​From The Somewhat Perilous Plot of the Patriotic Mosquitoes

Rockybado, the Robot King of the Island of Texamilio, and the eight kids were sitting by an old oak tree, drinking some coffee or tea or whatever they really wanted. They went to a coffee shop today and decided to try new things, like the Calignobia. Some went with the Calignobia. Others went with the mint tea. And yet some others went with a hazelnut latte.

Things seemed to be going alright for quite a while. Nothing was to be worried about. The Patriotic Mosquitoes had not made their appearance yet. Or at least for quite some time. Everyone seemed to enjoy their drink of choice for the time being, until they all heard a very familiar sound.

The sound of a very familiar cowbell was faint at first. One may or may not be able to hear it at this point. But then, the sound of the cowbell grew louder and louder by the minute.

“Weeeeeee’re heeeeeeere,” Sam announced after a cowbell solo, performed by DR.
“Wonderful job,” Rockybado remarked.
“Much obliged!”
“And no. You still cannot have the three islands.”
“Aw, come on! It’s Tuesday!” Sam exclaimed.
“What does Tuesday have to do with anything?” Rockybado questioned the leader of the Patriotic Mosquitoes.
“Tuesday is the best day of the week.”
“I honestly thought that the best day of the week was Friday.”
“No. I believe it’s Tuesday.”
“Well, that could be your opinion, though.”
“It is, and it’s right.”

Since when would someone say that Tuesday is the best day of the week? For some, Tuesday's are typically pretty great. For others, Tuesday's are typically pretty horrible. In most cases, probably not horrible. Just annoying because it's Tuesday. This day may not be the absolute best for most, but it would probably not be the absolute worst either. This Tuesday was probably not going to be the absolute best for the Patriotic Mosquitoes. But then again, the Patriotic Mosquitoes might find a way to make their Tuesday pretty great. And they would try to do this by getting away with taking the three supposedly fictitious islands. This was about to get interesting.

“Did you actually have a plan to take over the islands?” Rockybado asked.
“We were just gonna come in and take them,” Lisa replied.
“But….how?”
“Well, we did have some plans, but they seem to have failed.”
“Yes, they most certainly did,” Rockybado replied.
“At least you recognize that,” Lisa said.
“I recognized it from the very beginning. The point is, you didn’t really seem to have a plan. You were waltzing all around Texamilio, Galavanti Island, and Wakahakai asking to take the islands. That is not the best strategy in my book.”
“Then, if that’s not it, then what is?”
“You just need a bigger and better plan.”
“Enlighten me.”
“As long as you don’t take the three islands.”

This didn't look amazing on the side of the Patriotic Mosquitoes. Rockybado, Dacston, and Marty had all concluded that the Patriotic Mosquitoes did not have the best motive possible to take over the islands. If the Patriotic Mosquitoes were not making any official plans, then what did they have to lose? Why did they have no motive? What were they going to prove when they just said they were going to take over the three islands? They couldn't just walk in and say they could take over the three islands. That would not have been cool. It was totally uncool for the Patriotic Mosquitoes to advertise who they were with absolutely no motive. And their name might have been a bit laughable as well. At least to those who haven't always associated mosquitoes with being patriotic.

“So, why are you called the Patriotic Mosquitoes?” David questioned.
“Because we care deeply for our land and our citizens. We all got power hungry, and we wanted more land,” Sam replied.
“So that is why you wanted the three islands all along?”
“Absolutely.”
“I agree with Rockybado. You should have been more strategic,” David said.
“Do we still have a chance at the three islands?” Sam questioned.
“No, I don’t think you do.”
“Well….bummer.”
“You didn’t have a chance at the very get-go.”
“I realized that.”
“Sad, but true.”

