Post by ♪Becky♪ on Apr 8, 2009 16:43:51 GMT -5
Story about a Felinician Nomad (space cat that lives in the desert. XD,I posted his picture,that cute little blue one. X3)
Yeah...
Characters:
Nomads:
Draelo Shif- Leader of the Sai Ayra tribe
Milessa Shif-his wife.
Tobias Shiflado- Tobias, the son of the Chief of the Sai Ayra tribe. A schemer and dreamer. Non conformist.
Reshinal-(Reginald) second in command of tribe and Draelo's advisor. Rather....whiny.
Adrian: Tobias' best friend. Doesn't rebel against society.
Arabaella (Air uh bay la) - Adrian's beau. One of the prettiest gi.rls in the village.
other Fellies:
Charlie Reynolds: "hottest" guy in Valley North highschool. Flirtacious. Thinks he's all that and a bag of chips.
Mia Anderson: leader of a clique. In love with Charlie,not that he notices.
Terese Zach- Mia's "minion", mimcs everything Mia says. Quite annoying.
Clarissa Maire- young lady who dreams of action and adventure. thinks her highschool life(And Charlie,even though he's sort of cute) is a drag.
Amy Trent- fiesty and outgoing auburn short hair with green eyes. Clarissa's best friend.
Kathleen Maire- homemaker, scared of Nomads.
Rich Maire- owns local grocery store.
Tobias peered out of his tent.
Another boring day in the Derr desert.
Sand,sand,sand. Nothing but sand!
Sometimes being a Nomad stank. It was such a boring life. Even for the Shif's son.
Tobias wanted something more. He wanted to know what else was out there. He knew other Felinicians existed,ones that came in other colors,all colors, and he wanted to meet them.
He was a restless teenager. Soon he'd be a man,but not yet. And once he was a man,he'd take over as second in command of his tribe.
"Lado!"
"Ya?"
"Pos mi seed!"
"Yassir." Tobias raced to his father. "Daht?"
His dad smiled down at him and began to tell him....
"An arranged marriage?! DAHT! no one does that anymore! NO ONE!"
"Tobias... it's tradition. All tribe leaders go through this."
"I don't want to." he replied,crossing his arms over his chest. "I shall pick who I shall marry! Not you and Mahm."
"Tobias...arranged marriages work. Look at your mahm and I."
"I refuse to do an atrocity such as this!"
"TOBIAS!"
He looked at his feet. Arguing with an elder was quite disrespectful. Especially your father...
"For your insolence..."
Tobais braced himself. Here it comes...
"LOOV!" his mother called out.
"Ya?"
"Pos mi seed!"
"Ya. Be right there." He gave Tobias a "I'm not through with you yet,boy" look.
Tobias sighed with relief and hurried out of his father's tent and outside.
"H'la!" Adrian called out. The beautiful Arabaella gripped his arm.
"H'la." Tobias sighed. He envied his best friend who was a man already. He also envied the prize that clung to his arm.
"H'la,Shiflado." Arabaella said,with a slight curtsey. She was quite respectful of his position.
He nodded at her.
"What's wrong?" Adrian asked.
Tobias sighed and shook his head. "Daht..."
"Again?"
"He's arranged a marriage for me. You're lucky,you got to pick your own future mate."
"Who is it? Some of the princesses are quite dubel..."
Arabaella glared at Adrian.
"Not so much as you,loovi." he laughed nervously and patted Arabaella's head.
"Nice save." Tobias snickered. "And,I don't know. I'm not going to find out either."
"Huh? Don't you want to know who you're to start a family with?"
"I will know. It's not anyone Daht's picked for me."
"Oh...I sense another one of your wild schemes on the rise." Adrian noted.
Tobias nodded with a mischievous grin.
"TOBIAS SHIFLADO!"
"Oh great., Daht's minion is calling." Tobias rolled his eyes. Reshinal annoyed him greatly. He was just a whiny puppet of Tobias' father.
"Coming..."
~~~
Clarissa looked up from her book.
"Lucky..."
Jane had just gotten swept off her feet by Tarzan.
"I wish that was me..."
"Clarissa! Dinnertime!"
"Coming Mom!"
She gently set the book down and went downstairs.
Clarissa had a dream-like look on her face.
Maybe someday I'll be swept off my feet.,..
"Clarissa?" her dad asked.
"Hmm?" a voice drew her from her reverie. "Yes daddy?"
"Pass the green beans."
She did so.
Soon dinner was over.
Clarissa went up to her room and flopped onto her bed.
"My life is so...boring! I want adventure..I want to meet a knight in shining armor! A prince from a faraway land... I want to fall..."
~~~
"...in love with you." Draelo smiled.
"Well,I think she and her parents are utter bores." Tobias crossed his arms.
I'm not sure what my punishment was supposed to be....but it couldn't be any worse than THIS.
Family interviews. Blech. Of course,all the local girls were crushing on him.
"Can I go now?"
"Where?"
"Dunno. Away from females. I'm tired of them for the moment."
"Fine. You're excused."
"Thank you,Daht." Tobias ran off to join his friend.
Adrian sat under the tree with Arabaella beside him.
"Is she ALWAYS with you?" Tobias teased. "It's like...a living shadow. "
"I'm in touch with my feminine side,what can I say?"
Arabaella smirked.
"Anyhow...how'd the interview go?"
Tobias made a face. "The usual."
"I feel bad for you."
Tobias nodded.
Reshinal raced up to Tobias.
"Shiflado. Your father wants you."
"Again?" Tobias sighed. "Fine. Bye Adrian."
He went back to his family's tent.
"Ya,daht?"
"Your mahm and I have decided something. It's high time I showed you the world."
Tobias gasped. "You're serious?"
He nodded.
Tobias burst out of the tent,screaming for joy.
Draelo laughed. "You've wanted that badly,haven't you?"
"Thank you Daht! Thank you so much!"
"We leave in 21 moonrises."
Tobias grinned. How fun! So long boring! Hello adventure.
~~~
Clarissa went to sleep,unbeknownst to her that the biggest adventure of her life would begin in just a few short weeks.
~~~
*3 weeks later*
Tobias jumped up and down excitedly. "Can't. Wait. To. Go!"
"Men don't bounce with excitement." his father laughed.
Tobias instantly stopped and grinned. "Yes father."
They got on horseback and rode for days.
Tobias grew quite weary. "Father...where are we?"
"We're approaching the edge of the desert."
Tobias blinked. "The desert stops?"
Draelo laughed. "Yes lado. I see you've still got much to learn. Haven't you paid any attention during your geography lessons?"
"Um... nuh-uh."
"Well,you should. I paid good currency for that tutor."
"What will we do at Desert's End?"
"Get on a train and ride to a town."
"A train?" Tobias' eyes widened. He'd read about trains,but he'd never actually SEEN one.
At the end of the next day,Tobias saw his first train.
"Ary. It's so big!"
"Ya. It is."
"Hello there." a conductor said. Though,Tobias had no idea what he was saying. The conductor spoke English and Tobias only spoke Felii.
"Hello." Draelo said. He purchased tickets and they got on the train.
Tobias loved his new surroundings. The seats of the train were far more comfy than straddling a horse.
"Ahh. This is nice." Tobias yawned.
His dad put an arm around him."Slum ell n pos mi gew."
"Thanks Daht." he rested on his father's shoulder.
~~~
"So,like, school's like totally over." Mia announced.
"Thanks,Captain obvious." Clarissa mumbled.
"And it's like,so awesome!" Terese put in.
Clarissa's head hit the table. My brain is like,going to turn into like,mush which is like, so not awesome!
They two airheads blabbered to each other and anything directed at Clarissa,she ignored.
Unable to take any more, Clarissa jumped up from her table and raced down the street. "Bye!"
"Hi Mr. Art." she said,greeting the ticket cashier at the station.
The train station was one of Clarissa's favorite places to hang out. She liked to people watch and make up stories about those she spied on.
Ritzy people were always royal dignitaries from far away lands on their way to a fancy diplomat's house. The middle class people were on quests of various sorts and the hobos were always undercover spies.
But when two shirtless,muscular males hopped off the train, Clarissa was thrown for a loop.
"Dang."
The larger one was definitely older. He had mossy green eyes and was probably about 35. The smaller one looked a lot like him, but unlike the large one, he had a baby face and darker eyes. He had to be about her age.
They were both in excellent shape. Their thin blue fur revealed the strong muscles rippling beneath it.
Wow. And they say Charlie's cute... she chuckled and shook her head. Clarissa snuck off to tell her friend Amy about what she'd just seen.
"Ooh! Daht! Look!"
"What,lado?"
"See that lady over there? She's white!"
"It's rude to point,son.But yes,you'll see that here."
Then a black Fellie caught his eye,followed by a gray one, a yellow one,a red one,a brown one,and a purple one.
Tobias loved the variety.
"It's beautiful here."
"We haven't even left the train station!" he dad laughed.
"There's more?"
"So much more,lado."
Tobias couldn't wait.
~~~
"I saw the CUTEST guy at the train station!" Clarissa gushed.
"Cuter than Charlie?" Amy teased.
"This boy is so cute,he makes ol' Charles look ugly."
"Wow."
"I know. He couldn't have been any older than me and he was sooo buff!" she sighed.
"You're tripping."
"No I'm not."
"Are too."
"Eat my socks." Clarissa retorted. "Just because I said he's cute,does NOT mean I'm tripping."
~~~
"Where do they sleep? Where are the tents?" Tobias asked his dad. The city was interesting. The buildings and ground were concrete."Where's the dirt? and the animals?"
Draelo laughed. "You've been sheltered greatly,my son." They went to a hotel and got a room.
Tobias smiled up as his father. "Will I make friends here?"
"I should think so." Draelo replied. "You're a halfway decent kit."
"Oh thank...HEY! Daht! 'Halfway decent?!"
Draelo laughed as his son tackled him on the bed.
"You're getting strong,boy. No wonder the ladies like you."
Tobias made a face. Ugh...female Nomads.
"What? Don't like them?"
"Not really... they're so...ordinary."
Draelo laughed. "They're quite exotic compared other Felinicians."
Tobias disagreed,secretly.
"Well...we've had a long journey. Let's get some sleep."
"Ok. Good night Daht."
Tobias crawled into the bed -- and sank down.
"ARY!" he shrieked.
"What,son?"
"The bed,it's...soft!" he exclaimed.
Draelo had to chuckle. "Beds here are like that. Now,get some rest lado. Tomorrow shall be busy."
Chapter 2: Attack of the Mia-saurus.
((in this bit ** denotes Felii. Since Tobias doesn't speak English and everyone else does.))
Mia Anderson was your typical boy-crazy fashionasta. She frequented all the most chic stores at the mall and at the very least, made eyes at all the boys she thought were cute. These boys' mom's had warned them about gi.rls like her,and stayed away.
Tobias,however,grew up in a world where gir.ls acted like young ladies,ever polite and modest,for the most part. There were a few rebels that liked to hit on him,but they weren't a thing like the nut case Mia.
He strolled through the park.
Mia and Terese were sitting at a park bench, arguing over who "had" Charlie.
"I had him first!"
"No,Terese,I did. I always have first pick of the boys." Mia tossed her head.
Tobias leaned against a tree and watched the two bicker. He chuckled. Then he saw their skinny legs. "Wow." he said to himself. "How do they even stand? And they need longer skirts. Maybe they're poor. Hmm..." he paused. "I shall never understand females. Though,maybe...I'll go greet them."**
"H'la!" he cried out.
"Fine,you can HAVE Charlie." Terese saw Tobias and smiled.
"Huh? Oh...my gosh." Mia stared at him. What a hunk! "No way! You take Charlie. This one's all mine... " She waved her fingers at him.
Tobias slowly apporached them.
"Hey cutie." Mia purred.
Tobias blinked. "Language barrier."** he muttered.
Terese fluttered her eyelashes at him.
"You got something in your eye?"**
"Come here." Mia said,patting the seat beside her.
Reluctantly,Tobias sat near her. Something's fishy about these two...and I don't think it's their cheap perfume...
"H'la." he said again.
"Hello." Mia reached out and touched his shoulder in a flirtatious way.
Tobias jerked away. "What are you doing?!"**
Terese scooched closer to him and got in his face. He shied away. "Quit it!" ** he fussed. Sick of this,Tobias jumped up and took off.
Mia and Terese were relentless in thier pursuit of him. They cornered him,chased him up a tree,around the play ground and the cornered him again.
"Leave me alone!"**
Mia tackled poor Tobias, pinned him to the ground and tried to kiss him.
"GROSS! Lemme go, you sleazebag!"**He writhed away from her grasp.
"Oh, no you don't." Mia got up and dug her claws into his side.
Tobias yelped loudly. "Owww!"**
The two flounced away. "What dweeb."
Tobias sobbed and rolled over. His side hurt. What made them do that to him? He just didn't want their affection. Was that a crime?
So many questions rolled through the poor boy's head.
He knew several things for sure. He was in pain,he was confused and he was rather scared.
