After lunch, I head towards Kiva's habitat. She told me where it is before I left Marlene's. I have to admit, I'm feeling kind of shy. Of course, that's a usual feeling for me when I'm meeting new people.
I finally enter the habitat. I look around, looking for Kiva. I don't see her anywhere.
"Hello?" I call. "Kiva?"
"There tu are," Kiva pops out of no-where, startling me. "I was expecting tu much sooner."
"Oh yeah, my and the boys had to be cute and cuddly," I smile. "That was fun."
"Cool, the penguins seem to be the most popular animales in the zoo. But where are my manners? Sit down. Would tu like some tea?"
"Um, I-I don't drink tea," I say shyly, sitting down in the asiento she offered me.
"That's ok, neither do I," she giggles. "How about some cola instead?"
"Actually, I'm not too thristy."
"Then, what do tu wanna do?"
"We could just sit and talk," I suggest. "Like, tell me everything about this zoo."
Kiva sits down facing me. "Gladly," she says. "First of all, this is the best zoo in the world. Seondly, the penguins are really nice."
"What was your life like before tu came here?"
"I was rescued," she says, her smile dissappearing. "I don't like to talk about it. What about yours?"
I think for a moment, not sure weather I should tell her. She seems nice enough. Turstworthy, kind, hospitable. I think for a moment longer.
"I-I," stammer, not sure how to start. "I was...well...human."
"Human? Really?" she asks.
"Y-yes, I-I don't even live in New York. I live in Australia. I-I..." I can't continue.
Just thinking about my family is causing me a great emotional breakdown and I struggle to hold back the tears. Kiva seems to notice.
"What's wrong?" she asks, concern in her voice and eyes. I turn my head away.
"I'm sorry," I choke. "I just miss my family."
"That's understandable," she says. I look back at her and manage a small smile.
"I really should be going now," I say, getting up. "I'll come visit again soon."
"Anytime," Kiva says, standing too.
I hop over the muro and wave. She waves back.
As I walk back to the penguins' habitat, I think about how I could have gotten here. One minute, I'm in my room, typing stories, and the next, I'm wandering the streets of the Big Apple. Mysteryous indeed, but no time to think about it. I arrive back the HQ.
I enter the fish-bowl door, only to find it's empty. I peek inside the lab, but no-one is around.
"Um, what to do," I ponder aloud. I spy Kowalski's notepad again.
"He won't mind," I say and pick it up.
Sketching is hard work when one is concentrating hard. Finally finished, I place the notepad back where I found it. Suddenly, some black and white things drop into the HQ.
"CC," Private says, squeezing out from under the pile. "I have something to mostrar you."
He waddles up to me and says, "Hold out your flipper." I do so and he places a diamond-shaped jade collar in it.
"Oh wow," I gasp. "Where did tu find this?"
"I found it on the ground," Private explains. "It's actualy a bracelet for humans. Kowalski dicho the jade was even real."
"This is lovely, thank you," I say. I have cheered up. "You know what's funny, Jade is my middle name."
"What's your first name?" Private asks. The four penguins look at me expectantly.
"Crystal Jade McClear is my full name," I say. "The bullies at my school used to call me Crystal Clear. Not the nicest nick-name if tu ask me."
"I like CC better," Private says, then he adds. "CC, do tu think...I-I could...m-maybe..."
"What?" I ask, looking at HIM expectantly.
"N-never mind," he blurts out and hurries topside.
I look at the othe three.
"What was that about?" I ask. Rico shrugs.
"I have no idea," Kowalski says.
"Nope," Skipper adds. I shrug it off.
That evening, Skipper watches me getting my cama on the floor ready.
"It's not right for tu to sleep there," he says at last.
"Yeah, but I won't let tu give up your bunks."
"Rico," Skipper says. Rico walks up to him. "Make the lady a bed."
Rico salutes and coughs up a chainsaw. He goes to the other side of the door from the bunks and cuts out a bunk about as high as the segundo highest.
"Ta da," he says.
"Oh, very good," I say happily. I place the almohada and blanket inside. "It's perfect."
That night, I snuggle down in my new bed. I feel the collar around my neck and smile. Private is very sweet to give this to me.
