who's a good boy?! Who's a good boy?! WOOOOO! YOU, that's who!" She walked back in Helena's direction. "Okay, now I'm gonna put that present at her feet."
"This must be some good present, sis!" Helena happily said with high hopes. "I can't wait to see what it is!"
With a smile, Xandra rolled her eyes and thought, Oh, you'll like it alright! Haha! Soon, Xandra fully made it back to Helena. Standing before her little sister, Xandra pulled out a sticky note from her backpack and set it before Helena's feet. She looked down to Logan and said, "Okay, boy, now I'm gonna put you back in the bag."
Logan barked in response.
Xandra bent down, picked him up and placed him back in her backpack. She continued, "Stay down until I give the signal."
Logan barked in response again, following Xandra's order.
Xandra, with a straight face, looked to Helena, removed the earplugs and said, "Hey, I got your present ready, sis!"
"Oh, I'm really excited now!" elatedly replied Helena before Xandra would remove her blindfold. Looking around with excited wonder, Helena asked, "Where is it?!"
"Look down," said Xandra.
Helena said, "Okay!" and looked down before gasping at the sticky note that read, [You're nothin' but an ugly wannabe who will never be anything. Love, Xandra! Hehe.]
Seeing the tears form in Helena's eyes made Xandra laugh and say, "Hey, if you think that's bad," and she again chuckled, "you should see your room!"
"Wha-what...?" puzzled Helena while tears escaped her eyes. Xandra kept laughing while Helena walked down the hall and to her room, only to pause in shock upon seeing everything that happened.
Helena's eyes trembled as more tears fell while Xandra came behind her and laughingly said, "WOW! When's the last time you cleaned in here?!"
Helena fell to her knees with disbelief. She said, "All I do is love you," and her eyes became even fuller with tears, "...and you always hurt me...." And the tears just kept running down her cheeks. Seconds later, while Xandra kept laughing, Helena made a long scream of horror and beat her fists on the floor. She was so upset that she could have easily had a convulsion. And Xandra just laughed even louder while Helena kept crying.
Xandra laughingly said, "Look at her, Logan!"
And Logan revealed himself from Xandra's backpack.
Overhearing Xandra call out her dog's name made Helena momentarily cease her crying, turn her head to Xandra and see the pet. "L... Logan...?" puzzled Helena with shock.
Xandra just kept smiling, placing her hands on her hips.
Helena went on to say, "So, then... you had him with you the whole time...?"
Xandra laughed, "That's right!" Then walked down the hallway and made it to a glass window. "Logan, hand me that rock that I brought...."
Logan drew down his head to a lower pouch of Xandra's backpack, grabbed hold of the rock with his teeth, and leaned his head back to Xandra's reach.
Xandra held her hand out, letting Logan drop the rock in her palm. She told him, "Thank you!"
"Xan... Xandra, what are you doing?!" cried Helena.
Xandra chuckled, "Oh, just ruinin' your life!" and slammed the rock through the window, shattering some glass.
Helena screamed with shock.
With a laugh, Xandra told Logan, "The other pouch, boy!"
Logan bent his head down toward the other lower pouch of Xandra's backpack, grabbing another rock with his teeth and dropping it in Xandra's hand again.
"STOP IT!" cried Helena, rushing Xandra's way. "HEY!"
Using her available hand and keeping her smirk, Xandra lifted and snapped her fingers.
Logan leapt out of Xandra's backpack, landing on all fours to growl and snarl at Helena, making her come to a halt.
"HEY!" cried Helena, scared to go any further lest she'd incur Logan's wrath. "NO, STOP, XAN! THIS ISN'T FAIR!"
"That's why I'm doin' it!" laughed Xandra, pitching another rock through some more glass of that window and shattering that portion too.
"I never... did anything to hurt you," cried Helena with more falling tears, watching helplessly while Xandra laughed and grabbed another rock.
"HAHAHA!" laughed Xandra, pitching a final rock through the remaining glass. The window was completely massacred.
"WHY ARE YOU DESTROYING OUR MOM'S HOME?!" cried Helena.
