Sometimes, it's Better to Forget Responsibility

Chapter 4

Giovanni wondered what he could do with Sylvie and Molly now. It was currently 1:00, and they had mostly talked and lazed around watching television. At noon, they had eaten, Giovanni and Molly having soup (of course), and Sylvie eating the breakfast Giovanni had made for him, without putting anything on the toast to the others' disgust. Things had started to seem a little stagnant after hours of watching cartoons, and Giovanni could see that Sylvie was getting a little fidgety without something to do. A brilliant idea sprung up in his mind.
"Let's go to the mall," Giovanni suggested.
Sylvie and Molly looked at him. "The mall? Why?" Sylvie asked as Molly agreed with a playful cheer.
"It'll be fun," Giovanni explained, "Isn't that reason enough?"
"Sounds a bit childish, just to go because it's fun," Sylvie pointed out as Giovanni switched the television off.
"So?" Giovanni shrugged, "Ever hear of treating yourself?"
Sylvie indifferently replied, "Maybe once or twice."
Giovanni shook his head in disapproval. "That just won't do. I command that you come to the mall! You are going to have so much fun!"
"You command me huh? I guess I have no choice," Sylvie sighed in dry sarcasm.
"Exactly!" Giovanni exclaimed, grabbing Sylvie by the arm and Molly by her hand. He practically dragged them out the front door.
"You can sit up front this time, if you want," Molly offered to Sylvie.
Sylvie looked at Giovanni, looking for confirmation of this. "Sure, if it's alright with Bear Trap," he decided.
Sylvie got in the front, with Molly in the back, both secure in their seat belts. Giovanni drove them to the mall, following familiar roads that reminded him of when he would take his boys to the mall sometimes. He almost laughed remembering the ridiculous antics they got into there, like the time Dark Star got dared to ride one of those quarter-per-ride mechanical ponies and it broke halfway through the ride because its weight limit only went up to the average eight year old. With a shiver, he remembered the time Car Crash had driven them to the mall. He would never drive them again; none of them would let him, especially Ben, who was quite frankly sick of having his car totalled. Finally, the car rolled to a stop, parked in the lot of the Sweet Jazz Mall.
The trio stepped out of the car, and began the trek to the mall. The air was bitingly cold, somehow colder than it had been that morning. A solid, light-gray cloud cover had rolled in, making it a little darker than it should be. “Why’d-d you have to p-park so far aw-way?” Sylvie grumbled through his chattering teeth, pulling his hood up.
“Do you see any other spaces available?” Giovanni retorted.
“...No.”
“Come on guys!” Molly scolded them, “It’s not that far.” Molly had also pulled up her hood, revealing little bear ears that stuck up at awkward angles where they had been bent and creased after years of use. Needless to say, it was endlessly cute.
“I suppose you’re right,” Sylvie admitted after a pause.
Soon, they were inside the mall, cozy and warm. It was bustling with people, mostly teens that shot in and out of shops in groups. It was noisy, a constant buzz of people talking, plastic bags rustling and paper bags crinkling, and various other noises that were made by colorful attractions. It was a lot to take in at once, and Sylvie, who had only been to the mall a few times, and could not remember any of the visits very well, was a bit overwhelmed. Giovanni and Molly, however, had been to the mall plenty of times with friends and alone, and were very excited.
“Where do you want to go first?” Giovanni asked them.
“I want to go to the pet store and see the bunnies!” Molly cried.
Sylvie didn’t say anything.
“Okay then. To the pet store!” Giovanni announced, leading the two to a shop that had “Prim’s Pet Store” printed above it in thulian pink letters. Two windows displayed two golden retriever puppies playing together, while the other had sleepy hamsters resting in their plastic cages visible through them. Giovanni pointed to the colorful, plastic cages. “Those are not safe for hamsters.”
Molly peeked at the hamsters. "Poor hamsters," she murmured.
Sylvie nodded in agreement. They walked into the store. Molly immediately scampered to the bunny pen, and began gently stroking the ears of a brown bunny. Giovanni wandered over to the pen where the puppies visible behind the windows were playing, watching Molly out of the corner of his eye. The puppies ran up to him, eagerly licking his fingers and bumping their heads against his hands as he pet them. Sylvie looked around the store, spying noisy kittens and a squawking bird, before his eyes landed on a quiet lizard slowly pacing around his enclosure. He made his way to the back of the store and watched the lizard crawl in silence.
The lizard looked awfully miserable in its tiny cage. Giovanni had said that the cages for the hamsters were not safe for them. Sylvie wondered if maybe the lizard's cage was not suitable to its needs. He'd have to put in a letter to the mall about the treatment of the animals within the shop. The lizard stopped moving for a moment to look up at him. Its eyes seemed to say 'help me.' Sylvie looked at it back, hoping his stare seemed just as meaningful to the lizard.
