Meeting The New Boy III, Part 3

Previously, in Gregoropolis: The kids have discovered that an unknown boy has been camping out in the backyard the past few days, and it appears that the mystery boy and Nicholas Sahara have a shared past...

Scot-Michael: Nickels, aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?

Nicholas Sahara: Please don't call me that.  You know my name is Nicholas.

Scot-Michael: But Nick--

Nicholas: Please.

Scot-Michael: >sigh<  Okay.  But you can still call me 'Scout.'

Nicholas: Scot-Michael, may I present Peter, Benjamin Roy, Tyler, and Mikko.  Gentlemen, this young man is Scot-Michael.

Scot-Michael: Hi, again.  Please call me Scout.  Thank you for use of the tent!

Tyler: Oh, no problem!  C'mon, we'll show you around.

Once Mikko and Tyler have taken Scot-Michael to meet the rest of the Gregoropolis gang...

Pete Dakota: I thought you might be hungry.  I brought your favorite.

Nicholas: Dear Peter, you've gotten to know me too well.

Pete: And I want to know a little bit more, Nicholas.  So, how do you know Scot-Michael?

And at the same time, BR has got the new boy alone...

BR: Okay, spill.

Scot-Michael: >sigh<  I was traveling through Nickels's, er, Nicholas's country--that was my goal, to hike around the world--when his father, the king, hired me as a companion for the prince.  Nicholas had no siblings and was lonely.  I was to also help him with his English; he was learning it from a very prim & proper British nanny.

Nicholas: >sigh<  We got on like a house on fire.  Then came the revolution.  My father, the king, is a good man, but he was deposed by a nefarious band of insurrectionists.  One day, Scot-Michael was just...gone.  I learned later that those loyal to the king spirited him out of the country for his safety.  We never had a chance to say goodbye.

Scot-Michael: I had no way to contact him; I never knew what happened to him.  So, once I got back to the States, I resumed my travels.

BR: I see...

Scot-Michael: Tell me, how is he fitting in here?

BR: Everybody loves him.  Even Stephen Orange, and he doesn't like anybody.

Nicholas: I was sent to America to live and to be safe.

Pete: Why do you call him 'Scout'?

Nicholas: ...It's how I first pronounced 'Scot' as I was improving my English.

BR: And 'Nickels'?

Scot-Michael: Ha-ha, it's how I first pronounced 'Nicholas' while learning his language.  'Scout' and 'Nickels' became our nicknames for each other.

Pete: You don't seem very happy to see him.

Nicholas: I thought he'd just gone without telling me.  I was angry and thought I'd never see him again.  I was frightfully taken aback when I found him in the garden.

Later...

Scot-Michael: So....

Nicholas: Yes, so...

Scot-Michael: Are you safe here?  Are you happy here?

Nicholas: Well, I do miss Papa and Mama, but yes.  They've all been terribly kind.

Scot-Michael: Good.

Nicholas: Are you still on your sojourn around the globe?

Scot-Michael: I'm...tired.  I'd like a place to call home.

Nicholas: Then you must stay here.  The Daddies will be pleased.

And I will be, too...Scout.

Meeting The New Boy III, Part 2

Meanwhile, at the same time that Nicholas is encountering the unknown boy (or maybe not so unknown!) in the backyard...

Tyler: So then I bet him that I could stuff 7 of them in my --

Mikko: I bet you could stuff 10!

BR: Guys, have you seen Nicholas?  He's supposed to be walking Annabelle.

Tyler: Well, then he says --

Pete Dakota: Uh, guys?

Tyler: Do you mind? This is a private conversation.

BR and Pete: GUYS!

Tyler and Mikko: WHAT?!

BR: Have. You. Seen. Nicholas?

Tyler: Oh, Prince Fancypants is outside.  He's probably talking to the hobo kid.

Pete: ...the what?

Mikko: The drifter boy.  We found him squatting in the backyard a couple of days ago, 

so we lent him the tent.

BR: Tent?

Pete: Drifter?
BR: Hobo?

Pete: Backyard?

Tyler: Jeez, get a load of those two.

Mikko: Captains Clueless.

BR and Pete: WHAT drifter boy?!

Tyler and Mikko: THAT drifter boy.

Scout: Hi.

Nicholas: Er, well, yes, hello.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Meeting The New Boy III, Part 1

In a secluded corner of the backyard, Annabelle has discovered something or, perhaps, someone...

Annabelle: >sniff, sniff<  Arf?

Boy: Huh? Who's there?

Boy: Well, look at you!  I bet you're a good pupper!

Annabelle: Woof!

Nicholas: Oh my giddy aunt!  If I've lost Annabelle, Benjamin will have my guts for garters!

Nicholas: Annabelle!  There you are, you naughty - -

Boy: Nickles?!?

Nicholas: Richard the III's ghost!  Scout?!?

Scout and Nicholas: What are you doing here?!?!