Sam and the fellow Patriotic Mosquitoes started feeling sorry for themselves. None of them would have gone for a coffee at the moment. They were not in good moods at all. Not now, especially since their so-called "motive," if they even had one, was unveiled. Even though coffee normally lightens the mood, it may not always. For about five minutes, no one said a word. Not even the word "it" was said. Rockybado didn't know what else to say to the Patriotic Mosquitoes. The kids didn't quite know what to say to the Patriotic Mosquitoes. Sam didn't know what to say to the Patriotic Mosquitoes.

“What I find depressing is that you didn’t think you had enough power so you decided to take over these islands,” Levi remarked, shaking his head.
“Yeah, I guess that is pretty depressing,” Sam replied.
“Then, why did you think this was all a good idea?”
“Well, it’s all better than playing the odds against some land, I suppose.”
“What is that even supposed to mean?” Levi questioned.
“I am rambling,” Sam commented.
“You are kinda rambling.”
“I do like speedbags, though.”
“What are you talking about?”
“They’re fun to play with.”
“I don’t doubt that at all. I actually have a speedbag in my garage. My dad and I renovated it when I was in high school.”
“Is that right?”
“Absolutely.”

It was definitely one of those moments when a drum roll would have been appropriate. Rockybado was waiting for the Patriotic Mosquitoes to make up their own mind about Texamilio, Galavanti Island, and Wakahakai. The sad looks on their faces gave Rockybado and the kids a somewhat obvious indicator. But it could have meant something else, too. They might have been sad because they missed their flight to London. That place is pretty cool, so many people would want to make a point to go there some time. But Rockybado still waited for the “drum roll” to subside and for Sam to tell him what his plans were going to be.

A few minutes later….

“So, what are you going to do, Sam?” Rockybado asked the leader of the Patriotic Mosquitoes. It was the ultimatum of ultimatums.

“I surrender,” Sam replied slowly, his head hanging down.
“It’s a deal. You must not request to take the three islands.”
“I accept the deal, even though it was not what I wanted.”
“I’m sorry to be a bearer of bad news, but I think it will be for the better,” Rockybado remarked.
“I understand,” Sam replied with a sigh.
“So, what will you be doing now?”
“I suppose we Patriotic Mosquitoes need to book a flight to Italy and eat our weight in pasta.”
“You would definitely like Italy.”
“I’ve always wanted to go there.”

With a shrug of the shoulders and a shake of the head, Sam had surrendered to the rightful rulers of the three islands. Even though he had lost his bet with the three islands, Sam was going to make sure that his loss wasn't so bitter. If he won the three fictitious islands, he and the Patriotic Mosquitoes were going to travel somewhere. Even if he lost the three fictitious islands, which he did, he and the Patriotic Mosquitoes were still going to travel somewhere. The Patriotic Mosquitoes had a plan.

“Rockybado,” Sam got the Robot King of the Island’s attention.
“Yes, Sam?” Rockybado responded.
“What did you enjoy most about Italy?”
“What did I enjoy most about Italy?”
“Yes,” Sam replied.
“The spaghetti,” Rockybado replied.
“Oh please. Of all things in Italy….the spaghetti?”
“Yes, the spaghetti. What were you expecting me to say?”
“The splendor of the Italian scenery, the warm fellowship of the citizens. You’re the Robot King of the Island, so I was thinking you’d say something a little more correct.”
“Well, I like their spaghetti, so if that’s a little incorrect for you, I don’t know what could be more correct.”
“Well, enough with the chit chat, I guess. My fellow comrades and I have a mission to accomplish. We are gonna go to Italy and take in the splendor of the Italian scenery, as well as the warm fellowship of the citizens because I like to be correct.”
“Have fun in Italy!”

Sam motioned Lisa, DR, Elly, and the other Patriotic Mosquitoes over to where he was. They had to book yet another flight, since their flight to London didn’t work out. As a matter of fact, the Patriotic Mosquitoes wanted to go to Italy, since they have been to England before. It took the Patriotic Mosquitoes to leave the island while Rockybado watched them leave. In a matter of fifteen minutes, the Patriotic Mosquitoes had finally left to go to Italy. And there was much rejoicing for Rockybado and the kids, as well as Dacston and Marty, and everyone else who rule these three islands.

