From The Crazy Chicken Escapade

After everyone got acquainted with each other, Kaloi took everyone home in his vehicle, which greatly resembled a mini-van, but could fit as many people as a bus. They drove back to Kaloi’s house, which looked more futuristic than anything else. The three boys were definitely in awe of the house’s aesthetics.

The house did not look quite like a spaceship. However, one could possibly mistake it for one. On the outside, the house looked as if it was built with newer bricks and siding. But, the boys figured that it would look completely renovated on the inside. And they were going to figure it all out for themselves.

Kaloi walked up to the front door and firmly gripped the knob. The entire posse watched as he was trying to dramatically open the door and let them all inside.  It was starting to work because the kooky forensics expert just stood by the door and held the knob in his left hand, and the boys especially figured that nothing was going to happen yet. He was just going to stand and hold the door knob and confuse everyone. It was working at the moment.

And then….

“So, yes. Welcome to our humble abode, everyone! Since you are our guests, I will make all of us some strawberry smoothies!” Kaloi announced.
“THEY ARE THE BEST IN THE WORLD!” Cosmo spoke hysterically.
“I like strawberries,” Jefferson said randomly.

After the introductions, Kaloi made strawberry smoothies for everyone, except for Jack McFrost and Jefferson, who preferred French vanilla coffee over anything else. After they all consumed this heavenly goodness, Marty and Kaloi decided to show David, Andrew, and Levi around Kaloi’s humble abode. Sporto and Cosmo accompanied them. Jack McFrost and Jefferson drank some French vanilla coffee while conversing about cats, pizza, and crow bars.

Wachnuka Kaloi and Marty showed the three boys around the place, while Sporto and Cosmo were making up random inside jokes during the tour. The two creatures showed the boys the common area, the game room, the kitchen and dining room, the forensics lab, another game room, the tennis courts (the boys’ favorite hot spot), the indoor pool, and the bedrooms, among other rooms inside the house.

Overall, the tour took an hour, as there were many rooms to be shown. However, the bedrooms, or quarters, were unlike the typical bedrooms. These “quarters” were those typically found in spaceships, or in many European college dorm rooms. There was a long wall of doors that led into each quarter, with a screen attached to each door, in order to ensure maximum privacy. Underneath each quarter was a medium-sized cubby, where one could put his or her clothes, toiletries, and other personal belongings.

As a matter of fact, the quarters looked like spaceships. There was a small ladder that led from the door of the quarter to the floor, one that could resemble several spaceships or space vehicles. David, Andrew, and Levi were astonished at the quarters, and they all wanted to go into their assigned quarters and see what it was like inside.  

“So, this is where you will sleep while you’re here,” Kaloi said to the three boys.
“They look extremely comfortable,” Levi remarked half-heartedly.
“Trust me. They are,” Marty replied.
“SLEEPING IN THE QUARTER IS THE EQUIVALENT OF SLEEPING ON A CLOUD!” Cosmo shouted hysterically.
“I believe I could live here,” Andrew said, also half-heartedly.
“I can’t decide which is better. The tennis courts or the quarters,” Sporto replied.
“Oh. That’s a hard question,” David said, not at all half-heartedly.

No one said anything for a few minutes. The three boys were trying to absorb all of the information that they had grasped and obtained in an hour. They all knew that it was going to take some time to get used to being in Wakahakai. However, Levi was more familiar with the area than the two other boys.

“What are our plans for tomorrow?” Andrew questioned everyone with utmost curiosity.

A few moments of silence. No one was really sure how exactly to answer that particular question. Marty had made it clear to the boys that he did not want them to know all of their plans because he wanted to make them a surprise. However, the polar bear thought that he should give in just this once.

“What are our plans for tomorrow? Hmmmm….let’s see. What are our plans for tomorrow? Well….” Marty questioned slowly.
“Well?” Andrew asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Okay.”

Well, never mind. Marty did not give in to the young boy’s inquiry. As curious as Andrew is, Marty did not think that it would be a good idea to say what exactly their plans entailed. With this in mind, the boys would just have to wait and see what they were going to do. At least they knew that they were spending a great amount of time in Wakahakai. Then, they were going to visit Galavanti Island, and last but not least, Texamilio.

Hopefully those two places were relatively close to Wakahakai.

Thirty minutes later, the entire posse was really hungry, and no one felt like cooking tonight. As a result, Kaloi decided that it would be in everyone’s best interest to have Chinese food tonight. He decided to call Po Yum Chinese Take-Out, which was right up the street from the house.

“Hello, Po Yum’s Chinese Take-Out. My name is Mi,” said a Chinese lady on the other end of the line.
“Hello, Mi. I would like to order Chinese food,” said Kaloi.
“I get the idea. We sell nothing more and nothing less than Chinese food.”
“I would like beef lo mein, steamed white rice, beef on a stick, fried donuts, and ya di ya da.”
“What is ya di ya da?” Mi asked.
“Trying to decide what else to get,” Kaloi remarked.
“Okay. Take your time, bub.”
“Ah. So ya di ya da includes orange chicken, pineapple chicken, and crab rangoon. That should be it.”
“Okay. That amounts to $30.30.”
“Okay. Sounds good.”

It took exactly thirty minutes and thirty seconds for Mi and her husband, Yu, to arrive at Kaloi’s house and give him the delicious Chinese food. Marty, Sporto, Cosmo, Jack McFrost, Jefferson, Kaloi, David, Andrew, and Levi were so hungry that they decided to eat all the Chinese food. No one said much until they all finished eating. After everyone cleaned up the dining room table, Marty and Kaloi decided to enter the science lab and look at microscopic slides of red blood cells. Sporto and Cosmo went for a swim in the indoor pool. And Jack McFrost and Jefferson played video games on an older game console.

David, Andrew, and Levi were playing table tennis and video games in the huge game room for quite some time. For two hours, because of how many games there were and also because of how much fun they were having. Then, they all sat at one of the round tables in the same room and decided to take some time to get to know each other.

“How many siblings do you have?” David asked everyone.
“I have four siblings: I will be 15. Caleb will be 13. Adam will be 11, and so will Cameron. And Alyssa is 6,” Andrew answered.
“I have five sisters altogether. Four are older, and one is younger,” Levi said.
“Are you all full-blood siblings?” Andrew asked.
“No. Louise and Elizabeth have a different dad. Victoria, Olivia, and I are full-blood siblings. And Evelyn Maeve is adopted,” said Levi.
“What is Louise and Elizabeth’s surname?” David asked.
“Baranovsky,” Levi answered, half-heartedly, “And Evelyn Maeve was adopted from Ireland. Her last name was Loden before she became a Cranston. She was adopted when she was a few months old.”
“Is she a redhead?” Andrew asked.
“No. She’s a brunette and very pretty. We’re like best friends,” Levi answered.

David, Andrew, and Levi sat quietly in the room, without saying much to each other. David and Levi have known each other for quite a while. Andrew just now started getting to know the other two boys. Chances are that Andrew has seen David and Levi around some time, but even though this may have been the case, he never had the chance to get to know them very well. When Levi lived in Crown Point, he and David were both in soccer club. Andrew was in some soccer club since he lived in Lowell, but he might have seen David and Levi at some of their small competitions. All three boys live in around the same area, but the only difference is that Levi lives in Porter County, and David and Andrew live in Lake County. But they all live within a thirty-mile radius.

It’s a very small world, isn’t it? The world is only going to get smaller in a matter of time.