Blo.od oozed from his side."Someone help me..."** he moaned.
"So,how was your last day of class?" Amy asked Clarissa. They were walking to the park because they had nothing better to do.
"You were there!" Clarissa laughed.
"Right."
Clarissa paused.
"What's that noise?"
"What noise?"
"I hear crying."
Amy listened. "Hmm. Me too."
The sound was coming from the bushes near a bench.
"Hello?" Clarissa called. "Who's crying? Are you ok?"
Amy poked her head into the bush. "Aw...are you alright,fella?"
Tobias saw Amy and looked at her curiously. Her voice was compassionate.
Clarissa followed Amy and gasped. That's the boy I saw at the train station!
Amy got closer and observed Tobias' wound. "He's hurt. Someone clawed him good. Poor little Nomad. They never hurt anyone."
Tobias winced at her touch.
"How mean." Clarissa shook her head.
"They were skinny claws too."
"Bet it was the Mia-saurus. Looks like her work."
"Yeah."
Tobias sat up. "You're going to help me?"**
"What'd he say?" Clarissa asked.
"Something about help." she paused. "Yes,we'll help you."** Amy told him.
Tobias smiled. "Thanks." **
Clarissa was impressed. Close up,this boy was even sweeter looking than before. Maybe it was his eyes....
She couldn't help but stare at his muscles.
"Stop starin',Riss. We've got to help him."
She nodded.
"You take one side and I'll take the other."
Together,the two got Tobias off the ground and helped him stand.
Clarissa was on his wounded side.
Tobias looked at them both. "Thank you so much."**
"No problem." **
"How do you know his language?" Clarissa asked.
"My uncle's part Nomad. I have to know it."
"Ah. You know something else?"
"What?"
"This is the guy,the one I saw the other day."
Amy grinned."You're right. He's cuter than Charlie. Yes you are,you're adorable." she gushed at Tobias. Not that he'd understand.
Tobias looked at Clarissa and thought she was nothing short of angelic.
Look at her... those blue eyes....and that fluffy fur... just beautiful.
Then he gave Amy a look over. She had a fiesty fire in her lime green eyes and pretty,short auburn fur.
Two pretty females are helping me out! This is lovely.
"Can you feel him?" Amy whispered. "His fur is a soft as a kit's."
"I'm trying NOT to stroke him." Clarissa replied.
"What are the names of my guardian angels?"** he asked.
"Anh shell? What's that?" Clarissa asked upon hearing his query.
"Angel." Amy translated. "I'm Amy and this is Clarissa." **
"Aimmmm eee." he repeated.
She nodded.
"Rrrrisss...a! Rrrissa! Rrrrrrissa! RRRRRrrrissa!" he rolled his r's loudly. It almost sounded like he was purring.
Clarissa laughed. "You sure do like my name don't you...um...?"
"What's your name?"** Amy asked.
"Tobias." he replied.
She grinned. Tobias. How fitting.
"Aaaaiiiim ee! RRrrissa! Aimmmmeee...RRRRRissa!" he babbled.
Amy laughed. "Aww."
They took him to Amy's mom, who was a nurse.
"Yep. Just like you thought. Claw wound." she looked up. "Cute little guy. Where'd you find him?" Amy's mom asked,patting Tobias' head. She'd bandaged him up well and he was smiling now.
"In the park, he was crying behind a bush."
"How sweet you are,fella."
"Rrrr..." Tobias began to purr,then he flipped over on to his back,belly exposed.
"What's that about?" Clarissa asked.
"He's showing he trusts you two." Mrs. Trent replied.
Amy began tickling his stomach.
"Amy! Don't do that!" Clarissa gasped.
"It's ok. He likes it."
Tobias was laughing his head off and purring at the same time,which made for a funny "RrrhahaharrrrhahahahRRR." sputtering kind of noise.
Clarissa laughed at him. "You're funny Tobias." she shook her head."How old is he?"
"About your age. 15 or so. Can't be any older,look at his face."
"True."
"He looks like a kitten." Amy said with a nod. "Smart though. Not like some dumb looking kittens I've seen."
"Rrrr..." Tobias kept purring.
"You sure are happy,aren't you Toby?" Clarissa smiled.
"Toby?" he blinked and pointed at himself.
"Yes. Do you mind if I call you Toby?"
"Huh?"
"Do you mind if Clarissa calls you Toby?"**
"Negga."
"Negga means,negative right?" Clarissa whispered to Amy.
"Correctomundo."
"Toby. Rrrrrrissa. Aimmm ee." he grinned.
"You two should teach him English. I think he'd pick up fast."
"Really? Huh. That'd be fun."
Toby's stomach gurgled just then.
"Are you hungry?"**
"Yes. Starved."**
"Good. Let's get some food."
"Fuud!"Toby cried out.
The gir.ls laughed.
"Some things are easy to understand in ANY language."
This food...is..strange. Toby looked in Amy's fridge. Nothing looked edible. It was all hard and shiny.
"You eat THIS? Who eats plastic?! Gross!"**
His outburst made Amy laugh. "The food is INSIDE the plastic."**
"Oh." Toby looked a little ashamed.
"What?" Clarissa asked,not getting the joke.
"He thought we ate the plastic."
Clarissa giggled.
Toby sighed. "I'm an idiot." **
"No you're not."** Amy told him. "You're nice."**
She fixed the group some sandwiches and her mom made lemonade to go with them.
The three new friends sat on the back porch,happily munching away.
"Yum!" Toby said.
They laughed. "Yet another universal word."
Toby looked up at them. "Thanks."**
"You're welcome." Clarissa said.
"Hey. You understood him!"
"Well,'grat' sounds like 'gratitude.' "
"The whole language is like that."
"Really? Sweet! This'll be easy."
"Eeee zeee?" Toby asked.
"Easy. Simple."**
"Oh. Oak eye."
"No,its not 'oak eye'. It's O kay."
"Oh key?"
"You're close."
"Oh...kay?"
"Yeah!" Clarissa cheered him on.
"Ok..." He smiled. "Ok!" Toby did a little dance."Um...what does 'ka...yoo tuh' mean?" **
" 'Cute?'" ** Amy asked.
"Ya."
"Duble." she replied.
"Toby... duble?"** he blushed.
"What's duble?" Clarissa asked.
"Duble means cute or adorable." she paused and turned to him. "and yes Toby. I think you're adorable."**
Toby scooted away from her.
"What?"**
"The last g.irl that said I was adorable.... she..." ** He told them what happened.
"Aw. Well,I don't think you're THAT sort of cute."**
"There's more than one kind?"** Toby asked.
Amy pinched his cheeks in reply. "There's THIS kinda cute too."**
He laughed.
Soon they took him back to his motel room. Toby led them by alot of pointing.
He flopped onto his bed with a happy sigh.
~~~
3: I Love Rock'n'Roll.
Music was blasting from Clarissa's radio in her room.
Toby came in through her open window. "H'la!"
"Ah!" Clarissa jumped. "Toby...what? How..?"
"Hi Tobe."**
"Hi Aaaimmee!"**
Amy laughed.
What is that thing? Toby wondered as he saw the stereo. The noise coming from it was....attractive..for lack of a better term.
"OOH!!" Toby ran right up to it and put his hands on the speakers. "Whoa!"
"Like it?" Amy asked.
"YA!" What kind of music is this? It's loud! I like it...
Clarissa laughed. "Toby likes rock and roll."
The beat throbbed though Toby's body and synched with his heart. It was nothing like he'd ever felt. He began tapping in rhythm.
Clarissa switched to a techno song.
The beat did the same thing to him,but this time,Toby broke into a wild dance.
"Whoa!" Clarissa exclaimed.
Toby danced all over the room,leaping and jumping about. His moves were whacky,but they matched the beat perfectly.
When the song ended,Toby flopped onto the bed beside the gi.rls and purred.
He liked this music. Alot.
"Wow...they don't say anything about THAT in the books." Amy said.
"About what?"
"Nomads liking rock and roll..."
Toby kept purring. That music was such fun.
Amy patted his bare belly.
" I like that!"** Toby purred.
"What? The music or this?"** Amy laughed.
"The music. Get you hand off me."** he rolled onto his other side. "Rrrrrisssa!"
"Hi Toby." she smiled.
" H'la Rrrrrissa!"
"I wonder..." Amy said.
"What?"
"Let's put a back massager on his tummy and see what happens." Amy bopped her eyebrows up and down mischievously.
Clarissa laughed."Ok."
Toby watched with a frightened look as Amy got a mechanical insect looking thing off of a shelf.
"What's that?"** Toby's eyes were wide with fear.
"Close your eyes."** Amy cooed.
Toby winced,shut his eyes and then quickly opened one.
Amy placed the bug thing on his stomach.
Toby's eyes grew to saucer size. "RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"
That little...gizmo was rubbing his belly! and it was doing a good job.
Toby liked the massager so much that when Amy tried to take it from him,he growled at her.
"Well then." she blinked. "Sorry Riss. Guess you need a new massager."
Upon hearing 'Riss', Toby looked up.
"Rrrissa....booge?"
"Huh?"
"He's asking if that's your bug."
"Yes."
He gave to her. "Rrrrrissa. Teach me your language. Please."**
Clarissa looked at Amy.
"He wants to learn English."
"EEeenng leesh!"
"Ing lish." she said.
"Eeeeng Laysh."
"Gosh, he's close."
"Ing....English..English!" Toby cried out. He still had the Felii accent,,but the word was perfectly clear.
"Good!" Amy clapped.
"Dat?" Toby pointed at the speaker system.
"That? Oh. That's a stereo.
"SteeRRReo."
"Stare Eo."
"Starrrre eo."
"He rolls his R's." Clarissa pointed out. "and it's soo cute!"
"Toby ky yoo tuh?" he grinned.
"We already told you that,silly."** Amy chuckled.
Toby grinned. "Dis?" he poked the bed.
"Bed." Clarissa said.
"Bed."** Amy put in,just so he'd know what it was for.
"B...Bed!" That was easy.
"He's picking up on words fast." Amy noted.
"You could say that again."
Toby wondered what the English word for eye was.
"Dis?" he pointed to his eyes.
"Eye." Clarissa said. Such a pretty eye too.
" I yuh?"
"Yep."
Toby clapped. "Dis?" He wrapped Clarissa in a hug. Her cheeks flushed. "Hug."
"Huh...guh."
"Hug."
"Hug. Hug Rrrissa!" Toby laughed.
"Aww." Amy said.
Toby sniffed. Clarissa smelled good. "Mmm. Rrrissa!"
"What?"
"She smells good." ** He leaned over and sniffed at Amy. "So do you!"**
Amy laughed.
Clarissa liked Toby's hug...but he kind of needed deodorant just then.
Toby noticed the look on her face. "What?"** He let her go and sniffed his armpit.
"BLECH!" Poor Toby. He may not have been a man just then,but whew, did he ever smell like one.
"I'm sorry."** Toby looked at his feet.
"I've got an idea." Amy said. "Toby. Go out the window and meet us out front."**
Toby scrambled out the front window.
"What's the plan,Amy?"
"My big brother can help Toby out." Amy said,crawling out the window.
"What are you doing?"
"Leaving the Tobias way. Come on."
Clarissa followed.
Toby laughed when he saw the two tiptoeing across the roof.
Once on the ground,the trio ran off to Amy's house.
Toby was faster than the gir.ls. WAY faster.
"Toby! Wait!" Amy panted.
"Huh?" he stopped running to see that his friends were far behind him. "Oops."
They caught up after awhile and walked the rest of the way to Amy's.
Chapter 4: Splish Splash.
"Hi Mom!" Amy called out as they went into her house.
"Hello Amelia."
"Hi Mrs. Trent."
"Hello Clarissa."
"H'la!" Toby greeted.
"And hello to you too,Mr. Nomad." she came out of the kitchen and ruffled Toby's fur. "How's he doing?"
Toby purred.
"His side is scabby,but he's fine otherwise." Amy said.
"Good."
"Where's Jake?"
"In his room, as usual. We never should have gotten him that Game Box 4."
They mounted the stairs. Toby stared at a family photo on the way up.
"Come on Toby." Amy said."Riss,get him."
Clarissa grabbed Toby's wrist. He stopped staring at her.
"Rrrissa!"
She smirked. "What is with you,boy?"
"Rrrr...."
Amy knocked on her brother's door.
Toby looked up from Clarissa to the wildly colored door. There was dancy-techno music playing on the other side of it.
The little Nomad couldn't help but bounce to the infectious beat.
Clarissa shook her head. "Toby..."
"Rrrissa!"
"WHAT?!" a big voice cried out.
Toby whimpered, then he jumped in front of Clarissa and growled at the loud voice.
"Jake. It's me." Amy said. "And a couple friends."
He opened the door.
Jake and Amy looked almost exactly the same. Auburn fur,light green eyes. Though Jake was bigger, more filled out and of course,male.
"What is...and who's he?!"
"Toby,this is Jake. Jake,Toby."
"Dude. He's ripped."