“So, that is over. Finally,” Rockybado said to everyone.
“So, what are we gonna do now?” Andrew asked for everyone.
“I think we should get everyone together for a fiesta. I hear the dinosaurs over at Galavanti Island are amazing fiesta planners.”
“Yes, they are.”
“And I’m also in the mood for some jazz music. I hear they are excellent musicians over there,” Rockybado said.
“Absolutely,” Andrew replied.
“Well, what are we waiting for?”
“We should definitely reach out to them and see if they’re in the mood for a fiesta!”
“That’s what I’m talking about!”
“We’ll see what we can do!”

From Rockybado 3: The Invasion of the Naughty Blue Aliens

​David and Brody were in a spaceship since they had been separated from Rockybado and their other friends. Their plan was to go back to Texamilio to reunite with them. This spaceship took off from Benjamilio and flew to random places. An automated voice boomed out of nowhere.

“Care for a hot fudge sundae?” the voice questioned the two boys.

David and Brody looked at each other for a few seconds. They hadn’t eaten much today because they were so focused on finding the Naughty Blue Aliens and the McSmith’s that food was, for whatever rare reason, not on the boys’ minds. David and Brody agreed that they were both extremely hungry, and they could go for a hot fudge sundae just about now.

“Two hot fudge sundaes,” David answered.
“Okay. Would you like sprinkles on your hot fudge sundaes?” the voice asked.

Brody shook his head.

“No sprinkles on either sundae,” David replied.
“Most assuredly, you would want sprinkles on your hot fudge sundae,” the voice said, trying to reassure the boys.
“No. I want no sprinkles on either sundae.”
“Of course, you….”
“You must be trying to imply that we want sprinkles on our hot fudge sundaes when, in fact, we don’t,” David remarked.
“Everyone wants sprinkles on their hot fudge sundaes,” said the voice.
“Well, we don’t.”
“Lester, get them.”
“What?!”

The two boys could hear an army of Naughty Blue Aliens marching toward their general direction. There were a grand total of thirty aliens in green and red garb, even though Christmas is half a year away. Their hats were yellow golf caps, and David and Brody had to quietly laugh about their absurd attire. Otherwise, they felt pretty apprehensive. Their hands started to get sweaty, and they weren’t quite sure what to do next.

“All this for not wanting sprinkles on our hot fudge sundaes?” Brody questioned.
“Apparently,” David answered.

The “army” of aliens entered the room. They had straight faces, and they were probably not going to take kindly to any jokes whatsoever. David and Brody tried to keep straight faces as well. It was very hard, though, because of the mixed feelings of being nervous and just thinking that the aliens’ uniforms were stupid.

Moments later….

“Seize them, Lester,” the voice boomed.

A few more moments later….

“You boys are coming with me,” Lester announced.
“Where are we going?” Brody questioned.
“Dumigal. It’s a huge city,” Lester announced somewhat rudely.

They said nothing more until it happened. What happened? The aliens dropped the two boys off at two different locations. It was 11:56 at night, and the boys had no idea where they were. It looked like a normal urban street at night. David was located on the north end of the street, and Brody was on the south end. However, the street ran for nine blocks, and, at night, David and Brody would have a much harder time finding each other.

David looked around him. He didn’t see much at first. Then, he decided to peer into one of the houses. This specific house had a lot of graffiti on the outside, and it looked like it was going to collapse at any given moment. David cautiously looked through the window. There were at least ten aliens wearing sombreros in this household. One of them, who appeared to be the mother, saw David first.

“Oh, look, mi familia! There’s a stalker looking through the window. That good-for-nothing macho is a criminal and is up to no good,” said the lady.

Moments later, the whole family screamed and ran in circles inside the house. David quickly stepped away from the house. Then, the whole family ran toward him and started shouting, “Ay Carrumba!” Half of them had water guns. Two of them carried baseball bats. One had a mace. Once David saw the mace, he tried to increase his running speed. He ran for five blocks, and then he found a tree to hide behind. The sombrero alien family didn’t even glance at the tree. They kept on running.

