"Come on, Private!" I pestered. "Give it all tu got!"
He was trembling. It was too easy. His firm grip on my fins was no match for mine on his. It was almost laying flat under mine. Just an inch away. I looked up to see him sweating. As he struggled on defense, he tried taking offense. Right when he pushed up, I slammed his flipper down.
"Skipper wins the Thanksgiving arm-wrestling tournament…" Kowalski officiated. Then he folded his flippers, and muttered. "Again,"
"And another big win for me! What a suprise!" I cheered. The boys simply smiled back at me. Private was exstatic.
"Skipper, how did tu get so good?"
"Well, I've never lost a game in my entire life." I bragged. Hidden beneath my pride and arrogance, my fin was actually sore. He had a strong grab, not one I expected.
The scent of the large cena cooking almost made our beaks water. cena was almost ready. In the meantime, we had another tradition that seemed to be Rico's favorite.
"Football!" Rico exclaimed, and hacked up an oval-shaped, brown ball. Following that, four helmets came out.
"Let's play," I said.
We raced each other to the park. My legs furiously rushed onward. I had my mine on one thing: winning. As always. Now, I see the error of my past ways. Unfortunately, I realized them too late....... I should have been grateful for what I had, and my friends. Each one.
The park was a cornicopia of colors, as it is every autumn. Leaves were scattered all over in shades of brown, red, orange, and yellow. The breeze was brisk. I know, yada, yada, yada, big deal! But it's important.
Kowalski and I began picking teams. Everything ran smoothly, until they showed up.
From out of a nearby tree, Ringtail and his goofy lemur-friends hopped to the ground. Being his normal royal pain self, he disrupted us again. He began rubbing his fist on the parte superior, arriba of my head, and inspected it.
"Hello, smelly birds!" He greeted. "What are tu doing,"
"Playing football, what does it look like?!" I swipe his elbow off my head.
"Oh, sorry about that. But you're head, it's just so flat!" He contuined, only this time patting me. "Maurice, try this!" He laughed, amusing himself. I growled.
"Uh, your majesty, I would stop…" Maurice, a chubby lemur, warned.
"What is this feetball?" Ringtail demmanded.
"Feeeeet?" Mort, a ratón lemur, dazed out. "Can we play?!"
"Mort, the king is not to be playing with the commoner penguins!" Ringtail scolded.
"Ah, well that's…too [i]bad, Ring-!" I sighed sarcastically.
"He is to be dominating them!" The lémur, lemur king exclaimed.
"Noooooope! With a capital N-O-P-E!" I refused.
Then, Private waddled up with a gentle smile.
"The lunacorns always say 'When sharing fun with friends, you'll want to do it over and over again'!" Private stated.
"That's great, but he's not my friend!" I growled.
"Not to worry, Skipper. The odds of them beating us are slim to none." Kowalski reported. "That is, if they don't choose any larger animal…"
"Leave it to the lemurs…" I sighed. "Commence team huddle!"
We huddled together like the professionals. They awaited my game plan, as they stared anxiously at each other and me.
"All right, Kowalski, you're catching the ball. That ludacris king can't kick that far, so I suggest staying up. Once tu catch it, pass it to Rico right away.
"Rico, as soon as the ball is kicked, run to the end zone. Make sure it look for the ball, when tu run; though. I'll protect your blind side." I instructed.
"Skippah, what about me?" Private asked politely.
"Uh… tu stay back… in case, of them getting the ball."
"Oh," Private dicho flatly. "Okay!"
Marlene's voice came from behind us. We turned our heads to face the camotion.
"Okay…okay, Julien." Marlene insisted.
"You chose tu Marlene! Out of all the animales in the zoo, tu chose a girl?!" I burst out laughing. All of the men, except Private chimed in.
"I might wanna warn you, Marlene. Football is a guy's game." I told her.
She challenged my comments, "we'll see."
They started the game. We decided to receive the kick-off. Of course the one kicking was his majesty. He ordered nonsense like a quarterback.
"1 booty… 2 booties… and 3 booties!" Julien shouted. He approached the ball at… well his utmost speed. He gave the ball a rápido, swift like it was Mort.
As it flew through the air, Rico took off. I soon bolted after him. It didn't take me long to reach him. We both stared back, watching what was happening with the ball.
Kowalski was stumbling around, trying to estimate where the ball would land. Then, he stopped. Like always, from out of nowhere; he pulled out his acabus. While the ball was plummeting toward him, he was fiddling with the beads. The ball dropped even more, becoming closer and closer.
Thunk! The ball bounced right off the parte superior, arriba of his head. It toppled to the ground from the error. That's when the other team began charging down the field. Rico and I stood dumbfounded. Private stared-horrified at the ball that had just knocked his friend down.
"Private! Grab the ball!" I shouted. They were getting closer. Private snatched it into his fins. He glanced down to see the ball moving. Then two eyes stared back at him.