Keeping her smile, Xandra told Helena, "Eh-eh-eh, correction: Your mom." She shrugged. "Divorced parents, remember?"
With shock, Helena asked, "What...? Suddenly, you disown our mom...?" Helena angrily said, "THE MOM WE SAID WE'D NEVER DISOWN, EVEN THOUGH SHE AND DAD SEPARATED?!"
Xandra chuckled, "Don't you know by now that I'm not someone of my word?"
"NO, SIS, THIS ISN'T LIKE YOU!" shouted Helena, still with tears in her eyes while she leaned up toward Xandra. "YOU CAN'T BECOME A MONSTER OVER SOME DUMB BOY WHO DISRESPECTED YOU!"
Xandra then slapped Helena across the face, knocking her to the floor.
"AH!" screamed Helena while she fell on her side. She held her left side of her face, slowly looking up at her sister. Her eyes were wide and sad, still with falling tears.
Looking down with a tired scowl at Helena, Xandra said in warning, "I'm going to hurt you if you keep makin' it sound like I'm doin' all this because of him. What? You think I'm that weak where I can't take my mind off some amphibian trash?"
Just then, they heard the sound of a vehicle pulling-up from outside.
Xandra looked through the window and saw that it was Kyra in her white and rusted sedan, but she would never tell Helena. One could see that Xandra was devising a plan based on that sly smile of hers.
Still crying and on the floor while holding her face, Helena asked, "Xandra, is that Mom...?"
Xandra chuckled, "Your mom ain't my mom!"
"BUT SHE IS!" angrily cried Helena.
Xandra leaned toward Helena again, frowning while she said, "I don't care." Then she said with a straight face, "But no, that isn't her. Just a driver who's tryin' to turn around 'cause they were goin' the wrong way."
Believing Xandra—surprisingly—Helena replied, "Oh...."
Walking to the front door, Xandra continued, "Hang on, let me go see if they need help."
"Are you sure you want to go by yourself...?" asked Helena with worry. "What if they're dangerous?"
Xandra laughed, "Hey, I'll be alright!" and continued with a straight face, "Besides, if we're gonna go down, I wouldn't want you to go with me."
A bit stunned to hear this coming from Xandra, Helena—though still upset over her big sister's actions—looked down, wiped her eyes and said, "Well... okay.... Thanks, sis."
Xandra smiled sympathetically to her and said, "Hey, that's what family's for!" She then opened the door, walked outside and closed it back.
Be careful, sis... thought Helena, not seeing through the lie. I love you and I don't want you to get hurt.
Outside, as Kyra got out of her car and held a handbag (apparently it contained her medicine), Xandra approached her with tears and meekly said, "M—Mom..." and sniffed before hugging her.
Worried, Kyra hugged her daughter and said, "Xandra, what's wrong...?"
Still with tears running down her face, Xandra looked to Kyra and replied, "Hel... Helena, she..." and sniffed, "she just got so mad..." and sniffed again before covering her face in Kyra's chest, continuing to cry.
Patting Xandra's back, Kyra tried getting her to finish that statement with saying, "She got so mad...?"
Xandra turned to the broken window and pointed while saying, "She..." and sniffed, "she got so mad that she broke the window...."
Seeing the window, Kyra exclaimed, "WHAT?!"
While Kyra was shocked, Xandra thought, Heh! You overgrown fool. Too bad I'm so good at cryin' that you can't see through my lie! Hehe! And Xandra sniffed again before saying, "She also destroyed her room and—" and again, she sniffed. "And called my present..." and she cried in Kyra's chest, "stupid..." and kept crying.
Kyra patted Xandra's back comfortingly and told her, "There, there, daughter.... You've been through a lot. Why don't you go home for the day, just to get away from all this?"
Xandra sympathetically said, "O..." then sniffed again, "Okay...." Then she uncovered her face from Kyra's chest and started walking off.
"Would you like a ride, sweetie?" asked Kyra, worried.
Stopping in her tracks and wiping her tears, Xandra replied, "No, I'll be fine. I'll..." and sniffed, "I'll call Dad to pick me up...."
