Several long seconds of waiting anxiously later, somebody answered. "Marty Oppenheimer School of Performing Arts, this is Mr. Duffel the headmaster's secretary, Miss Jenson, how can I help you?"
Cole cleared his throat. "Ah, mm, this is Mr.--" He coughed. That was terrible! It sounded more like a mix of Curly and Gollem than his dad!
"I'm sorry sir, what did you say?" The feminine voice squeaked into his ear. Cole gripped the phone and raised his voice, assuming the firm, precise tone of his dad. "This is, ah, Mr. Lou Brookstone."
"Why hello, Mr. Brookstone," The secretary chirped cheerily. "I trust you are doing well? We are happy to know that your son will be attending our school--"
"Yeah, uh, about that..." Cole twisted the telephone wire nervously in his hands. "...A, uh, problem occurred recently, and Cole cannot attend your school this year. Will you please inform Mr. Duffel?"
"Yes, of course." Miss Jenson replied. "Nothing serious, I hope?"
"No, no, everything's fine--"
"So, Mr. Brookstone, what about the charges? I assume you want us to make an adjustment...a refund?"
"No, no, that won't be necessary, just leaves things as they are."
"Very good, then. Thank you, Mr. Brookstone."
Cole slammed the receiver and ran a shaking hand through his shaggy, black hair. 'Step 2: Done.' He thought to himself. 'Step 3: Disappearing.'
After his heart had slowed down a bit, he left the booth and walked down the crowded halls, trying to blend in with the crowd. Surely nobody would remember a messily-haired teen with a backpack leaving the station? Sweat grew cold under his armpits, making him shiver. He walked fast, praying nobody would stop him. He found the main exit and stepped out.
He left the parking lot and headed toward a lonely field, with only a few shrubs dotted here and there. Would anyone notice him? Would anybody somehow know who he was and call his father?
Nobody saw Cole.
Pretty easy to imitate your dad when you're both voiced by the same actor.
Several long seconds of waiting anxiously later, somebody answered. "Marty Oppenheimer School of Performing Arts, this is Mr. Duffel the headmaster's secretary, Miss Jenson, how can I help you?"
Cole cleared his throat. "Ah, mm, this is Mr.--" He coughed. That was terrible! It sounded more like a mix of Curly and Gollem than his dad!
"I'm sorry sir, what did you say?" The feminine voice squeaked into his ear. Cole gripped the phone and raised his voice, assuming the firm, precise tone of his dad. "This is, ah, Mr. Lou Brookstone."
"Why hello, Mr. Brookstone," The secretary chirped cheerily. "I trust you are doing well? We are happy to know that your son will be attending our school--"
"Yeah, uh, about that..." Cole twisted the telephone wire nervously in his hands. "...A, uh, problem occurred recently, and Cole cannot attend your school this year. Will you please inform Mr. Duffel?"
"Yes, of course." Miss Jenson replied. "Nothing serious, I hope?"
"No, no, everything's fine--"
"So, Mr. Brookstone, what about the charges? I assume you want us to make an adjustment...a refund?"
"No, no, that won't be necessary, just leaves things as they are."
"Very good, then. Thank you, Mr. Brookstone."
Cole slammed the receiver and ran a shaking hand through his shaggy, black hair. 'Step 2: Done.' He thought to himself. 'Step 3: Disappearing.'
After his heart had slowed down a bit, he left the booth and walked down the crowded halls, trying to blend in with the crowd. Surely nobody would remember a messily-haired teen with a backpack leaving the station? Sweat grew cold under his armpits, making him shiver. He walked fast, praying nobody would stop him. He found the main exit and stepped out.
He left the parking lot and headed toward a lonely field, with only a few shrubs dotted here and there. Would anyone notice him? Would anybody somehow know who he was and call his father?
After wandering aimlessly in the lone fields for some time, Cole turned off the headset and stuffed it into his backpack. His stomach growled. He no longer felt sick; in fact, he felt hungry. He headed back toward the city, whilst dawn was just beginning to rise, and more birds began to sing and call to each other. He left behind the serene peace of the plains and followed the sound of the city.
Around over half an hour later he found himself in the midst of the town, walking down the sidewalk on the main street. He blended in with the crowd, mixing in with the swarm of people bustling about the concrete and spilling over corners of brick buildings. The odor of the city was harsh and rank, and he wrinkled his nose at the stench. That is, until a delicious smell hit his nostrils. Something smelled heavenly, and it smelled like...cake.