Toby blinked at Jake. Wow...he needs to go outside more.
"Most Nomads are." Amy said. "Anyway, he needs your help."
"How?"
"Got any extra deodorant?"
"Ah...yeah. Hang on."
Jake went in and re-emerged with a stick of Axe.
Amy passed it to Toby. "Put this on."**
Toby looked at the bottle, opened the cap,sniffed it and...
"Toby! Don't lick it!"**
"Ew." Clarissa laughed.
Toby re-capped the Axe and began examining the stick.
"By the way." Jake put in. "If he's stinkin',might wanna give him a bath."
"Ok. Toby. Time for you to get clean."** Amy led him into the bathroom. "Jake,can you help us? Again?"
"Ugh. What now?"
"Boy needs bath... and we're both gi.rls." she began.
"Alright,alright."
Toby knew what soap was,and what to do with it.
All I need now is water.
He spied the little pond out back. Ahah!
Toby was out the window and in the pond before they could blink.
"Yahh!" he splashed about in the water and rubbed himself down with soap.
"Now THAT'S a fun way to bathe." Jake laughed. "Though,I don't know how good the fish will take to the soap."
"Toby!" Clarissa laughed.
"Rrrrissa!" he called out. "Cleeeeeeaaann!"
Jake shooed his sister and Clarissa away from the window so Toby could re-dress in private.
"Splish splash I was takin' a bath 'long about a Saturday night..." Amy randomly burst into song.
Clarissa giggled. "Rub a dub just relaxin' in the tub. Thinkin' everything was alright..."
"Put mah feet on the floor. Wrapped a towel around me and I opened up the door. and then a splish splash,I jumped back in the bath. How was I to know there was party goin' on?" Jake joined in.
They all laughed.
Toby stood on the back porch,dripping wet.
"H'la! Toby cleeean!"
"I see that."** Amy said.
"I smell foul no longer!"** Toby cried out gleefully."Now,um..what do I do with this?"** he looked at the deodorant.
"Open it up and rub the soft part on your underarm."**
Toby did so and sniffed. "Ahhhh."
He shook the excess water off him. "Cleeeeeaaan!"
Clarissa giggled.
Later on,they friends went for a walk.
"Oh. Watch your step. Someone forgot to clean up after their mop." Clarissa side stepped the pile.
"Esserman." Toby crinkled his nose.
"Mop poopie!" Amy said.
Toby laughed. "Poopie?"
"Poopie."
Tobias kept laughing. "Poopie!"
"Crap." Clarissa said.
"Krrrrap!"
The gi.rl's laughed. "Toby, you're silly." Amy said.
"Aimmmmmeee. Rrrrrrisssa!" He threw one arm over Amy's shoulders and put the other around Clarissa.
Clarissa turned bright red and squirmed. "Toby..."
"Huh? Rissa no...hug?"
"It's not that..."
Toby looked confused. He let go. "Rrrissa no...like...Toby?"
"No. No. It's not that at all..." she looked at her feet.
"What's wrong Riss?"
She shrugged. "It's awkward." she whispered.
"Nomads are just huggy." Amy said. "I don't think he means anything romantic by it."
"Oh."
"Yeah. They're REALLY friendly in the hug department,Riss. Remember that."
"Will he cry if I don't hug back?"
"Dunno."
Toby looked a little upset. "Rrrisssa no like Toby."
"Aww. That's not true Toby. She's just a little shy about hugs."** Amy told him.
"Oh?"
"Yeah. Don't take offense. She likes you just fine."**
"Okey!" Toby looked up and then patted Clarissa on the back.
"I've got an idea."
"What Riss?" Amy asked.
She highfived Toby.
He blinked. "Why'd you hit me?**
Amy then high fived Clarissa back.
"Is this a ritual of some sort?"**
"You could call it that."** Amy replied.
"There's gotta be some other way to communicate with Toby without Amy having to translate all the time." Clarissa said.
"Hmm. Toby,how sensitive is your sixth sense?"** Amy asked.
"Um....pretty sensitive. Why?"**
"Think you can communticate with it?"**
"Like...telepathy or something?"**
"Yeah...something like that."**
"I dunno."**
"Try it."**
"Okay."
"Clarissa. Tell Toby something. Then,use your sixth sense to translate. "
" Alright. My favorite color is green." she shrugged.
Toby looked at her,blinked and appeared to be in thought.
"Like mine eyes?"** he replied in Felii
"Yes. Like your...HEY!" she exclaimed. "It works! Aims,you're a genius!"
"Duh." Amy laughed.
"Duh is not nice!"** Toby scolded her playfully.
"Tobe's,you got some personality, there boy."
He grinned.
The trio had to look funny. Two speaking English,one speaking Felii and they all could understand each other perfectly.
"This is great! I don't sound like an idiot anymore!"**
Amy and Clarissa laughed.
"You didn't before. Broken English is cute." Amy told him.
"It is?"**
"Mhm."
"Cool." **Toby grinned. "I love this! I can talk your legs off now!"**
Clarissa laughed. "And we can talk off yours."
"I want to know everything about how you live! The music,the dance,the nature, I already got a taste of the food....not the best,sorry. The rituals. Everything!"**
"Rituals?"Amy asked.
"Yeah. Like what do you do when the moon changes and when you find your life- mate and when you make friends..."**
Amy and Calrissa's blank stares spoke volumes.
"You have none?"**
"Nothing official. When the moon changes we stare at it,when we make friends we just say 'Hi' and when we find a life mate we get married to them." Clarissa shrugged.
Toby looked bored until she mentioned marriage. "Show me!"**
"Show you? You want us to take you to a wedding?"
"Ya! Take me to one,please. I want to see."**
"We can't,unless we're invited."
"Or..." Amy said.
"Amy..I know that look..."
"Hey. Riss,you're the one who's always asking for adventure and then when it comes knocking,you run scared from it."
"But...crashing a wedding isn't adventure! It's rude!" Clarissa replied.
"We don't have to crash one per se... C'mon!" Amy grabbed Clarissa and Toby by the wrists and raced off.
~~
"Amy!" Clarissa hissed.
"Shh! They'll see us!"
If you guessed the three were secretly watching a wedding from the bushes nearby,you're right.
Toby was entranced. "The bride looks beautiful."** he breathed. He watched intently as the bride and groom took the vows, stared into each other's eyes and then kissed.
"Whoa!"
"What,Toby?"
"You're allowed to do that in public?!"**
"You're not?"
"No. Kisses are completely taboo outside the tent in my tribe."**
"But, you're allowed to hug?"
"Yes. Hugs are just fine. We may hug as often as we please."**
"That's...acutally that's pretty cool."
"Ya?"
"Yeah."
"Nomads are only allowed to kiss their beloveds. No one else."**
"I'm guessing you don't have problems with the teenagers then?" Clarissa asked.
"Some of them are nau.ghty,kissing on the cheeks when they think no one's looking."** Toby admitted."Which,by the way,I've never done."**
"Go Toby!" Amy replied with a laugh
He grinned.
"Hey! Who's in those bushes?!" the best man from the wedding poked at the shrubs.
"Ahh! Run!" Amy laughed.
They took off running.
Toby of course,smoked the gir.ls.
"Toby!" Clarissa laughed. "You're so fast."
"Rissa shall be fast too."** he turned back, grabbed Clarissa and threw her over his shoulder.
She laughed delightedly.
"Tobe's,what about me?" Amy pouted.
"Um." Toby blinked and then threw Amy over his other shoulder. "Better?"**
Amy giggled. "Yep."
"Where to,ladies?"**
"Um. We could go back to my house." Amy suggested.
"Alright. Which way?"**
"Acutally,we'd better drop me off first. It's getting late." Clarissa said.
"Okey dokey."
Toby walked back to Clarissa's house,set her down and gave her a huge, friendly hug.
Chapter 5: No Nomads!
Clarissa sat down to dinner that night with a big smile on her face.
"Hey Sweetheart,have fun with Amy?" her dad asked.
"Yep. Amy and Toby."
"Toby? Is that her boyfriend?" Clarissa's mom queried.
"No." Clarissa giggled. "He's a new friend of ours. He's sooo sweet."
"Ah. What's he look like? Maybe I've seen him."
"He's blue, green eyed and doesn't wear a shirt." Clarissa laughed.
"Haven't seen him."
"Yeah. We've been outside most of the day."
"Well. I had the most interesting customer today." her dad said.
"Oh?" her mom,Kathleen, asked.
"Yeah. A Nomad of all things."
Clarissa jumped out of her skin at the word "Nomad".
"A Nomad! Did he hurt you?"
"No. He just wanted food."
"Did you give him any?"
"Of course!"
"HONEY! How could you!?! They're barbarians! They kidnap children and eat them."
What the-?!Clarissa was shocked at her mom. She's...culturist!
"No,honey,I assure you they don't. They're alot like us..."
Kathleen growled. "Lies."
"Honey..."
"You've forgotten what happened to Kasey,haven't you?"
Kasey,Clarissa's older cousin (second cousin twice removed,to be precise) had fallen in love with a Nomad and they eloped. Kasey hadn't been seen in 3 years. Kathleen thought,and swore up and down,that the Nomad had kidnapped her for heaven knew what reasons. But...it was just teenage love.
"She eloped with Terahnse. Last I heard she had four kids."
"No! He kidnapped her!"
"May I be excused?" Clarissa asked softly. She'd barely touched her food.
"Sure,sweetie." Rich repiled.
Clarissa trudged up to her room with a heavy heart. Slowly,she opened up her window and sat on the overhang of the roof.
"Mom's gonna find out,and I won't be able to be friends with Toby anymore..."
Tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks. She'd only known Toby for a day,but already he was one of her best friends. The thought of losing his friendship,just because her mom had issues,tore poor Clarissa's heart in two. "Why..." she moaned. "Why..."
Pat...pat...scramble scramble..shuffle...
The leaves in a tree were rustling. Clarissa looked up and could almost make a familiar shape out of them,but not quite.
Pat....pat...pat...
"Rrrrissa?"
"Toby?" she whispered.
"Clarrissa! you've been crying. What's wrong?"** he gently wiped away her tears with his hand.
"Toby..." she murmured.
"Rrissa,what's wrong with you?"**
"My...mom..."
"What? Is she sick!?"**
"No...she...she...you Nomads don't eat your babies,do you?"
Toby crinkled his nose. "No way! We are not cannibals!"**
"That's what I thought."
"Does your mom think we are cannibalistic barbarians?"**
"Yes." Clarissa sighed.
"Whatever gave her THAT idea?"** Toby asked.
"I guess ...well,I've got this obscure relative who eloped with one,and my mom thinks he kidnapped her."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"That's...just crazy. Your mom's idea,I mean."**
She nodded.
"Clarissa?" Rich was knocking on the door.
"Yes, Daddy?"
"Sweetheart,may I come in?"
"Stay here Toby." she said softly.
"Ok." he replied.
Clarissa climbed back inside and opened her bedroom door before flopping down on the bed.
"Sweetie, were you not hungry?"
"Not really."
"Why not?"
Tobias just barely peeked in the window.
Clarissa looks a little like her father. They're both fluffy. he thought.
"Dad,why does mom hat.e Nomads? They're very nice."
"I don't know." he paused. "And just HOW do you know that?"
At that very moment,Toby leaned inside too far and fell into Clarissa's room.
"Oh my..." Rich gasped.
"H'la Clarrrissa's dad."**
She sighed. "Dad this is Toby."
"Well then." Richard laughed. "Hello Toby."
Toby smiled and waved.
"Quite a handsome fellow...Clarissa ... what have you been up to? " he teased.
"DADDY! We were just talking."
" Oh. 'Talking' I see. Just talking? "
She rolled her eyes. "Yes daddy."
Toby laughed. "I assure you sir,we were merely conversing."**
"What'd he say?"
" "I assure you sir,we were merely conversing.' " Clarissa parroted.
"Is that what he said?"
"I can understand him with my sixth sense. It's weird,but it works."
"Ah. I see. Let me try. How old are you,Toby?"
"15 sir."**
"15?"
"Yah."
"Are you interested in my daughter?"
"Interested? She's just a friend right now,but once I'm a man,I might be."** Toby smirked.
Clarissa blushed.
Rich chuckled. "Until then,paws off. Hear me?"
"Yes sir."** Toby grinned.
"How long have you known this boy?"
"A few days. Daddy..."
"Yes?"
" Please don't tell mom about me having a Nomad as friend. She'd freak out."
Toby looked at the floor.
"I know. I'll see what I can do about that."
Toby looked up and then hugged Mr. Maire. "Thank you sir!"**
He patted Toby's head."Should I bring your meal up here?"
"Yes please. Thanks Daddy."
"And I'll get you both a piece of your mom's chocolate pie."
She grinned. "Thank you daddy."
"Thank you sir."**
Rich left the room.
"Um...Rrrissa?"
"Yeah,Toby?"
"What's pie?"**
She laughed. "Seriously,you don't know?"
"Nope."
"Heard of cake?"
"Yah."