“How old are your sisters, Levi?” David asked.
“Louise is 26. Elizabeth is 25. Victoria is 18. Olivia is 16. Evelyn Maeve is 6.”
“And you, David. How many siblings do you have?” Andrew asked David.
“Two older brothers, one younger brother, and an adopted younger brother: Dawson is 21. Brett is 16, and Brody is 13. Toby is 10,” David answered.
“Oh wow. I can’t believe we have so much in common! Where’s your younger brother adopted from?” Levi asked.
“Luxembourg. His last name was Schwann before he was adopted as a baby,” said David.
“Did you know that I’m Jewish?” Levi asked.
“No! Are you strictly Jewish?”
“Yes and no. We’re Jewish on my mom’s side, but we also celebrate Christmas because my dad was born Methodist. When it comes to Thanksgiving, on the actual day, we celebrate the traditional way on my mom’s side. However, on my dad’s side, since he is part Italian, we all go over to his parents’ house and eat Italian food, and this is the next day.”
“We celebrate the exact same way! My dad is also part Italian.”
“No way! We’re so similar.”

The three boys stayed up for a while longer. They were not at all tired. As a matter of fact, they were all full of energy, and they were fired up for the adventure that they knew they were going on. Today, David, Andrew, and Levi met Marty, Sporto, Cosmo, Jack McFrost, Jefferson, and Wachnuka Kaloi.

What nice guys.

And, eventually, the three boys were going to meet a robot named Rockybado, who hails from Texamilio, and they were also going to meet Dacston, a t-rex, Jokie, a brachiosaurus, Valpatic, a velociraptor, and Sammy, a stegosaurus, who gleefully reside in Galavanti Island.

Everything that David, Andrew, and Levi were hoping for in an adventure. Right now, however, they were all focused on the games they were playing, as well as getting to know each other better. The three boys continued to play video games with each other for a few more hours.

“What time is it?” Andrew asked.
“Two o’clock in the morning. Why?” Levi replied.
“I think I’m going to fall asleep right here.”
“You know what? I am feeling the exact same way,” David remarked.
“Aw, you guys are no fun!” Levi exclaimed sarcastically.
“What time should we all wake up, though? Did Marty say something about nine or ten o’clock in the morning?”
“Nah! I think whenever is okay.”
“I think I’m going to my quarter anyway. You guys can have more fun playing video games, but I think I will fall asleep right here if I don’t go to my quarter soon,” Andrew said.
“I’m with you!” David nearly shouted.
“Okay. I’m going to stay up a little longer and see if I can beat my high score. Good night, guys!” Levi remarked.
“Good night!” David replied.
“Good night!” Andrew replied. 

Andrew and David entered their own quarters and fell asleep. Levi decided to play games for another hour, and then he also grew exhausted from this long day. He entered his quarters and did not quickly fall asleep. But, after a few minutes of thinking about absolutely nothing, he was somehow able to go to sleep.

It was then the next morning, and all three boys were still sleeping soundly in their quarters. Marty walked over to the quarters at 9:30 that morning, carrying a vuvuzela with him, so that he could wake up David, Andrew, and Levi.

Sporto accompanied him. Cosmo had volunteered to accompany him, but Marty wanted someone who was not as loud, hyper, and hysterical (oh my). While Marty and Sporto would attempt to wake up the boys, Cosmo, Jack McFrost, Jefferson, and Kaloi sat at the dining room table, drinking coffee with hazelnut cream and eating apple turnovers.

A perfect way to start the day.

From the kitchen to the boys’ quarters, the two walked for a few minutes. Due to how spread out the place was, Marty and Sporto had quite a ways to walk.

While the two were walking toward the boys’ quarters….

“So, you’re using a vuvuzela to wake up the boys?” Sporto questioned his polar bear friend.
“Indeed,” Marty replied with a toothy grin.
“That will get them very excited for today.”
“I know! That’s why I’m using the old fashioned method.”
“What will that prove?” Sporto felt compelled to ask.
“Well, the boys will wake up on the right side of the bed, and they will get excited about this joyous day! We have a lot of things planned,” Marty replied, sounding a little stupidly optimistic.
“I don’t know about that. Do you remember Levi being a non-morning person?”
“Nonsense. I’m sure those boys went to bed at a decent hour. They were all so tired when they arrived in Wakahakai.”
“I thought I heard noise coming from their quarters last night.”
“Well, I didn’t.”

End of conversation.

Marty and Sporto finally arrived at the boys’ quarters after five minutes of all that walking. A few seconds later, Marty drew the neon green vuvuzela to his mouth, and with pride and dignity, he blew very hard into the plastic instrument. Out of all three boys in their quarters, Andrew was the only one who heard Marty gleefully play the vuvuzela.

A few moments later, Andrew slowly opened his eyes. He was lying on his stomach. On top of the comforter. It was way too hot to sleep inside it. The boy had a rough night. The journey to Wakahakai might have been a little much for him, especially since the boys did not go to bed until after 2:30 in the morning. They were all up at that hour, getting an opportunity to reconnect with each other by playing video games.

The boy was awake, but he was not out of bed yet. He still lay on his stomach while fighting to go back to sleep. His eyes were closed, but, once he was awake, he was awake. The troubles of being a light sleeper.

Time to get up.

Andrew sluggishly got out of his quarter, found his clothes in the cubby beneath the quarter, and decided to get ready for the day. It was going to be long, but hopefully fun. He had a chance to really get to know the two other boys and everyone else last night.

Meanwhile, back in the dining room, where Marty and Sporto returned to their friends, coffee with hazelnut cream, and apple turnovers….

“Good job, Marty. You only woke up one boy,” Sporto said.
“At least I tried,” Marty replied.
“Who was the boy that you woke up?”
“I believe that was Andrew. They all look the same to me.”
“You think?” Sporto asked.
“Their hair color, how they keep their hair, you know?” Marty replied.
“I don’t think they look that much alike. Maybe to a degree. David and Andrew especially.”
“Well, what I do know is that they all have a lot in common.”
“Like what?”
“They all play tennis. They all play video games. They all like Chinese food. Stuff like that.”

Marty decided against returning to the boys’ quarters. He started to feel very bad for trying to rouse the boys out of bed. Andrew, of course, could not go back to sleep. And Marty realized that it would be extremely futile to use the vuvuzela again, in an attempt to wake up the two other boys. It was so obvious that David and Levi would sleep through the “alarm.” With that in mind, Marty stayed in the dining room with the rest of his friends.

​“Kids these days,” Marty said, afterwards shaking his head.
“What happened?” Jefferson asked, thinking of nothing else to say.
“Kids need their sleep.”
“Indeed.”
“Did you use your vuvuzela again?” Jack McFrost asked his polar bear friend, afterwards shaking his head in disagreement.
“Let’s just say that I made an honest attempt,” Marty replied, half-heartedly.

From The Somewhat Perilous Plot of the Patriotic Mosquitoes

Some of the Patriotic Mosquitoes were sitting inside the conference room. They wanted to hold a meeting there to discuss any further plans that they might have had to take over the three supposedly fictitious islands. Taking over Texamilio, Galavanti Island, and Wakahakai would definitely take a lot of work on their end for sure.

Johnny Morthland, also known as Sam, the leader, tried to wait patiently for his other friends or henchmen. Whatever he was in the mood to call them.

While the other Patriotic Mosquitoes filed into the conference room one by one, they could clearly hear the sound of Sam's hands tapping the table rather loudly.

With a glass table like the one that they have in the conference room, one would assume that the sound would cause the whole earth to explode. And that would most definitely not be the most fun to see on a Saturday night.

As pretty much all of the Patriotic Mosquitoes entered the conference room, Sam stared at all of them in disgust.

