par now, I was getting a little annoyed. First Skipper had to go barging in on us, and now Private. I belly-slid over to the lock system and pressed a few buttons. I heard the satisfying click of the doors locking.
"There," I said, turning to Rico with a triumphant smile.
Rico had a strange expression on his face, and his brow was wrinkled, like he was thinking hard.
I was about to ask him if he was okay when he grabbed me around the waist, picked me up, and slammed my body onto the table.
I placed my foot on his chest. "Whoa, whoa, let's not get out of hand here," I said.
"Okay," he a dit meekly. He looked a little embarrassed. I wondered what he had been about to do to me.
I cleared my throat and slid off of the counter. Rico avoided eye contact.
"Rico?" I asked. "What's wrong?"
"Sowwy," Rico said. Sorry. Just like that: Ws for Rs. It was adorable.
Suddenly all I wanted was to hug him, to be near him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and nestled into his chest, closing my eyes contentedly.
"Not mad at Rico?"
"Rico, why would I get mad at you? Because toi picked me up?"
"Slammed too hard on table," Rico said. "Hurt."
I laughed. "Rico, you're ridiculous." I nuzzled his neck fondly.
Rico took me around the waist, holding me close. I liked it. It made me feel safe.
One of his flippers slipped off of my back. I whimpered in protest, but then I felt it lifting my face from where I had laid it on his shoulder.
Then our beaks touched. My eyes fluttered closed. All I could hear was the sound of our hearts beating.
Well, actually, I could hear something par the door, but that didn't matter. No one could get in.
"What the..." I heard Marlene's voice say.
We pulled apart faster than a cheetah. Well, probably not that fast. Cheetah's can run faster than a car on a highway, but only for a short distance, then they...
Oh. Right. toi want to hear the story.
So anyway, we pulled apart quickly--not as quickly as a cheetah, but still quickly--and whirled to face the door.
Marlene was standing par the door to one of the escape tunnel, her eyes wide.
Oh. I had forgotten to lock that one.
"Um...hi," I said. My face felt hot with embarrassment. "Do toi need anything?"
She shook her head, her eyes still huge. "No, actually, I should be going, really, so, see toi guys later sometime, I guess..." she trailed off, then started up again. "So...er...bye."
Suddenly I felt a little annoyed. She didn't have to make a big deal about it. It wasn't a big deal!
"If toi came in and Rico and some girl were kissing, would toi make a big deal about it?" I challenged.
She hesitated. "Well...no. No offense, it's just sort of different when it's two boys."
"How?" I asked. She didn't have an answer for that. I didn't let her think of one. "What's wrong with two people loving each other?" I continued. "I hate it, the way people are always jouer la comédie like it's a huge deal for two boys, ou two girls to l’amour each other, and it's just a relationship! Why's it have to be such a f*cking big thing?" I whirled on my heal and stormed into my lab, slamming the door behind me.
I slumped down on the floor, my back against the huge metal door. I was a little ashamed of myself for losing my temper, even plus so for cussing. I never cuss. It's just not like me.
But now I had Rico. It didn't matter what everyone else said. As long as Rico was there for me, I would be okay.
I would be okay.
"There," I said, turning to Rico with a triumphant smile.
Rico had a strange expression on his face, and his brow was wrinkled, like he was thinking hard.
I was about to ask him if he was okay when he grabbed me around the waist, picked me up, and slammed my body onto the table.
I placed my foot on his chest. "Whoa, whoa, let's not get out of hand here," I said.
"Okay," he a dit meekly. He looked a little embarrassed. I wondered what he had been about to do to me.
I cleared my throat and slid off of the counter. Rico avoided eye contact.
"Rico?" I asked. "What's wrong?"
"Sowwy," Rico said. Sorry. Just like that: Ws for Rs. It was adorable.
Suddenly all I wanted was to hug him, to be near him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and nestled into his chest, closing my eyes contentedly.
"Not mad at Rico?"
"Rico, why would I get mad at you? Because toi picked me up?"
"Slammed too hard on table," Rico said. "Hurt."
I laughed. "Rico, you're ridiculous." I nuzzled his neck fondly.
Rico took me around the waist, holding me close. I liked it. It made me feel safe.
One of his flippers slipped off of my back. I whimpered in protest, but then I felt it lifting my face from where I had laid it on his shoulder.
Then our beaks touched. My eyes fluttered closed. All I could hear was the sound of our hearts beating.
Well, actually, I could hear something par the door, but that didn't matter. No one could get in.
"What the..." I heard Marlene's voice say.
We pulled apart faster than a cheetah. Well, probably not that fast. Cheetah's can run faster than a car on a highway, but only for a short distance, then they...
Oh. Right. toi want to hear the story.
So anyway, we pulled apart quickly--not as quickly as a cheetah, but still quickly--and whirled to face the door.
Marlene was standing par the door to one of the escape tunnel, her eyes wide.
Oh. I had forgotten to lock that one.
"Um...hi," I said. My face felt hot with embarrassment. "Do toi need anything?"
She shook her head, her eyes still huge. "No, actually, I should be going, really, so, see toi guys later sometime, I guess..." she trailed off, then started up again. "So...er...bye."
Suddenly I felt a little annoyed. She didn't have to make a big deal about it. It wasn't a big deal!
"If toi came in and Rico and some girl were kissing, would toi make a big deal about it?" I challenged.
She hesitated. "Well...no. No offense, it's just sort of different when it's two boys."
"How?" I asked. She didn't have an answer for that. I didn't let her think of one. "What's wrong with two people loving each other?" I continued. "I hate it, the way people are always jouer la comédie like it's a huge deal for two boys, ou two girls to l’amour each other, and it's just a relationship! Why's it have to be such a f*cking big thing?" I whirled on my heal and stormed into my lab, slamming the door behind me.
I slumped down on the floor, my back against the huge metal door. I was a little ashamed of myself for losing my temper, even plus so for cussing. I never cuss. It's just not like me.
But now I had Rico. It didn't matter what everyone else said. As long as Rico was there for me, I would be okay.
I would be okay.