"Hello!" Mort greeted.
Not a segundo later, Mort jumped out of Private's flippers with the ball that was bigger than he was. Private watched speechlessly, as Mort ran to the end zone to score the first touchdown.
"Come on! That's cheating!" I whined.
"Yeah! The ref's blind, man!" Julien screamed randomly. Shut-up! Shut-up! Shut-up!
We headed into another huddle.
"Nice job, Private!" I growled.
"But-I-it was-" He replied in stutters.
"Shdburxnidas jrdbnurs hdbjrdbh!" Rico shouted at Private. He stormed out of the huddle, approaching Private threateningly. The pyscho charged closer. Private backed up, trembling-using his flippers to keep Rico back.
I had to do something! Either that, o Rico would hurt him. I stepped in between them. "Stop!" I scolded. "The only way to win this is to keep our heads…! And bench Private."
"Hey!" Private protested.
"Private, please! Take one for the team! I can't take another head injury!" Kowalski begged with his newly-blackened eye. He held an ice pack to his head. The scientist lifted it to reveal a knot.
The game went on and on. The score turned to eighteen to twenty-four-us. We had ran the ball to the ten yard line. As always, I was the point guard. Rico took the position as center. For the other team Marlene was sitting-talking to Private. Even though, I told him that was fratinizing with the enemy. Kowalski got ready to receive my pass, and to in the end zone.
"Ready…… Hike!" I ordered. Rico flipped me the ball from the ground.
Julien was the noseguard who was allowed to try to tackle me, after counting to five. Rico's job was to block him.
"1 Me-ississippi… 2 Me-ississippi… 3 Me-ississippi…." He counted off. "Blitzen!" He shouted the name of a reindeer, instead of the correct term: Blitz. A blitz is a play used por the noseguard where he doesn't count to five to try to sack-the-quarter back.
This total caught Rico and me off guard. Ringtail ran straight past him. I struggled to race away from the lemur. It was no luck. He was on my tailfeathers-no matter how hard o fast I ran. My only choice was to toss the "pigskin" to Kowalski, and wish for the best.
"Not again!" Kowalski muttered, as the ball come down. Then, he was attacked in a different way.
Rico lunged at Kowalski. Kowalski fell flat on his back. He only groaned. The ball was caught por Maurice who turned to see the incident.
I hustled over. "Kowalski!? Are tu all right?"
"No," He moaned. Rico carried him off to the bench where the sullen Private sat.
"Hey, Private, you're in!" I called. He walked up. I looked at Maurice. He didn't have the ball, and shrugged for the same reason I was confused.
"Where's the b-?" I complained.
"Touch down!" Ringtail shouted. Mort was por his side in our touch down area.
"Yay, for King Julien! He's the greatest feetball player ever!" He cheered in awe, hugging his "king's" feet.
"Oh, por the way, Mort. You're out!" Julien said, and kicked his subject to the bench-cruelly.
As he was soaring through the air, Mort cried. "Yay! I am being the out!"
Marelene came into the game, and both teams began huddles.
"All right, same positions except for Private. You've got Kowalski's." I planned out.
"Uh-huh," Private nodded.
"Your chance to shine, Private." I said, tapping the back of his helmet. "Redeem yourself from the mistake earlier."
Private waddled onto that field with a grin. I couldn't say the same for coming off-afterwards.
We started at the line of scrimage again. The play waited, until I dicho "Hike," and received the ball from Rico. When Private was unable to get open, I chucked the ball without aim-in order, to keep from getting sacked.
Marlene leaped into the air, catching the ball. With no hesitation she rushed down the field. There was only a few segundos left, and Marlene was planning on scoring the winning touch down.
I watched-stunned. It didn't take long before Ringtail pinned me to the ground. As I struggled and squirmed, Maurice found himself on the césped, hierba because of Rico. Private dashed after Marlene.
No matter how fast he ran, Marlene was still faster. It came down to him ending up a foot behind her, with three segundos left, and an inch away from the end zone.
Private took his last chance, and lunged at her. He ended up on the ground, holding her tail. She kept the ball above her head, as she wobbled for a second. Then, she fell.
"Oh, yes! Did tu see-?!" Private cheered.
"Touchy down!" Mort screamed.
"…that?" Private muttered, finishing his sentence. The lemurs rushed up to Marlene, and began celebrating.
"Girl power!" Marlene exclaimed.
"Woo! Now, hoist your king; and carry me over to the zoo!" Ringtail commanded.
Private trudged over to me. His blue eyes flooded with tears. I couldn't look at him. I was too frustrated. I stormed off, and Rico followed with a cold shoulder.
Julien mocked Private. "Do the lunacorns say anything about… losing?!" The little pingüino, pingüino de couldn't hold it in any longer. He dashed off toward the zoo, balling.
"Private, wait!" Marlene called. But he didn't listen, he just kept running.