"Are you sure...?" Kyra asked again, still sad and worried. "I can still give you a ride home, if you're too unable to wait on your father."
Wiping some more tears with her finger, Xandra sniffed and said, "No, I'll be fine..." and sniffed again. "Dad's at a store nearby...."
Still worried, Kyra said, "Well, alright..." and turned to facing the front door of her home. She took off her belt and walked towards it, saying, "Now I'm going to go give that evil sister of yours a piece of my mind...."
But Kyra stopped in her tracks when Xandra sniffed and said, "No... it's not her fault, I mean... maybe I shouldn't have come over—"
Continuing to walk, Kyra interrupted, "Nuh-uh, no way. If she didn't want you over, she shouldn't have invited you just to hurt your feelings." Kyra made it to the door, turned the knob and walked inside yelling, "HELENA!"
Still sitting before the window, Helena's eyes widened with shock... and she looked to her left, seeing Kyra with the belt in hand.
Kyra closed the door behind her and approached Helena while she said, "THAT... is a two thousand dollar WINDOW, Helena!"
Helena cried, "BUT MOM, IT WAS XANDRA; SHE—!"
Standing outside of the home, overhearing Kyra and Helena from inside, Xandra giggled to Logan while she heard Kyra interrupt, "I KNOW THE ANGEL THAT XANDRA IS! SHE WOULD NEVER DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS!"
Helena cried, "BUT, MOM—!"
Then Xandra heard Kyra's belt bashing against Helena. "AH-AAAAAAAAH!" cried Helena with great pain, much to Xandra's quiet laughter to it all; she didn't want Kyra overhearing that she was still out there.
Logan had a face of worry... then looked down with guilt. He didn't realize what his owner had made him do. And he didn't like hearing a child in pain... unlike Xandra who did.
"NOOOOOOOOO!" cried and screamed Helena while Xandra just kept laughing.
***
Later that day, outside of Wynfred's house, Wynfred and Yosef were sitting on the porch, smoking and drinking—you could tell by all the wine bottles and cigarettes on the ground around them. Yup, only ten years old and already they were doing those kinds of things. They likely got the alcohol from an adult's nearby stash or something; bartenders like Jim would have known better than selling alcoholic drinks to mere minors. From what Wynfred told me in the past—not this current past, but the one I originally hailed from—she had been doing these kinds of things for years, as had Yosef. And from my experiences, the whole city of Righteous Korrigan was like that; you couldn't even go to your local school fair without the adults and kids alike smoking and drinking all around you.
Very relaxed and holding a cigarette, Yosef said, "Man, I love gettin' high..." and took a smoke.
Just as relaxed and also holding a cigarette, Wynfred said, "Yeah..." and put it in her mouth. "After all, Xandra told us a long time ago that doin' this kind of stuff would keep us livin' forever...."
"Didn't she tell us that back when we were..." Then Yosef puzzled. "Um...."
"...I think we were five, right...?"
"Five years old...? Hmmm.... Yeah, I... That sounds about right...."
Nah... probably not that early. Then again... maybe so if they knew Xandra all the way back then even.
Wynfred smiled to Yosef and said, "Xandra's such a good friend...."
"Yeah, I know..." replied Yosef. "She's awesome...." Then Yosef blew more smoke from her cigarette.
Wynfred released her cigarette and blew some smoke too. "I wonder why Xan doesn't do this stuff too since it's so good for the body...."
Yosef knew that Wynfred was told the reason multiple times but forgot. Yosef said, "She told us she was born immortal, remember?"
Wynfred paused for a moment... then remembered and said, "Ooooooh. Yeah, she did say that...."
***
Meanwhile at a local park, Orabel and her boyfriend, Hermon, were sitting on a bench and kissing each other.
All the while, that random roach crawled next to Orabel and complained, "Get a room..." before getting plucked away by Orabel's fingers (even though she had hooves). "CURSE YOOOOOU!" vengefully yelled the roach before crashing into what sounded like breaking glass.
Feeling that Hermon was about to pull away from her, Orabel quickly touched his chest, opened her eyes and muffled, "Eh-eh... I pull away first, remember...?"
