Surviving my Scholarship

Fluffy Critter

                "A pure Plutonian," the doctor muttered for the millionth time.  He slowly hovered his hand over my body. This was getting old. I forced a smile and he stepped back again to stare. The only thing keeping me sane was the juggling fox entertaining me from the end table next to the bed. Pierce had been kicked out shortly after I awoke.

                Apparently I was a danger. So, they locked me away for a few days afterwards. So what if the first day I banged on the door until my hands bled. When the pain was too much, my body shook with tremors until it shut down and I passed out. The second day, I may have destroyed anything not nailed down in the room in anger, the curtains still hadn't been replaced I see, and the third I begged to hear some of that wonderful music offering sexual favors in return. I sounded like a graphic romance novel. I could have sworn Pierce was about to break down with that. I could hear him behind the door.

                Now that I had whatever it was out of my system, Pierce had become the doctor's assistant. He fetched anything necessary to help me recover. Right now he was after a Marzian Curly Sandwich. I'm pretty sure that is for the doctor. Not me.

                "I have never met one before," the doctor continued muttering. "Perhaps I could have a sample of your blood." He nodded as if he was answering for me.

                "No," Pierce growled from the doorway. "This is a secret, remember." He pointed at the doctor before putting the sandwich on the end table.

                I crinkled my nose at the pickled fish within. It made me want to throw up. How could he think to eat that?

                "Yes, yes," the doctor sighed. "Well, the scan came back clean. There is nothing more for me to do. Now that you have had a small dose of the music, miss, you will be more susceptible to it. Next time, you won't be so lucky in recovery." I nodded as he talked. "In my opinion, I would stay away from the music in the future."

                I raised an eyebrow. Is he serious? I hope they aren't paying him much. Pierce practically shoved him and his sandwich out the door where Mr. Galloway was waiting. He slammed the button to close the door and dove onto the bed with me.

                "So, do you like Grog?" He was on his stomach and giving me that Pierce smirk I was so familiar with. He lifted his elbows up and propped up his head upon his hands.                      

                "What is Grog?"  I looked around the room and the fox dropped the balls with his mouth open in shock.

                "Grog," he pointed to the Comm Unit and the fox did a tada stance. I stared at the fox for a minute and he blew me a kiss before picking the balls up and juggling again.

                "Did he eat Phoenix," I asked in horror. Poor Phoenix she was the first thing I ever got on my Comm Unit. Grog pulled out a bone from his toy box and started chewing on it. I looked over and gasped. Grog looked up and frowned at me.

                "No," Pierce touched me lightly on the shoulder and Grog growled. He glared at the fox and the fox turned around and wiggled his behind at Pierce. "I have Phoenix. I traded you."

                "You didn't ask," I grumbled and he looked at me like a three year old about to get yelled at for something wrong. I sighed and looked back at Grog chomping on his bone.

                "Well, Phoenix wasn't happy and she is so needy and you seemed so distracted and well I really like Phoenix and I wanted to have something close to you if I couldn't have you," he rattled through giving excuse after excuse. He started tinting a berry color and rubbing the wisdom bump on the back of his head.       

                "Grog has grown on me," I admitted and he smiled that famous Pierce smile only I can bring out.

                "Good," he agreed, "I reactivated my old account and I programmed it so that you can't kill him." I frowned and Pierce went back to that adorable three years old.

                "Grog was your pet when you were little," I questioned. Pierce nodded.

                "Yo, Grog. Pound it," Pierce yelled out and Grog's fist filled up the screen. Pierce leaned over me and pounded the screen back. He stayed there lying on my stomach and I frowned at him. "What I'm tired," he whined. "I have been slaving for that doctor for weeks to get you healthy."

                "It's been a few days," I growl at him and he smirks at me from my belly button region. "Now, get off. Your girlfriend wouldn't like it."

                He sat up reluctantly. He laid down on the second pillow next to me. He stared up at the ceiling and we laid like that in peaceful silence for a few seconds.  He turned and stared at my facial profile. I didn't dare look at him. My face started heating up under his gaze.

                He gently tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and I shivered under his touch. He tapped on the earpiece quickly and then placed his hand behind his head.

                "I gave you that," he started. "I don't think you are ready for the newest updates on communication, so I found the earpiece that was compatible with your Comm Unit. This way, you can hear my calls. To make a call, you simply state the person's name. It will ask you if you want to call the person, and then you say yes. I already programmed your voice in. If you are feeling ambitious, we can practice the newer ways sometime."  

                The silence was back and he fidgeted next to me for a bit.

                "I would never have made that deal with her, if I knew you were coming into my life," he finally stated in all sincerity. I shrugged my shoulders at him and he sighed falling back onto his back.

                "Pierce," I whispered out. He turned again to look at me. "What happened to me?" That isn't what I wanted to say. I chickened out at the last second. I just can't tell him how I feel. How close I am to just be his out of school relationship. How close I am to break all my morals to be with him.

                "You Plutonian," he mocked the doctor resulting in a chuckle from me. "You fell victim to Plutonian Jazz."

                "Plutonian Jazz," I questioned. My hand was shaking with the nerves of keeping down my yes to being his.

                "Created by a great man ZigZag in the early development, Plutonian Jazz caused the destruction of the entire settlement on Pluto," he recited like a history teacher. I looked at him in silence to continue. "When Plutonian hear it, they stop functioning. Officials spent days locked away starving themselves and the government came to a crashing halt. The musicians, themselves, would play until they died from starvation or lack of oxygen to the body.  The Galaxy Police tried to destroy all of it to help the Plutonian but as soon as those who were addicted stopped listening, they died. It is like a horrible addicting drug that eventually takes everything from you."

                I sat back staring at the ceiling. Music could be my downfall? But it felt so incredible. Even now I craved the colorful happiness in my soul again. Pierce glanced over at me in quiet concern.

                "Well, I should let you rest," he finally sighed with a clear of his throat. "We start school tomorrow. You will need it." I didn't say anything. So, finally, he left without another word.

                 As soon as the door closed, Grog cheered. I glanced over and he winked at me again. I yawned and he jumped up and started singing. I smiled at him as I curled back into the comforter and fell asleep.