David’s heart was pounding so hard that it was painful for him to breathe. He was breathing so hard and focused only on his recovery. Then, he noticed an elderly female alien right beside him.

“Boo,” said the lady.

David screamed like a little girl.

“What do you think you’re doing on my here property?” the lady questioned David.

David was very scared. He did not answer.

“Beat it, chump!” the lady shouted.

David was still in shock. The lady put ammo in her gun and charged it. David slowly walked away. Once he heard the old lady fire her gun, he started running. The old lady kept firing at him, but she always missed. Once he evaded her grasp, he got a better view of the neighborhood.

The neighborhood looked like a typical urban neighborhood. However, one house was on fire, and it didn’t seem to phase anyone. Nearly half of the houses had graffiti on them. There were several crime scenes. There were five gang members walking around and looking through people’s homes. They were going south on the street. They kept singing some songs by an idolized rapper and then a random song that they probably made up. In order to avoid the gang, David ran north on the street.

He made sure the gang didn’t see him.

There were nine police cars following each other to a probable crime scene. David felt so uneasy to the point that he shuddered. He didn’t want to just stand there and get caught. He wasn’t sure where else to hide. Then, he found a bush to hide in for a few minutes. The same family who kept on shouting, “Ay Carrumba!” passed the bush.

David let out a huge sigh of relief and felt for his heartbeat. Now, he didn’t hear anything else going on in the neighborhood that would bring up attention. Meanwhile, Brody was trying to hide from the sombrero alien family, the old lady, and the random gang. There was a naughty blue alien dressed in orange. He had a revolver and pointed it at Brody’s chest.

“Mr. Little Kid, you’re dead,” the alien said.

Brody didn’t move.

“Mr. Little Kid, you’re dead,” the alien said again.

Brody was breathing very hard.

“MR. LITTLE KID, YOU’RE DEAD!” the alien shouted.

David crept up behind the orange-clad alien. Brody finally saw David; he felt a huge sensation of relief, knowing that his brother was right here, that he found him in the nick of time. With this, Brody had to think, and he had to think very quickly.

“WAIT!” Brody shouted.

The alien’s eyebrows rose. Brody grabbed the gun out of the alien’s hands and pointed it at his chest. He didn’t just point the gun at his heart; he actually pressed it firmly against his chest. He could feel his pounding heartbeat through the gun.

“I wanted to be a computer engineer. I wanted to go to college. I wanted to study computers and engineering. So, I wanted to be a computer engineer. But it’s gone. All gone. Bye, world. It was nice knowing you while you were young,” Brody said in a serious tone.

While he said this, he walked backwards behind a bush. Neither David or the alien saw him. Then, they heard the gun go off. David’s mouth dropped. The alien acted indifferent.

“Oh. He’s dead. I’m leaving,” said the alien.

He left, and David walked over to the bush where Brody was. He found his younger brother lying on his back. He was breathing very hard. His right hand was on his chest, most likely feeling for his heartbeat; and his left hand was on his stomach, which pulled up his shirt, exposing his belly button.

“Are you okay, Brody?” David questioned his younger brother.

Brody nodded.

“Are you scared?”

Another nod.

“Don’t be. He’s gone.”

Brody let out a heavy sigh.

“Come on. We need to get out of here.”

David helped Brody get up. Once he got his little brother stable, they each took a puff on their inhalers, and they both started running out of the urban area. They ran from there to the nicest house on the block, which was quite a distance. Well, actually, they stopped at a little park that was surrounded by trees to catch their breath. After running so far, they were breathing very hard, and it took them a while to regain their composures.