Muffling his words since he was still kissing with her, Hermon responded, "Oh... right!" And he just kept kissing.
While Orabel closed her eyes back and did the same, she soon sensed that Hermon's eyes were still open—she was correct when, upon opening her own, she saw that this was true. Orabel rolled her eyes and muffled, "Um... yeah," and chuckled, "I'm not letting go yet, so..."
"Oh..." Hermon muffled with slight disappointment. "That's... okay...."
Just then, Orabel looked down with guilt upon having a flashback of something:
Last night at the Young Horseflies Hangout, Orabel walked to a boy fox she saw and laughingly asked, "Hey, what's up?!"
Being around Orabel's height and wearing a round sweater hat, the boy turned to her and laughingly replied, "Oh, nothing much!" Then rubbed the back of his head. "Just—"
And Orabel immediately grabbed him around the shoulders, soon kissing his lips. She looked to Xandra with a wink.
Xandra laughed with approval for such backstabbing behavior.
***
Orabel thought, I know what I did was wrong.... Then she smiled slyly. But it... was fun to betray Hermon here like that.
Hermon muffled, "I love you..." while continuing the kiss.
Orabel muffled, "I love you too, Hermon..." while doing the same, keeping a sly smile in the process.
***
By around two o'clock p.m. that day, back at our hotel, Somer, Julian and 1098 were once again prepared to step out. Somer and Julian were in their Judie Barnes and Clarence F outfits, of course. The three of them stood by the door while Somer told me and Herbertia, "Well, guys, we're going to the park for a while." She smiled pleasantly. "In the meantime, enjoy yourselves! I hope you two have fun!"
While I sat on the second bed with her, Herbertia got close to me, looking me in the eyes with a flirtatious smile. She told Somer, "Oh, we will...."
Wrapping my arm around her shoulder, I held Herbertia close and said, "Indeed we will...." This made Herbertia smile even bigger while I tickled her chin. "After all, Herbertia is the most beautiful girl in the world that a guy could ask for...." I knew I was lying. I was... so wrong for it.
"Awwww," Herbertia giggled before pressing her hands against my chest. "Not as beautiful as the most beautiful guy in the world: You!"
Then I giggled to Herbertia's words while she licked my cheek.
"You two are just the cutest couple ever!" said Somer, still with a pleasant smile. She looked up to Julian and said, "Well..." then looked down to 1098, "we'd better get going." Somer opened the door, let 1098 and Julian walk out, and told us, "Bye, y'all!" And following behind 1098 and Julian, Somer closed the door behind herself.
Now outside, Julian with a clever smile asked Somer, "Let me guess: You want them to spend more quality time with each other?"
"Yup!" said Somer with a pleasant smile.
Looking down, 1098 thought, Good luck, Herbertia....
Back in the room, Herbertia immediately rubbed my chest and asked, "So... how you feeling...?"
I smiled with a moan and said, "Well... good, especially since you're rubbing me...."
Placing her finger beneath my chin and tilting my face to look up at hers, she puzzled, "Oh...?"
"Why... yes.... Yes, I do...."
Placing her mouth to my ear and licking my ear hole, she said (a bit distorted through her licking), "Well... do you like singing...?"
I moaned and said, "Singing...? Yes, I love singing...."
Removing her tongue from my ear and placing it on my lips, she muffled, "Do you like dancing...?" and slid her tongue into my mouth.
I smiled with pleasure and muffled, "Yes.... Yes, I do!"
"Hmmm... Do you have a wild side...?"
I puzzled while repeating, "A wild side...?"
"Yeah, like, uh..." She then removed her tongue from my mouth and puzzled while saying, "Um... something you're too shy to show...? Like, uh... being a lunatic?"
I grew a face of worry, wondering if she was mad at me—since she called me a lunatic.
Herbertia noticed my face and said, "No, no, not trying to be mean or anything! Just, um... wondering if you have a wild side!"
"Uh-oh! Is it bad to have a wild side?"
"Do you have one?"