"It's kind of like cake...it's a dessert too. This kind has a flaky crust with yummy chocolate filling."
"Sounds good!"** Toby licked his lips.
"Richie,what are you doing?"
"Getting Riss and I some pie. Why?"
"She hasn't eaten her dinner yet."
He held up Clarissa's plate."Got it right here."
Kathleen left and Rich cut a third slice of the pie,hoping his wife wouldn't notice.
He took the steps two at a time.
"I'm back sweetie."
Clarissa thanked him and eagerly ate.
Toby didn't touch his pie until Clarissa was done with her food.
"Um...How do you eat this?"** Toby blinked. He wasn't used to a fork.
Clarissa and Rich took bites of their pie.
"Oh!" Toby caught on fast. When he took a bite,his eyes grew huge. "This is delicious! I love it!"**
"Shh. Toby,not so loud." Clarissa giggled.
"My apologies."** he smiled as he cleaned his plate. "Thank you. Both of you."**
"You're most welcome,Toby." Rich said. "and feel free to come by anytime my wife's not looking."
Toby snickered. "Thank you sir. Do you mind if I stay a little longer though?"**
"I'd rather my daughter not be alone with a boy after dark..."
"Understandable. Clarrrissa,I bid you farewell. Shall we meet again in the morning?"**
"Sounds good. Goodnight Tobias."
"Good night my friend. Sir."** With that,Toby climbed out the window,down the trellis and was gone.
"So...Daddy?"
"What?"
"What do you think of Toby?"
"I think my daughter has EXCELLENT taste in friends." he hugged her.
Clarissa smiled up at him. "Thanks Daddy."
Toby crawled up to Clarissa's window the next morning(at 6 sharp) and waited for her to wake.
Clarissa FINALLY rolled out of bed at 9:30.
"Rrrissa! Do you sleep all day long?"** he tapped on the closed window.
She jumped."Toby!"
Clarissa walked to the window. "Been waiting long?"
"Years. Aeons. Millenia..."**
"Very funny." Clarissa told him.
"Can I have more pie?"** Toby asked."I'm starving."**
"Pie's not for breakfast,silly."
"Oh. Phooey. Well what IS for breakfast? I'm famished."**
"I don't know. Anyway, you'd better come in. I'm letting all the air conditioning out."
"Air conditioning?"**
"Keeps it cool in here. C'mon."
Toby jumped inside,softly. He hadn't noticed the a/c the night before.
"Nice..."** he purred.
"I'll go see what's for breakfast. Be right back."
"Ok." Toby smiled,and then went in search of the cool air.
When he found the vent,he lay on it and purred softly.
Unbeknownst to him,his purr was traveling through the air vents and reverberating in the room below Clarissa's-- her parent's room.
"Hey...psst...Daddy...Mom...I'm hungry,what's for breakfast?"
"Huh? I dunno...go to Bernie's with Amy." Rich muttered.
Clarissa grinned. "Ok. Thanks daddy."
She heard the purring coming from the vent above. Toby!
"What's that purring noise?" Kathleen asked.
Rich snuggled close to her and purred. "Me...."
Clarissa wrinkled her nose. "Blech." she muttered and left the room.
Toby was still on top of Clarissa's vent when she went back upstairs.
"Toby!" Clarissa scolded.
"Hmm? Am I breaking some rule?"**
"No. Your purring is making my mom suspscious."
"Oops." He got off the vent and laughed nervously."And...the food?"**
"We're going out to eat."
"Out? Like,hunting for breakfast?"**
"Not quite. I'll give Amy a call and then we'll leave to go get her."
Toby watched as Amy picked up a corded phone and dialed Amy's number.
"Hello, This is Clarissa,is Amy up yet?...AMY!....yeah. Guess who woke me up this morning? Mhm. and he's hungry. Wanna go to Bernie's?....I'll meet you at your place in ten minutes. Ok,bye."
"What'd she say?"**
"She'll meet us."
"Cool."** he grinned.
"But..."
"But what?"
"You can't get into Bernie's dressed like that."
He looked down at his pants. "Want me to get jeans without holes in them?"**
"You need a shirt and shoes."
"Ohhh. To go eat?"**
"It's the law for restaurants."
He crinkled his nose. "Weird."**
She dug through her closet. "Aha!" Clarissa said,pulling out a pair of boy's flip flops. "Try these on."
Toby nodded and did so. He made a face.
"What? They don't fit?"
"No,they do,but...they feel strange."**
"Oh. What's makes them strange?"
"There's something on mine feet!...We Nomads don't wear shoes usually. "**
"Ah. I guess that WOULD feel funny."
Toby nodded.
"Well,I've gotta change clothes...."
Toby just stood there. Clarissa stared at him.
"Toby!"
"Hmm. Aren't you going to change clothes?"**
"Not with you WATCHING me."
"Oh." he blushed. "I thought you meant take some clothes out of your closet and then switch them for some other clothes. My apologies."** he climbed back out the window and waited for her out front.
Clarissa got out of her pajamas and brushed her teeth. Meanwhile,Toby sat underneath the tree in the front yard.
Kathleen went to get the newspaper.
"Huh?" she saw a blue tail flipping about in the grass. "Who's there?"
Toby realized that it wasn't Clarissa coming and scrambled up the tree as fast as he could.
Please don't see me...Please, please, please don't see me.
"Who is up there?" Kathleen went up to the tree and looks amonst it's branches.
Toby wished that at that moment he was green,not blue.
"Nothing here but us little birdies."** he murmured. Toby stood with one foot per branch and his hands gripping the limb above him. He looked like a funny sort of monkey.
"Ahh! Nomad!"
"Hi...ma'am." he stuttered.
"Are you a Nomad?"
Toby couldn't lie. He bit his lip.
"No, it can't be. Nomads don't speak English. What are you doing in my yard?"
Oh boy... Clarissa. Help me!
At that moment,Clarissa came out of the house.
Toby jumped to a diffrent tree as soon as Mrs. Maire was distracted.
"Who is that boy?"
"What boy?" Clarissa asked.
"That...." Kathleen looked up in the braches. "Where'd he go?"
Clarissa shrugged. "I'm going to Amy's now. Bye Mom. Maybe you should go back to bed."
"Good idea."
Clarissa raced to the garage to get her bike and then rode down the driveway. "Toby!" she hissed. "Where the heck are you?"
The leaves above her rustled. Clarissa looked up and spied a familiar pair of green eyes.
Toby dropped to the ground. "Rrrissa! Here I am."**
"Bravo." she clapped. "Come on."
"Huh?"
"Follow me." Clarissa said,riding her bike.
"Oh."
This time,she could keep up with him easily.
Toby laughed as he ran."Rrrissa's faster now!"**
"Yep."
They ran and rode and ran and rode until Toby fell and let out a pained cry.
"Toby?!" Clarissa skiddied to a stop.
"Owww. These stupid shoes made me trip."**Toby frowned. His knee was all torn up.
"I'm sorry Toby."
Slowly,the young Nomad stood up.
"How can we get to Amy's now?"** He winced.
Clarissa looked at her bike. "Can you fit in my basket?"
He looked at it. "Maybe,but will it hold me?"**
"It held Amy's brother."
Toby nodded. "It'll hold me,but,how do I get in?"**
"Maybe I could pick you up...."
"Try."** Toby said.
Clarissa scooped Toby up in arms. He was surprisingly light. And...Amy was right about the fur thing. He was super soft.
Gently,she set him in her bike basket before riding.
"All set?"
"Let's ride!"**
Clarissa rode off.
"WHEEEEEEEEEEE!" Toby cried out. He liked the wind whipping his fur. It reminded him of riding horseback through the desert....
Horses...home. I wonder how Mahm is doing.
"Hey Aims." Clarissa pulled up in front.
"Hey. Ready for breakfast?"
"I AM!"** Toby cried.
Amy laughed. "Good morning Tobes. Aww. Hey,Riss,what happened to his leg?"
"He tripped on his flip flops."
"You poor fella."
"I do NOT like shoes."** Toby frowned and crossed his arms over his chest.
"I'm sorry." Amy said. "But,you'll have to wear them for awhile."
"But not now!"**Toby took the flip flops off and sat on them. "Ha!"
"So cute." Amy mouthed to Clarissa as she mounted her bike.
"I know." Clarissa mouthed back.
They rode off to Bernie's.
"Ok. Here we are."
Toby sniffed the air. This building smelled soooo good.
Clarissa and Amy helped him out of the basket. He was supported by their shoulders.
"Don't forget the shoes."Amy reminded him.
Toby groaned and slid his feet into the yucky flip flops.
Together,the two gir.ls and the injured young Nomad went into Bernie's.
"Hey ladies!" a man called out.
"Hi Bernie!" Clarissa and Amy called back.
"H'la!" Toby waved and called out too.
They sat down at a booth. Amy was on one side,Toby and Clarissa on the other. A waitress followed them.
"Hey Amy."
"Hi Mira."
"Who's this handsome young man?"
Toby blushed.
"This is Toby." Amy replied.
Mira ruffled Toby's fur. "Nomads are always adorable."
Toby snickered a litlle.
"Anyway,what do you want to eat?"
"French toast special,please." Amy said.
"Sausage or bacon with that?"
"Sausage."
"And you,Clarissa?"
"Um,same thing,but I want bacon."
"And what does Toby want?"
"Um..." Toby shrugged. What was French toast? Didn't everyone here speak English,not French? And...sausage? Was that a sauce made of sage? These English words confused Toby.
"Could we give him the kids menu?" Clarissa said. "It's got pictures."
"Sure." Mira said,pulling out a kids menu.
Toby licked his lips. "MMMMMMM."
"So,fella,whatcha want?"
Toby pointed to all the breakfast dishes.
Mira laughed. "I don't think your friends have enough money for all that."
"Give him that big breakfast platter..." Amy said.
"Lil' Bitta Everything?"
"Yep."
"Comin' right up. Yo,Bern... we need two Caivar breath breads and a smorgasbord!"
"Got it!"
" 'Caviar breath breads' ?" Clarissa laughed."Yuck."
"What's caviar?"**
"Fish or frog eggs. French humans eat that." Amy crinkled her nose."Blech."
"I ate those once." Toby said. "They didn't taste all that great...but they were raw."
"Toby!" Clarissa made a face.
"I was four,ok?"**
"It's fine Toby,we've all done stupid stuff when we were little."
He nodded then ducked down in his seat.
"What's wrong? Is that a Nomadic tradition?" Clariss asked.
"No! That mean gi.rl is coming in!"**
"Sick. It's Mia." Amy made a face.
"Don't let her near me. "** Toby advised. "I don't want to hit a lady,but in defense I might."**
"Don't worry. Mia's no lady." Clarissa whispered.
Toby snickered and sat up.
"Riss!" Amy laughed. "You're bad. I love it."
"Oh great. Charlie and Terese are here too." Clarissa noted.
"The Three Stooges." Amy whispered.
Toby chuckled.
Charlie had his arms around Terese and Mia. He was loving their attention.
I'm so good.Oh yeah...
He wasn't as "good" as he thought though. Mia and Terese were the most gullible,desparate and boy crazy gals in town. This made them easiest to "hook". All it took was a nice face and some flirting and they'd be eating out a boy's hand.
Amy and Clarissa. I'll get them one of these days... who's the nerd that's with them?
Mira brought the food.
Toby looked skyward momentarily,then dug in.
"Now THAT was a Nomadic tradtion."**
Amy and Clarissa grinned and began munching on French toast.
The "Three Stooges" sat at the bar.
"I'd like a large Mochachino frappe please." Mia said.
"Me too."
"Coffee." Charlie said. "Black,two sugars."
"What's a frappe?"** Toby asked,sipping on an orange juice.
"Some sort of mutated coffee." Amy replied.
"Oh. Coffee. I can't have that yet.It'll keep me from growing."**
"Smart boy."
He grinned. "This is very good food."**
Clarissa nodded in agreement. "Bernie's is the best."
Charlie hopped off his barstool and strutted over to where Clarissa and Toby were sitting.
"Hi beautiful." Charlie purred.
Toby blinked. Charlie may have been talking to Clarissa,but he made the mistake of making eye contact with Toby while he said it.
"Um..." Clarissa looked away.
"H'la." Toby waved.
Charlie reached for Clarissa's hand, and Toby grabbed it. No,not Clarissa's hand,Toby grabbed Charlie's hand.
"Hi gorgeous."** Toby purred and smiled up at him.
Charlie's eyes got wide and he paled.
"Lemme go,freak."
Toby blew him a kiss.
"AGH!" Charlie backed away and ran back to his seat.
Amy started to giggle.
Toby waved with his fingers. "Toodles, cutie!" he called in a falsetto voice.
Clarissa's eyes were wide. "Toby..."
Toby then burst out laughing. "I got him so good! It's a Nomad game called 'Creep out the creepo'."**
Clarissa started laughing. "Toby,you're such a goose."
Toby bowed slightly in his seat. "Thank you, ladies. I'll be here all week."** Then he sat and scarfed down the rest of his meal.