I soonn drift off to dreamland. This time, hopefully, I won't have dreams about demon-penguins.
I finally enter the habitat. I look around, looking for Kiva. I don't see her anywhere.
"Hello?" I call. "Kiva?"
"There tu are," Kiva pops out of no-where, startling me. "I was expecting tu much sooner."
"Oh yeah, my and the boys had to be cute and cuddly," I smile. "That was fun."
"Cool, the penguins seem to be the most popular animales in the zoo. But where are my manners? Sit down. Would tu like some tea?"
"Um, I-I don't drink tea," I say shyly, sitting down in the asiento she offered me.
"That's ok, neither do I," she giggles. "How about some cola instead?"
"Actually, I'm not too thristy."
"Then, what do tu wanna do?"
"We could just sit and talk," I suggest. "Like, tell me everything about this zoo."
Kiva sits down facing me. "Gladly," she says. "First of all, this is the best zoo in the world. Seondly, the penguins are really nice."
"What was your life like before tu came here?"
"I was rescued," she says, her smile dissappearing. "I don't like to talk about it. What about yours?"
I think for a moment, not sure weather I should tell her. She seems nice enough. Turstworthy, kind, hospitable. I think for a moment longer.
"I-I," stammer, not sure how to start. "I was...well...human."
"Human? Really?" she asks.
"Y-yes, I-I don't even live in New York. I live in Australia. I-I..." I can't continue.
Just thinking about my family is causing me a great emotional breakdown and I struggle to hold back the tears. Kiva seems to notice.
"What's wrong?" she asks, concern in her voice and eyes. I turn my head away.
"I'm sorry," I choke. "I just miss my family."
"That's understandable," she says. I look back at her and manage a small smile.
"I really should be going now," I say, getting up. "I'll come visit again soon."
"Anytime," Kiva says, standing too.
I hop over the muro and wave. She waves back.
As I walk back to the penguins' habitat, I think about how I could have gotten here. One minute, I'm in my room, typing stories, and the next, I'm wandering the streets of the Big Apple. Mysteryous indeed, but no time to think about it. I arrive back the HQ.
I enter the fish-bowl door, only to find it's empty. I peek inside the lab, but no-one is around.
"Um, what to do," I ponder aloud. I spy Kowalski's notepad again.
"He won't mind," I say and pick it up.
Sketching is hard work when one is concentrating hard. Finally finished, I place the notepad back where I found it. Suddenly, some black and white things drop into the HQ.
"CC," Private says, squeezing out from under the pile. "I have something to mostrar you."
He waddles up to me and says, "Hold out your flipper." I do so and he places a diamond-shaped jade collar in it.
"Oh wow," I gasp. "Where did tu find this?"
"I found it on the ground," Private explains. "It's actualy a bracelet for humans. Kowalski dicho the jade was even real."
"This is lovely, thank you," I say. I have cheered up. "You know what's funny, Jade is my middle name."
"What's your first name?" Private asks. The four penguins look at me expectantly.
"Crystal Jade McClear is my full name," I say. "The bullies at my school used to call me Crystal Clear. Not the nicest nick-name if tu ask me."
"I like CC better," Private says, then he adds. "CC, do tu think...I-I could...m-maybe..."
"What?" I ask, looking at HIM expectantly.
"N-never mind," he blurts out and hurries topside.
I look at the othe three.
"What was that about?" I ask. Rico shrugs.
"I have no idea," Kowalski says.
"Nope," Skipper adds. I shrug it off.
That evening, Skipper watches me getting my cama on the floor ready.
"It's not right for tu to sleep there," he says at last.
"Yeah, but I won't let tu give up your bunks."
"Rico," Skipper says. Rico walks up to him. "Make the lady a bed."
Rico salutes and coughs up a chainsaw. He goes to the other side of the door from the bunks and cuts out a bunk about as high as the segundo highest.
"Ta da," he says.
"Oh, very good," I say happily. I place the almohada and blanket inside. "It's perfect."
That night, I snuggle down in my new bed. I feel the collar around my neck and smile. Private is very sweet to give this to me.
I soonn drift off to dreamland. This time, hopefully, I won't have dreams about demon-penguins.