A store worker approached Molly. "You seem awfully fond of the bunny, miss," she purred, sickeningly sweetly, "Would you perhaps be looking to buy it?"
Molly shook her head. "No, ma'am. We're just looking today."
"Aw, are you sure?" The worker persisted, "They're on Sale!"
"I said no," Molly repeated.
"Oh, but I'm sure we could work something out today. I can tell how much you love it. Where are your parents?" 
Molly groaned. She dashed off towards Giovanni, colliding with him and pulling him into a hug from behind. "Giovaaaaniiiii," she called, burying her head into his cape.
He turned to her in concern. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
"That lady won't leave me alone!"
"I, well, uh…" the worker stuttered, before dashing away.
"C'mon, Bear Trap," Giovanni told her, "Let's get out of here." He glanced around the room. "Where's Sylvie?" Giovanni asked Molly. She shrugged. "Sylvie!" He called. No reply.
"Did he leave the store?" Molly asked him fearfully.
"Naw, that's not like him," Giovanni answered quietly, "But where could he-?"
"I'm right here," a soft but curt voice replied behind him.
"Sylvie!" Giovanni and Molly both cried in unison, turning to him. Molly gave him a tight hug.
Sylvie tensed up, but then cautiously returned the hug. Something seemed off about him.
"Where to next?" Giovanni asked.
"How about we let Sylvie choose this time, since I just got to choose?" Molly suggested.
"Oh, no, I couldn't," Sylvie quickly mumbled.
"Aw, it's ok, Sylvie. It's awful nice of you to let me pick again, but it's your turn!" Molly told him with a kind smile.
"I… I don't know where we should go,” he told them, stumbling over his words, “You should Pick.”
“Well, where do you usually go when you go to the mall?” Molly asked helpfully.
Sylvie muttered his reply inaudibly.
“You’re going to have to speak up,” Giovanni told him.
“I haven’t been to the mall,” Sylvie confessed.
“You’ve never been to the mall?” Giovanni exclaimed.
“Well, not recently…” Sylvie stated, “I’ve been once. Maybe twice. I don’t remember why.”
Giovanni gawked at him. “You don’t go to the mall?”
“Yeah. I just said that,” Sylvie bluntly pointed out.
“You’re life is devoid of fun!” Giovanni shouted.
“What-? No!” Sylvie defended, “I just have different ways of having fun…”
“Researching all day everyday is fun?” Giovanni questioned, “I can see it being a fun hobby, for you at least, but everyday? It’s fun to do the same thing every day?”
“I… Well…” he stuttered. He paused in contemplation. “No. No it’s not. I like it sometimes. But sometimes I need a break. I just don’t know what else there is to do.”
“C’mon, then. There’s a map right over there,” Molly said, pointing over to a sign in the middle of the walk way.
“Okay,” Sylvie agreed uneasily.
The made there way to the map. Sylvie looked it over. “There’s a bookstore,” He noted quietly, a tinge of fondness in his voice.
“Do you want to go there?” Giovanni asked.
Sylvie nodded. The three of them made there way to the bookstore. Once inside, Sylvie wandered over to the nonfiction section while Giovanni helped Molly look for the next book in a series she liked. Molly began to explain the plot to Giovanni as they searched “It’s called ‘Mermaim’ and it’s about this legion of mermen knights fighting in a war. There are these two undersea kingdoms, and the main character is from this one called Coralia, and they are fighting against…”
Sylvie poked around the book store’s collection of psychology books. He was unimpressed with them, as he had read nearly all the books, and the ones he hadn’t read were out-of-date with current sciences. With a new spark of interest, he noticed the animals section of the non-fiction rack. He scanned the spines of the book briefly, and noticed a book about lizards. He hadn’t brought money; when they basically dragged him out of his apartment he didn’t have time to grab anything,but maybe he didn’t need to. He opened to a chapter about caring for the animal, and began reading.
“I haven’t been able to get this book because I never had the money, or the time, or anybody to drive me to a store, but now I’m here!” Molly concluded, as she pulled the book from its shelf. She opened it and sniffed the new book scent, and then let it fall back closed.
“That sounds really interesting,” Giovanni remarked as he checked the price tag, “I might have to borrow them from you sometime.”
“Thank you so much for getting this for me,” Molly muttered with a sheepish grin.
Giovanni patted the top of her head. “It’s not a problem at all, Bear Trap.” Looking forward, he asked, “Do you think that dork has picked out a book yet? I bet it’s some dumb pyschologist book that I’m gonna have to pry away from him so he doesn’t work himself to death or something.”
