Worlds Collide

Chapter 3

Sidney had been having an ordinary day. She spoke with her online friends, finished all her schoolwork by noon, and had no reason not to be writing at that very moment.

Her parents had left her at home while they took her brother, Ethan, and sister, Hailey, to taekwondo. Sidney had felt a bit ill all day, and Mom and Dad didn't want to risk anyone else getting sick. They left her at home, figuring she could keep out of trouble for two hours.

They were wrong.

The moment they left, Sid grabbed herself a large bowl of chocolate animal crackers, grabbed her pencils and notebook, and plopped herself down in front of her mom's computer.

Reading, writing, and writing while listening to music were some of her favorite things, so she began playing her playlist full of songs as she wrote, taking a break every now and then to eat an animal cracker or two.

An hour later, someone knocked on the door. Now, Sidney had been told to not answer the door, but why not live a little, right? She paused the music, then crept to the front door. And opened it.

She couldn't believe her eyes. There, standing in front of her, was Ashley. Ashley. The. Freaking. Hedgehog.

"Holy cow," she whispered under her breath, frozen in the doorway.

Ashley was surprised too. Who was she? ... And did she just call Ash a cow?

"I'm sorry to bother you, but can you please tell me where I am? I've never been here before..." Ash didn't know what else to say.

Sidney just stood there. Was she dreaming?

"Holy. Cow."

Ashley cocked her head in confusion. "Okay, um, well, I'm... I'm gonna go..." She slowly backed away, turning as she did so.

"No! Wait!" Sid reached out and grabbed Ashley's wrist, who stopped and looked at her.

"You're here..." the human said in a dreamy voice. "You're really here... But how did you...?"

Ashley yanked her arm away. "You act like you know me."

"Um... Well, I kinda do. But I kinda don't. I've read about you..."

"What?"

"Okay, for real, where did you come from?" Sid shivered in the cold.

Ashley raised an eye ridge. "Mobius, why?"

"Shitaké mushrooms..." Sidney cursed quietly. She walked inside. "Do you trust me?"

"Excuse me?"

"I said, do you trust me? I swear that I won't hurt you in any way, shape, or form."

"I mean... I guess..." Ash took a few steps toward Sidney.

"'I guess' is good enough!" Sidney raced inside.

------------------------

Ashley: "I guess" is not good enough.

Yeah, it is.

Ashley: No, it's not!

YES IT IS, OKAY?!

Ashley: Geez, I was just saying.

(- ,-) You're gonna be the death of me...