I started to become teary-eyed and said, "Herbertia, I'm... sorry...."
She puzzled, "Huh...?" before looking on with worry. She placed her hand on my shoulder. "Hey, what's wrong...?"
"You're... you're not mad at me...?"
Herbertia laughed, "You must've met some real cows in your life, huh, buddy?! No way!" Then she hugged me. "I love you, Ikjot!"
I hugged her and said, "I love you too, Herbertia." But I was feeling down because I knew that I was fooling her. But what was I to do? If I told her the truth now, and things didn't work out with Xandra, I would have been left with no one....
Herbertia patted my back and said, "Now... I want you to tell me... do you have a wild side...? It's not bad if you do. I just wanted to know."
"Well... um... yes...." I would've continued, But... you wouldn't make fun of me for it, would you? But I didn't want to make her feel like I didn't trust her to be a good person; that's exactly what she would have thought had I asked her such a question. So I instead said, "But... people have made fun of me for it before...."
"Is that why you don't like showing it...?"
I looked down, nodding while I said, "...Yeah...."
Herbertia giggled and said, "Well... I for one would never make fun of you for who you are, Ikjot. And just so you know, the reason I asked in the first place was because of 1098 who told me that she saw it in your thoughts!"
I giggled, "I should have known...."
"So tell me, Ikjot, what is your wild side like, hm?"
I looked down with a shy smile. "Well... it's pretty crazy, actually...."
Herbertia shrugged and happily said, "Whatever it is, I'm pretty sure I can handle it."
"Well... okay, are you sure...?"
"Yuh-huh!" she said with an eager, happy nod.
"Promise you won't be annoyed?"
Herbertia said, "Nothing annoys me—except 1098 when she's being a know-it-all." I giggled to that statement while Herbertia continued, "I also promise not to make fun of you for this."
I said, "Well... alright..." and got up from the bed. "Here I go."
Rubbing my chin, Herbertia flirtatiously said, "Go for it...."
I giggled with a moan from her rubbing. Then said, "Now, I don't have any instruments, so I'll be humming this song's instrumental with my voice."
"I heard you do it before, the other night—you know, when you were singing that short rock song to me?"
"That was the night that followed from when I sung Xandra's song in the cafeteria, correct?"
"Yeah, and I liked it!"
"Well... okay... Here I go." I started clashing my teeth together to make the sound of a beat, and sang the rest of the instrumental through my mouth. Then, I swung my arm around, pointed to one of the two lamps hanging from the wall and shouted, "WOW!"
Herbertia giggled to that.
I smiled, jigged up and down and sang, "♪ Look at that lamp—you know it's BRIGHT! ♪" Then I was doing a cancan. "♪ Look at me, my time is right! ♪" I got in Herbertia's face and jigged up and down. "♪ Guess you're ready for me OR NOT! ♪" And I puckered my lips. "♪ But I'm ready for you, cause I know you're hot! ♪"
Herbertia shyly smiled, giving me that dismissive hand gesture.
I held her hand and continued, "♪ So please, oh please, baby, will you be my darlin' little... ♪" before letting go, holding out my hand and shaking it back and forth, "♪ ShooooOOOOOoooo-OOOOooooo-OOOOT... ♪" and I got back in her face with a flirtatious smile, "♪ 'cause ya CUTE! ♪"
And Herbertia giggled, blushing at how I compared her to the cutest little shoot from a tree.
I drew away from Herbertia, soon standing before the hotel door. I did a cancan. My clothing of sweat pants and a long-sleeve shirt.... faded, with sparkles, into a black tuxedo and pants, fedora, tap-dancing shoes and a cane in my right hand. Then our hotel room's lighting went away, replaced by a spotlight solely over me. I sang in the accent of a 1920s gangster, "♪ Sometimes life gets slippery... ♪" and took out a banana peel, "♪ when you're trippin' over these! ♪" Then threw it beneath my feet, causing myself to fall on my face and break my teeth... along with that very imagery of myself, shattering like glass... that soon revealed me in a new setting: Me being a farmer tending to goats. While holding a rake, I sang in my normal accent, "♪ Sometimes, you'll be just like me, ♪" and started raking the grass, "♪ doing chores that are OH so degrading! ♪" Then a train rammed me from behind, changing my setting to that of a desert with the train traveling down its tracks. I continued in panic, "♪ Or if I'm going to my doom, I'd rather go through it with you! ♪" The train then crashed into the screen of this very scenery, exploding said scenery to smithereens!