He wanted to start the meeting on the right foot, as many would say. But that was apparently not happening today for them. He adjusted his hat and cleared his throat.

“Ahem,” Sam cleared his throat.
“Hi Sam!” Lisa, one of the female Patriotic Mosquitoes exclaimed.
“Quiet, Lisa. Today, we have a very important meeting regarding our plan to take over Texamilio, Galavanti Island, and Buffoon Land.”
“Don't you mean Wakahakai?” Josh, another Patriotic Mosquito asked.
“No, Josh. I mean Buffoon Land. Land of the Buffoons,” Sam replied.
“Oh!”
“Who has any memory of the pledge of the Patriotic Mosquitoes?”
“Um….”
“Sounds about right.”
“Um….”

With the exception to Sam, the other Patriotic Mosquitoes have already been too incompetent. What was the rest of the meeting going to be like? How was it going to turn out? Sam was very curious to find out.

The Patriotic Mosquitoes stood up for their own pledge. They took their hats and flipped them upside down on their heads, and they let all of their arms rest at their sides. Then, they stood on their tip toes and read some words from an overhead projector, since they couldn't remember their own pledge.

“I am a Patriotic Mosquito. I do the duties as a Patriotic Mosquito. I cook food like a Patriotic Mosquito. I really like spaghetti. Except when it doesn't have garlic on it. I like garlic as a Patriotic Mosquito. Garlic is food for the mind. And Patriotic Mosquitoes have good minds. Except for when they draw on the walls. Then that is not the way of the Patriotic Mosquito.”

Then they sat down.

Sam looked around the room. He was not too happy with what he saw. The other Patriotic Mosquitoes were conversing about their next lasagna baking party while Sam tried to stare them down.

The leader stared down Lisa, who was basically the center of attention. She was the one who decided to organize such a party. And, of course, it was going to take a lot of time to plan it. She and Josh were considered the Co-Events Coordinators of the Patriotic Mosquitoes. And Sam never seemed to really care for any of their ideas for events.

“Shall we begin?” Sam broke the chit chat of his fellow friends or henchmen.
“Breaking news! Josh and I have finally come up with the idea of a lasagna baking party!” Lisa exclaimed.
“Lisa, what does a lasagna baking party, of all things, have to do with our current plan?”
“I thought of that as an idea for after we take over the islands.”
“You're thinking way too far ahead,” Sam remarked.
“How about we do both at the same time?” Lisa asked.
“Absolutely not.”
“Well….”
“Shall we begin?”
“I guess so.”

Lisa sat back in her chair and pouted. She was not happy about her lasagna baking party being canceled. And, for that matter, so was Josh. Not really that their lasagna baking party would be canceled, per se. Their party might have to be called off until further notice.

Of course, Sam had absolutely no problem with that.

The other Patriotic Mosquitoes sat back in their chairs and stared at Sam. As if they were really expecting something from him. They waited to see if he was going to say anything else about his ideas of taking over Texamilio, Galavanti Island, and Wakahakai.

Sam knew it would take a little while to get them to pay attention.

“So, do any of you fellow Patriotic Mosquitoes have any ideas on how to take over those three islands?” Sam asked.
“I suggested that we have a lasagna baking party, but you said no,” Lisa said.
“Of course I said no.”
“How about we just suggest that they sell fajitas?”
“Carry on. I'm starting to like that idea,” Sam said.
“So, if those three islands sell just fajitas in their local restaurants, then we can take over the ownership of all those restaurants and combine them all together,” Lisa remarked.
“That's a bit lofty, but I like the idea.”
“Maybe we could branch off between fajitas and mostaccioli and have two combined restaurant chains compete against each other?”
“I don't know where you're going with that. Where does the idea of having a mostaccioli restaurant chain fit in to this picture?”
“Just thought about it.”

Sam wrote down, on a large sheet of college ruled paper, the idea that Lisa seemed to have on her mind. This was actually not a bad idea.

But how would they find out what the restaurant policies and regulations are on each island?
And how would they be able to take ownership of all the Italian and Mexican restaurants in all three islands?

Good question.

The other Patriotic Mosquitoes conversed amongst themselves for a few more minutes while Sam was trying to make sense of Lisa's idea, even though he liked it. Sam would most definitely want to hear his other comrades' ideas, as long as they weren't absolutely ridiculous. Of course, that would be a bit of a challenge for him to find out which ones he actually liked.

A few more minutes later, the Patriotic Mosquitoes were conversing about the potential lasagna baking party that Lisa had planned. She knew she still wanted to have it. Even if it meant that they couldn't plan such an event while they were also planning to take over Texamilio, Galavanti Island, and Wakahakai.

With a pound of the gavel on the oak podium, Sam got everyone else’s attention. He was hoping that the remainder of this meeting would be a little more serious. If that was actually going to happen. There was one idea in the works already. And then it would be nice if there could be at least one or two more ideas coming their way.

Then the Patriotic Mosquitoes would have a better chance of taking over the islands.

Sam waited patiently for the other Patriotic Mosquitoes to cease their conversations. He assumed that all of the Patriotic Mosquitoes would like to get out as quickly as possible so he wanted to also get out as soon as possible.

“Any other ideas?” Sam questioned his fellow Patriotic Mosquitoes.
“I has an idea!” Tony shouted in a great Italian accent.
“What might be your idea, Tony?”
“We should either incorporate our Pledge of the Patriotic Mosquitoes to all of the islands, or we should incorporate that one Italian song that I really like. I don't remember the name of it, though.”
“Can you tell us how it goes?” Sam questioned.
“Well, I know it involves a baritone sax and a tambourine, and the words are in Italian,” Tony replied, still in a spot-on Italian accent.
“Very well. I like that idea, too.”
“Thank you.”
“However, I think the Pledge would suit us better, as it considers all of us as one.”
“Drat.”

Sam wrote that other idea down on the same sheet of paper. Lisa, of course, was talking very loudly about her lasagna baking party. She was hoping to have this party, as well as a wine tasting to go along with it. Since her favorite wine is pinot grigio. Like everyone else who is a Patriotic Mosquito.

Five minutes later, Sam pounded his gavel on the podium, hoping to get everyone’s attention. It looked like there were only a select few choices of how to take over Texamilio, Galavanti Island, and Wakahakai.

“Well, out of all of us, I only have two ideas on how to take over the islands. We need to decide on one, and we need to decide on one soon,” Sam remarked.
“You all should like mine!” Lisa exclaimed.
“Let's give everyone a say, Lisa.”
“Alright! But I want everyone to know that mine is super amazing!”
“Okay, Lisa,” Sam said, now starting to get very annoyed.
“But, but….” Lisa began.
“I like the idea, Lisa, but I don't want to just say whose idea is the best one until we all reach an overall consensus.”
“But, but….”
“No buts about it.”
“But, but….”

All of the Patriotic Mosquitoes were given a sheet of paper and a pen to vote on their favorite idea. Instead of coming up with an agreed consensus, they ended up conversing about the lasagna baking party.

Once again.

Sam was getting fed up with the other Patriotic Mosquitoes. He could imagine smoke flying out of his head; he was that frustrated. And his face would turn red, and his head would get so big with the frustration that his hat would jump off his head and turn upside down.

Five minutes later, due to hearing Lisa talk more about her proposed party….

​“Well, since you all seem to be really excited about plotting to take over the three islands, I have made the overall decision. And you will have to deal with what I decide that we do,” Sam announced, after all but five minutes of him not talking at all.
“But, but….” Lisa began.
“So, I decided that we should….”
“But, but….”
“So, with all of these factors coming into play, I decided that we should….” Sam began.
“But, but...” Lisa interrupted.
“Lisa, that is very rude.”
“But, but….”
“So, with all of these factors in mind, I have decided that we should incorporate our Pledge of the Patriotic Mosquitoes for the three islands. And there is absolutely nothing you can do to change my mind at this point.”
“But, but….”

