Chapter
Thirteen: Don’t be So Bitter:
I didn’t talk
to anyone around the grill for the rest of lunch. I was still bitter about that
stupid game. They did that on purpose, didn’t they? The crab didn’t even look so
good anymore. Noiz patted me on the back.
“Come on,”
she said. “It’s just a little fun.” I didn’t even look at her. Noiz gave me a
pouting fishy-face.
“Please
smile?” she asked. I turned away. Noiz stood up, clapping.
“Everyone!”
she shouted. “We have a pouty-puss over here!”
“Aw!” the
group said.
“What should
we do?”
“Boogie song!
Boogie song! Boogie song! Boogie song! Boogie song! Boogie song!”
I lifted my
head. “What?”
Noiz clapped
her hands together and began tapping her foot. “Hi-yo! H-yo!”
“Hi-yo!
Hi-yo!” the others chanted, clapping.
“Hi-yo!
Hi-yo!”
“Hi-yo!
Hi-yo!”
“Hi-yo!
Hi-yo!”
“Hi-yo!
Hi-yo!”
“Hi-yo!”
“Hi-yo!”
“Hi-yo!”
“HI-yo!”
Noiz grabbed
be by the arm and pulled me to my feet. I looked around with a blank stare on my
face.
“What are you
doing?” I asked.
“We have
someone potty today!” Noiz sang.
“Oh, not
good,” the group sang back.
“What shall
we do?” Noiz ran her finger among the crowd. “Tommy?”
“Clap our
hands!” Tommy shouted. The group all clapped their hands five times in a
face-paced rhythm. I found myself reluctant to follow along.
“Hi-yo!
Hi-yo!”
“Hi-yo!
Hi-yo!”
“Hi-yo!
Hi-yo!”
“Hi-yo!
Hi-yo!”
“Hi-yo!”
“Hi-yo!”
“Hi-yo!”
“HI-yo!”
“What should
we do now?” Noiz asked. “Ruriko!”
“Hop!”
Everyone got
up and started hopping. Noiz held onto my shoulders as she jumped up and down.
My head felt like a bobble-head doll.
What
the hell are we doing? The cheesy song won on until everyone in the group
got a chance to shout out a goofy command. At the end, we fell out tired in the
rain. I turned my head towards Noiz.
“Hey, Noiz,”
I said. She looked me in the eye.
“Yeah?” she
asked.
“What was the
whole point of that?”
“To get you
to smile.”
“Huh?”
Noiz sat up
with a smile matching for catlike nature. “To get you to smile and I succeeded.”
I tilted my
head. “When?”
“I counted
about ten times during our song.”
“I did not.”
“Yes, you
did.”
“No, I
didn’t.”
“If you say
so.” She giggled as I puffed up my cheeks, frowning. “Anyway, don’t be so bitter
at their joking.”
I gave her a
puzzled look. “Huh?”
“They don’t
do it to be mean,” Noiz explained. “They are a goofy bunch.”
I snorted.
“They have a funny way of showing it.”
“Aw,” she
said, patting me on the head. “It’ll grow on you. Smile for me again, please?”
Noiz looked at me like a sweet little kitten. I sighed and broke into a smile.
She patted me on the head again.
“Atta girl,” she said. I will never get her or friends
on this island.