He traced the warm, mouth-watering scent to a large building standing on one of the main roads. A sign spelled out in pink, fancy letters. YOKAIVILLE MALL
Inside the he found small restaurants nearby the clothing stores, where several people who were on their way to work were eating breakfast. After inspecting the amount of money he had, he decided to order some eggs and bacon.
He spent around twenty minuets enjoying a hot meal before he suddenly felt something tug on his dark jacket. Looking down, he was surprised to see a little girl staring back up at him. She looked to be around five or six years old, with short blond hair and bright blue eyes, along with a chubby face. She wore a cute pink sweater with a Hello Kitty stitched to the front, and rainbow colored boots to match her leprechaun green leggings.
She tugged on his jacket again and asked in a little voice. "Are you my escort?"
Cole blinked, confused. "Am I your what?"
"My escort. I need somebody to escort me through da mall."
"Uh...why?"
" 'Cause I can't find my momma, and I nobody else will escort me through this mall."
Cole shifted uncomfortably on his stool. "You lost your mom?"
"I didn't lose her, I just don't know where she is!" The little girl snapped.
"Uh-huh." He sighed. "Kid, do you need help finding a mall cop?"
"No, I need an escort!"
Cole thought for a second. He made a reluctant decision. "OK, I'll be your escort until we find a mall cop to find your mother. How's that?"
"Yayy!" With that, the child raced away, crying. "Let's go to da toy store! Weee!"
"Wait, stop--!" Cole groaned and shook his head. "Looks like I'm playing babysitter."
While Cole stuffed his breakfast trash into a garbage bin and threw his backpack over his shoulder, the little blond dodged past some people in the wide hall and ran to a store with a sign saying. MARTY'S TOY STORE
With her rainbow-colored boots making loud clump clump noises when meeting the shiny tiles, she ran in and shrieked. "I want all your toys!"
The young cashier sitting at the counter jumped at the sound of her high-pitched yell. "I'm sorry, what?" He asked.
"Gimme all your toys!"
The young man stared at her. "...You want me to give you all the toys in this store?"
The girl stomped up to him, grabbed the counter, and swiftly hauled herself up. "Every single one for free!"
He blinked uncertainly, tried to bite back an amused grin, then said in what was supposed to be a soothing tone. "Ah...I don't think I can do that, Annie Oakley."
The little girl grabbed his shirt, twisted it forcefully in her little fists, and slammed him against the wall behind him, knocking over a few books and cabinets. "Listen here, bozo," She hissed. "You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to--"
"NO!" At that moment Cole raced in and grabbed the child, picking her up by the waist and pulling her away. "Kid, OK, that's it, we're leaving, we're leaving right now! Leave the nice man alone!"
"Let go of me, you potato!" The girl struggled against his grip, but in vain.
The cashier looked a bit shaken, and yet slightly amused.
Cole shifted uncomfortably on his stool. "You lost your mom?"
"I didn't lose her, I just don't know where she is!" The little girl snapped.
"Uh-huh." He sighed. "Kid, do you need help finding a mall cop?"
"No, I need an escort!"
Cole thought for a second. He made a reluctant decision. "OK, I'll be your escort until we find a mall cop to find your mother. How's that?"
"Yayy!" With that, the child raced away, crying. "Let's go to da toy store! Weee!"
"Wait, stop--!" Cole groaned and shook his head. "Looks like I'm playing babysitter."
While Cole stuffed his breakfast trash into a garbage bin and threw his backpack over his shoulder, the little blond dodged past some people in the wide hall and ran to a store with a sign saying. MARTY'S TOY STORE
With her rainbow-colored boots making loud clump clump noises when meeting the shiny tiles, she ran in and shrieked. "I want all your toys!"
The young cashier sitting at the counter jumped at the sound of her high-pitched yell. "I'm sorry, what?" He asked.
"Gimme all your toys!"
The young man stared at her. "...You want me to give you all the toys in this store?"
The girl stomped up to him, grabbed the counter, and swiftly hauled herself up. "Every single one for free!"
He blinked uncertainly, tried to bite back an amused grin, then said in what was supposed to be a soothing tone. "Ah...I don't think I can do that, Annie Oakley."
The little girl grabbed his shirt, twisted it forcefully in her little fists, and slammed him against the wall behind him, knocking over a few books and cabinets. "Listen here, bozo," She hissed. "You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to--"
"NO!" At that moment Cole raced in and grabbed the child, picking her up by the waist and pulling her away. "Kid, OK, that's it, we're leaving, we're leaving right now! Leave the nice man alone!"
