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"Wow," said Tamara when they entered. "Lots of pitchers
on the walls."
"Yes," Tia said dreamily. "Lots of pictures."
Tommy was studying one of the pictures. "Who's
that?" He touched the life-size poster of Nick with his paw.
"That's Nick. He's a Lupe that goes to my school."
"So why is he all over your room?" Would Tommy
ever quit?
"B-because we're-we're friends," Tia stammered.
"Best friends, yes, that's it. You see Tommy, when you get older and into Neoschool,
you start to--"
But Tommy wasn't listening. He took is crayon
and drew a mustache on Nick's face. Then he drew a hat on Nick's head, and a
peg leg. "It's Captain Lupe, the pirate!" he said proudly. "Ar!"
Tia stopped talking and gasped in horror. "You-you-how
COULD you? TOMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
And so the chase began.
Tommy dropped his crayon and ran out of the
room.
Tia, who was probably the angriest Cybunny in
Neopia at the moment, hopped after him. "I'm gonna get you, you hooligan!" she
yelled.
Tamara stood in the doorway, laughing as Tommy
went buy. "Run! Run!" she said. "Don't let her catch you! Go! Go! GO!"
When Tia had had enough of this wild goose chase,
she stopped running. "T-Tommy," she panted, "Please… come… here."
No answer.
"Well, where is he now?" Tia trudged back to
her bedroom. Tamara wasn't there either. "I sure hope they're not playing 'hide
and go squeak', I mean, 'hide and go seek' again."
Tia couldn't find the twins anywhere upstairs,
so she ambled downstairs.
There, in the pantry, crouched Tommy, with Tamara
at his side. He was crying.
"Awww, Tommy, don't cry," Tia crooned softly
as she entered the pantry. "I'm sorry I got so mad at you."
"Y-you chased me," he sniffled. "I was just
making a mister pleece like you said."
"It's okay," Tia said, even though it was NOT
okay at all. "I forgive you." Not!
"R-really?" Tommy asked hopefully.
"Really," Tia replied. "Now how about we--"
"Hey!" Tamara interrupted. "Lookit! Look what
I found!" She held up a scratchcard.
"Oh!" Tia said. "I was looking for that! I lost
it weeks ago." She reached over to take it back.
Tamara pulled away. "Please, can I scratch it?
Pretty please on a Chocopie Slice with whipped cream a cherry?"
"Oh, all right," Tia consented.
Tamara began scratching away the circles. Then
she declared, "I WON! I WON! WOOHOO! YIPPEE! YAHOO!"
Tia gasped jealously. "You what?"
"I won!" Tamara gloated. "Big money, all for
ME! It's the ja… ja…" She struggled to read the word, "jac… jackp…"
Tommy glanced over her shoulder and read the
print. "Jackpot."
"JACKPOT?!?!?!?!?!?!" Tia almost fainted. "B-but
I thought that was a Race to Riches scratchcard!"
"Nope," Tommy corrected. "Says right here, it's
an I… ice… ice… tra… va… gan… za! Icetravaganza!"
Tia was about to explode. She could have been
a millionaire! And instead that little brat got all the fortune. Life wasn't
fair!
Tamara tucked the scratchcard safely into her
diaper and said, "Now what do we do?"
Tia was speechless, but Tommy had the answer.
His eyes scanned the pantry and then he said, "Cookies! Make us cookies!"
The two chorused, "Cookies! Cookies! Cookies!
Cookies!" Over and over they chanted the delicious word.
"Fine," Tia answered. "I'll bake you some cookies.
You can… ummmm…" She tried to think of a safe and non-destructive activity for
the Terrible Two. "You can sit here quietly." Then she inquired, "What kind
of cookies?"
"Chocolate chip!" Tamara demanded.
"No no! I want peanut butter!" Tommy quarreled.
Tia sighed, "How can we decide?"
"How abouts whoever can raise their paw highest?"
Tamara suggested. She hurled her paw into the air.
Tommy followed suit. "Mine's higher!" he bragged.
"No!"
"Uh-huh!"
"No!"
"Uh-huh!"
"STOP!" Tia thundered. "Please, stop this constant
bickering! I'm going to make chocolate chip, because we're all out of peanut
butter. You guys sit here quietly while I bake, okay? I don't want to hear another
peep!"
Tia gathered all her ingredients and followed
the recipe carefully. The twins are being quiet for once! she rejoiced.
Maybe they aren't as terrible as I thought.
The sweet aroma of baking cookies filled the
room.
"Can we talk now?" questioned Tommy impatiently.
"Yes," Tia responded. She opened the oven door.
"I think the cookies are done!" Gingerly she took the cookie sheet out and set
it on the stove to cool. When the cookies were all done cooling, she handed
one to each of the twins. ("His is bigger!" "No, it's not!")
Ding-dong! The doorbell rang. I'm saved!
Tia almost said out loud. "I'm going to answer the door. Just eat your cookies!"
She raced to the door and opened it.
Christine was standing there. "How are the twins?"
she asked anxiously.
"They're fine!" Tia consoled. "I baked them
some cookies and they're eating them in the kitchen."
"And they weren't any trouble?" Christine asked.
"Most babysitters refer to my little angels as The Terrible Two!" she chuckled.
"Can you imagine that?"
Tia forced a laugh. "They were little angels
the whole time!" she lied.
"Awesome!" Christine said. "Maybe you could
be their full-time babysitter!"
Now what have I gotten myself into? Tia
moaned silently.
"Anyway, can you show me to the twins?" Christine
really wanted to see her "angels".
"Of-Of course. Right this way," Tia replied
as she led Christine to the kitchen.
Christine fainted on the spot when she saw what
was in the kitchen.
To be continued...
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