"Encore!" Clarissa giggled.
Toby belched.
Yeah...
Characters:
Nomads:
Draelo Shif- Leader of the Sai Ayra tribe
Milessa Shif-his wife.
Tobias Shiflado- Tobias, the son of the Chief of the Sai Ayra tribe. A schemer and dreamer. Non conformist.
Reshinal-(Reginald) second in command of tribe and Draelo's advisor. Rather....whiny.
Adrian: Tobias' best friend. Doesn't rebel against society.
Arabaella (Air uh bay la) - Adrian's beau. One of the prettiest gi.rls in the village.
other Fellies:
Charlie Reynolds: "hottest" guy in Valley North highschool. Flirtacious. Thinks he's all that and a bag of chips.
Mia Anderson: leader of a clique. In love with Charlie,not that he notices.
Terese Zach- Mia's "minion", mimcs everything Mia says. Quite annoying.
Clarissa Maire- young lady who dreams of action and adventure. thinks her highschool life(And Charlie,even though he's sort of cute) is a drag.
Amy Trent- fiesty and outgoing auburn short hair with green eyes. Clarissa's best friend.
Kathleen Maire- homemaker, scared of Nomads.
Rich Maire- owns local grocery store.
Tobias peered out of his tent.
Another boring day in the Derr desert.
Sand,sand,sand. Nothing but sand!
Sometimes being a Nomad stank. It was such a boring life. Even for the Shif's son.
Tobias wanted something more. He wanted to know what else was out there. He knew other Felinicians existed,ones that came in other colors,all colors, and he wanted to meet them.
He was a restless teenager. Soon he'd be a man,but not yet. And once he was a man,he'd take over as second in command of his tribe.
"Lado!"
"Ya?"
"Pos mi seed!"
"Yassir." Tobias raced to his father. "Daht?"
His dad smiled down at him and began to tell him....
"An arranged marriage?! DAHT! no one does that anymore! NO ONE!"
"Tobias... it's tradition. All tribe leaders go through this."
"I don't want to." he replied,crossing his arms over his chest. "I shall pick who I shall marry! Not you and Mahm."
"Tobias...arranged marriages work. Look at your mahm and I."
"I refuse to do an atrocity such as this!"
"TOBIAS!"
He looked at his feet. Arguing with an elder was quite disrespectful. Especially your father...
"For your insolence..."
Tobais braced himself. Here it comes...
"LOOV!" his mother called out.
"Ya?"
"Pos mi seed!"
"Ya. Be right there." He gave Tobias a "I'm not through with you yet,boy" look.
Tobias sighed with relief and hurried out of his father's tent and outside.
"H'la!" Adrian called out. The beautiful Arabaella gripped his arm.
"H'la." Tobias sighed. He envied his best friend who was a man already. He also envied the prize that clung to his arm.
"H'la,Shiflado." Arabaella said,with a slight curtsey. She was quite respectful of his position.
He nodded at her.
"What's wrong?" Adrian asked.
Tobias sighed and shook his head. "Daht..."
"Again?"
"He's arranged a marriage for me. You're lucky,you got to pick your own future mate."
"Who is it? Some of the princesses are quite dubel..."
Arabaella glared at Adrian.
"Not so much as you,loovi." he laughed nervously and patted Arabaella's head.
"Nice save." Tobias snickered. "And,I don't know. I'm not going to find out either."
"Huh? Don't you want to know who you're to start a family with?"
"I will know. It's not anyone Daht's picked for me."
"Oh...I sense another one of your wild schemes on the rise." Adrian noted.
Tobias nodded with a mischievous grin.
"TOBIAS SHIFLADO!"
"Oh great., Daht's minion is calling." Tobias rolled his eyes. Reshinal annoyed him greatly. He was just a whiny puppet of Tobias' father.
"Coming..."
~~~
Clarissa looked up from her book.
"Lucky..."
Jane had just gotten swept off her feet by Tarzan.
"I wish that was me..."
"Clarissa! Dinnertime!"
"Coming Mom!"
She gently set the book down and went downstairs.
Clarissa had a dream-like look on her face.
Maybe someday I'll be swept off my feet.,..
"Clarissa?" her dad asked.
"Hmm?" a voice drew her from her reverie. "Yes daddy?"
"Pass the green beans."
She did so.
Soon dinner was over.
Clarissa went up to her room and flopped onto her bed.
"My life is so...boring! I want adventure..I want to meet a knight in shining armor! A prince from a faraway land... I want to fall..."
~~~
"...in love with you." Draelo smiled.
"Well,I think she and her parents are utter bores." Tobias crossed his arms.
I'm not sure what my punishment was supposed to be....but it couldn't be any worse than THIS.
Family interviews. Blech. Of course,all the local girls were crushing on him.
"Can I go now?"
"Where?"
"Dunno. Away from females. I'm tired of them for the moment."
"Fine. You're excused."
"Thank you,Daht." Tobias ran off to join his friend.
Adrian sat under the tree with Arabaella beside him.
"Is she ALWAYS with you?" Tobias teased. "It's like...a living shadow. "
"I'm in touch with my feminine side,what can I say?"
Arabaella smirked.
"Anyhow...how'd the interview go?"
Tobias made a face. "The usual."
"I feel bad for you."
Tobias nodded.
Reshinal raced up to Tobias.
"Shiflado. Your father wants you."
"Again?" Tobias sighed. "Fine. Bye Adrian."
He went back to his family's tent.
"Ya,daht?"
"Your mahm and I have decided something. It's high time I showed you the world."
Tobias gasped. "You're serious?"
He nodded.
Tobias burst out of the tent,screaming for joy.
Draelo laughed. "You've wanted that badly,haven't you?"
"Thank you Daht! Thank you so much!"
"We leave in 21 moonrises."
Tobias grinned. How fun! So long boring! Hello adventure.
~~~
Clarissa went to sleep,unbeknownst to her that the biggest adventure of her life would begin in just a few short weeks.
~~~
*3 weeks later*
Tobias jumped up and down excitedly. "Can't. Wait. To. Go!"
"Men don't bounce with excitement." his father laughed.
Tobias instantly stopped and grinned. "Yes father."
They got on horseback and rode for days.
Tobias grew quite weary. "Father...where are we?"
"We're approaching the edge of the desert."
Tobias blinked. "The desert stops?"
Draelo laughed. "Yes lado. I see you've still got much to learn. Haven't you paid any attention during your geography lessons?"
"Um... nuh-uh."
"Well,you should. I paid good currency for that tutor."
"What will we do at Desert's End?"
"Get on a train and ride to a town."
"A train?" Tobias' eyes widened. He'd read about trains,but he'd never actually SEEN one.
At the end of the next day,Tobias saw his first train.
"Ary. It's so big!"
"Ya. It is."
"Hello there." a conductor said. Though,Tobias had no idea what he was saying. The conductor spoke English and Tobias only spoke Felii.
"Hello." Draelo said. He purchased tickets and they got on the train.
Tobias loved his new surroundings. The seats of the train were far more comfy than straddling a horse.
"Ahh. This is nice." Tobias yawned.
His dad put an arm around him."Slum ell n pos mi gew."
"Thanks Daht." he rested on his father's shoulder.
~~~
"So,like, school's like totally over." Mia announced.
"Thanks,Captain obvious." Clarissa mumbled.
"And it's like,so awesome!" Terese put in.
Clarissa's head hit the table. My brain is like,going to turn into like,mush which is like, so not awesome!
They two airheads blabbered to each other and anything directed at Clarissa,she ignored.
Unable to take any more, Clarissa jumped up from her table and raced down the street. "Bye!"
"Hi Mr. Art." she said,greeting the ticket cashier at the station.
The train station was one of Clarissa's favorite places to hang out. She liked to people watch and make up stories about those she spied on.
Ritzy people were always royal dignitaries from far away lands on their way to a fancy diplomat's house. The middle class people were on quests of various sorts and the hobos were always undercover spies.
But when two shirtless,muscular males hopped off the train, Clarissa was thrown for a loop.
"Dang."
The larger one was definitely older. He had mossy green eyes and was probably about 35. The smaller one looked a lot like him, but unlike the large one, he had a baby face and darker eyes. He had to be about her age.
They were both in excellent shape. Their thin blue fur revealed the strong muscles rippling beneath it.
Wow. And they say Charlie's cute... she chuckled and shook her head. Clarissa snuck off to tell her friend Amy about what she'd just seen.
"Ooh! Daht! Look!"
"What,lado?"
"See that lady over there? She's white!"
"It's rude to point,son.But yes,you'll see that here."
Then a black Fellie caught his eye,followed by a gray one, a yellow one,a red one,a brown one,and a purple one.
Tobias loved the variety.
"It's beautiful here."
"We haven't even left the train station!" he dad laughed.
"There's more?"
"So much more,lado."
Tobias couldn't wait.
~~~
"I saw the CUTEST guy at the train station!" Clarissa gushed.
"Cuter than Charlie?" Amy teased.
"This boy is so cute,he makes ol' Charles look ugly."
"Wow."
"I know. He couldn't have been any older than me and he was sooo buff!" she sighed.
"You're tripping."
"No I'm not."
"Are too."
"Eat my socks." Clarissa retorted. "Just because I said he's cute,does NOT mean I'm tripping."
~~~
"Where do they sleep? Where are the tents?" Tobias asked his dad. The city was interesting. The buildings and ground were concrete."Where's the dirt? and the animals?"
Draelo laughed. "You've been sheltered greatly,my son." They went to a hotel and got a room.
Tobias smiled up as his father. "Will I make friends here?"
"I should think so." Draelo replied. "You're a halfway decent kit."
"Oh thank...HEY! Daht! 'Halfway decent?!"
Draelo laughed as his son tackled him on the bed.
"You're getting strong,boy. No wonder the ladies like you."
Tobias made a face. Ugh...female Nomads.
"What? Don't like them?"
"Not really... they're so...ordinary."
Draelo laughed. "They're quite exotic compared other Felinicians."
Tobias disagreed,secretly.
"Well...we've had a long journey. Let's get some sleep."
"Ok. Good night Daht."
Tobias crawled into the bed -- and sank down.
"ARY!" he shrieked.
"What,son?"
"The bed,it's...soft!" he exclaimed.
Draelo had to chuckle. "Beds here are like that. Now,get some rest lado. Tomorrow shall be busy."
Chapter 2: Attack of the Mia-saurus.
((in this bit ** denotes Felii. Since Tobias doesn't speak English and everyone else does.))
Mia Anderson was your typical boy-crazy fashionasta. She frequented all the most chic stores at the mall and at the very least, made eyes at all the boys she thought were cute. These boys' mom's had warned them about gi.rls like her,and stayed away.
Tobias,however,grew up in a world where gir.ls acted like young ladies,ever polite and modest,for the most part. There were a few rebels that liked to hit on him,but they weren't a thing like the nut case Mia.
He strolled through the park.
Mia and Terese were sitting at a park bench, arguing over who "had" Charlie.
"I had him first!"
"No,Terese,I did. I always have first pick of the boys." Mia tossed her head.
Tobias leaned against a tree and watched the two bicker. He chuckled. Then he saw their skinny legs. "Wow." he said to himself. "How do they even stand? And they need longer skirts. Maybe they're poor. Hmm..." he paused. "I shall never understand females. Though,maybe...I'll go greet them."**
"H'la!" he cried out.
"Fine,you can HAVE Charlie." Terese saw Tobias and smiled.
"Huh? Oh...my gosh." Mia stared at him. What a hunk! "No way! You take Charlie. This one's all mine... " She waved her fingers at him.
Tobias slowly apporached them.
"Hey cutie." Mia purred.
Tobias blinked. "Language barrier."** he muttered.
Terese fluttered her eyelashes at him.
"You got something in your eye?"**
"Come here." Mia said,patting the seat beside her.
Reluctantly,Tobias sat near her. Something's fishy about these two...and I don't think it's their cheap perfume...
"H'la." he said again.
"Hello." Mia reached out and touched his shoulder in a flirtatious way.
Tobias jerked away. "What are you doing?!"**
Terese scooched closer to him and got in his face. He shied away. "Quit it!" ** he fussed. Sick of this,Tobias jumped up and took off.
Mia and Terese were relentless in thier pursuit of him. They cornered him,chased him up a tree,around the play ground and the cornered him again.
"Leave me alone!"**
Mia tackled poor Tobias, pinned him to the ground and tried to kiss him.
"GROSS! Lemme go, you sleazebag!"**He writhed away from her grasp.
"Oh, no you don't." Mia got up and dug her claws into his side.
Tobias yelped loudly. "Owww!"**
The two flounced away. "What dweeb."
Tobias sobbed and rolled over. His side hurt. What made them do that to him? He just didn't want their affection. Was that a crime?
So many questions rolled through the poor boy's head.
He knew several things for sure. He was in pain,he was confused and he was rather scared.
Blo.od oozed from his side."Someone help me..."** he moaned.