"Let go of me, you potato!" The girl struggled against his grip, but in vain.
The cashier looked a bit shaken, and yet slightly amused.
I'm surprised the moderators allow this type of language.
Cole shifted uncomfortably on his stool. "You lost your mom?"
"I didn't lose her, I just don't know where she is!" The little girl snapped.
"Uh-huh." He sighed. "Kid, do you need help finding a mall cop?"
"No, I need an escort!"
Cole thought for a second. He made a reluctant decision. "OK, I'll be your escort until we find a mall cop to find your mother. How's that?"
"Yayy!" With that, the child raced away, crying. "Let's go to da toy store! Weee!"
"Wait, stop--!" Cole groaned and shook his head. "Looks like I'm playing babysitter."
While Cole stuffed his breakfast trash into a garbage bin and threw his backpack over his shoulder, the little blond dodged past some people in the wide hall and ran to a store with a sign saying. MARTY'S TOY STORE
With her rainbow-colored boots making loud clump clump noises when meeting the shiny tiles, she ran in and shrieked. "I want all your toys!"
The young cashier sitting at the counter jumped at the sound of her high-pitched yell. "I'm sorry, what?" He asked.
"Gimme all your toys!"
The young man stared at her. "...You want me to give you all the toys in this store?"
The girl stomped up to him, grabbed the counter, and swiftly hauled herself up. "Every single one for free!"
He blinked uncertainly, tried to bite back an amused grin, then said in what was supposed to be a soothing tone. "Ah...I don't think I can do that, Annie Oakley."
The little girl grabbed his shirt, twisted it forcefully in her little fists, and slammed him against the wall behind him, knocking over a few books and cabinets. "Listen here, bozo," She hissed. "You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to--"
"NO!" At that moment Cole raced in and grabbed the child, picking her up by the waist and pulling her away. "Kid, OK, that's it, we're leaving, we're leaving right now! Leave the nice man alone!"
"Let go of me, you potato!" The girl struggled against his grip, but in vain.
The cashier looked a bit shaken, and yet slightly amused.
I'm surprised the moderators allow this type of language.
"Babysitting your little sister, buddy?" The cashier chuckled. Cole ignored him and dragged the squirming child away.
He dropped her on a bench between a pair of fake palm trees and crossed his arms. "OK, listen up. If I'm going to be your escort, you have to behave."
The girl glared at him with bright blue eyes. "What, I wasn't doing anything, that dummy was--" She sighed. "Fine. Fine. I'll behave."
"Yes, behave."
"Yes, I will behave." She glanced around. "Ooh, cookies!" She hopped off the bench.
"Hey, get back here!" He grabbed her and put her back on the bench. "Seriously kid, you have got to behave. I can't go running after you all day."
"Can we go to the candy store?"
He rolled his eyes. "Will you behave?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Mmph...fine. But you have to stay close--"
"Weeeeee!!!" She raced off, her rain boots clomping.
"Oh, for crying out loud..." Cole trotted after her and nearly passed by a window filled with TVs, where the news was showing. An announcer was saying on the screen; "...And that's why socks get lost in the laundry. In other news, there has been news of a young runaway trying to escape school!"
Cole froze, and stared at the many TVs lined up on the wall. He felt as if his stomach was sinking, and a cold shiver of fear ran down his spine. 'Oh, no....how did they find out so quickly?!' He thought to himself, on the verge of panic.
The male announcer continued. "The runaway's name is Lloyd Garmadon, and after being mysteriously absent at Darkly's Boarding School For Bad Boys, a resident of a nearby town reported seeing the young boy attempting to raid a ice cream truck in the town. Police responded to the call, and caught the child while he was..."
As the announcer droned on, Cole breathed a sigh of relief. He was safe.
"AAUUGGH!!" An ear-piercing scream reverberated throughout the mall. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! YOU ATE ALL THE CANDY!!"
Cole raced into the candy store to find a screaming cashier staring in horror at the little girl, who sat in the midst of half a dozen boxes of sweets and chocolates, melted chocolate and sticky sugar spread all over her little hands and chubby face. Her mouth was full of little chocolate bars while one of her messy hands was shoved down a container of milk chocolate. She stared back up at the sweating, bald man with a surprised expression, as if she didn't think anybody would find her in the middle of the aisle.
'How did she eat so many sweets so quickly?!' Cole was shocked by the amount of destruction the little girl had wreaked in such a short amount of time.
"Wha'? Wha's da prob'em?" She asked with a mouthful of chocolate.