Next, I was sitting at a table in a restaurant. On that table was a little cricket playing a violin while I'd pour some water in a glass, hold that glass and sang in a British gentleman's accent, "♪ I can be random at times, ♪" then picked up a bottle of sugar and starting sprinkling some in the water while I continued, "♪ which is why, ♪" then stopped sprinkling, "♪ currently in this song, there are no connecting lines. ♪"
I then leaped over the table and onto a stage of two giraffe women dancers, grabbed a mike and sang again in my normal accent, "♪ I love to perform! ♪" before shaking my hips back and forth with the women. "♪ For me, it's a norm! ♪" And I smiled big. "♪ You can see it as clear as my face! ♪" Then flirtatiously winked. "♪ When I'm like this, I don't care if my craziness... ♪" and I was now in outer space, standing on top of the world, "♪ disturbs the human race! ♪"
In another fantasy, I was in a car with a tabby cat male who wore black sunglasses, a black fedora, black suit and he was the one driving. He stopped before a house, looked to me in the back and said (while the instrumental continued), "Alright, kid... are you ready to deliver the package?"
I took out the package and, with a no-nonsense salute, replied in a heroic tone of voice, "I vow to make this delivery quick..." before making a grin to the viewers, "and heroic...!" And one of my teeth sparkled.
From there, the door on my side of the car opened, and I was kicked out and sent smashing right into the house's front door.
Then an alligator opened that front door and briefly looked from side to side, puzzling while saying, "Hello...?" Then saw me flattened and pasted to his door. He laughed and said with a malicious grin of sharp teeth, waving at me with his claws, "Oh... hello...."
And I smiled nervously, knowing this wouldn't end well.
In the next fantasy, I was a cowboy who stood on a farm, spinning his rope and aiming it to the left, then the right, and repeating this formation while I sang in a Western accent, "♪ I draw in my audience! ♪"
Then I was in the setting of a concert, sitting on a sloth piano player's piano while he'd play it as I continued, "♪ Do my best to keep their interest! ♪"
Then I was in a karate class, punching the air while my deer master held a block of wood, while I sang, "♪ HI-YAH! HI-HO ♪!" Then I kicked forward. "♪ NO WAY! ♪" and I prepared to punch the wood, "♪ NO—♪" only to hit it and hurt my hand, causing it to swell and turn pink while I concluded, "♪ OW! ♪" and the master was displeased while I held my hand and continued my sentence to the viewers, "♪ ...would I ever displease the crowd! ♪"
In the next fantasy, I and many pigeons on either side of me were doing a cancan on a city's power line while I sang, "♪ The biggest thing to come to this town is me... clownin' around! ♪" Suddenly, the pigeons seemed displeased while I continued, "♪ I know that many people don't approve of my behavior! ♪"
Then the pigeons on my right lifted their left feet, while the ones on my left lifted their right.
But I kept singing, now nervously, "♪ Which is why I've kept it secret for... ♪" and I was then electrocuted when the pigeons all stomped down on the power line, while I finished singing, "♪ ...almost forever! ♪"
In the next fantasy, I was a clown in a circus, rolling on a giant ball while juggling some bowling pins. I sang, "♪ But I guess now that, to you, my secret's out, there's no need to doubt, ♪" and I grew a crazed smile while my eyes went swirly, "♪ that I'm wacked out! ♪" I then jumped off the ball, slid across the sandy ground of the circus, pulled out a cane, let the spotlight hit me again, and I held my cane horizontally over my stomach while I once again did a cancan.
And my fantasy audience applauded.