"So,how was your last day of class?" Amy asked Clarissa. They were walking to the park because they had nothing better to do.
"You were there!" Clarissa laughed.
"Right."
Clarissa paused.
"What's that noise?"
"What noise?"
"I hear crying."
Amy listened. "Hmm. Me too."
The sound was coming from the bushes near a bench.
"Hello?" Clarissa called. "Who's crying? Are you ok?"
Amy poked her head into the bush. "Aw...are you alright,fella?"
Tobias saw Amy and looked at her curiously. Her voice was compassionate.
Clarissa followed Amy and gasped. That's the boy I saw at the train station!
Amy got closer and observed Tobias' wound. "He's hurt. Someone clawed him good. Poor little Nomad. They never hurt anyone."
Tobias winced at her touch.
"How mean." Clarissa shook her head.
"They were skinny claws too."
"Bet it was the Mia-saurus. Looks like her work."
"Yeah."
Tobias sat up. "You're going to help me?"**
"What'd he say?" Clarissa asked.
"Something about help." she paused. "Yes,we'll help you."** Amy told him.
Tobias smiled. "Thanks." **
Clarissa was impressed. Close up,this boy was even sweeter looking than before. Maybe it was his eyes....
She couldn't help but stare at his muscles.
"Stop starin',Riss. We've got to help him."
She nodded.
"You take one side and I'll take the other."
Together,the two got Tobias off the ground and helped him stand.
Clarissa was on his wounded side.
Tobias looked at them both. "Thank you so much."**
"No problem." **
"How do you know his language?" Clarissa asked.
"My uncle's part Nomad. I have to know it."
"Ah. You know something else?"
"What?"
"This is the guy,the one I saw the other day."
Amy grinned."You're right. He's cuter than Charlie. Yes you are,you're adorable." she gushed at Tobias. Not that he'd understand.
Tobias looked at Clarissa and thought she was nothing short of angelic.
Look at her... those blue eyes....and that fluffy fur... just beautiful.
Then he gave Amy a look over. She had a fiesty fire in her lime green eyes and pretty,short auburn fur.
Two pretty females are helping me out! This is lovely.
"Can you feel him?" Amy whispered. "His fur is a soft as a kit's."
"I'm trying NOT to stroke him." Clarissa replied.
"What are the names of my guardian angels?"** he asked.
"Anh shell? What's that?" Clarissa asked upon hearing his query.
"Angel." Amy translated. "I'm Amy and this is Clarissa." **
"Aimmmm eee." he repeated.
She nodded.
"Rrrrisss...a! Rrrissa! Rrrrrrissa! RRRRRrrrissa!" he rolled his r's loudly. It almost sounded like he was purring.
Clarissa laughed. "You sure do like my name don't you...um...?"
"What's your name?"** Amy asked.
"Tobias." he replied.
She grinned. Tobias. How fitting.
"Aaaaiiiim ee! RRrrissa! Aimmmmeee...RRRRRissa!" he babbled.
Amy laughed. "Aww."
They took him to Amy's mom, who was a nurse.
"Yep. Just like you thought. Claw wound." she looked up. "Cute little guy. Where'd you find him?" Amy's mom asked,patting Tobias' head. She'd bandaged him up well and he was smiling now.
"In the park, he was crying behind a bush."
"How sweet you are,fella."
"Rrrr..." Tobias began to purr,then he flipped over on to his back,belly exposed.
"What's that about?" Clarissa asked.
"He's showing he trusts you two." Mrs. Trent replied.
Amy began tickling his stomach.
"Amy! Don't do that!" Clarissa gasped.
"It's ok. He likes it."
Tobias was laughing his head off and purring at the same time,which made for a funny "RrrhahaharrrrhahahahRRR." sputtering kind of noise.
Clarissa laughed at him. "You're funny Tobias." she shook her head."How old is he?"
"About your age. 15 or so. Can't be any older,look at his face."
"True."
"He looks like a kitten." Amy said with a nod. "Smart though. Not like some dumb looking kittens I've seen."
"Rrrr..." Tobias kept purring.
"You sure are happy,aren't you Toby?" Clarissa smiled.
"Toby?" he blinked and pointed at himself.
"Yes. Do you mind if I call you Toby?"
"Huh?"
"Do you mind if Clarissa calls you Toby?"**
"Negga."
"Negga means,negative right?" Clarissa whispered to Amy.
"Correctomundo."
"Toby. Rrrrrrissa. Aimmm ee." he grinned.
"You two should teach him English. I think he'd pick up fast."
"Really? Huh. That'd be fun."
Toby's stomach gurgled just then.
"Are you hungry?"**
"Yes. Starved."**
"Good. Let's get some food."
"Fuud!"Toby cried out.
The gir.ls laughed.
"Some things are easy to understand in ANY language."
This food...is..strange. Toby looked in Amy's fridge. Nothing looked edible. It was all hard and shiny.
"You eat THIS? Who eats plastic?! Gross!"**
His outburst made Amy laugh. "The food is INSIDE the plastic."**
"Oh." Toby looked a little ashamed.
"What?" Clarissa asked,not getting the joke.
"He thought we ate the plastic."
Clarissa giggled.
Toby sighed. "I'm an idiot." **
"No you're not."** Amy told him. "You're nice."**
She fixed the group some sandwiches and her mom made lemonade to go with them.
The three new friends sat on the back porch,happily munching away.
"Yum!" Toby said.
They laughed. "Yet another universal word."
Toby looked up at them. "Thanks."**
"You're welcome." Clarissa said.
"Hey. You understood him!"
"Well,'grat' sounds like 'gratitude.' "
"The whole language is like that."
"Really? Sweet! This'll be easy."
"Eeee zeee?" Toby asked.
"Easy. Simple."**
"Oh. Oak eye."
"No,its not 'oak eye'. It's O kay."
"Oh key?"
"You're close."
"Oh...kay?"
"Yeah!" Clarissa cheered him on.
"Ok..." He smiled. "Ok!" Toby did a little dance."Um...what does 'ka...yoo tuh' mean?" **
" 'Cute?'" ** Amy asked.
"Ya."
"Duble." she replied.
"Toby... duble?"** he blushed.
"What's duble?" Clarissa asked.
"Duble means cute or adorable." she paused and turned to him. "and yes Toby. I think you're adorable."**
Toby scooted away from her.
"What?"**
"The last g.irl that said I was adorable.... she..." ** He told them what happened.
"Aw. Well,I don't think you're THAT sort of cute."**
"There's more than one kind?"** Toby asked.
Amy pinched his cheeks in reply. "There's THIS kinda cute too."**
He laughed.
Soon they took him back to his motel room. Toby led them by alot of pointing.
He flopped onto his bed with a happy sigh.
~~~
3: I Love Rock'n'Roll.
Music was blasting from Clarissa's radio in her room.
Toby came in through her open window. "H'la!"
"Ah!" Clarissa jumped. "Toby...what? How..?"
"Hi Tobe."**
"Hi Aaaimmee!"**
Amy laughed.
What is that thing? Toby wondered as he saw the stereo. The noise coming from it was....attractive..for lack of a better term.
"OOH!!" Toby ran right up to it and put his hands on the speakers. "Whoa!"
"Like it?" Amy asked.
"YA!" What kind of music is this? It's loud! I like it...
Clarissa laughed. "Toby likes rock and roll."
The beat throbbed though Toby's body and synched with his heart. It was nothing like he'd ever felt. He began tapping in rhythm.
Clarissa switched to a techno song.
The beat did the same thing to him,but this time,Toby broke into a wild dance.
"Whoa!" Clarissa exclaimed.
Toby danced all over the room,leaping and jumping about. His moves were whacky,but they matched the beat perfectly.
When the song ended,Toby flopped onto the bed beside the gi.rls and purred.
He liked this music. Alot.
"Wow...they don't say anything about THAT in the books." Amy said.
"About what?"
"Nomads liking rock and roll..."
Toby kept purring. That music was such fun.
Amy patted his bare belly.
" I like that!"** Toby purred.
"What? The music or this?"** Amy laughed.
"The music. Get you hand off me."** he rolled onto his other side. "Rrrrrisssa!"
"Hi Toby." she smiled.
" H'la Rrrrrissa!"
"I wonder..." Amy said.
"What?"
"Let's put a back massager on his tummy and see what happens." Amy bopped her eyebrows up and down mischievously.
Clarissa laughed."Ok."
Toby watched with a frightened look as Amy got a mechanical insect looking thing off of a shelf.
"What's that?"** Toby's eyes were wide with fear.
"Close your eyes."** Amy cooed.
Toby winced,shut his eyes and then quickly opened one.
Amy placed the bug thing on his stomach.
Toby's eyes grew to saucer size. "RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"
That little...gizmo was rubbing his belly! and it was doing a good job.
Toby liked the massager so much that when Amy tried to take it from him,he growled at her.
"Well then." she blinked. "Sorry Riss. Guess you need a new massager."
Upon hearing 'Riss', Toby looked up.
"Rrrissa....booge?"
"Huh?"
"He's asking if that's your bug."
"Yes."
He gave to her. "Rrrrrissa. Teach me your language. Please."**
Clarissa looked at Amy.
"He wants to learn English."
"EEeenng leesh!"
"Ing lish." she said.
"Eeeeng Laysh."
"Gosh, he's close."
"Ing....English..English!" Toby cried out. He still had the Felii accent,,but the word was perfectly clear.
"Good!" Amy clapped.
"Dat?" Toby pointed at the speaker system.
"That? Oh. That's a stereo.
"SteeRRReo."
"Stare Eo."
"Starrrre eo."
"He rolls his R's." Clarissa pointed out. "and it's soo cute!"
"Toby ky yoo tuh?" he grinned.
"We already told you that,silly."** Amy chuckled.
Toby grinned. "Dis?" he poked the bed.
"Bed." Clarissa said.
"Bed."** Amy put in,just so he'd know what it was for.
"B...Bed!" That was easy.
"He's picking up on words fast." Amy noted.
"You could say that again."
Toby wondered what the English word for eye was.
"Dis?" he pointed to his eyes.
"Eye." Clarissa said. Such a pretty eye too.
" I yuh?"
"Yep."
Toby clapped. "Dis?" He wrapped Clarissa in a hug. Her cheeks flushed. "Hug."
"Huh...guh."
"Hug."
"Hug. Hug Rrrissa!" Toby laughed.
"Aww." Amy said.
Toby sniffed. Clarissa smelled good. "Mmm. Rrrissa!"
"What?"
"She smells good." ** He leaned over and sniffed at Amy. "So do you!"**
Amy laughed.
Clarissa liked Toby's hug...but he kind of needed deodorant just then.
Toby noticed the look on her face. "What?"** He let her go and sniffed his armpit.
"BLECH!" Poor Toby. He may not have been a man just then,but whew, did he ever smell like one.
"I'm sorry."** Toby looked at his feet.
"I've got an idea." Amy said. "Toby. Go out the window and meet us out front."**
Toby scrambled out the front window.
"What's the plan,Amy?"
"My big brother can help Toby out." Amy said,crawling out the window.
"What are you doing?"
"Leaving the Tobias way. Come on."
Clarissa followed.
Toby laughed when he saw the two tiptoeing across the roof.
Once on the ground,the trio ran off to Amy's house.
Toby was faster than the gir.ls. WAY faster.
"Toby! Wait!" Amy panted.
"Huh?" he stopped running to see that his friends were far behind him. "Oops."
They caught up after awhile and walked the rest of the way to Amy's.
Chapter 4: Splish Splash.
"Hi Mom!" Amy called out as they went into her house.
"Hello Amelia."
"Hi Mrs. Trent."
"Hello Clarissa."
"H'la!" Toby greeted.
"And hello to you too,Mr. Nomad." she came out of the kitchen and ruffled Toby's fur. "How's he doing?"
Toby purred.
"His side is scabby,but he's fine otherwise." Amy said.
"Good."
"Where's Jake?"
"In his room, as usual. We never should have gotten him that Game Box 4."
They mounted the stairs. Toby stared at a family photo on the way up.
"Come on Toby." Amy said."Riss,get him."
Clarissa grabbed Toby's wrist. He stopped staring at her.
"Rrrissa!"
She smirked. "What is with you,boy?"
"Rrrr...."
Amy knocked on her brother's door.
Toby looked up from Clarissa to the wildly colored door. There was dancy-techno music playing on the other side of it.
The little Nomad couldn't help but bounce to the infectious beat.
Clarissa shook her head. "Toby..."
"Rrrissa!"
"WHAT?!" a big voice cried out.
Toby whimpered, then he jumped in front of Clarissa and growled at the loud voice.
"Jake. It's me." Amy said. "And a couple friends."
He opened the door.
Jake and Amy looked almost exactly the same. Auburn fur,light green eyes. Though Jake was bigger, more filled out and of course,male.
"What is...and who's he?!"
"Toby,this is Jake. Jake,Toby."
"Dude. He's ripped."
Toby blinked at Jake. Wow...he needs to go outside more.
"Most Nomads are." Amy said. "Anyway, he needs your help."