“How did you perform your stunt?” David asked.
“I walked backwards, and I had the gun pointed at my chest,” said Brody.
“I know that much.”
“But then, once I was behind the bush, I put the gun over my head. I didn’t actually shoot myself.”
“That was brilliant,” David commented.
“I came up with that idea at the very last minute,” Brody replied.
“It was still brilliant.”

The two young boys continued to run all the way from the park to that house. They could see it from so far away, and they thought that someone from that house could help them. David and Brody were very sore from their long run from the crappy urban area to the decent neighborhood. They knocked on the door and waited for a response. After two minutes, a short pink haired lady in a blue and white checkered dress and white pinafore opened the door.

“Hello, boys. My name is Aunt. Welcome to my humble abode,” she greeted warmly.
“Hey,” David responded.
“Hello,” Brody said politely.
“What can I do for you boys? Food? Drinks? Kitties?” Aunt questioned.
“Can we stay over for the night?” David asked.
“Why, certainly. I need to put these toiletries to good use.”

David and Brody looked at each other and then at Aunt.

“What time is it?” Brody asked. Aunt looked at her watch.
“It’s 1:30 in the morning. Are you ready to call it a night?” she responded.
“Not at all!” Brody answered.
“Neither of us are morning people. I usually wake up at nine o’clock, and Brody normally wakes up whenever,” David said.
“Okay. Good thing I know when, for sure, to expect you guys up,” said Aunt.
“Really?” David asked.
“Consider it a treat,” Aunt said.

David and Brody shrugged their shoulders simultaneously.

“What do you normally do until about two o’clock in the morning?” Aunt asked.
“We play video games,” Brody answered.
“I have an old game console in the common area,” said Aunt.

Both boys high-fived each other. Then, they played video games until four o’clock in the morning. After all, this was the nicest house on the block.

​From Rockybado: Robot King of the Island

It was eleven o'clock at night when the boys were dropped off at their houses. They were all tired and sad that they had to leave their new best friends, Rockybado, Jeremy, Johnny, and everyone else whom they had just met.

When the Ingram's came home, their parents were already asleep. The boys quietly put on their pajamas and went to bed. The boys slept peacefully until the sun rose in the sky.

Ten o’clock the next morning arrived quickly, and David and Brody were still sleeping. David woke up now, but Brody was still sleeping soundly. Dawson, their oldest brother, went upstairs to check on him, only to find that the only thing his younger brother did was stir.

Brody was sleeping on his side. Completely mindless of everything going on around him. His eyes were closed. His chest was rising and falling steadily. His mouth was half open. His mood bracelet turned a dark blue, meaning he was calm. Their white cat, Honeybunny, and their white and grey-spotted cat, Felicia, climbed onto his bed and lay on top of him.

And Brody was snoring quietly.

It was thirty minutes later, the boy was still sleeping. He couldn’t help it since his sleep schedule was more messed up than it had been before the expedition to Texamilio. When Toby snuck into his older brother’s room, he brought with him a squirt gun. This ten-year-old was thinking about squirting Brody to the moon.

Squirt!

“TOBY!” was the first thing that came out of Brody’s mouth.

Toby did nothing else but smile menacingly. He was really going to get it, wasn’t he? Toby was cruisin’ for a bruisin’. It was obvious that Brody was really not happy. His peaceful sleep had been interrupted by his younger brother. And Toby was sure going to get it some time. Probably now. Brody chased Toby around the house until they both grew winded.

“You are such a nuisance,” Brody said to Toby once they both caught their breaths.
“I just wanted to wake you up. That’s all,” Toby answered.
“Well, you should have let me sleep in a little longer. My sleep schedule is destroyed.”
“You can’t say that,” Toby said.
“Why not?” Brody asked.
“Weren’t we only in Texamilio for about a week?”
“Good point, but I’m still tired.”

Toby and Brody said nothing for a few minutes. They stood in the common area, with their arms crossed. The boys were thinking about what today would entail. Tonight, David and Brody wanted to have their friends over for a sleepover party at their house.