“Giovanni, I know you are concerned, but I think we should still support his interests,” Molly said pointedly.
“Look, I’m not trying to say that he should drop psych; it’s his job,after all. I’m just saying that he needs to give himself more free time, and maybe relax a little. He’s, like, obsessed or something,” Giovanni explained.
Molly thought for a moment. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Molly agreed, “It probably isn’t healthy to talk about it every single conversation you have, even if it’s your job or passion, or both.”
“Despite what he might think, I want him to be happy and healthy,” Giovanni admitted, “Both of you, I should say.”
“You know,” Molly told him, “Sometimes, I think you’re better at taking care of me than my dad is. And I think you’re better at taking care of Sylvie than he can take care of himself, even if helping people learn self-care is his job.”
Giovanni looked at Molly, speechless. There was a great swell of pride within him. He put a shaky hand to his mouth and looked away for a moment. He moved his hand away to utter “Thanks,” to her, before putting it right back over his mouth. Of all the compliments he had ever been given in his life, this had to be the best so far, and he wasn’t even sure it was supposed to be one.
“Are you okay?” Molly asked Giovanni in abject worry.
“I’m okay,” he answered faintly, “C’mon let’s go find Sylvie.”
When they found Sylvie, he was pushing the book back on the shelf. “Oh, hey. Did you guys find the book?” He asked, turning to them.
“Yup!” Molly answered, holding the book above her head.
“Did you find anything?” Giovanni asked.
Sylvie shook his head. “All these books are lame,” Sylvie snarked, “I’ve read them all already. Well, the one’s worth reading still, at least.”
Giovanni nodded slowly. “Yes, these are all lame.”
“Actually,” Sylvie sneered with a smug smile, "You could learn a thing or two from these."
To Sylvie's surprise, Giovanni said "Probably. Maybe I'll borrow one from you." Sylvie began to wonder if maybe Giovanni cared for him the way he cared about Molly. No, he decided. He himself was already friends with Molly, and thinking that he might have another so soon was pushing his luck. Whatever happened last night, that was probably because they were all tired, or Giovanni felt obligated to help him out because he was Molly's friend. He couldn't wrap his head around another conclusion. He felt silly for even thinking of such a thing, or wanting it, even. He was grateful for the friend he had.
Besides, friendship had to be a mutual thing, at least he thought it did. And just because he wanted to be Giovanni's friend for a moment didn't mean he still wanted it… Did he? And either way, he was pretty sure Giovanni didn't want to be his friend. Besides, open as he had been the night before, he was still hiding things from Giovanni, and he supposed he was hiding them from Molly too, which didn't sit quite right with him, but also seemed to make things easier for both of them.
Molly's voice broke him from his thoughts. "What was that book you just put away?"
"Oh, that?" He scoffed, "Nothing. I just picked it up because I was bored."
"Was it that book about lizards?" Molly asked him, "You like lizards?"
"No," Sylvie replied a little too quickly, "Not at all."
Molly looked at him strangely. "Okay," she murmured slowly.
"It's okay if you want the book," Giovanni told him.
"I don't!" Sylvie stammered back, "And besides, I don't have any money with me at the moment."
"That doesn't matter, I'll get you it."
"I'm not stealing a book either."
"I never said I would steal it." Normally, Sylvie wouldn't trust someone in the Banzai Blasters to not steal something, but Giovanni looked pretty genuine. Or maybe some part of Sylvie was still hoping to be his friend.
"Look, I know you still don't trust me, but if it really makes you uncomfortable, I won't steal when you're around and I'm not on duty," Giovanni whispered to him as to not be overheard. Between this and last night, Sylvie really did not know what was going on.
"Ok," Sylvie said, believing Giovanni's words against his better judgement.
"If you see anything you want, just tell me," Giovanni told him. Giovanni took Molly's hand in his own and began walking towards the cash register. Sylvie began to follow, but stopped suddenly when he felt movement in his pocket. He put a gentle hand over it and shooshed it, and the movement stopped.
"Find everything you were looking for today?" Asked the clerk with an anxiously forced smile.
"Sure did!" Giovanni answered her, placing Molly's book on the desk. The clerk scanned it and wrapped it up in a plastic bag. Molly reached for the bag, and the clerk handed it to her.
"Your sister is adorable," she said to Giovanni with a real smile.
Giovanni flushed. "Sister? She's not- My-" he chuckled nervously, "Th- Thank you ma'am."
"I'm not his sister," Molly stated bluntly.
"O- Oh," stuttered the clerk, looking anxious again.