"How?"
"Got any extra deodorant?"
"Ah...yeah. Hang on."
Jake went in and re-emerged with a stick of Axe.
Amy passed it to Toby. "Put this on."**
Toby looked at the bottle, opened the cap,sniffed it and...
"Toby! Don't lick it!"**
"Ew." Clarissa laughed.
Toby re-capped the Axe and began examining the stick.
"By the way." Jake put in. "If he's stinkin',might wanna give him a bath."
"Ok. Toby. Time for you to get clean."** Amy led him into the bathroom. "Jake,can you help us? Again?"
"Ugh. What now?"
"Boy needs bath... and we're both gi.rls." she began.
"Alright,alright."
Toby knew what soap was,and what to do with it.
All I need now is water.
He spied the little pond out back. Ahah!
Toby was out the window and in the pond before they could blink.
"Yahh!" he splashed about in the water and rubbed himself down with soap.
"Now THAT'S a fun way to bathe." Jake laughed. "Though,I don't know how good the fish will take to the soap."
"Toby!" Clarissa laughed.
"Rrrrissa!" he called out. "Cleeeeeeaaann!"
Jake shooed his sister and Clarissa away from the window so Toby could re-dress in private.
"Splish splash I was takin' a bath 'long about a Saturday night..." Amy randomly burst into song.
Clarissa giggled. "Rub a dub just relaxin' in the tub. Thinkin' everything was alright..."
"Put mah feet on the floor. Wrapped a towel around me and I opened up the door. and then a splish splash,I jumped back in the bath. How was I to know there was party goin' on?" Jake joined in.
They all laughed.
Toby stood on the back porch,dripping wet.
"H'la! Toby cleeean!"
"I see that."** Amy said.
"I smell foul no longer!"** Toby cried out gleefully."Now,um..what do I do with this?"** he looked at the deodorant.
"Open it up and rub the soft part on your underarm."**
Toby did so and sniffed. "Ahhhh."
He shook the excess water off him. "Cleeeeeaaan!"
Clarissa giggled.
Later on,they friends went for a walk.
"Oh. Watch your step. Someone forgot to clean up after their mop." Clarissa side stepped the pile.
"Esserman." Toby crinkled his nose.
"Mop poopie!" Amy said.
Toby laughed. "Poopie?"
"Poopie."
Tobias kept laughing. "Poopie!"
"Crap." Clarissa said.
"Krrrrap!"
The gi.rl's laughed. "Toby, you're silly." Amy said.
"Aimmmmmeee. Rrrrrrisssa!" He threw one arm over Amy's shoulders and put the other around Clarissa.
Clarissa turned bright red and squirmed. "Toby..."
"Huh? Rissa no...hug?"
"It's not that..."
Toby looked confused. He let go. "Rrrissa no...like...Toby?"
"No. No. It's not that at all..." she looked at her feet.
"What's wrong Riss?"
She shrugged. "It's awkward." she whispered.
"Nomads are just huggy." Amy said. "I don't think he means anything romantic by it."
"Oh."
"Yeah. They're REALLY friendly in the hug department,Riss. Remember that."
"Will he cry if I don't hug back?"
"Dunno."
Toby looked a little upset. "Rrrisssa no like Toby."
"Aww. That's not true Toby. She's just a little shy about hugs."** Amy told him.
"Oh?"
"Yeah. Don't take offense. She likes you just fine."**
"Okey!" Toby looked up and then patted Clarissa on the back.
"I've got an idea."
"What Riss?" Amy asked.
She highfived Toby.
He blinked. "Why'd you hit me?**
Amy then high fived Clarissa back.
"Is this a ritual of some sort?"**
"You could call it that."** Amy replied.
"There's gotta be some other way to communicate with Toby without Amy having to translate all the time." Clarissa said.
"Hmm. Toby,how sensitive is your sixth sense?"** Amy asked.
"Um....pretty sensitive. Why?"**
"Think you can communticate with it?"**
"Like...telepathy or something?"**
"Yeah...something like that."**
"I dunno."**
"Try it."**
"Okay."
"Clarissa. Tell Toby something. Then,use your sixth sense to translate. "
" Alright. My favorite color is green." she shrugged.
Toby looked at her,blinked and appeared to be in thought.
"Like mine eyes?"** he replied in Felii
"Yes. Like your...HEY!" she exclaimed. "It works! Aims,you're a genius!"
"Duh." Amy laughed.
"Duh is not nice!"** Toby scolded her playfully.
"Tobe's,you got some personality, there boy."
He grinned.
The trio had to look funny. Two speaking English,one speaking Felii and they all could understand each other perfectly.
"This is great! I don't sound like an idiot anymore!"**
Amy and Clarissa laughed.
"You didn't before. Broken English is cute." Amy told him.
"It is?"**
"Mhm."
"Cool." **Toby grinned. "I love this! I can talk your legs off now!"**
Clarissa laughed. "And we can talk off yours."
"I want to know everything about how you live! The music,the dance,the nature, I already got a taste of the food....not the best,sorry. The rituals. Everything!"**
"Rituals?"Amy asked.
"Yeah. Like what do you do when the moon changes and when you find your life- mate and when you make friends..."**
Amy and Calrissa's blank stares spoke volumes.
"You have none?"**
"Nothing official. When the moon changes we stare at it,when we make friends we just say 'Hi' and when we find a life mate we get married to them." Clarissa shrugged.
Toby looked bored until she mentioned marriage. "Show me!"**
"Show you? You want us to take you to a wedding?"
"Ya! Take me to one,please. I want to see."**
"We can't,unless we're invited."
"Or..." Amy said.
"Amy..I know that look..."
"Hey. Riss,you're the one who's always asking for adventure and then when it comes knocking,you run scared from it."
"But...crashing a wedding isn't adventure! It's rude!" Clarissa replied.
"We don't have to crash one per se... C'mon!" Amy grabbed Clarissa and Toby by the wrists and raced off.
~~
"Amy!" Clarissa hissed.
"Shh! They'll see us!"
If you guessed the three were secretly watching a wedding from the bushes nearby,you're right.
Toby was entranced. "The bride looks beautiful."** he breathed. He watched intently as the bride and groom took the vows, stared into each other's eyes and then kissed.
"Whoa!"
"What,Toby?"
"You're allowed to do that in public?!"**
"You're not?"
"No. Kisses are completely taboo outside the tent in my tribe."**
"But, you're allowed to hug?"
"Yes. Hugs are just fine. We may hug as often as we please."**
"That's...acutally that's pretty cool."
"Ya?"
"Yeah."
"Nomads are only allowed to kiss their beloveds. No one else."**
"I'm guessing you don't have problems with the teenagers then?" Clarissa asked.
"Some of them are nau.ghty,kissing on the cheeks when they think no one's looking."** Toby admitted."Which,by the way,I've never done."**
"Go Toby!" Amy replied with a laugh
He grinned.
"Hey! Who's in those bushes?!" the best man from the wedding poked at the shrubs.
"Ahh! Run!" Amy laughed.
They took off running.
Toby of course,smoked the gir.ls.
"Toby!" Clarissa laughed. "You're so fast."
"Rissa shall be fast too."** he turned back, grabbed Clarissa and threw her over his shoulder.
She laughed delightedly.
"Tobe's,what about me?" Amy pouted.
"Um." Toby blinked and then threw Amy over his other shoulder. "Better?"**
Amy giggled. "Yep."
"Where to,ladies?"**
"Um. We could go back to my house." Amy suggested.
"Alright. Which way?"**
"Acutally,we'd better drop me off first. It's getting late." Clarissa said.
"Okey dokey."
Toby walked back to Clarissa's house,set her down and gave her a huge, friendly hug.
Chapter 5: No Nomads!
Clarissa sat down to dinner that night with a big smile on her face.
"Hey Sweetheart,have fun with Amy?" her dad asked.
"Yep. Amy and Toby."
"Toby? Is that her boyfriend?" Clarissa's mom queried.
"No." Clarissa giggled. "He's a new friend of ours. He's sooo sweet."
"Ah. What's he look like? Maybe I've seen him."
"He's blue, green eyed and doesn't wear a shirt." Clarissa laughed.
"Haven't seen him."
"Yeah. We've been outside most of the day."
"Well. I had the most interesting customer today." her dad said.
"Oh?" her mom,Kathleen, asked.
"Yeah. A Nomad of all things."
Clarissa jumped out of her skin at the word "Nomad".
"A Nomad! Did he hurt you?"
"No. He just wanted food."
"Did you give him any?"
"Of course!"
"HONEY! How could you!?! They're barbarians! They kidnap children and eat them."
What the-?!Clarissa was shocked at her mom. She's...culturist!
"No,honey,I assure you they don't. They're alot like us..."
Kathleen growled. "Lies."
"Honey..."
"You've forgotten what happened to Kasey,haven't you?"
Kasey,Clarissa's older cousin (second cousin twice removed,to be precise) had fallen in love with a Nomad and they eloped. Kasey hadn't been seen in 3 years. Kathleen thought,and swore up and down,that the Nomad had kidnapped her for heaven knew what reasons. But...it was just teenage love.
"She eloped with Terahnse. Last I heard she had four kids."
"No! He kidnapped her!"
"May I be excused?" Clarissa asked softly. She'd barely touched her food.
"Sure,sweetie." Rich repiled.
Clarissa trudged up to her room with a heavy heart. Slowly,she opened up her window and sat on the overhang of the roof.
"Mom's gonna find out,and I won't be able to be friends with Toby anymore..."
Tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks. She'd only known Toby for a day,but already he was one of her best friends. The thought of losing his friendship,just because her mom had issues,tore poor Clarissa's heart in two. "Why..." she moaned. "Why..."
Pat...pat...scramble scramble..shuffle...
The leaves in a tree were rustling. Clarissa looked up and could almost make a familiar shape out of them,but not quite.
Pat....pat...pat...
"Rrrrissa?"
"Toby?" she whispered.
"Clarrissa! you've been crying. What's wrong?"** he gently wiped away her tears with his hand.
"Toby..." she murmured.
"Rrissa,what's wrong with you?"**
"My...mom..."
"What? Is she sick!?"**
"No...she...she...you Nomads don't eat your babies,do you?"
Toby crinkled his nose. "No way! We are not cannibals!"**
"That's what I thought."
"Does your mom think we are cannibalistic barbarians?"**
"Yes." Clarissa sighed.
"Whatever gave her THAT idea?"** Toby asked.
"I guess ...well,I've got this obscure relative who eloped with one,and my mom thinks he kidnapped her."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"That's...just crazy. Your mom's idea,I mean."**
She nodded.
"Clarissa?" Rich was knocking on the door.
"Yes, Daddy?"
"Sweetheart,may I come in?"
"Stay here Toby." she said softly.
"Ok." he replied.
Clarissa climbed back inside and opened her bedroom door before flopping down on the bed.
"Sweetie, were you not hungry?"
"Not really."
"Why not?"
Tobias just barely peeked in the window.
Clarissa looks a little like her father. They're both fluffy. he thought.
"Dad,why does mom hat.e Nomads? They're very nice."
"I don't know." he paused. "And just HOW do you know that?"
At that very moment,Toby leaned inside too far and fell into Clarissa's room.
"Oh my..." Rich gasped.
"H'la Clarrrissa's dad."**
She sighed. "Dad this is Toby."
"Well then." Richard laughed. "Hello Toby."
Toby smiled and waved.
"Quite a handsome fellow...Clarissa ... what have you been up to? " he teased.
"DADDY! We were just talking."
" Oh. 'Talking' I see. Just talking? "
She rolled her eyes. "Yes daddy."
Toby laughed. "I assure you sir,we were merely conversing."**
"What'd he say?"
" "I assure you sir,we were merely conversing.' " Clarissa parroted.
"Is that what he said?"
"I can understand him with my sixth sense. It's weird,but it works."
"Ah. I see. Let me try. How old are you,Toby?"
"15 sir."**
"15?"
"Yah."
"Are you interested in my daughter?"
"Interested? She's just a friend right now,but once I'm a man,I might be."** Toby smirked.
Clarissa blushed.
Rich chuckled. "Until then,paws off. Hear me?"
"Yes sir."** Toby grinned.
"How long have you known this boy?"
"A few days. Daddy..."
"Yes?"
" Please don't tell mom about me having a Nomad as friend. She'd freak out."
Toby looked at the floor.
"I know. I'll see what I can do about that."
Toby looked up and then hugged Mr. Maire. "Thank you sir!"**
He patted Toby's head."Should I bring your meal up here?"
"Yes please. Thanks Daddy."
"And I'll get you both a piece of your mom's chocolate pie."
She grinned. "Thank you daddy."
"Thank you sir."**
Rich left the room.
"Um...Rrrissa?"
"Yeah,Toby?"
"What's pie?"**
She laughed. "Seriously,you don't know?"
"Nope."
"Heard of cake?"
"Yah."
"It's kind of like cake...it's a dessert too. This kind has a flaky crust with yummy chocolate filling."
