Park Place was in the center of our little city, it was the place to be if you were a kid or a kid at heart. Sequoyah and me walked the twelve blocks to the arcade in silence. This was one of these times that Sequoyah knew when to let things be. I felt bad enough without him trying to make me feel better. I know, I know, he just wants me to feel better, but sometimes I like to just wallow in my emotions for a while. I know it’s not really healthy or good for me, but I just needed to for that amount of time I would let him have his way later. Well everything except the going back to his house.
We arrived to Park Place in record time. The mall set off to one side of the street. It was my little oasis, my paradise. It was almost as fun as the library, or watching the bar patrons. What? You don’t think the Library is fun? Well, you’ve never been to the library with me. Believe me, it was a happening place, whenever I was there. Anyhoo, we entered the building relaxing in the cool artificial air. Such a wonderful place this was. Sequoyah had been right, no one was here, yet. After all it was a school day, so it should have been next to empty. Why wasn’t Sequoyah and I in school?
Well, Sequoyah always played hooky, whenever he could. He would always say that school wasn’t useful, when you can learn everything you want on the internet. Me, on the other hand, was a total genius. I graduated when I was only ten. What do you mean, yeah right? What are you talking about? It’s the truth! Well most of it anyway. So you got me once again. I am a genius, but I wasn’t allowed to go to school. Being a Zink and all, no one wanted their child to go to school with a psycho like me anyway. I know right? Woe with me! Before my parents died, they taught me some things and my brother taught me everything else I needed to know, and of course Sequoyah helped some. What are best friends for? I was a genius so nothing they taught me was anything I didn’t know already, but I love learning, so I never cared about relearning things.
Games, games, and games galore! I really loved this place. Sequoyah and I hit our favorite game: Science, strategy, all wrapped into one. You guessed it, pool, billiards, whatever you wanted to call it. We could play for hours and with no one there that day, that’s what we did. We were hoping to play longer but no one can ignore the call of a growling stomach.
“Let’s get something to eat Sequoyah,” I said as I sank the last ball.
“Alright, as long as I get to pick the place.”
“Okay, so where will your nose lead us to today,” Sequoyah laughed and walked out of Park Place, with me following behind. Outside he started to sniff the air.
“I smell something delicious coming from Grendales let’s ear there,” he said. You didn’t think I really meant that comment about Sequoyah’s nose finding us food did you? You think I’m lying again. Well, this time I’m not. Sequoyah had a really good nose, he can even smell food from miles away. Sometimes I think that Sequoyah is a Zink like me, the only reason I know he isn’t, is that he wasn’t in the breeding farm with me. Other than that you would never know he wasn’t. You think he still could be one? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
“Good, Grendales always have good food at a reasonable price, let’s go,” I told him. Grendales was like an IHOP, but bigger, much bigger, and it wasn’t a chain store. You could only find it here. There were glanced looks in out direction, as Sequoyah and I walked into Grendales. Who cared, right? I didn’t that’s for sure. The waitress seated us by the kitchen, in a small darkened corner. Grendales was alive this afternoon, with boring elevator music cranked up loud. Fake green plants wee spread throughout the dim little restaurant.
The waitress handed us our menus, with the promise that she would return to take our order.
“What are you going to have, Nickel,” Sequoyah asked.