I sang, "♪ I've said it before and I'll say it again: Little lady, this side is hidden no more! ♪"
I then leaped up, sending myself into yet another fantasy—one where I was a knight who used a sword to battle a ferocious dragon that was trying to destroy a castle. Standing on a cloud, I held my sword forward while I sang in a medieval accent, "♪ Those who say that they're a beast, ♪" and the dragon roared before I began slashing my sword, back and forth, "♪ ...have no idea in the least. Here I am the wildest guy. ♪"15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtW8e2wT104
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And the dragon slapped off my knight's helmet with his tongue.
Now afraid, I sang, "♪ So comparing me to others would, ♪" and I trembled in fear while the dragon took in a deep breath, "♪ ...make you think they've, ♪" before the dragon breathed fire at me, "♪ lied! ♪" And so I quickly ran off the cloud and for my life.
In the next fantasy, there were four kids walking down the street—a girl cat, girl horse, boy bear and boy sheep. Like me, they were twelve-year-olds. I came between the girls and boys while I sang, "♪ Guess what I'm about! ♪" I sang to the boy sheep, "♪ Frantic? Nope! ♪" and got out of his face—he seemed annoyed by my presence. Then to the boy bear, I continued, "♪ Carefree? Maybe! ♪" Then I continued to them both, "♪ Here? DEFINITELY! ♪" And now that they were both annoyed, I swang out a guitar and continued to my viewers, "♪ Don't stereotype me away from reality! ♪" And I shrugged, singing, "♪ I'm just as normal as anybody! ♪" I then repeatedly high-kicked one foot after the other. "♪ So what if I express myself? That don't mean that I need help! ♪" And I pointed my finger to the air while leaning to my side. "♪ So go on, say that I'm annoying! ♪"
Unamused, the girl horse told me, "Uh, do you mind? We're busy."
I got up in her face with a mad smile—she and her gal cat pal seemed freaked out by this. Riffing my guitar, I sang to her, "♪ Why don't you get used to the fact THAT I AM CRAZY?! ♪" Then all that scenery shattered like glass, revealing me back in the hotel room with Herbertia.
Herbertia happily shouted, "Oh, what the heck!" She got off her bed to start dancing and jigging, eventually tapping her foot while keeping in line with my beat.
While I repeatedly jigged one foot forward after the other, I sang, "♪ I tell ya, when I'm like this, I feel so happyyyy! ♪" Then with a comforting smile, I held Herbertia by her hands.
Herbertia just stared at me in awe and started blushing. Then smiled back and was soon enough dancing with me.
I sang, "♪ But knowin' I've been made fun of for this, ♪" and held my arm over my eyes, "♪ makes me feel sorry! ♪" Uncovering my face, I kept jigging. "♪ I wish we could all live in a world where we're accepted for ourselves! ♪"
Herbertia nodded in agreement to my wish, still dancing with me.
I kept singing, "♪ But with so many people so judgmental, I guess it just remains a dwell! ♪" Then I looked Herbertia in the eyes with sympathy. "♪ So now ya know my deepest ways, no matter their levels of strange! ♪"
She and I then freed our right hands from each other... to jig our index fingers to the rest of my song.
I sang, "♪ Please understand, you have the right to laugh if, to you..." and I looked down, "♪ this whole act was laaaaa-AAAAAAAA-aaaaame! ♪" Then I sounded the final notes of my instrumental, even though everything sounded like real instruments in my imagination.
Clapping her hands with joy, Herbertia cheered, "BRAVO, IKJOT! BRAVO!" I looked to her with puzzle while she continued, "THAT WAS SO AWESOME—ABSOLUTELY AWESOME AND MILES, MILES AND MOOOOORE MILES BETTER THAN THAT 'Let's all drown in the Black Sea' TRASH! WOOOOO!"
I was momentarily silent. "...You... really enjoyed it...?"
Herbertia blew on two of her fingers to make a whistle in response.
I grew a slight smile and continued, "Wow... you..."
"Really liked it?!" Herbertia happily finished my question. "YEAH!" She folded her arms. "No kidding! And I know even with that multi-colored pebble, you're probably still too shy to ask this but no—I'm not giving you these compliments just to make fun of you, Ikjot!" And I looked down with a blush while Herbertia continued, "You have a great talent! You could be like a performer of some sort! I'm not even kidding! The way you were making all those groovy sounds from just humming?! That was absolutely AMAZING, dude!"