It was now five o’clock in the afternoon, and Andrew, Adam, and John Garfield were at the Ingram's house. Dawson and Brett went to Merrillville to go bowling and have pizza with their friends.

"Hey, David?" John asked later.
"Yeah?" David asked.
"Did you meet Rockybado?" 
"That's why we went to Texamilio." 
"So, did you keep a photo of him?" 
"We forgot the camera," Brody answered for David.
"So, who is this Rockybado?" John questioned.
"He's a robot who lives in Texamilio, an island just west of Hawaii," Andrew said.
"How could you get to Hawaii and back in all but a little less than a week?!" John asked, surprised.
"In his spaceship," said Toby.
"How could you go all the way there in such little time?" 
“That has yet to be determined,” said Andrew. 

The Ingram’s ordered Chinese take-out for the kids while they watched a Sci-Fi movie. They then played board games. After that, they just felt like talking amongst themselves. It was nice being able to catch up with their old friends.

"Adam?" John asked.
"What?" Adam answered.
"How did you fly back to Crown Point when you got home?"
“We didn't actually do that, either. We went into Rockybado's spaceship." 
"What does Texamilio look like?"
"Well, kind of like Crown Point," Andrew answered.
"Not a chance! Texamilio must be a lush island that resembles Hawaii in many ways, since they’re so close.”
"Go see for yourself," said Brody. "It is full of grass, water, blue sky, streets, houses, cities. You know, all that kind of stuff."

The boys talked some more until they went to bed. The boys put on their pajamas and then fell asleep. Everyone was sleeping peacefully until Brody woke up. He couldn't fall back asleep. He went to the kitchen to get a drink of milk. On accident, as Brody tried to pour the milk into a glass, he dropped the glass, and it broke. The boys, of course, woke up to the sound of breaking glass.

"What was that?" David asked once he woke up abruptly.

They all tiptoed into the kitchen and saw a huge mess on the floor. There was a huge puddle of milk, and it was obvious that the glass was broken. Several big pieces and some small pieces on the floor. Splendid.

“BRODY!"

Brody gave everyone a blank stare after they all shouted his name. He was speechless. David, Toby, Andrew, Adam, and John kept staring at him. Brody suddenly grew embarrassed as he couldn’t help but freeze where he was. It didn’t help matters that everyone else also looked at him blankly. The room was filled with silence, like a milkshake filling a cup.

What just happened here? At about two o’clock in the morning?

“You spilled milk all over the floor, and you broke your favorite glass,” David said.
“Oh, darn,” Brody answered in a seemingly nonchalant manner.
“It was your favorite glass. It had robots and aliens all over it,” John replied.
“Oh well. I got that glass from a fast food joint when I was four.”
“There’s another one that you like, which should still be in your cupboard.”
“That’s my second favorite glass.”
“Can we help clean up the mess and then go back to bed? My sleep schedule is ruined,” Andrew questioned somewhat seriously, whereas everyone else took that as a joke.
“No! We’re all up. We should play some video games,” Adam replied.
“Good idea,” Brody answered.

The boys were nice enough to help Brody clean up the mess that he made. Then, Brody got another glass of milk in his second favorite glass. He met the boys back in the basement, where they all returned when Brody was getting himself another glass of milk. All of the boys were setting up the game consoles so that they could pull an all-nighter and play their favorite video games.

“We’re pulling an all-nighter,” David announced.
“Wait. What time is it?” Adam questioned.
“Only two o’clock.”
“We have a lot of time on our hands. So we can play as many video games as we want!” Andrew exclaimed.
“What are we playing?” Brody asked.

The boys looked at each other. They hadn’t quite thought about what they wanted to play. They only thought about the fact that they were going to play video games.  It was good that Brody had brought up what they were going to play, so that they could have some idea of what console needed to be plugged into the TV.

Everyone looked through the games that the Ingram’s have, and they couldn’t quite make up their minds about what they had in mind. Car racing games. Epic maze games. Battle games. Classic games. The possibilities were endless. The boys had to make up their minds in a “short” amount of time, or otherwise they would have almost no time to play video games.

