Unlikely Friends: Volume Two

Chapter Twenty Nine

Stinky and Sleepy tiptoed through the dark field towards Lua's tent. The smellly man called the dainty boy's name before being shushed by his boyfriend. Did the doofus forget they were on a secret mission? No reply came from inside. Throwing caution into the wind, Stinky reached a greasy, mayo covered hand towards the zipper. He slowly pulled open the tent, leaving a large, gooey handprint on the wall of Lua's home. "Be careful," Sleepy said behind his boyfriend, "I heard that Lua got a cat recently."

Sleepy didn't want to accidentally let the animal run loose across the field. That would create a whole different problem and they didn't have time to chase a cat in the middle of the night.  Stinky, on the other hand, was on the look out for a vicious guard animal. He raised his nearly empty jar of mayo in front of him, prepared to use it against a rabid cat. The couple quietly entered the tent and looked around. Inside, there was no Lua or his new pet. All that sat within the small tent was an oversized bed. Sleepy immediately noticed the suitcase missing. Had Lua overheard too and run away? He wouldn't have just left his luggage carelessly behind. Sleepy frowned, wondering how Lua could abandon the group so easily. The boy was always thinking about himself, he hadn't even bothered to attend the party!

Sleepy stomped outside the tent; despite the betrayal, he still had to save his friends. Stinky watched his boyfriend suddenly storm off and jumped, tossing his slimey jar behind him. He chose his love for Sleepy over his love of mayonnaise and left his favorite treat behind. 

The open mayo jar landed on its side with a soft thud on Lua's perfectly clean, ironed sheets. Slowly the container rolled across the dainty boy's bed, leaving behind a warm trail of Stinky's drooly left over mayo.

-

Outside the herd in a nearby forest, an unlikely group of brave heroes traveled blindly through the late night in search of pink flowers.

"I don't understand what's wrong with wanting to keep your personal belongings well maintained," Lua whined as he turned his nose up at Potato. The dainty boy was on his knees, surveying his luggage for damage with an overly critical eye. The tired group had stopped at a small stream of water, splashing their faces to wake themselves up. Potato carelessly dropped Lua's beloved suitcase beside a puddle, the over packed bag tipping over towards the mud on its lone wheel. "Nooo!" Lua's voice was shrill as he watched his most prized possession tumble towards its filthy demise. With catlike reflexes, Pea leaped forward in the air and landed on her feet while swiftly grabbing the handle in a single movement. The dainty boy stared gratefully at the small girl before immediately crying dramatically.

He fell to his knees, hugging the precious bag close to his chest. He had already lost Mike Tyson, he couldn't lose his fabulous wardrobe as well. Pea reached down and pet the dainty boy gently on the head. Potato rolled his eyes once Lua shrieked, having found the smallest splatter of mud on the side of his cherished suitcase. The wailing boy pointed a finger at a microscope stain as he slowly made dark grass stains on his jeans. The former villain nonchalantly walked in front of the suitcase, looking down at the dainty boy kneeling in the dark. "I don't see anything," Potato said above him. Lua huffed angrily as he glared up at his enemy, catching a playful grin spread across his bully's face.

"You look good down there," Potato teased the pouty boy before turning away to look for Turtles.

The moonlight scarcely shined over the tops of the thick trees, making correctly following the dark path a gamble. Turtles was exhausted, his legs shaking under his weight yet he refused to waste any time. "We don't know where we're going," Potato reasoned when the stubborn boy insisted on pushing forward.

"I'll find a way," Turtles argued as he began walking away from the group. Potato sighed, wondering if his character was playing the role of an unpaid babysitter this story. The tall man followed closely behind the small boy as he wandered aimlessly through the dark trees, occasionally reaching out a sturdy arm to catch him whenever he'd begin to trip on an upturned stone or overgrown root.

Lua sat dazed on the ground watching the two boys disappear, still processing Potato's last taunt. Was Potato coming onto him? Did he seriously think he had a chance? Lua scoffed and turned to ask Pea her opinion but she was no longer beside him. The dainty boy quickly pulled himself to his feet, blindly looking around in the dark for his new friend. "Pea?" Lua nervously called out, his eyes scanning the surrounding shadows.  "Yes?" a soft voice replied above his head. He seeked out the source, looking up at a towering tree and squinting his eyes as he strained to spot a flash of orange hair in the dark. "What are you doing up there?" the boy questioned, still searching the shadows for the cat girl. Pea expertly scaled the thick trunk, hopping from branches as she climbed towards the sky.

"If I get high enough," Pea shouted towards the ground, "maybe I can see where the forest ends." The small girl wrapped her tiny fist around the last branch, pulling herself atop the tree. She could see the distant clearing at the end of the dark green sea of towering trees. She made a quick mental note of the direction before tilting her head towards the night sky.

Pea's glowing green eyes stared up at the moon shining down on her, casting a faint halo around her orange hair.