"The 'problem'?! The 'problem'?!" The man gesticulated his hands wildly. "You ate half a dozen boxes of sweets in the middle of the store without paying!!"
"No, I didn't, I ate....Uh..." The kid glanced around uneasily. "I, uh...I didn't do that! Well, maybe I did...but I blacked out!"
"More like browned out...in chocolate." The cashier growled.
"It wasn't me!" She protested. "It was--" You pointed to Cole. "--It was him! He helped me!"
"WHAT?!" Cole shrieked.
"Yeah, you think a little kid like me can eat all these chocolates by myself? He totally helped me!"
"Are seriously accusing me of--?!"
"He encouraged me to eat that candy!"
"I did not encourage you to eat all that candy!"
The two were shouting wildly at each other, waving their arms, the screech of their voices echoing throughout the mall and attracting curious stares.
"He is a responsible adult!"
"No, NO--!"
"This situation should not be blamed on me, it should be blamed on him!"
"I told you to behave!"
"He made me, he made me do it! I'm just an innocent bystander, he's my adult supervisor!"
"I told you to behave!"
"You told me to behave, you didn't tell me to behave well!"
"Babysitting your little sister, buddy?" The cashier chuckled. Cole ignored him and dragged the squirming child away.
He dropped her on a bench between a pair of fake palm trees and crossed his arms. "OK, listen up. If I'm going to be your escort, you have to behave."
The girl glared at him with bright blue eyes. "What, I wasn't doing anything, that dummy was--" She sighed. "Fine. Fine. I'll behave."
"Yes, behave."
"Yes, I will behave." She glanced around. "Ooh, cookies!" She hopped off the bench.
"Hey, get back here!" He grabbed her and put her back on the bench. "Seriously kid, you have got to behave. I can't go running after you all day."
"Can we go to the candy store?"
He rolled his eyes. "Will you behave?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Mmph...fine. But you have to stay close--"
"Weeeeee!!!" She raced off, her rain boots clomping.
"Oh, for crying out loud..." Cole trotted after her and nearly passed by a window filled with TVs, where the news was showing. An announcer was saying on the screen; "...And that's why socks get lost in the laundry. In other news, there has been news of a young runaway trying to escape school!"
Cole froze, and stared at the many TVs lined up on the wall. He felt as if his stomach was sinking, and a cold shiver of fear ran down his spine. 'Oh, no....how did they find out so quickly?!' He thought to himself, on the verge of panic.
The male announcer continued. "The runaway's name is Lloyd Garmadon, and after being mysteriously absent at Darkly's Boarding School For Bad Boys, a resident of a nearby town reported seeing the young boy attempting to raid a ice cream truck in the town. Police responded to the call, and caught the child while he was..."
As the announcer droned on, Cole breathed a sigh of relief. He was safe.
"AAUUGGH!!" An ear-piercing scream reverberated throughout the mall. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! YOU ATE ALL THE CANDY!!"
"Uh-oh." Cole muttered. "Not good."
Well that kid's got his priorities straight. He's gonna have a bright future for sure. Wait...
"Babysitting your little sister, buddy?" The cashier chuckled. Cole ignored him and dragged the squirming child away.
He dropped her on a bench between a pair of fake palm trees and crossed his arms. "OK, listen up. If I'm going to be your escort, you have to behave."
The girl glared at him with bright blue eyes. "What, I wasn't doing anything, that dummy was--" She sighed. "Fine. Fine. I'll behave."
"Yes, behave."
"Yes, I will behave." She glanced around. "Ooh, cookies!" She hopped off the bench.
"Hey, get back here!" He grabbed her and put her back on the bench. "Seriously kid, you have got to behave. I can't go running after you all day."
"Can we go to the candy store?"
He rolled his eyes. "Will you behave?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Mmph...fine. But you have to stay close--"
"Weeeeee!!!" She raced off, her rain boots clomping.
"Oh, for crying out loud..." Cole trotted after her and nearly passed by a window filled with TVs, where the news was showing. An announcer was saying on the screen; "...And that's why socks get lost in the laundry. In other news, there has been news of a young runaway trying to escape school!"
Cole froze, and stared at the many TVs lined up on the wall. He felt as if his stomach was sinking, and a cold shiver of fear ran down his spine. 'Oh, no....how did they find out so quickly?!' He thought to himself, on the verge of panic.
The male announcer continued. "The runaway's name is Lloyd Garmadon, and after being mysteriously absent at Darkly's Boarding School For Bad Boys, a resident of a nearby town reported seeing the young boy attempting to raid a ice cream truck in the town. Police responded to the call, and caught the child while he was..."