Now with a bigger smile, I said, "Herbertia, you... really liked the sound of my musical humming?"
"That was the most talent I'd seen from anyone EVER, Ikjot!" Herbertia told me while excitedly clapping her hands. "I just want you to be happy for yourself too! You were truly AMAZING with this! Gosh, I should have never doubted 1098!"
"Wow!" I said even happier. "Thanks, Herbertia! That really means a lot!"
Herbertia elatedly hopped up and down while telling me, "Oh absolutely anything for you, my love buddy!" She then hopped into my arms and stroked my cheek with her finger. "Though I... guess we would still have to get you 'real instruments' if you were to perform in front of music judges. Those out-of-touch hacks wouldn't know talent if it bit their faces!" Her expression turned stern. "And neither does Xandra!"
"Huh?" I puzzled suddenly.
"Xandra and those other peers hating on you for liking music like the kind you just sang? Who cares what ANY of them think, Ikjot?!" Herbertia placed her hand on my cheek. Her expression became one of deep sympathy. "Ikjot, you can't just go your whole life denying who you are.... Whether Xandra accepts it or not, this is your dream. Your heart's telling you what you love...."
I looked down, a bit sad at myself while giving Herbertia's words some thought.
"Look at me," Herbertia said while gently tilting my head to face her again. "You will never be Xandra. You will never be Orabel, Piper, Wynfred, Ilana; not any of them! And you don't have to be... because you are Ikjot Nirvair Harsharan. And that person... just like them... deserves to be loved."
I looked down, knowing she was right but... I couldn't... revert to this kind of fool; not in front of Xandra and my other peers again. They'd all... hate me again.
Interrupting my thoughts, Herbertia moved her face closer to mine... and eventually kissed me.
It had been a long time... but with 1098 and Herbertia's help, Ikjot felt a bit like his true self again. Will he ever accept himself once more... or continue bending to Xandra's wills?
Elsewhere, on the island of Sanne, Marta sits with her family in their home, hoping for tomorrow to bring them the best result: Tiane's defeat.
"Gee..." puzzled Mrs. Grey, "I sure hope Penelope pulls through for us."
"Hmmm..." hummed Mr. Grey with a nod and stern expression.
With a determined look, Marta said, "...She will..." and thought, She has to....
Will Penelope pull through? Is refuge finally just around the corner for Marta and her family?! Stay tuned for scenes from the next chapter of Something!
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In the next chapter of Something... 1098 confronts Orabel about her and the other girls leading Ikjot on! Whoa! This could get intense....
"Herbertia, this is useless! Now get that thing out of my face!" and Ikjot slapped the cigarette from Herbertia's hand.
And it seems that multi-colored pebble from Dr. Blitz's lab has made you a little TOO brave, Ikjot! Better watch it, Ikjot... or do you want Herbertia knocking you through ten more trees?! Don't miss the unfolding drama... next Something!
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Something15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4At1eSjU9
1415Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZ0z0UkBR0
Ikjot Gets Bold
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♪ Yes, I didn't talk to anyone. ♪15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HKahgzDS3
♪ I was made fun of by everyone. ♪15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ICt2BLIuY
♪ It's something I wish could be undone. ♪15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcRPtLM19s
♪ She asked me. I wish I'd had respond. ♪15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0NordsSV2
♪ But hear me out: We're all worth being loved! ♪15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFKVztAxiE
♪ Please hear me out: We're all worth being loved! ♪15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLV4jdbbQjC
♪ I'm crying out: We're all worth being loved! ♪15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd64gdxfnat
♪ I have no doubt we're all worth being loved! ♪
♪ Please, I beg you all, let's become friends! ♪15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23FcWKAx6R
♪ Let's not judge each other by what's been! ♪15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9VdYIJotY
♪ It was years ago! It came and went! ♪15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNDQZABw1r
♪ That's a past chapter! New one begins! ♪
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