They would be way too sleepy.

“Is everyone in the mood for playing car racing games?” Toby asked.

Everyone actually nodded or agreed otherwise. It was two o’clock in the morning, and they had about three and a half hours of sleep. They were now all wide awake, and they wanted some soda to keep it that way. David and Adam walked into the garage to get a whole case of grape soda, so the boys could have their sugar fix. When the two boys came back downstairs from their expedition in the garage, Brody, Andrew, John, and Toby were already playing some games.

Once everyone started drinking grape soda, a sense of hype emanated through the entire basement like a breeze. And everyone knew it. They were going to be so wound up tonight, since they had sugar rushing through their systems. All of the boys were shouting loudly while trying to beat each other at the car racing game on the relatively old console.

After a while, David and John stepped away from everyone else and decided to catch up. It has been about a week since they have seen each other, and John had moved to Valparaiso from Crown Point when school had just gotten out for the much-needed summer.

“So, how was the move to Valpo?” David asked.
“Very exhausting!” John answered.
“Where exactly do you live now?”
“We live on Jefferson Street.”
“We used to live on the exact same street.”
“Oh wow.”
“And then we lived on Coolwood Drive before we moved to Crown Point.”
“Oh, so the way south side.”
“Definitely. I loved it there, but I love it here more. So, why did you move?” David had to ask.
“My mom’s job has always been in Valpo, and the commute on Highway 30 was very hard in the winter. It wasn’t bad, but sometimes, the roads were not at their finest. So, we thought it would be easier to live in town,” John answered.
“Do you like it so far?”
“I love it.”
“I have a friend who lives only a few blocks away from you.”
“It’s a very small world, isn’t it?”
“It’s a very small world. However, he lives a little west of your house.”

After talking for a few more minutes, David and John eventually came back down into the basement to be with everybody else. The boys were still playing the same car racing game for the next five and a half hours. This game never got old. They could not help but try to win at least one round in the game. Toby was sprawled out on the recliner like a cat on a bed. Now, it was David, Brody, Andrew, Adam, and John who were still playing video games.

At the end of three and a half hours of continuous gaming….

“What time is it, John?” Andrew questioned.
“It is now 5:30 in the morning,” John answered as he looked at his wristwatch.
“Should we call it a night?”
“We should call it a night,” David answered for John. “I’m beyond exhausted.”
“Do we have anything tomorrow?” Brody asked.
“Thank God, no.”
“Yeah, but Mom and Dad are going to wonder what we’ve been up to all night.”
“Well, we’re growing boys. We need our sleep,” Andrew chimed in.

At 5:31 in the morning, the boys just now got ready for bed. Well, Toby fell asleep at four in the morning. He was so sound asleep that he couldn’t hear any noises made by the other boys. David, Brody, Andrew, Adam, and John finished their last car race, and then they returned to their sleeping bags.

All of the boys were trying to go back to sleep. It was, of course, very hard at first. They were all wound up after their exciting car races. But the truth was, they had to go back to bed now. It was so early in the morning, and Mr. and Mrs. Ingram would most likely wonder what the boys were up to all night long. Their first assumption would be that the boys played video games until the wee hours of the morning.

Toby, of course, fell asleep at four this morning. After all the boys tried going back to sleep, John was the first boy to actually do so at 5:42. Then, Brody fell asleep at 5:48. Andrew then fell asleep at 5:56. David fell asleep at six o’clock in the morning.  And Adam was the last boy to legitimately fall asleep at 6:05. 

At 6:30 in the morning, Dawson and Brett went downstairs to see what the boys were up to. All of the young boys in the basement were sleeping soundly by now. It was evident that David and Brody both forgot that they were doing something today, and it was going to be very exciting. If they had remembered, they probably would not have insisted on pulling an all-nighter. As a matter of fact, they would probably have been awake by now. No matter how much sleep the boys would have had, they would still be excited about what they were going to do. It was just all a matter of remembering what it was.