As the announcer droned on, Cole breathed a sigh of relief. He was safe.
"AAUUGGH!!" An ear-piercing scream reverberated throughout the mall. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! YOU ATE ALL THE CANDY!!"
"Uh-oh." Cole muttered. "Not good."
Well that kid's got his priorities straight. He's gonna have a bright future for sure. Wait...
"You knew exactly what I meant!" Cole shouted in exasperation.
The kid grinned. "No I didn't."
"Yes, you did--!"
She then chanted in a mocking tone. "You didn't specify, you were too vague, I turned it against you! Now let's eat more chocolate!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"You can't stop me, you're just my escort!" She stuck her tongue out at him.
"Oh, yeah?" Cole had a sudden idea. "Just wait 'till I tell...SANTA!!"
The little girl gasped in pure horror, her small jaw slackening, which showed the disgusting mess of melted chocolate and bits of sticky candy in her mouth. Her eyes grew wide. "You wouldn't."
He bit back a grin. "Try me."
She was frozen in shock. "Don't tell Santa."
"Maybe he already knows!"
"How could he? It's like, summer!"
"He watches you all year."
She thought about it for a few seconds. "Maybe he does."
The vexed cashier cleared his sweaty throat. "Ahem. Are you going to pay for all that?"
The blond girl gazed at the sticky damage she had wreaked. "Can all this just be for free?"
"No."
"Why not? It's not that much candy, is it?"
The man sighed in exasperation. "Kid, I have to make a living."
"No, you don't."
He stared at her. "Uh, yeah, I--"
"I AM your living." She then stood up and shouted. "You should all live to PLEASE ME!!"
"Behave well." Cole growled.
She scowled at him. She was opening her mouth to say something when a feminine voice suddenly shrieked. "SUSIE! SUSAN MOIRA ANGELA REED! JUST WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING?!"
Cole whipped around to see a frazzled-looking woman with blond hair matching her daughter's, marching up to the store. Wary of being accused of kidnapping or something, he stepped aside and let her barge past him, shouting. "I've been looking everywhere for you! What do you think you're doing?!"
"Uhh...shop'in?" Susie mumbled, looking very guilty.
"AUGH! What have you done with your best sweater?! It's covered in chocolate!" The mother surveyed that brown, sparkling sugary mess smeared all over the tiles, the empty boxes, and her daughter. "What am I going to do with you?!"
"Sell her to the zoo. The monkeys would love her." Cole muttered under his breath, too softly to be heard.
The woman sighed and picked up Susie. "That's the last time I'm bringing you to the mall, young lady! It's not even noon and already you're making a huge mess! Come on! We're going home!"
"I don' wanna go home! I wanna stay here and eat candy! Wah!" Cole watched with amusement as Mrs. Reed hauled little Susie away, kicking and squirming. Random passersby stopped at stared curiously before grinning or scowling and continuing their shopping.
He shook his head and laughed quietly to himself. "Never again shall I play babysitter for any blond-haired kids." He vowed to himself.
"Hey," He turned around to see the cashier gesturing crossly at the mess. "Who going to pay for all this?!" He demanded.
Cole sighed and reached for his wallet. "How much?"
"Uhh...shop'in?" Susie mumbled, looking very guilty.
"AUGH! What have you done with your best sweater?! It's covered in chocolate!" The mother surveyed that brown, sparkling sugary mess smeared all over the tiles, the empty boxes, and her daughter. "What am I going to do with you?!"
"Sell her to the zoo. The monkeys would love her." Cole muttered under his breath, too softly to be heard.
The woman sighed and picked up Susie. "That's the last time I'm bringing you to the mall, young lady! It's not even noon and already you're making a huge mess! Come on! We're going home!"
"I don' wanna go home! I wanna stay here and eat candy! Wah!" Cole watched with amusement as Mrs. Reed hauled little Susie away, kicking and squirming. Random passersby stopped at stared curiously before grinning or scowling and continuing their shopping.
He shook his head and laughed quietly to himself. "Never again shall I play babysitter for any blond-haired kids." He vowed to himself.
"Hey," He turned around to see the cashier gesturing crossly at the mess. "Who going to pay for all this?!" He demanded.
Cole sighed and reached for his wallet. "How much?"
![[uni]](http://storage.proboards.com/6672327/images/mPKcREJAtrpeAXSOgaOH.png)
I'm so glad. 