August 2013

Levi Cranston's (The Magic Video Game) friends, Kevin Maggliardi, Jing Hao, Mike Wong, and David Rogers were in college playing tennis. They were about to start classes the next day, and they wanted to have one last night together where they didn't have to worry about homework, papers, or tests.

It was a really nice night in Boston. After playing tennis in this breezy weather, the boys were going to watch TV cartoons and eat their weight in pizza once they returned to their dorm. 

Kevin's best friend from back home, Shanti Lee, just moved to California for college, and it broke his heart. He was excited for her because she went to school out on the west coast, but they would not be able to hang out again until at least Thanksgiving break. 

For the past week, he was really sad and needed extra motivation to go out and do anything with his friends. David, Mike, and Jing basically dragged him out of bed to get him to hang out with them in Boston for the day.

Once tennis practice was over, Kevin started crying. The other three kids ran over to him to see what was wrong. 

"My arm really hurts," Kevin stated while grabbing his arm.
"You alright?" David asked.
"It's really sore. I think I may have pulled a muscle."
"Maybe you have tennis elbow?"
"Maybe," Kevin replied through his tears.
"Maybe ice it when we get back," David remarked.

Kevin nodded while trying hard to fight back tears. It took him a little while to catch his breath and dry his eyes. 

His arm was perfectly fine. He was crying about Shanti.

From The Crazy Chicken Escapade

After battling through the worst part of waking up, David, Andrew, and Levi got ready for the day. They knew that today was going to be exciting because they were going to see the rest of Kaloi’s forensics lab. And only the Good Man knew what else was going to happen on this fine day.

As promised, Marty and Kaloi gave everyone a detailed tour of the forensics lab that belongs to Kaloi. The forensics expert showed David, Andrew, Levi, Sporto, Cosmo, Jack McFrost, and Jefferson the huge room that contains many different sizes of microscopes, magnifying glasses, numerous Petrie dishes (according to many, for whatever reason), and lab coats.

There were many other objects that were lying around the room. Kaloi probably needed to clean up the room as soon as he could, but there were no apparent safety hazards. One object that really stood out to David included a chemistry set that dated back to 1897; he knew the date because the four numbers were engraved on the bottom right hand corner of the set. This chemistry set included numerous beakers attached to the chemistry set, as well as other unique attachments, including an ink dispenser.

The rest of the time was spent talking about the function of each object in the room. Then, afterwards, the rest of the day seemed to be a complete blur.  Once Kaloi showed everyone the forensics room, everyone went bowling for two hours. Then, they all walked over to the local arcade room for four hours. And then, everyone had ham and pineapple pizza and root beer for dinner.

Therefore, today went by very quickly because it was a fun, yet informative, day.

After everyone cleaned up the table after dinner, they all went to do something to pass the time. Marty and Kaloi returned to the nearest bowling alley. Sporto and Cosmo decided to swim in the built-in pool. Jack McFrost and Jefferson played video games in the main common area. And, last but not least, David, Andrew, and Levi decided to play video games in the next to largest common area.

The three boys played some classic car racing games for an hour and thirty minutes. After Levi practically won all of the rounds, all three boys decided to call it quits on the gaming and take this time to get to know each other.

Again, David and Levi have known each other since they were pretty little. When Levi lived in Crown Point, he actually used to live five minutes away from David. They were in third grade together. Also, they were both in the same soccer club until Levi moved to Valparaiso.

“So, where did you live when you lived in Valpo?” Levi asked David.
“Jefferson and Campbell,” David answered.
“Get out!”
“True story. Is that where you live?”
“I live very close. Elmhurst and Prospect, so a little west of where you lived.”
“I believe that we have quite a lot in common.”
“I think we’ve established that.”

Andrew was actually not quite in the conversation. At first, he was listening to what David and Levi were talking about. Then, he made the transition into his own little world. Where dinosaurs existed. Where all of the saxophones were rightfully redistributed to its rightful owners.

Not really.

Andrew was thinking more about the upcoming tennis season at his high school, as well as the next visit to Bourbonnais to see relatives when he came home.

“What sports do you play?” David asked.
“Tennis, soccer, baseball, basketball, and cross country. Tennis is my main sport,” Levi answered.
“Wow. Same for me.”

Levi hit his head with his hand.

“What have you done in school?” Levi asked.
“Sports and academic teams. Everyone thinks I should be valedictorian of my class,” David answered.
“I have also been involved in sports and academic teams. Everyone thinks I should be at least salutatorian of my class. I guess we will find out by the end of next year.”
“So, people have also talked about how smart you are?”
“Absolutely.”

It was pretty obvious that David and Levi have known each other for quite a while. They were trying to catch up, and Andrew decided to go into his own little world and read a book. He entered his own quarter with his sci-fi book that he was half-way through already, as well as a styrofoam cup of horchata, a delicious Mexican rice milk consisting of cinnamon and possibly nutmeg. Andrew has been reading this book for only four days, and he was a little half-way through it already.

When he finally made himself comfortable in his own quarter, Andrew settled in and opened up his book and sipped his horchata. With his stomach pressed firmly against the very soft bed, with his cup in a built-in cup holder inside the quarter, and with his blue bookmark lying on top of his pillow, Andrew started reading his book. He could not hear the conversation going on outside his quarter, but he didn’t really care at the moment. All Andrew cared about right now was what he was about to read.

Meanwhile, while Andrew was reading his book, David and Levi were gabbing outside the quarters. Even though the two boys have always been in pretty close contact since Levi moved to Valparaiso, they wanted to become best friends again. When Levi lived in Crown Point, he lived in the same area as David, and they were in everything together, from school to soccer club to vacation bible school to some other clubs at school.

“Let me see if there is now one thing that we don’t have in common,” Levi said.
“Try me,” David answered matter-of-factly.
“Have you ever climbed up onto the roof of your house?”
“Yes.”
“How old were you?” Levi asked.
“Eleven, I think,” David replied.
“I did it twice. Once when I was eleven, and once when I was thirteen. You can see a lot of cool things from the rooftop.”
“It was actually pretty fun.”
“My mom always freaks out when I try to climb up onto the roof, and so do my sisters.”
“It’s the same way at my house. Only it’s my mom who freaks out.”

The two boys were conversing for another thirty minutes, until both boys were getting hungry. While the two boys spent some time in the kitchen, looking for something to eat, Andrew was three quarters of the way into his book. He now wanted to make conversation with his new friends. David was sitting outside his own quarter. David was not sure what he wanted to do. He was actually hoping that he could get to know Andrew a little better. However, he wanted to wait until Levi came back into the quarters with food.

Five minutes later, Levi returned to the quarters. However, he did not bring any food with him.

“We could be hungry, too, you know!” David teased.
“Oh, I didn’t think to bring anything in,” Levi remarked.
“What did you find?” Andrew asked.
“I found a chocolate brownie that Cosmo let me have. There are four brownies left, so he said to please help yourself.”
“Was the chocolate brownie good?”
“It was very good. It had maraschino cherries baked inside it, so it tasted like a sugar cone.”
“Yes, please!” David exclaimed, cupping his hands and stretching them out toward Levi.
“Get it yourself!” Levi teased back.
“I’d also like a chocolate brownie. That really sounds good right now!” Andrew remarked.

There were a few moments of silence, and then….

