Lemons and Limes

Chapter Two : Daisy the Cat and the Laundry Pyramid

Lemons and Limes

By : Veronica Tanner

Chapter Two : Daisy the Cat and the Laundry Pyramid

Daisy is evil. She really truly is. She hates all of us. My mom has no idea why we keep her. And then of course she adores Darren. I suppose that's why she's still here, but if she's in a good mood she will play with me. She hates Andy terribly though. And to tell you the truth Andy hates her too.

Nevertheless it was a burning Summer day again and mom had gone off to do some errands. Darren was talking to his friends on his phone and Andy was messing around on the computer. I was sitting in my room bored out of my mind.

I thought about my promise to Ms. Winters. She had left yesterday. The house across the street was for sale now. Suddenly my stomach growled and I sighed. I pushed myself up off the floor and walked down to the kitchen.

I crawled up onto a chair by the counter and kneeled on it as I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Just as I finished, Daisy leapt up onto the counter and flicked her long tail. I looked at her cautiously. She seemed mellow enough. So I sighed and began to talk to my cat.

"How's it going Daisy?" Daisy blinked her large yellow cat eyes.

"Yeah I'm good. A little bored and hungry maybe, but good anyways." She slowly picked up her paw and began to bathe herself. I sighed again and began to eat my sandwich.

Ronnie never ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. She hates peanut butter. Except on celery and in Reeses and Butterfingers. But she refuses to eat it otherwise. It's not that she's allergic like one of Darren's friends, she just really hates it.

After a minute or two as I tried to use my tongue to unstick my mouth from itself, Daisy meowed loudly.

"Yes Daisy?" I asked.

"Meow." She hopped off the counter and began to stroll away.

"Do have something to show me?" I questioned her again.

"Meow," she repeated. I myself hopped off my chair and began to follow her.

Daisy walked slowly but surely, and I thought for a moment she was just going to lay down and be her usual lazy self. However, I was in for a surprise. She strolled into the laundry room and I gasped at the sight before me.

"Oh Daisy! How long has this been here?" I asked her as I picked her up. She merely meowed again. I wasn't sure about what I should do about the giant pyramid standing in the middle of the laundry room. I did what any normal person would do.

I put my evil cat on my shoulder and walked right in.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

Inside the pyramid was kinda dark. In-between the cracks from the stone slabs that constructed it, sunlight trickled in. Daisy remained on my shoulder for the most part as I took a good look around.

The floors were dusty and cold against my bare feet. On the walls were strange patterns and symbols painted and carved into the yellow-colored stone. Right by the door I found some hooks with explorers helmets on them. I took one for me and one for Daisy; just in case.

Most of that passages in the pyramid had been blocked off sometime ago, so Daisy and I continued to go straight. It seemed like forever before we got to the center of the pyramid. The center of the pyramid held the key.

Daisy and I looked around in awe at the scene that was before us. The walls and ceilings of the circular center were lined with odd looking metal contraptions suspended in the air and glittering pools of water lined the pillars that enclosed us. At the very back of the circle there was another hook. But instead of hats, this time a golden key hung.

I recognized it immediately. I quickly took one step forward and as I stepped on one of the tiles a loud sound came from behind me. The metal contraptions turned out to be cages and Daisy, who had been behind me, jumped out of the way just in time. But she hadn't escaped what fell out of the cage.

I rushed over to her and fell on my knees to retrieve her from the pile of rocks that was now on top of her. Thankfully she appeared to be perfectly fine.

As she licked the dirt out of her grey and white striped coat of fur, she glared at me like it was all MY fault.

I scrunched my nose up, placed my hands on my hips and told her,

"I'm not the one that led us here!"

Daisy just rolled her big, lemon colored, cat eyes.

I looked down at the tile that had triggered the cage to fall and observed it. It was a bit of a different color then the rest of the tiles. Slightly pink. I turned and found a few others like those littered across the floor. I looked at Daisy again.

"We'll have to be careful," I told her as I began to tip-toe over to the key.

Quietly I reached upward towards the hook and grabbed the key. I smiled proudly at Daisy, who was still cleaning herself.

"See," I began smarmily, "this wasn't entirely pointless!" But just as I took one step towards her, I tripped and hit three pink tiles at once.

Three cages fell and we both just missed them. Suddenly the pyramid began to shake. Apparently the cages falling had been to much for it. The walls began to cave in and stones fell from all over. Other cages collapsed as stones hit all the remaining pink tiles.

I grabbed Daisy and held her close to me as the ceiling collapsed and I heard someone exclaim,

"What on earth?!?!"

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

I shoved my way out of the clothes on top of me with Daisy in my hands.

Once we finally surfaced I found myself looking at my worried mother. But as soon as she saw us she burst into laughter. Andy and Darren appeared at the same time looking a bit worried. But when they saw me and Daisy amidst the heaps of clothes they too began to laugh.

"What?" I asked as I began to giggle too.

"You're covered in clothes," Darren explained as he tried to muffle a snicker or two. Andy took out his phone and took a picture of Daisy and I.

"I'm gunna send this too Ronnie," he said happily, "I know she'll laugh about it."

He observed the photo but then his brow furrowed and he looked from the picture to us.

"Wait a minute, what has Daisy got on her head...?" he began to ask but Darren grabbed the phone out of Andy's hands.

"It appears," Darren said seriously as he pushed the send button, "that she is undoubtedly wearing your boxers on her head."

Andy froze for a second as a mortified look took over face before he grabbed for his phone, but Darren danced out of his reach. The two of them ran into the kitchen as they wrestled for electronic device.

Just as Andy finally regained sole possession of the phone, it dinged; signalizing that Ronnie had replied. Andy read the reply quickly before going pale and flushing bright pink.

He stuffed the phone in his pocket and averted his eyes as he tried to rush up the stairs but I stopped him.

"What did she say Andy?" I asked. He froze. He turned to look at me and yet again flushed bright pink. He replied embarrassed,

"She said 'Tell Daisy I like her hat'." and with that he ran up the stairs. Darren, mom, and I all laughed together. Even Daisy seemed amused.

Darren went back to talking to people and I stayed with mom to help her clean up the laundry room. I'm pretty sure that Daisy, the sneaky cat she is, snuck outside to nap. As soon as I finished cleaning up I ran up to my room even faster then Andy had. My adventures in the pyramid hadn't been completely fruitless.

I smiled triumphantly at the key in my hand. I knew what it was for but that would have to wait.

I could use it tomorrow.