Art and Arts

endurANTs

Olive, Chyna, and I walked into the convention. We were more than a thousand miles away from home in Australia. The Ants from Webster High were there to gather with Ants all around the world to share talents. We walked up to a nature demonstration.

"G'day, mates," a boy said. He was obviously one of the Australian Ants.

"It's a good day now," Chyna said in my ear, making me giggle.

"The name's Neville. Tasmanian Neville," Neville introduced himself. "You probably know me from my hit show on the Animal Taunting Network."

"Sure," I mumbled. I had no clue who he was.

"I love your show. I watch it all the time," Chyna explained.

"It's on right after Dancing with the Sharks," I realized.

"Well, we'd better get going so we could see some more interesting demonstrations," Fletcher said. "The British etiquette prodigy is about to show us how to properly sip tea and look scandalized."

"Don't go yet," Neville insisted. He grabbed my shoulders gently. "I'm about to introduce you to some of my wild friends. Like Rory over here. Also, this lizard." He hoisted a cage onto the countertop. "Which one of you is man enough to say hello to this razor-toothed beast?"

Fletcher stepped forward. "I'll do it. I'm man enough."

Neville removed the cage. Fletcher got in its face and it hissed at him. Fletcher fell to the ground, screaming in fright. He curled into a ball for a second. The pit in my stomach told me to hold him and assure him everything is okay. He looked at me like he wanted me to.

~~~

"Here." Neville held up a necklace. "Some teeth for the girl with the beautiful smile." He clipped it around my neck.

I smiled. "Thank you."

"In our country, we put our teeth under our pillows," Chyna said, noticing how slightly uncomfortable I was.

"Well, they're crocodile teeth. Just one of the many vicious animals I encountered on my outback trek."

"What's that?" Chyna giggled.

"Well, it's-"

"It's a traditional rite of passage during which adolescent males undergo a spiritual journey and live for up to six months in the deadly wilderness of the outback."

"Crickey, Olive! Let the cute boy talk," Chyna said through clenched teeth.

He continued to show us some artifacts he had at the booth. Something told me something wasn't right.

~~~

Fletcher had been gone for a while, and we were going to get lunch. We looked for him. Angus said he disappeared after the nature presentation. We thought he ran off because he was embarrassed.

"Fletcher? Fletcher?" I called out, worried.

"Well, we checked. He's not in the gift shop," Angus said.

"Did you look anywhere else?" I asked, frustrated.

"No." Olive pouted. "But we got you this platypurse. Whoever wants it, that is."

"You seek the one called Fletcher?" a man asked. He was an Australian supervisor.

"Yes! Have you seen him?" I asked.

"He is many miles away, deep in the outback. On a trek to become a man," the man explained.

I froze in disbelief. "Fletcher will never survive alone."