David and Andrew raced each other to the kitchen to get a chocolate brownie. Levi could not help but laugh to himself because the other two boys really needed to get themselves a chocolate brownie.

Five minutes later, David and Andrew returned to the room with the quarters. None of them said anything. They decided to play “Rock, paper, scissors” amongst themselves for a little while. Andrew won twelve of the thirty rounds, David won ten rounds, and Levi won eight rounds in that amount of time. And then, after fifteen minutes of just playing that random game, the three boys decided to converse amongst themselves for a little while.

“There was one day when I was very sick with strep, and my dad took me to the doctor to get it checked out. And the doctor told me that I had tonsillitis. But I didn’t have my tonsils,” Andrew said.
“You also had your tonsils removed?” David asked.
“You’re shocked, aren’t you?”
“I was thinking I was the only one in this group.”
“I had to have my tonsils removed when I was three,” Andrew remarked.
“I had mine out when I was four,” David said.
“I was thirteen,” Levi replied.
“I don’t have my tonsils, and neither does my sister. She also had to have her tonsils taken out when she was three,” Andrew said.

A few moments of silence. This seemed to be a topic that each of the three boys ended up talking about all the time. Or so they thought. They were not quite sure what else to talk about. Sure, David, Andrew, and Levi had so much to talk about to each other. However, all of their thoughts were in massive knots, and they were not quite sure how to get them out.

Until….

“So, let’s tell each other our scar stories,” David said, without putting much thought into what he had just said.
“Okay!” Levi shouted enthusiastically.

Andrew was nowhere near as enthusiastic as Levi. He has only a couple scars that really stand out, and right now he was not too keen on explaining anything to the other two boys. However, he decided to go with it. David and Levi are his new friends anyway, and surely they would want to know some of his silly stories.

“Who will go first?” Levi asked.

Thirty seconds later….

“I’ll go first,” Andrew reluctantly replied.
“Okay! Share some of your scar stories with us,” David said.
“Well, I have a couple scars on my stomach. One is a birth mark, which is pretty long, and the other one is from where I had to have my appendix taken out when I was four years old.”
“I have a birth mark on my forehead, and I also have one on my stomach, which is pretty small. I never had to have my appendix removed, but Brody did when he was eight. That was a wonderful time.”
“I sense sarcasm,” Levi said.
“Complete sarcasm.”
“Tell us your stories, Levi,” Andrew remarked.
“Well, I only have one scar, and you can’t see it,” Levi replied.
“Why not?”
“It’s in the back of my throat. A surgeon made a mistake when he was taking out my tonsils.”
“That’s interesting,” David remarked.

What else to talk about? None of the three boys were sure. David didn’t know what to talk about. Andrew couldn’t think of anything. Levi had no idea how to make more conversation with his friends.

Until five minutes later….

“I can play the piano,” Andrew said out of the blue.
“Oh, you can?” David replied, very impressed.
“Yes. I’ve been playing the piano since I was four.”
“That’s awesome!”
“Do you play anything?” Andrew asked his new friend.
“Not anymore,” David replied. “I used to play guitar, but then I couldn’t find time to practice. I’d like to go back to playing guitar if I can. I’ll have Brett reteach me.”
“And Brett is your brother?”
“Yes, and he is planning to join a band with his best friend.”
“What’s the name of his band?”
“The Island of the Geeks. It was a name that they collectively came up with.”
“My brother is also in a band. The name of their band is The Sound of a B Flat. Adam told me that he wants to play drums and join a garage band when he gets older, and he wants to name the band, The Tortillas, because he and his friends absolutely love Mexican food. Cameron wants to join a garage band as well, but he wants to play lead guitar. Caleb is giving him guitar lessons. The twins and their best friends, Kevin Baker and Brian Levitt, want to join as well.”

There were fifteen more minutes of conversing amongst each other. Then, David returned to the kitchen to get himself a glass of milk. Andrew returned to his quarter to read more of his favorite sci-fi book. And Levi wasn’t quite sure what to do. In order to pass the time, he walked into the kitchen and got himself another chocolate brownie.

David explored the place a little more, but Levi returned to the quarter and saw Andrew focusing on his book. Levi was starting to get a little bored, so he had to get Andrew’s attention some time soon.

“What are you doing at this hour?” Levi asked his new friend, Andrew.
“I’m reading a book,” Andrew answered plainly.
“What book are you reading?” 
“One of my favorite sci-fi books.”
“I love sci-fi!” Levi exclaimed.
“Sci-fi is my most favorite genre! Then, I like to read comic books and mystery books. I really cannot decide what my most favorite book is. I like too many to count!”
“So, reading is your most favorite pastime?”
“I love to read, but I don’t know if it’s my most favorite pastime. I really like to play video games, though. And tennis.”
“So do I. Tennis and video games are probably my most favorite things to do when I am not doing anything else.”

An hour more of conversing amongst themselves ensued, and then David, Andrew, and Levi realized that it was only midnight. The three boys decided to play some classic video games until they were extremely tired at two-thirty in the morning. After all, it is only summer, and the boys could stay up as long as they please.

From The Crazy Chicken Escapade

It started out as a great day, as normal. What would not make a nice summer day so great? One would assume that the only thing to make a summer day not so great would be the menacing rain cloud that normally lurks behind the sun. Rain was not on the radar today, so that was a sign that today would be well spent doing something productive. And Dacston knew that he had company today.

Two acquaintances of the dinosaurs’, who go by the names of Jack Enjille and Angela, were coming over for coffee hour. Or, in Andrew’s case, tea hour. He is not a huge fan of coffee. And, for that matter, neither are David or Levi.

Andrew remembered Jack Enjille and Angela from the journey to Galavanti Island when he visited the dinosaurs with his siblings. David and Levi, however, had no idea who Jack Enjille and Angela were at this time. But they would possibly get to meet them today.

It was now noon, and the two guests were going to be here any time. The three boys made sweet and sour chicken and rice for lunch, while they were waiting for the party to get started. Then, just as David, Andrew, and Levi were setting the table, there was a knock on the door. Valpatic opened the door and let the two guests inside.

“Hello, good people,” Jack Enjille greeted at the front door.
“Hello,” said Dacston and Jokie in unison.
“My name is Jack Enjille, and this is my partner in crime, Angela.”
“Pleased to meet you all,” said Angela.
“So, what brings you to Galavanti Island on this glorious day, besides coming to our humble abode?” Dacston asked the two guests.
“Well, we are looking for a place to put our strawberry lemonade business. Today is the first day that we would operate.”
“Hopefully somewhere shady,” Jack remarked.
“And somewhere that has benches. We’d like people to stay a little longer than normal.”
“Because of how amazing strawberry lemonade is?” Valpatic asked.
“Yes, and they will want more strawberry lemonade!”

Before lunch, Jack Enjille and Angela brought out their ingredients and made their own strawberry lemonade in the kitchen. Five minutes passed quickly, and they brought out a delicate pitcher of the delightful lemonade. The table was already set, and everyone decided to have lunch now. While everyone was at the table, eating their delicious sweet and sour chicken with rice, they did not make any conversation; that was how hungry they all were. Not even the world “my” was said for the next fifteen minutes.

Then, after those fifteen minutes passed, David, Andrew, and Levi found themselves cleaning up. Dacston and Valpatic talked to Jack Enjille about his potential business. Jokie and Sammy decided to take a dip in the pool. After the table was cleaned up, and the dishes were put away, Andrew and Levi decided to do what they often do: play classic video games. David wanted to have some time to himself and go on a walk. And Angela fell asleep. With her head up in a weird position.