"But thanks for calling me cute!" Molly continued, leaving the desk with a small wave.
"Come on, slowpoke!" Giovanni semi-shouted to Sylvie, who was still standing in between two bookshelves.
"Sorry, I'm coming!" Sylvie apologised, surprised, as he had been jostled out of his thoughts once again. He rushed towards his friends without really running. If there is anything you don't do in a bookstore, its run. The three exited the store together. Pulling out his phone, Giovanni checked the time.
"Oh dear, it's 4 o'clock!" He grumbled. "My mom will be home in, like, an hour, and she said that if the house isn't clean when she gets back, she's taking my car keys. That would be… Really bad. And not just because I like to drive. I need to get you guys home eventually, and how would I do that without them?"
"We'd better head back to your house, then," Sylvie remarked.
"Yeah," agreed Molly.
"That's what I was about to suggest," Giovanni told them, leading the way back to the parking lot they used. As they passed the pet store again, Sylvie scowled at the hamster cages, and at the memory of tiny tank they had kept the lizard in.
Just as they were headed out the door, a mall security guard pointed to Giovanni and asked, "Hey, weren't you one of the guys that broke our horse ride?"
Giovanni was dead quiet for three full seconds. "No. That was some other guy," he answered curtly. Then he grabbed Sylvie by the sleeve and Molly by the hand and pulled them out of the mall. They each ran towards the car. It had begun to snow while they were inside, and the pavement was slick, causing them to slip a bit as they ran, but miraculously, no one fell down.
"Get in," Giovanni commanded them, opening the backseat door and practically tossed them into the car. Giovanni jumped in behind the wheel, and turned the ignition. "That mall cop is chasing us."
"He's a security guard, not a mall cop," Sylvie corrected.
Molly looked back as Giovanni pulled out the car. Sure enough, the security guard had been chasing them. He seemed to be having more trouble running across the slippery parking lot than they had. He kept stumbling and falling. Her view of him was fleeting, however. Giovanni drove off, not quickly by any means because of the snow, but faster than a person could run, because that's how cars work.
"Where you really the one to break the horse ride?" Molly asked, half in shock and half impressed.
"No," Giovanni chuckled, "That was Dark Star." He smiled as a wave of nostalgia swept over him. "Good times… Also, put your seatbelts on. I know I didn't really give you time to, and I apologize. That was not very safe."
Sylvie and Molly both put their seatbelts on.
"I suppose you have a problem with the whole horse thing, huh, nerd boy?" Giovanni jeered.
"Normally I would," Sylvie answered dryly.
Giovanni laughed victoriously. "The amazing Giovanni Potage is too awesome to be angry at once again!"
"Yeah," Sylvie murmured, "sure."
Soon, they were back at the house. It was snowing pretty hard now, and they all rushed inside.
"I'm going to go put this with my stuff!" Molly announced, holding up the plastic bag with her book in it for all to see. Then she scurried off to the guest bedroom.
Giovanni look back to Sylvie. "So we should probably start cleaning the living ro-" He stopped abruptly mid-sentence.
"W- What?" Sylvie asked, looking incredibly nervous.
Giovanni blinked at him. "Well, it's just. You look very pale. Is something the matter? Did you catch a cold in all that snow."
"I- no?" Sylvie stammered. He had a guilty expression on his face.
"What's wrong?" Giovanni demanding.
"I- oh…" Sylvie muttered, "Oh, I did something… Please don't be mad."
"Why would I-?"
Sylvie reached into his pocket and pulled out the lizard from the pet store. Giovanni looked from. Sylvie to the lizard in complete shock. "His name is Lev," Sylvie mumbled, "He just looked so sad, and you said that the hamsters weren't in the proper enclosures, and it looked like they didn't have the right one for him either and-!"
"Awwwwww!" Giovanni cut him off, "You stole! Baby's first crime!"
"It- It wasn't a crime!" Sylvie shouted defensively, "They weren't taking proper care of him."
"What wasn't a crime?" Molly asked, walking back into the room.
"Sylvie stole a lizard!" Giovanni exclaimed.
"I did NOT steal him!" Sylvie yelled, "I rescued him!"
"Then why did you look so guilty?" Giovanni asked in a mocking tone.
Sylvie felt his cheeks heating up. "I just-! I didn't-!" He sighed, defeated. "What if you got mad because I took the lizard after you promised not to steal when I was around?"
Giovanni paused. "I didn't think of it like that."
There was a quiet moment between the three of them. "It still wasn't stealing…" Sylvie pouted.
"Whatever," Giovanni sighed, blatantly not believing him, "Just help me get this place spick and span before my mom gets home."
"Ok," Sylvie and Molly both agreed in unison.