Cherry Meets the Wild Thornberrys

chapter 6

That night, everyone headed to bed, still thinking about what had happened tonight. Estelle slept outside as Eliza and Darwin were going to sleep in a tent. Eliza was telling Darwin what happened and was going to happen by tomorrow.

"Boarding School?" Darwin nearly scoffed. "I never heard of anything so ridiculous!"

"I just hope it'll be better than Hawthorne Prep." Estelle muttered slightly.

"I wish I could just tell them I can talk to animals." Eliza said.

"No!" Darwin protested. "Then you'll lose your--"

Estelle looked to them, curiously.

"It's okay, Darwin, I guess it's okay since she can talk to animals too." Eliza said to the chimp since her secret had been revealed.

"You mean, your family doesn't know?" Estelle asked in slight shock.

"No." Eliza said.

"How long have you had this ability?" Estelle asked.

"A long time now," Eliza explained. "You see... One day when I was with my parents, I found this warthog that was trapped. Being kind and gentle, I decided to save him, but I then found out that this warthog was actually a shaman. After that, between you and me, something amazing happened and now I can talk to animals, but it's totally secret and I'm not supposed to tell anyone, not even my family."

"So, if you tell anyone that doesn't know, then your ability to talk to animals will be taken away from you?" Estelle asked.

Eliza nodded. "I'm sorry, that's why I didn't think I could tell you, your cousins, or your brothers... How do you talk to animals?" she then asked.

"I guess because Mom and Dad can," Estelle shrugged. "My Grandma Emily can talk to animals too, though mostly to sea creatures since she's a mermaid."

"Your grandmother is a mermaid?" Eliza asked, not believing that at first.

"Yep." Estelle nodded.

"Interesting..." Darwin said to her. "I didn't think those things were real."

"Better believe it, buster, great-niece of King Triton of Atlantica at your service." Estelle smiled proudly, though not too boastful.

"I won't break the rule for anyone else though," Eliza continued. "I promised Shaman Mnyambo."

"Good," Darwin could relax now. "Now about this 'Boarding School'... You dont' think they'll make me take gym class, do you? Because those tight shorts show off my problem area."

"Ooh, um, about that, Darwin, you see...." Estelle said.

"You can't come with us." Eliza and Estelle said in unison.

Darwin's eyes widened and he threw a big fuss over being separated from Eliza since she was the only one in this family he could talk to.

"Darwin, come back!" Eliza called sadly.

Nigel and Mo came out, looking to the girls in their tent.

"Whatever is the matter with Darwin?" Nigel frowned.

"He saw Eliza pack her suitcase," Estelle covered up this time. "I guess he figured out she's leaving."

"Very intuitive that chimp." Mo said.

"We're so sorry about this, Dad/Mom." Eliza and Estelle frowned.

"Well, I can't speak for Mr. Thornberry, but I'd actually do the same thing," Mo said, mostly to her own daughter. "I mean, if Angel were taken from me, I'd do anything to get her back."