​“Goo monin, sleepyhead,” Brett said to David.
“What do you want?” David answered feebly after slowly waking up.
“It’s now 6:30! We are going to the amusement park at around ten o’clock, and John and his family are also coming with us.”
“That’s nice. Just let us sleep.”
“How long have you been up?” Dawson questioned.
“We went to bed literally thirty minutes ago,” David answered feebly.
“Well, you guys can sleep for a couple more hours.”
“Yeah. That’s what we’re doing right now.”

Spring 2019

Kevin Maggliardi, Levi Cranston’s (The Magic Video Game) friend, and Kevin's girlfriend, Shanti Lee, decided to spend a quiet evening at Kevin’s Cambridge apartment. No one else was home. Kevin had spent the afternoon with Jing Hao, Mike Wong, Levi, Jack Andrews, and Asad Prejesh. They went into downtown Boston to try an Italian restaurant that they had never been to before.

That evening, Jing, Mike, Jack, and Asad were going to some bars. Levi and his girlfriend, Mackenzie, spent an evening together at their apartment in Allston.

Kevin and Shanti decided to put on some goofy adult cartoons for a bit, while feasting on Indian food. Kevin was on the outer end of the couch, sitting sideways, while Shanti was nestled between him and where the pillows meet on the couch.

Her head was on his shoulder, and his head lay on top of her head. He took a deep breath, and Shanti wrapped her left arm around his chest. Then, she put her ear between his left armpit and his left breast. While she could hear his deep breathing, she could also hear his quiet heartbeat. She looked up, and Kevin’s eyes were closed. He must have been a little too tired of watching cartoons for over two hours.

Shanti got up and turned off the TV and returned to her place on the couch.

“Hey, Kevin?” Shanti asked.
“Yeah?” Kevin responded sleepily.
“Can I hear your heartbeat?”
“Yes.”

Without hesitation, Kevin pulled up his shirt up to his collarbone. Shanti could see his ribs every time he took a breath, and she also thought she could see his heart beating through his skin. His belly button was exposed, and she wanted to poke it with a q-tip. Her ear was pressed firmly on the lower part of his left breast, and she just paid attention to the intense whooshing of blood through his mitral valve.

“Your heart is so loud, fast, and strong. Are you nervous?” Shanti asked.
“No,” Kevin replied quietly with a soft smile.

He took a very deep breath, and Shanti noticed a couple skips in his heartbeat. She thought that was super cute.

“What is your heart rate, if you don’t mind my asking?” Shanti questioned.

Kevin checked his watch, which has that feature.

“122,” Kevin stated.
“Sounds way faster than that,” Shanti said. “I’m gonna get it to pound really hard for me. So get ready.”
“Okay!”

Shanti was wearing a white floral button-down shirt. She unbuttoned the top three buttons, so the top part of her chest and part of her bra were exposed. Her ear was still on his chest. She heard even louder and deeper heartbeats inside Kevin’s chest. He must have been getting really excited, so he checked his watch again.

“134,” Kevin replied.
“Good!” Shanti exclaimed.

Kevin’s left arm was wrapped around Shanti. She took his right hand and placed it on the top part of her chest, so that he could feel her fast and strong heartbeat as well. He placed his left hand over Shanti’s left ear, so his heartbeat was all she could hear. He was starting to breathe really hard, as he was so excited.

They were super happy with doing nothing other than this for at least ten minutes.

“Shanti?” Kevin got his girlfriend’s attention, with his hand still on her chest.
“Yeah?” Shanti replied.
“You ready to find out how fast my heart is beating?”
“Yes!”
“142.”
“Oh my God! You have a shit ton of adrenaline flowing through you.”

​Kevin let out a soft smile and then was quiet. His eyes were closed again, and Shanti thought he made a soft and cute noise through his mouth. His breathing was steady. His heart was racing, and chances were that it wouldn’t slow down any time soon.