Forlot: Return of the Monster Protector - Book Eleven

Chapter Thirteen

My boyfriend and I heard a loud, growling sound, and Stanley chuckled.

"It sounds like that one of us is hungry," he commented.

I came to the conclusion that it was my own stomach. It was letting me know that it was empty and needed to be filled up with scrumptious food. My cheeks got hot, and I patted my belly, feeling embarrassed that it had decided to make such a noise in front of my boyfriend.

"Sorry," I apologized. "Usually, my stomach keeps to itself and waits patiently for food."

Stanley chuckled again. "It is alright, Margie. My stomach does the same thing. More often than not."

We heard another growl, and I scolded my stomach. "Shut up, you. You will get food when I am good and ready."

He burst out laughing at my silliness.

I looked at him and was puzzled. "What is so funny?"

He forced his laughs to die down and put a hand over the middle of his chest. He took in some deep breaths. "You."

I pointed a finger at myself. "Me?"

"Yes, you. That is another reason why I love you. Unlike Margaret, you are hilarious. You are hardly down in the dumps and get rid of my depression."

I was taken aback at that last part. "Depression?" I raised an eyebrow. "You have depression?"

It was his turn to be in embarrassment, and his whole face was now as red as a tomato. "Dang it. I did not mean to tell you that. It sort of...slipped out." Before I could question him further, he gave his belly a rub and said, "By the way, that last growl came from my stomach. I must be hungry too." He pointed to the kitchen. "Let us get some lunch." He dashed into the kitchen, and I followed right behind him.

Something told me that he was hiding something. Something that had to do with his depression.

As soon as we stepped into the room, we came to a realization that we were not alone.

In the kitchen were all of Mr. Hawk's friends. Riley, Sage, Lin, Leen, Tippy, Tappy, Zeke, and Willy, and each of them had a job to do.

Riley and Sage were setting the table and floated in and out of the kitchen. First, they got plates. Then utensils and so on. Lin and Leen were cleaning dishes that we used from yesterday. Lin was washing the dishes, and Leen was drying them. Tippy and Tappy were cooking, and whatever they were fixing up must have been delicious because when I took in a whiff of the tangy smell, it smelled like a wonderland.

"Mmm. Tippy. Tappy. What are you preparing for lunch?" I asked them.

All the creatures stopped what they were doing and looked at me.

Riley was the first to give me a smile. "Margie. Stanley. You are back. So...how did it go?"

"Yeah. Was the visit awesome?" Lin said. "Or a total waste of time?"

"It must have been awkward for you, Margie," Leen assumed.

I blew away a strand of my hair that was blocking my sight. "Actually...it was not that bad," I admitted. "In fact, it was pretty heartwarming."

"So you and Margaret made up and are friends now?" Tippy guessed.

"Nope." I lowered my eyelids halfway. "At least, not yet. Ow!" I gently rubbed the place where I was hurting, which was on my left arm.

"Is something wrong, Margie?" Willy asked, concerned of me. He and Zeke had been cleaning the floor.

"Nothing to be concerned about. It is just my arm." I rolled up my sleeve and showed them the white tape that is used for medical purposes that was wrapped around the area where I was hurting.

Lin gasped and pressed a hand against her cheek. The plate that she was holding slipped out of her grasp and would have crashed to the floor if she had not reacted and caught it in time.

"Whoops," she choked out.

"What happened to your arm?" Sage questioned. There was fear in her voice. "Margaret did not hurt you...did she?"

"Margaret did not even get anywhere near Margie, so do not worry," Stanley explained. "Margie just had some of her blood taken."

"Oh my gosh. Why?" Riley asked. "Margie, are you okay?"

"She is perfectly fine. Perfectly healthy," Stanley answered for me. "Both she and Margaret had some of their blood taken by the doctors."

"Why?" Tippy said. "To know if they are related in some way?"

"Yes. Apparently, Mr. Hawk overheard you, Tippy, comparing my girlfriend and my ex-girlfriend and purposed to do a test on them." His expression became angry. "Frankly, I am not crazy with the idea."

"Why? Why do not agree with Mr. Hawk, whom we now know is your father?" Willy wondered.

Zeke brought his face close to his pet's and whispered in his furry ear. The wolf's ears perked up, and it was easy to notice that Willy was blushing because his furry cheeks were red.

"I do not need to know if my beautiful girlfriend and my lousy ex-girlfriend are related," Stanley continued. "If they turn out to be, I will never hear the end of it from Margaret. Besides, I bet that Margie does not care to know either."

I opened my mouth to speak, to tell my boyfriend that I was kind of curious to know if that mentally unstable girl was indeed related to me, but I closed my mouth and hung my head when Tippy informed all of us that lunch was ready.

"We are having a special kind of chicken with tangy sauce and mashed potatoes," Tippy announced. "It is my and my dad's specialty."

"Would you like to eat outside, Margie?" Stanley suggested. "Just in case that Mr. Hawk, Skippy, and your sister return with Margaret."

I was about to gladly accept his offer when I felt myself being tackled to the ground.