“What Friends Are For”
January 2, 2014
“Hello, silly otter!” Julien called, striding up to Marlene, who was taking a walk through the zoo.
Marlene came to a stop and turned to him. “Hey, Julien,” she replied. “What’s up?”
“Oh, you know, the usual,” Julien replied.
“So, kicking Mort, drinking smoothies, and ordering Maurice around?” Marlene teased.
“Oh, you know me so well, Marlene,” Julien said with a smug smile.
Marlene rolled her eyes. “So, what exactly are you doing here?” she asked.
“I am just going to visit my four favorite penguins!” Julien replied with a dramatic smile.
“Mm-hm. And this ‘visit’ wouldn’t have anything to do with that invention Kowalski’s been keeping under wraps, would it?” Marlene asked suspiciously.
Julien laughed incredulously. “Marlene, that is the most preposterous-ness thing I have ever heard! Is it so hard to believe that I just want to see my four bestest friends? And you’re pretty bestest too, you know,” Julien said with a wink. Marlene crossed her arms.
“I’ll believe that when I get transferred to Hollywood to star on television,” she said sarcastically.
“Marlene!”
Marlene turned at the sound of Skipper’s voice. He and Rico were coming their way.
“Did I just hear you say you’re being transferred to Hollywood?! As in Hollywood, California?!” Skipper exclaimed in outrage.
“Well, yes, but —”
“Why was I not informed about this?!” Skipper asked Rico outrageously. “I’m going to need a crowbar, a payphone, a fake mustache, and Alice’s forged signature. Go!” he ordered.
“Skipper!” Marlene cut in.
“What?” Skipper asked impatiently.
“If you had shown up about ten seconds sooner, you would have known that I was just being sarcastic when I said that,” Marlene told him.
Skipper blinked. “Oh. Right. I knew that,” he said with a clear of his throat.
“Sure you did,” Marlene said with a laugh. “It is sweet that you’d look out for me like that, though. Thanks.”
Skipper smiled. “What are friends for?”
“Well, for starters, they’re for informing you when certain people,” Marlene said, pointing to Julien, “are going to come try to play with secret unfinished inventions.”
Skipper rolled his eyes. “Ringtail, I told you, Kowalski’s inventions are typically unstable to begin with. I don’t need you to come over to make things worse,” he warned.
Julien laughed. “What? I am having no idea what you are speaking of! I wasn’t going to touch anything!” he insisted.
Skipper narrowed his eyes. “Sure. Rico!”
Upon command, Rico regurgitated a baseball bat and held it threateningly in Julien’s direction. Julien laughed nervously.
“You know what? I think I left the, uh, blender on. I’d better go turn it off before it burns the ice cream. Know what I’m sayin’?” he said, backing away. Without waiting for a response, he turned and took off for his habitat.
Skipper, Rico, and Marlene laughed.
“Well, that was the highlight of my day,” Marlene said.
“I second that,” Skipper replied. “See you later, Marlene. And thanks for warning us. Things wouldn’t have ended well if he’d have shown up.”
Marlene smiled. “You said it yourself — that’s what friends are for.”
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January 2, 2014
“Hello, silly otter!” Julien called, striding up to Marlene, who was taking a walk through the zoo.
Marlene came to a stop and turned to him. “Hey, Julien,” she replied. “What’s up?”
“Oh, you know, the usual,” Julien replied.
“So, kicking Mort, drinking smoothies, and ordering Maurice around?” Marlene teased.
“Oh, you know me so well, Marlene,” Julien said with a smug smile.
Marlene rolled her eyes. “So, what exactly are you doing here?” she asked.
“I am just going to visit my four favorite penguins!” Julien replied with a dramatic smile.
“Mm-hm. And this ‘visit’ wouldn’t have anything to do with that invention Kowalski’s been keeping under wraps, would it?” Marlene asked suspiciously.
Julien laughed incredulously. “Marlene, that is the most preposterous-ness thing I have ever heard! Is it so hard to believe that I just want to see my four bestest friends? And you’re pretty bestest too, you know,” Julien said with a wink. Marlene crossed her arms.
“I’ll believe that when I get transferred to Hollywood to star on television,” she said sarcastically.
“Marlene!”
Marlene turned at the sound of Skipper’s voice. He and Rico were coming their way.
“Did I just hear you say you’re being transferred to Hollywood?! As in Hollywood, California?!” Skipper exclaimed in outrage.
“Well, yes, but —”
“Why was I not informed about this?!” Skipper asked Rico outrageously. “I’m going to need a crowbar, a payphone, a fake mustache, and Alice’s forged signature. Go!” he ordered.
“Skipper!” Marlene cut in.
“What?” Skipper asked impatiently.
“If you had shown up about ten seconds sooner, you would have known that I was just being sarcastic when I said that,” Marlene told him.
Skipper blinked. “Oh. Right. I knew that,” he said with a clear of his throat.
“Sure you did,” Marlene said with a laugh. “It is sweet that you’d look out for me like that, though. Thanks.”
Skipper smiled. “What are friends for?”
“Well, for starters, they’re for informing you when certain people,” Marlene said, pointing to Julien, “are going to come try to play with secret unfinished inventions.”
Skipper rolled his eyes. “Ringtail, I told you, Kowalski’s inventions are typically unstable to begin with. I don’t need you to come over to make things worse,” he warned.
Julien laughed. “What? I am having no idea what you are speaking of! I wasn’t going to touch anything!” he insisted.
Skipper narrowed his eyes. “Sure. Rico!”
Upon command, Rico regurgitated a baseball bat and held it threateningly in Julien’s direction. Julien laughed nervously.
“You know what? I think I left the, uh, blender on. I’d better go turn it off before it burns the ice cream. Know what I’m sayin’?” he said, backing away. Without waiting for a response, he turned and took off for his habitat.
Skipper, Rico, and Marlene laughed.
“Well, that was the highlight of my day,” Marlene said.
“I second that,” Skipper replied. “See you later, Marlene. And thanks for warning us. Things wouldn’t have ended well if he’d have shown up.”
Marlene smiled. “You said it yourself — that’s what friends are for.”
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