To Be Proud: Revamped

Chapter 11: An Opportunity

~Bona~

Thwok and I had both agreed to not talk about what had happened the day before. Neither of us talked about it with the other monsters, and we're assuming that Clavavera was also keeping quiet about what happened. I would be embarrassed too if I lost to something I was good at in front of someone I liked.

Kayna allowed us to keep the rooms we were assigned the day we fell on the island. Even though a part of me didn't like her, she was by far much better than Clavavera in the sense that she wasn't crazy. Not yet, at least. Thwok slept in the room next door, but he usually hung out with me and Petite when he wasn't rambling on to Kayna about more history facts.

I was in my room with both Thwok and Petite when I felt the need to discuss what had happened. The ghosts, the electric shock, what Thwok said-it all spiraled in my head at once. I looked over at Petite, then over at Thwok. Petite was playing with some of the bones she brought in from outside while Thwok stood by the bookshelf reading from A Guide to Auxiliary Seasonal Monsters: Vol. 2, having to borrow reading glasses from Kayna.

      "Hey, Thwok?" He lifted his head up from reading and looked at me through his glasses. I tried to get the words out, but gave up after a bit. "Taboo."

      "Awlright," Thwok said while closing the book. "Puhtite, if you cahn luhn a new tlick ahnd show it ohff to fihve othuh monstuhs within the nehxt howuh, I'll give you flee monstuh-bahck lides fohr a week." Petite jumped up immediately.

      "Done!" Without a moment to lose, Petite was out of the room in a heartbeat. Thwok chuckled.

      "Gehts easiuh evwey time." Thwok sat on the bed next to me, getting comfortable in my presence.

      "That's...impressive," I commented.

      "Tlust me, it's noht as hahd as you thihnk. It's kind ohf lihke thaht one saying: 'you knowh one, you knowh them awl.' "

      "Yeah, I get what you mean." Thwok thought for a second, then proceeded to laugh a little bit.

      "Hey, wahnt me to tell you the time I convinced Pixolothl to geht on tohp of Scahgo's shell?" I looked at Thwok in confusion.

      "What?"

      "Yeah, so I tohld Pixolothl thaht it would be fuhny to go and clihmb onto Scahgo's shell while he slehpt."

      "And, what happened?"

      "Scahgo needed a new shell, and Pixolothl had to geht his tail fihxed. Thehre's a leason Pixolothl cahlls Scahgo 'Scah-Go.' "

      "And this was a joke?"

      "Hey, I paihd them bahck aftuhwud. Weally, no big deul."

      "Galvana, you're bad."

      "Oh, pulease. Youh're acting lihke thaht's the wohst thing I've done." I whipped around to look at Thwok.

      "Excusemecomeagain?"

      "Yeah, I mahde it so thaht evwey tihme Dwumwohl lohst their duwmstihcks, they'd yell at Zynth accusingly."

      "And how did you manage that?"

      "Simply, weally. Fihst, I tahke Dwumwohl's dwumstihcks withouht their noutice. Thehn, I waiht fohr them to wealize and ahsk me whehre their dwumstihcks ahe. Finahly, aftuh some convincing, I geht Zynth in troubul becauhse ohf a gludge thaht I doh't thihnk exists." I covered my face in disbelief.

      "Thwok, you have a problem."

      "And I'm fuhlly awahre ohf thaht." It was then I realized what Thwok was doing at that moment.