“Angela is a weird lady,” Levi noted.
“Because of her hair?” Andrew questioned.
“Indeed.”
“I realized. Her hair is orange when she is awake, and then it turns to purple when she is sleeping. She is like a chameleon.”
“Wow. I never noticed that,” Levi remarked.
“I thought it was pretty interesting,” Andrew stated.
“To change the subject….where’s David?”
“Good question.”
“I just realized he wasn’t here.”
“I did as well.”

Fifteen minutes later, Andrew and Levi were hoping to do something out of the ordinary. They had known that David had gone for a walk, but they thought that he might have come back by now. Then again, maybe not. The two boys decided to go and try to find him. They also noticed that Dacston, Valpatic, and Jack Enjille were gone, so the strawberry lemonade business was probably going to launch today. Angela, of course, was still sleeping; her hair was purple, and she was still in the same awkward position.

Andrew and Levi had walked around the area for a few minutes, and there was no sign of David. They weren’t quite sure where to look beyond where they were. However, they saw a walking path near a bush, so they decided to take that walking path as far as it could go in hopes of finding their friend. While walking on the path, they heard the distinct sound of a person’s feet hitting the pavement in a fast pace. Then, that same person tagged Andrew and Levi on the shoulders. When the two boys turned around to see who would do such a thing….

Andrew and Levi both realized it was David. They were obviously relieved.

“David! Where were you?!” Levi asked their friend.
“Oh, I got a strawberry lemonade from a vendor,” David said.
“What?! Where are they? I want one!”
“I want one, too!” Andrew exclaimed.
“The vendor is right around the corner,” said David.
“We should go over and get ourselves one. Come to think of it, I’m pretty thirsty,” Levi remarked.
“We can go over there if you’d like.”
“Sweet!”
“Like a strawberry lemonade!”
“Good one, David. Good one.”

After laughing at that joke, the three boys ran as quickly as they could to the same strawberry lemonade vendor. It really wasn’t that far away from where they were, so what the heck? It was summer anyway, and high school freshmen could have a little childish fun, now couldn’t they? David, Andrew, and Levi decided to race each other to the vendor, which was perhaps a half-mile away. The three boys were all having quite a lot of fun on their way to get some strawberry lemonade, and it was moments like these that made summer amazing.

Before they knew it, David, Levi, and Andrew had made it to the strawberry lemonade vendor. Andrew had won the race to get here, and so he definitely felt the need to celebrate his victory. Even though David and Levi did not win, they still wanted a strawberry lemonade as well. All three boys wanted something refreshing, and this would definitely do the trick. Upon arriving at the vendor, they noticed some familiar faces, including Dacston’s, Valpatic’s, Jack Enjille’s, and….Angela’s? She must have woken up from her awkward nap. And her hair was a reddish orange again.

“What will it be for you boys?” Angela asked the three boys.
“I was actually here a few minutes ago,” David remarked.
“Two strawberry lemonades, for me and my buddy, Andrew,” Levi said, somehow sounding like his dad.
“Two strawberry lemonades coming up. Oh, and by the way, today is the day when all strawberry lemonades are on the house. Just consider yourselves lucky that you came today,” Angela explained.
“Sweet!” Andrew exclaimed.
“Like a strawberry lemonade,” Levi remarked, making light of an old joke.
“Good one, Levi. Good one.”
“Our strawberry lemonades are free!”
“That is exciting, to say the least!”
“Your strawberry lemonades will be out in a jiffy,” Angela said to Andrew and Levi.

David, Andrew, and Levi did not wait two minutes for Angela to create the sweet and tangy goodness. Apparently the business had been booming on the first day. Even Jack Enjille was surprised at the turnout; then again, not quite shocked. He knew that, as a team, they could do a well enough job of strategizing and making sure their products were perfect. Andrew could hear Jack Enjille mumble the number 309.

That number probably meant the number of customers that they’ve had thus far. Not too bad for a few hours into the first day on the job. Dacston, Valpatic, and Jack Enjille were conversing about their success, while Angela gave the boys strawberry lemonade in green and red cups, Andrew’s and Levi’s favorite colors respectively. Incidentally, David’s strawberry lemonade was served in a blue cup, which happens to be his favorite color. After Andrew and Levi received their strawberry lemonades, they each took a sip.

“This strawberry lemonade is amazing,” Levi remarked to Andrew. David ordered himself a second helping.
“I know it is,” Andrew replied.
“There has to be a secret recipe or something.”
“I was thinking the exact same thing. What do you think it could be?”
“I’m not sure. What do you think it is?” Levi asked.
“I don’t know wha….wait. There’s a label on the cup that we were all unaware of,” Andrew remarked.
“Oh really. What does it say?”
“Hold on, brother!”
“Is it in small text?”
“It is, actually.”

The boys, being as curious as they always have been, decided to take a look at the label. Levi squinted at the small text until he could really make out what it said. Then, Andrew followed suit, realizing the same thing as Levi. David was just enjoying his own strawberry lemonade. The only thing he wanted right now was to enjoy the strawberry lemonade while on a seemingly fictitious island and then go swimming in a nearby lake. However, Andrew and Levi had their own priorities straight. They really wanted to know what the label said, and they were going to do whatever they set their mind to do. David would eventually, but he just wanted to live in the moment. Andrew and Levi wanted to find out for themselves what the label said, and then they would live in the moment. After spending all but five minutes squinting eyes and trying to concentrate on reading the label, the two interested boys somehow laughed to themselves.

“That’s interesting,” Levi remarked after he and Andrew read the label.
“David, did you know that there is a label on the cup that gives us the recipe to make this strawberry lemonade?” Andrew asked their friend.
“No, I didn’t know that,” David replied.
“Well, there is. See for yourself.”
“It was very good, though.”

The three kids finished their strawberry lemonades, and then they decided to run back to Dacston’s humble abode. Why not, even though it might not have been the best idea in mind? Oh well, the three boys just wanted to have some competition amongst themselves. David and Levi took a few puffs on their inhalers, while Andrew was waiting patiently. Then, he started off without the two asthmatics, who soon ran after him.

The three boys were screaming and shouting and just having a crazy time. They probably ran a good half-mile at least. Maybe even more than that, but the time just passed very quickly. However, the half-mile that they had gone had taken them a different route and away from Dacston’s house. What the heck. David, Andrew, and Levi were having some childish fun, even though they’re nearly fifteen years old, so they just wanted to live in the moment. However, after running as quickly as they could for a few minutes, they all grew very tired, and they all stopped to take a breather.

“My heart’s pounding,” Andrew remarked.
“My heart’s pounding, too,” Levi said.
“My heart’s pounding, three,” David stated.
“How’s everyone doing, though?” Andrew asked.
“Fine, I think. I don’t want to run back to the house. My ankle’s sore,” Levi replied.
“I’m sore all over,” David said plainly.

The three kids did not try to run back to Dacston’s house because they weren’t quite sure where they were. However, they saw a strip mall across the street from a park where they found themselves. There were eight businesses in that strip mall: Tomato’s Ice Cream Parlor, Tortellini’s Pizza Place, Tortilla’s Elote Shop, Toledo’s Chili Market, Tonelli’s Spaghetti Shop, Today’s Video Games, Toby’s Corned Beef Factory, and, last but not least, Bart’s Novelty Store. David, Andrew, and Levi saw a pattern in the names of the businesses until the very last one, but they only looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. Businesses can come and go. And, then again, these businesses probably did well enough that they didn’t need to move elsewhere.