"Sounds good!"** Toby licked his lips.
"Richie,what are you doing?"
"Getting Riss and I some pie. Why?"
"She hasn't eaten her dinner yet."
He held up Clarissa's plate."Got it right here."
Kathleen left and Rich cut a third slice of the pie,hoping his wife wouldn't notice.
He took the steps two at a time.
"I'm back sweetie."
Clarissa thanked him and eagerly ate.
Toby didn't touch his pie until Clarissa was done with her food.
"Um...How do you eat this?"** Toby blinked. He wasn't used to a fork.
Clarissa and Rich took bites of their pie.
"Oh!" Toby caught on fast. When he took a bite,his eyes grew huge. "This is delicious! I love it!"**
"Shh. Toby,not so loud." Clarissa giggled.
"My apologies."** he smiled as he cleaned his plate. "Thank you. Both of you."**
"You're most welcome,Toby." Rich said. "and feel free to come by anytime my wife's not looking."
Toby snickered. "Thank you sir. Do you mind if I stay a little longer though?"**
"I'd rather my daughter not be alone with a boy after dark..."
"Understandable. Clarrrissa,I bid you farewell. Shall we meet again in the morning?"**
"Sounds good. Goodnight Tobias."
"Good night my friend. Sir."** With that,Toby climbed out the window,down the trellis and was gone.
"So...Daddy?"
"What?"
"What do you think of Toby?"
"I think my daughter has EXCELLENT taste in friends." he hugged her.
Clarissa smiled up at him. "Thanks Daddy."
Toby crawled up to Clarissa's window the next morning(at 6 sharp) and waited for her to wake.
Clarissa FINALLY rolled out of bed at 9:30.
"Rrrissa! Do you sleep all day long?"** he tapped on the closed window.
She jumped."Toby!"
Clarissa walked to the window. "Been waiting long?"
"Years. Aeons. Millenia..."**
"Very funny." Clarissa told him.
"Can I have more pie?"** Toby asked."I'm starving."**
"Pie's not for breakfast,silly."
"Oh. Phooey. Well what IS for breakfast? I'm famished."**
"I don't know. Anyway, you'd better come in. I'm letting all the air conditioning out."
"Air conditioning?"**
"Keeps it cool in here. C'mon."
Toby jumped inside,softly. He hadn't noticed the a/c the night before.
"Nice..."** he purred.
"I'll go see what's for breakfast. Be right back."
"Ok." Toby smiled,and then went in search of the cool air.
When he found the vent,he lay on it and purred softly.
Unbeknownst to him,his purr was traveling through the air vents and reverberating in the room below Clarissa's-- her parent's room.
"Hey...psst...Daddy...Mom...I'm hungry,what's for breakfast?"
"Huh? I dunno...go to Bernie's with Amy." Rich muttered.
Clarissa grinned. "Ok. Thanks daddy."
She heard the purring coming from the vent above. Toby!
"What's that purring noise?" Kathleen asked.
Rich snuggled close to her and purred. "Me...."
Clarissa wrinkled her nose. "Blech." she muttered and left the room.
Toby was still on top of Clarissa's vent when she went back upstairs.
"Toby!" Clarissa scolded.
"Hmm? Am I breaking some rule?"**
"No. Your purring is making my mom suspscious."
"Oops." He got off the vent and laughed nervously."And...the food?"**
"We're going out to eat."
"Out? Like,hunting for breakfast?"**
"Not quite. I'll give Amy a call and then we'll leave to go get her."
Toby watched as Amy picked up a corded phone and dialed Amy's number.
"Hello, This is Clarissa,is Amy up yet?...AMY!....yeah. Guess who woke me up this morning? Mhm. and he's hungry. Wanna go to Bernie's?....I'll meet you at your place in ten minutes. Ok,bye."
"What'd she say?"**
"She'll meet us."
"Cool."** he grinned.
"But..."
"But what?"
"You can't get into Bernie's dressed like that."
He looked down at his pants. "Want me to get jeans without holes in them?"**
"You need a shirt and shoes."
"Ohhh. To go eat?"**
"It's the law for restaurants."
He crinkled his nose. "Weird."**
She dug through her closet. "Aha!" Clarissa said,pulling out a pair of boy's flip flops. "Try these on."
Toby nodded and did so. He made a face.
"What? They don't fit?"
"No,they do,but...they feel strange."**
"Oh. What's makes them strange?"
"There's something on mine feet!...We Nomads don't wear shoes usually. "**
"Ah. I guess that WOULD feel funny."
Toby nodded.
"Well,I've gotta change clothes...."
Toby just stood there. Clarissa stared at him.
"Toby!"
"Hmm. Aren't you going to change clothes?"**
"Not with you WATCHING me."
"Oh." he blushed. "I thought you meant take some clothes out of your closet and then switch them for some other clothes. My apologies."** he climbed back out the window and waited for her out front.
Clarissa got out of her pajamas and brushed her teeth. Meanwhile,Toby sat underneath the tree in the front yard.
Kathleen went to get the newspaper.
"Huh?" she saw a blue tail flipping about in the grass. "Who's there?"
Toby realized that it wasn't Clarissa coming and scrambled up the tree as fast as he could.
Please don't see me...Please, please, please don't see me.
"Who is up there?" Kathleen went up to the tree and looks amonst it's branches.
Toby wished that at that moment he was green,not blue.
"Nothing here but us little birdies."** he murmured. Toby stood with one foot per branch and his hands gripping the limb above him. He looked like a funny sort of monkey.
"Ahh! Nomad!"
"Hi...ma'am." he stuttered.
"Are you a Nomad?"
Toby couldn't lie. He bit his lip.
"No, it can't be. Nomads don't speak English. What are you doing in my yard?"
Oh boy... Clarissa. Help me!
At that moment,Clarissa came out of the house.
Toby jumped to a diffrent tree as soon as Mrs. Maire was distracted.
"Who is that boy?"
"What boy?" Clarissa asked.
"That...." Kathleen looked up in the braches. "Where'd he go?"
Clarissa shrugged. "I'm going to Amy's now. Bye Mom. Maybe you should go back to bed."
"Good idea."
Clarissa raced to the garage to get her bike and then rode down the driveway. "Toby!" she hissed. "Where the heck are you?"
The leaves above her rustled. Clarissa looked up and spied a familiar pair of green eyes.
Toby dropped to the ground. "Rrrissa! Here I am."**
"Bravo." she clapped. "Come on."
"Huh?"
"Follow me." Clarissa said,riding her bike.
"Oh."
This time,she could keep up with him easily.
Toby laughed as he ran."Rrrissa's faster now!"**
"Yep."
They ran and rode and ran and rode until Toby fell and let out a pained cry.
"Toby?!" Clarissa skiddied to a stop.
"Owww. These stupid shoes made me trip."**Toby frowned. His knee was all torn up.
"I'm sorry Toby."
Slowly,the young Nomad stood up.
"How can we get to Amy's now?"** He winced.
Clarissa looked at her bike. "Can you fit in my basket?"
He looked at it. "Maybe,but will it hold me?"**
"It held Amy's brother."
Toby nodded. "It'll hold me,but,how do I get in?"**
"Maybe I could pick you up...."
"Try."** Toby said.
Clarissa scooped Toby up in arms. He was surprisingly light. And...Amy was right about the fur thing. He was super soft.
Gently,she set him in her bike basket before riding.
"All set?"
"Let's ride!"**
Clarissa rode off.
"WHEEEEEEEEEEE!" Toby cried out. He liked the wind whipping his fur. It reminded him of riding horseback through the desert....
Horses...home. I wonder how Mahm is doing.
"Hey Aims." Clarissa pulled up in front.
"Hey. Ready for breakfast?"
"I AM!"** Toby cried.
Amy laughed. "Good morning Tobes. Aww. Hey,Riss,what happened to his leg?"
"He tripped on his flip flops."
"You poor fella."
"I do NOT like shoes."** Toby frowned and crossed his arms over his chest.
"I'm sorry." Amy said. "But,you'll have to wear them for awhile."
"But not now!"**Toby took the flip flops off and sat on them. "Ha!"
"So cute." Amy mouthed to Clarissa as she mounted her bike.
"I know." Clarissa mouthed back.
They rode off to Bernie's.
"Ok. Here we are."
Toby sniffed the air. This building smelled soooo good.
Clarissa and Amy helped him out of the basket. He was supported by their shoulders.
"Don't forget the shoes."Amy reminded him.
Toby groaned and slid his feet into the yucky flip flops.
Together,the two gir.ls and the injured young Nomad went into Bernie's.
"Hey ladies!" a man called out.
"Hi Bernie!" Clarissa and Amy called back.
"H'la!" Toby waved and called out too.
They sat down at a booth. Amy was on one side,Toby and Clarissa on the other. A waitress followed them.
"Hey Amy."
"Hi Mira."
"Who's this handsome young man?"
Toby blushed.
"This is Toby." Amy replied.
Mira ruffled Toby's fur. "Nomads are always adorable."
Toby snickered a litlle.
"Anyway,what do you want to eat?"
"French toast special,please." Amy said.
"Sausage or bacon with that?"
"Sausage."
"And you,Clarissa?"
"Um,same thing,but I want bacon."
"And what does Toby want?"
"Um..." Toby shrugged. What was French toast? Didn't everyone here speak English,not French? And...sausage? Was that a sauce made of sage? These English words confused Toby.
"Could we give him the kids menu?" Clarissa said. "It's got pictures."
"Sure." Mira said,pulling out a kids menu.
Toby licked his lips. "MMMMMMM."
"So,fella,whatcha want?"
Toby pointed to all the breakfast dishes.
Mira laughed. "I don't think your friends have enough money for all that."
"Give him that big breakfast platter..." Amy said.
"Lil' Bitta Everything?"
"Yep."
"Comin' right up. Yo,Bern... we need two Caivar breath breads and a smorgasbord!"
"Got it!"
" 'Caviar breath breads' ?" Clarissa laughed."Yuck."
"What's caviar?"**
"Fish or frog eggs. French humans eat that." Amy crinkled her nose."Blech."
"I ate those once." Toby said. "They didn't taste all that great...but they were raw."
"Toby!" Clarissa made a face.
"I was four,ok?"**
"It's fine Toby,we've all done stupid stuff when we were little."
He nodded then ducked down in his seat.
"What's wrong? Is that a Nomadic tradition?" Clariss asked.
"No! That mean gi.rl is coming in!"**
"Sick. It's Mia." Amy made a face.
"Don't let her near me. "** Toby advised. "I don't want to hit a lady,but in defense I might."**
"Don't worry. Mia's no lady." Clarissa whispered.
Toby snickered and sat up.
"Riss!" Amy laughed. "You're bad. I love it."
"Oh great. Charlie and Terese are here too." Clarissa noted.
"The Three Stooges." Amy whispered.
Toby chuckled.
Charlie had his arms around Terese and Mia. He was loving their attention.
I'm so good.Oh yeah...
He wasn't as "good" as he thought though. Mia and Terese were the most gullible,desparate and boy crazy gals in town. This made them easiest to "hook". All it took was a nice face and some flirting and they'd be eating out a boy's hand.
Amy and Clarissa. I'll get them one of these days... who's the nerd that's with them?
Mira brought the food.
Toby looked skyward momentarily,then dug in.
"Now THAT was a Nomadic tradtion."**
Amy and Clarissa grinned and began munching on French toast.
The "Three Stooges" sat at the bar.
"I'd like a large Mochachino frappe please." Mia said.
"Me too."
"Coffee." Charlie said. "Black,two sugars."
"What's a frappe?"** Toby asked,sipping on an orange juice.
"Some sort of mutated coffee." Amy replied.
"Oh. Coffee. I can't have that yet.It'll keep me from growing."**
"Smart boy."
He grinned. "This is very good food."**
Clarissa nodded in agreement. "Bernie's is the best."
Charlie hopped off his barstool and strutted over to where Clarissa and Toby were sitting.
"Hi beautiful." Charlie purred.
Toby blinked. Charlie may have been talking to Clarissa,but he made the mistake of making eye contact with Toby while he said it.
"Um..." Clarissa looked away.
"H'la." Toby waved.
Charlie reached for Clarissa's hand, and Toby grabbed it. No,not Clarissa's hand,Toby grabbed Charlie's hand.
"Hi gorgeous."** Toby purred and smiled up at him.
Charlie's eyes got wide and he paled.
"Lemme go,freak."
Toby blew him a kiss.
"AGH!" Charlie backed away and ran back to his seat.
Amy started to giggle.
Toby waved with his fingers. "Toodles, cutie!" he called in a falsetto voice.
Clarissa's eyes were wide. "Toby..."
Toby then burst out laughing. "I got him so good! It's a Nomad game called 'Creep out the creepo'."**
Clarissa started laughing. "Toby,you're such a goose."
Toby bowed slightly in his seat. "Thank you, ladies. I'll be here all week."** Then he sat and scarfed down the rest of his meal.
"Encore!" Clarissa giggled.
Toby belched.
