A Boy, a Dog Girl and a Daughter, Doughnut, Dagger and Dance: Part Two

With all the chaos which had engulfed the city, the New Dawn dance at VanVeer Academy had been pushed back a week. This was both a blessing and a curse. It helped the kids who had been at ground zero of the attack recover both mentally and physically.

It also, unfortunately, gave their neighbors time to focus on them.

“Why are we here?” Baltz asked, sinking further into the seat in the Bollinger kitchen.

“Because my neighbors wanted to test something and I’m a sucker,” Zack moaned.

“Let me rephrase. Why am I here?”

“Because both of our girlfriends forced this on us.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Chista huffed, arms crossed in her chair.

“You’re going to the dance with him,” Honey said matter of factly as she snuggled further into Zack while sitting on his lap.

“He stopped me from running into a burning building. It is simply polite to return the favor,” Chista said dryly.

“So my going to the dance with you is as important as your life being saved?” Baltz asked, leaning forward.

“If you see it as such.”

“Is this what I sound like?”

“I know, right?!” Zack said. The group had a good laugh, with even Baltz cracking a smile. “Besides, you could probably use some time out, mister kidnapping victim. Your parents must be all over you at home like Honey is with me.”

“He hasn’t even peed alone since we got home,” Honey confirmed.

“I make her face the corner. She still insists on holding my hand,” Zack sighed.

Baltz remained still.

“Mother and father are…grateful the heir of the Maridan family is safe. It is quiet without Jelks there. They have already found me another manservant, so I am grateful for…”

“Call them assholes.”

Baltz stared across the table at Chista. She gave him a stern faced nod.

“Do it.”

“I’m not going to…”

“Bro, your parents are dicks,” Zack said. “Chistos and Chista have only known me for a few months, and they looked like they were about to break when Honey told them what happened to me.”

Honey nodded. “They’re full on stinky poop heads. And I know you’re not like them. You’re not a bad boy. You’re a sad boy. But right now, you can be a mad boy.”

Baltz breathed out heavily, not a sigh but more a deep and airy sign of acceptance.

“My parents are…”

The three other kids leaned in.

“…they are…complete and total jackasses.”

“We will take it!” Zack shouted, raising his fists in the air and cheering while Honey and Chista clapped.

“Welcome to being close to human,” Chista said, nudging Baltz in the ribs while sliding her chair suspiciously closer.

“You are a terrible influence on me.”

“Get used to it, you interesting failure.”

Baltz’s eyes went wide at his own words being thrown back at him. He was about to make a pithy reply when the Bollinger family finally emerged from their backroom lab.

“We have doughnuts!” Gratham said cheerfully.

“Which will do what to us?” Zack asked, eyeing the tray of multicolored pastries suspiciously.

“We don’t know! Each doughnut is a surprise!” Helline said.

“We will require you to detail any changes you experience. These new batches are surprising and fun!” Gratham said as he passed out homemade survey papers.

“I want it known I had little to do with this,” Luca said, keeping his distance from the doughnuts.

“They gonna explode, little buddy?” Zack asked.

Luca raised an eyebrow.

“Oh god…” Zack moaned.

“Well, no point in worrying. I made a promise, and Baltz Maridan keeps his promises,” Baltz said, taking a small plain looking one. Zack grabbed one with sprinkles, Honey a cream filled one and Chista a jelly doughnut.

“Bottoms up,” Chista said hesitantly.

“To further adventures in mutation,” Zack sighed.

“Doughnut! Doughnut! Yummy yummy doughnut…” Honey sang happily, already eating.

Less than ten minutes later, the four teens sat around the table, each of them wondering what to say.

“This is wrong…” Honey said.

“You have animal parts. What’s wrong about you having animal parts?” Chista asked.

“NOT CAT EARS! NOT A CAT TAIL! THIS IS AN INHERENT BETRAYAL!” Honey shouted, her cat ears and whiskered nose twitching as her tail flicked behind her.

“Hey, at least you still have legs! Thankfully I wore a skirt today!” Chista said, her blue reptilian lamia tail swaying beneath her.

“Are either of you feeling more animalistic? Mentally, I mean,” Gratham asked.

“On a scale of one to ten, how much do you want to eat mice?” Helline queried.

“Someone get them outta my face,” Chista grunted.

“I don’t see what you’re complaining about,” the five year old Baltz said, sitting on a stack of books.

“It’s okay. You’ll be back to normal soon enough,” Chista said soothingly to him.

“Yes, strong maternal instinct stimulation…” Helline said. Chista shot her a death glare.

“I’m not complaining,” Zack said, a glorious head of pink hair flowing past his waist complementing his lush beard.

“I wish I could remember if you had the hair color or length potion…” Gratham mused.

A light flashed, and Luca stepped forward with an orb which produced a picture of them in his hand. “A good memory to hold onto, yes?”

“We look ridiculous,” Zack said.

“Like utter clowns,” Baltz agreed.

“Cat ears…” Honey cringed.

“I love it,” Chista said.

On this, they all agreed.