The three boys, being as curious as they always have been, decided to check out Today’s Video Games. There were probably some very good games in stock, even though they were most likely from….today, or at least in the present era. David, Andrew, and Levi did not run to the strip mall; they walked. They were very excited to see and possibly play the video games. Until a T-rex, a brachiosaurus, a velociraptor, and a stegosaurus, who were not Dacston and his comrades, stopped them right in their tracks.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Selfish Arnie, the red T-rex shouted at the three boys.
“Uh, we’re going….uh….to the pizza place! Want to come with?” Andrew replied, feeling uneasy.
“No, sillyhead! There’s no pizza place around for another thirty minutes or so!”
“Then, what’s the name of that one place over there?” Levi asked, as he pointed toward Tortellini’s Pizza Place.
“That is Tomato’s Ice Cream Parlor, sillyhead.”
“Tomato’s Ice Cream Parlor is right next to Tortellini’s,” David remarked plainly.
“I don’t see a Tortellini’s anywhere. I see a Tomato’s Ice Cream Parlor and a Tortilla’s Elote Shop, among many others.”
“It’s right there.”

No one said anything for a few minutes. This was a very awkward moment for the dinosaurs, as well as the boys. Andrew knew Selfish Arnie and his comrades from a previous adventure in Galavanti Island, and, frankly, Dacston’s cousin is pretty….um….selfish. And, as a matter of fact, so were Bronco, the brachiosaurus, Spike, the stegosaurus, and Steve, the velociraptor. The boys were going to make another attempt at returning to Dacston’s house before Selfish Arnie and his comrades stopped them. Again.

​“Say, do you happen to know where Darveda went?” Bronco, the brachiosaurus, asked the boys.
Andrew pointed to the northwest.
“Thank you.”
“Wait. What do you need Darveda for?” David asked the menacing dinosaurs.
“We wanted to take the saxophones from the chicken community, since we lost all of Galavanti Island’s saxophones to my menacing cousin, Dacston,” Selfish Arnie boomed.
Moments later, Levi turned away from the dinosaurs and toward David and Andrew.
“We need to go back,” Levi told David and Andrew.

From The Crazy Chicken Escapade

Things were going slowly for Radcliffe, the chicken who was taken hostage by the evil guys, Darveda, Nelson, Hilda, and Bug. He was sitting in his quarters, watching some goofy cartoons, drinking English breakfast tea, and thinking about his fiancée.

He could really go for pepperoni pizza right now, but he didn’t want to eat a whole pizza by himself. Radcliffe wanted to have a pizza to share with everyone, because, after all, sharing is caring. However, he could smell the aroma of barbeque ribs from the other room.

Most assuredly, Darveda would be nice enough to offer him a few ribs. And some more English breakfast tea, even though it was right in the middle of the day.

Radcliffe heard the sound of footsteps coming toward his door. These footsteps sounded as if the person was dancing the tango. He was not quite sure, though, that the sounds of the footsteps coming toward his quarters would have been for a good reason anyway. Radcliffe decided to wait and see who was approaching him and what his or her motive was.

Moments later….

“Hello, Radcliffe,” Darveda greeted in a cunning manner. She offered him some barbeque ribs.
“Oh, uh, hello, Da-darveda,” Radcliffe stuttered, as he reluctantly accepted the barbeque ribs.
“How are you doing today?”
“Fine, fine, no thanks to you.”
“Well, you better be fine,” Darveda said with a smirk.
“Why? I already am,” Radcliffe remarked.
“We’re sparing your wife.”
“She’s my fiancée. We just got engaged two days ago.”
“We’re sending her to Italy.”
“Why?!”

Oh dear. Radcliffe’s fiancée could not be sent to ITALY! They had recently gotten engaged at the party before the chicken community was spread out across the supposedly fictitious islands.

Disclaimer: Wakahakai, Galavanti Island, and Texamilio are not fictitious islands.

But, why would Radcliffe’s fiancée be taken to Italy? That was a hard question for Radcliffe to comprehend. What else could there possibly be in Italy, besides spaghetti, the beautiful landscapes, and the ever-so-adored Vatican City?

A lot of things.

As Radcliffe was sipping his English breakfast tea, he heard a weird sound emanate from out of nowhere. He didn’t know what exactly to make of it, but it sounded very much like an old 1950’s style phone.

The problem was, though, that he could not find where the sound was coming from. So, the only thing that Radcliffe could do now was to find the phone and answer it, as long as he didn’t miss the call.

“RADCLIFFE! OH, RADCLIFFE! RADCLIFFE!” Hilda shouted as she ran into the room, nearly running into the door post.
“Yes, ma’am?” Radcliffe answered, surprisingly relaxed. To him, Hilda was the better of the two ladies.
“You’re being paged. You might want to answer on your end.”
“Where’s the phone? And who’s trying to call me?”
“The phone has to be in your room. Do you not see it?” Hilda questioned their captive.
“I hear it. I don’t see it,” Radcliffe informed.
“Oh dear. Darn Darveda. She always misplaces things, like the phone, the lamps, and one day she misplaced the drapes.”
“I’ll be darned.”
“Our mission is to make the captive feel comfortable inside his or her quarters. And we want to make sure that he or she has easy access to the phone.”
“I missed my call.”

And, sure enough, the phone stopped ringing. It was probably not all that important anyway, as Radcliffe’s fiancée would probably not know this phone number. The crazy chicken resumed his “morning regimen” by watching some movies on the relatively new TV, drinking English breakfast tea, thinking about his fiancée, and eating barbeque ribs.

Overall, this would have been a perfect morning, if he wasn’t held captive by Darveda and her henchmen. In most cases, captives would not have this amount of luxury in their room. However, this chicken had much luxury in his quarters, but he wasn’t thoroughly enjoying himself.

As Radcliffe was sipping his English breakfast tea, he suddenly heard a weird sound emanate from out of nowhere. He didn’t know what exactly to make of it, but it sounded very much like an old 1950’s style phone.

Chances were that the ringing sound came from the phone, which was not in sight.

The problem was, though, that he could not find where the sound was coming from. So, the only thing that Radcliffe could do now was to find the phone and answer it, as long as he didn’t miss the call.

“RADCLIFFE! OH, RADCLIFFE! RADCLIFFE!” Hilda shouted as she ran into the room, nearly running into the door post.
“Yes, ma’am?” Radcliffe answered, surprisingly relaxed. To him, Hilda was the better of the two ladies.
“You’re being paged. You might want to answer on your end.”
“Oh. I might want to.”

Radcliffe ran around the room like a chicken with his head cut off. He was not quite sure where exactly the phone would be. He’d take Hilda’s word for it, and find it in an unknown spot, probably not a good place to hide a phone. Especially since a phone can be an important means of communication, and Radcliffe would have liked to have some communication going on, so that he could be on his merry way back to the chicken community.

Ideally, everyone would be back together, and they would get on with their lives. Radcliffe did get engaged to Lisa Cluckerton, and he wanted to be with her at this very moment. As a matter of fact, he wanted to know for sure that she was not one of the chickens to be spread out to the other side of the island. As if that was too far away from him, but it wasn’t extremely close either.

The phone continued to ring, and Radcliffe eventually found it. Behind the drapes. He answered the phone, and he realized that this might be a trap. Radcliffe took things slowly and carefully.

“Hello? This is Radcliffe,” the chicken answered on his end.
“Hello. It’s me,” the voice replied.
“Who is me?”
“Well, you would be you. And I would be me. Simple as that.”
“But, should I call you ‘me?’ Or should I call you by your actual name?” Radcliffe questioned the voice.
“That is for you to figure out,” said the voice.
“Okay. This should not be harder than what you’re making it. Please. Tell me your name.”
“Oh, I can’t do that! It’s just me.”
“Okay? I will just call you ‘me.’”
“Oh, you can’t do that!”