Scout: ---

Nicholas:---

Scout: ---

Nicholas:---

Scout: I'd better put my clothes on.

Nicholas: Yes, I think you better had...

TO BE CONTINUED!

Summer's Coming!

Daddy John: Summer is nigh, and my boys are getting ready!

Nicolas Sahara:  Aha!  Here's where you two lolloped off to!  Reclining in indolence.  >sigh<

Well, come along you lot.  Benjamin, Daddy John wants us to sort out the bathing costumes.

Nicholas: Peter, you're a right mess; ice cream all over!  Go and clean yourself up and change your clothes; Daddy John wants to take some photographs.

Pete Dakota: I think he's talking to you.

After wrangling the two wayward souls back into the house, BR and Nicholas dig out their swimming suits...

BR: I dunno, I was pretty lazy over the winter.  I hope mine still fits!

Nicholas: Growing up in a castle, we never had a swimming pool.  We'd vacation on the coast, and there were beaches, but they were quite unsuitable for swimming. 

BR: No worries.  Pete and I will teach you.  Pete is part merboy, I think!

Swimsuits sorted and Pete Dakota cleaned up and changed, my Fantastic 4 line up for summer pictures...

BR, Pete Dakota, Stephen Orange, Nicholas Sahara

Best friends BR and Pete Dakota

Stephen Orange (who is anticipating a summer adventure) and Nicholas Sahara 

HAPPY SUMMER from everyone at GREGOROPOLIS!

How To Whitewash A Fence

Ann Marie: Rhoda, it's your turn to do the ironing.

Rhoda: Why can't one of the boys do it?

Ann Marie: >snort< Can you really see one of them ironing?

Rhoda: Hmmm...

Luke: We're going out to play soccer.

Ezra: We'd love to hang out with you, but we know you've got ironing to do.  >Hee-hee<

Rhoda: That's okay, you boys really shouldn't be here anyway.  It's far too dangerous for you.

Oliver: ...wait, what do you mean 'too dangerous'?

Rhoda: Well, an iron is a very dangerous power tool.  You boys aren't old enough and responsible enough to use it without hurting yourselves.

Ezra: Hey!  We've used power tools before!

Luke: Yeah...we've used drills, sanders, and, uh...staplers!

Rhoda: Sure, but an iron is much more dangerous.  Besides, even if you did manage not to burn yourselves, you could never get the hang of ironing.  It requires far more 

skill and concentration than boys have.

Ezra: Oh yeah?  Wanna bet?

Rhoda: Well, I'd be willing to let you give it a try...if you really think you can do it.

I can always go over and fix the stuff you mess up; providing you don't scorch anything.

Ezra: Give me that iron!

Ezra: See? Look at this!

Rhoda: A napkin is the easiest thing in the world to iron.  Even those two could do it.

Luke and Oliver: Hey!

Ezra: Alright then, give me something more complicated.

Rhoda: Careful with those pleats.  Holly Belle will have a fit if you mess them up.

Ezra: Sshh!  You're disturbing my concentration!

Ezra: Ha! Perfect!

Luke: Hey, we wanna try, too!

Oliver: Yeah, give us a turn!

Luke: Watch me iron these underpants.

Oliver: Hey, save a pair for me!

Ann Marie: They'll eventually figure out what you're up to, you know.

Rhoda: Nah, they're already halfway through the basket.

No Football?!

Meghan: Why are you two looking so gloomy?

Mikko: We're worried!

Holly Belle: Worried? Since when do you guys ever worry about anything?

Tyler: This isn't just anything, this is football!

Mikko: Yeah, we're worried that the football season might be canceled this year.

Mikko & Tyler: No football!  Waaaaaaaahhhhh!

Daphne: Isn't the football season still months away?

Tyler: That makes it even worse!  We've got all that time to worry about it being canceled!

Daphne: Well, even if it is canceled, they can just show old games.

Meghan: Yes, there must be thousands of them.

Mikko: Old games?!? No wants to watch an old game.

Tyler: Why watch a game when you already know who wins?

Holly Belle: Alright, boys.  As Patrick would say, let's examine this logically. 

Even if it is a new game, there are only two possible outcomes: either one team or the other wins.

Tyler: Well, you can have a tie if --

Meghan: Shh.  Now don't complicate things.

Holly Belle: Thank you, Meghan.  As I was saying, you're 50 percent sure of the outcome before the game even begins.  So, it's like you really already watched half of the game.

Daphne: Yes, and when you boys watch football, you're not even paying attention half of the time!  You're too busy drinking root beer and stuffing your faces with chips.

Meghan: Or yelling and jumping up and down!

Holly Belle: Exactly.  So, when you put the two together, in the end, there's really no difference between watching a new game and watching one that you've already seen.

Meghan: There, doesn't that make sense?

Tyler: Actually, it just gives me a headache.

Mikko: Me too.  Let's get out of here.

Holly Belle: Honestly.  And they say we're illogical.

Daphne: Can you believe it?

Meghan: I can't!  Boys!