Very interesting conversation on either line. Who is “me?” Surely not Radcliffe’s wife….er, fiancée, if one will. Unless “me” was an undercover agent trying to get ahold of a pizza man because he failed to give her the pizza that she ordered while aboard a ship with some pirates who were destined to steal the gold that is left in California from 20 some odd decades ago.

The odds are always in one’s favor, or not. Depends on the person.

It was pretty obvious that today was not Radcliffe’s day. First, he was held hostage at Darveda’s beautiful mansion; then, the chicken community was spread around the islands like butter on bread; Radcliffe’s wife….er, fiancée, was about to be sent to Italy; and Radcliffe had just finished a strange conversation on the phone with a strange person.

What is this world coming to? Could life get any stranger than this?

Probably.

Radcliffe just could not look on the bright side right now. However, that would pass eventually. When things would get back to normal. Even though this would probably be the case, in the present, Hilda somehow overheard the conversation and wanted to get a little nosy.

“Who was that on the phone?!” Hilda asked as she attempted to run into the room, but actually running into the door post this time.
“I don’t know. It sounded like a female. But she wouldn’t give me her name. She just said it was ‘me.’ But I do know for a fact that it was not Darveda,” Radcliffe responded.
“Darveda is not silly enough to play Phone Wars.”
“Or is she?”
“She’s a bit of a smart aleck, though,” Hilda replied.
“Really?” Radcliffe asked.
“Darveda loves to be the one who’s always right, and she likes to pick mud out of her shoe.”
“Go figure.”
“Want to do a dinner of pinot noir and caviar in my quarters tonight?”
“Well, to tell you the truth, I already arranged a pizza party with my band. I play the drums.”
“Okay. Suit yourself.”

Radcliffe was just simply not in the mood to do anything right now. He had a few days to decide whether he wanted to side with Darveda and her henchmen and turn the chicken community into their control, or he would really suffer the consequences. He was at a loss; he wasn’t sure what happened to the chicken community besides the fact that they were spread across the three prominent islands.

Many chickens were sent to Texamilio, while others were moved to Galavanti Island, and the rest stayed around the Wakahakai area. Radcliffe tried not to think too negatively about what had happened, even though it was quite difficult.

What Radcliffe did not consider was that his fate was in the hands of three courageous boys, as well as a polar bear and his friends. Little did he know that they had already begun their search for him and the chicken community.

January 6, 2019

Levi Cranston (The Magic Video Game), Jack Andrews, Asad Prejesh, Mike Wong, Kevin Maggliardi, and Jing Hao spent an afternoon in downtown Boston. Kevin left early because he was really not feeling well. Once he got back to his apartment in Cambridge, he fell asleep on his bed. He didn’t even bother pulling his covers over him, he was so out of it.

Around 4 pm, he heard a knock on his door in his subconscious, but he didn’t wake up. It was his roommate, John Harold, who slowly opened the door. Kevin was sleeping on his stomach, with his head buried in his pillow. When John knew that he was still sleeping, he closed the door and let Kevin sleep a little longer.

A couple hours later, Jing came home from an afternoon in downtown Cambridge with everyone else. He needed to get ready for the week, and he was hoping that Kevin could come with him to get his groceries. But he wasn’t sure if he would be up for it.

Jing slowly opened the door into Kevin’s room and noticed that he was still sleeping. He walked up to him and gently shook him.

After a few minutes, Kevin slowly stirred in his bed. His eyes were still closed, and he slowly waved at Jing.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Jing said to his friend and roommate.
“Good morning,” Kevin replied quietly. “What time is it?”
“It’s six o’clock.”
“AM or PM?”
“Your ma,” Jing replied.
“Very nice,” Kevin remarked even more quietly, pulling his pillow over his head. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears.
“How do you feel?”
“Like garbage.”
“So I take it you don’t want to go back out tonight?”
“No.”

Kevin decided to take the next day off work to recover from his cold. He actually started to feel a burning sensation in his chest, most likely from coughing so much. It didn’t hurt for him to breathe, but he was at least mindful of it. His nose was really stuffed up, and he felt worse now than he did when we was out and about with everyone else.

​January 6, 2019

Jack Andrews, Levi Cranston (The Magic Video Game), Asad Prejesh, Jing Hao, Kevin Maggliardi, and Mike Wong all ventured out to downtown Boston to hang out for a few hours. Levi’s girlfriend, Mackenzie Burbanks, was having a girls’ day in with a couple of her friends to watch movies.

The six boys were at their favorite coffee shop during the middle of the day. They all went out for pizza, and now they felt like getting themselves a cup of coffee. It was about 2 o’clock in the afternoon, and all six boys were sitting inside the coffee shop talking about nothing other than tennis.

Jack looked over at Kevin and realized that he wasn’t nearly as talkative as he normally is. Kevin had dark spots under his eyes, which Jack noticed earlier today, but now he didn’t look well at all. His nose was very red now.

“You alright, Kevin?” Jack questioned.
“Yeah, I’ve got a really bad cold. I thought I could do more than what I really could do,” Kevin replied.
“Yeah, take it easy.”
“I think I’m gonna head back to Cambridge soon.”
“Yeah, you probably should,” Jack said.
“I’m like really tired all of a sudden,” Kevin responded.
“Alright. Let us know when you get back.”
“I will. I just started getting a pounding headache. Didn’t hit me in the chest like it usually does.”
“Well, that’s good.”
“Yeah, I think I’m gonna head out now. I really don’t feel well at all.”

Kevin picked up his backpack off the floor and said goodbye to everyone. He headed toward the door toward the common, where he was going to pick up the red line to take him back to his apartment in Cambridge. Once he got back home, he was very likely going to fall asleep as soon as he could.

The other five boys were going to stay out until about 5 or 6 in the evening, and then they were all going to get ready for the week ahead of them.

“Kevin’s been really sick for the past couple days,” Jing said.
“He sounded really stuffed up when we all met,” Jack replied.
“Yeah, he has a bad cold. He told me that he might take tomorrow off from work to recover.”
“Yeah, hopefully he will consider that.”
“The only other time I saw him really sick was when he had the flu in college. Then, he got me sick with it,” Jing remarked.
“That’s nice of him to give you the flu!” Jack chuckled.
“I mean, I’ve seen him when he’s had a cold, but it didn’t hit him as hard as this one has. Or I might be wrong.”
“Colds suck.”
“The flu sucks worse.”
“Yes, it does.”

Jack was at their table with Mike and Jing. Kevin had made it home, and by the time he took off his shoes and lay on his bed, he was passed out. Chances were pretty good that once Jing came home, Kevin would still be sleeping. Their two other roommates went to New York City for the weekend, and they were likely not coming back until at least 9 pm tonight.

Levi and Asad were at the counter looking at what desserts to get. Asad wasn’t sure what he was going to get, but Levi wanted to get something for Mackenzie.

“I’m thinking about getting Mackenzie the fruit tart. What do you think?” Levi asked Asad.
“She like strawberries, doesn’t she?” Asad responded.
“Yes, that’s her favorite fruit.”
“Are you getting sick, too? You sound really stuffed up.”
“I think so. I hope Kevin didn’t give me his cooties,” Levi said.
“He probably did,” Asad remarked.
“I took a sick day on Friday because I was really not feeling well. I feel better now, but I hate my nose right now.”
“Understandable.”
“Get Mackenzie the fruit tart!” Mike greeted Asad and Levi.
“That’s what I’m thinking about getting her!” Levi exclaimed.
“What do you guys want to do after this?”
“Cambridge?”
“Okay!”