Chapter 21

As soon as Sarah had lit her candles, eased herself into her bubble bath, and shaken up her candy-red nail polish, the phone rang. It stopped immediately when she got to it, her feet bleeding water into the carpet. She bared her teeth, hissing obscenities at it, and at its satisfactory silence, returned to the bathroom.

She slid down into the fragrant, warm froth once more, letting out a delighted sigh.

The phone rang again.

"WHAT?!"

"Golly, Sarah, there's no need to snap a vocal cord," Jimmy uttered from the other end.

"I was in the bath, so this better be good," Sarah ground out.

"I didn't forget your spa day. I thought you knew me better than that."

The redhead fidgeted, tightening her grip on her towel. "Well? What's going on?"

"Nazz is moving someone into her house!"

"What?" She brushed a lock of hair out of her face. "Really?"

"She's helping her mom carry a bunch of luggage into the house. It's all this season's colors, too. There's a-" The staticky noise of movement filled the pause, and when he returned, Jimmy's voice had the uncanny echo it took on when he was peeking out his window. "-a brunette standing on the porch. She's really pretty; probably a size four."

"Are you sure she's moving in?"

"Sarah, you should see the amount of stuff she has. Do you have Ed's binoculars?"

"No." She shot a glare toward her older sibling's room. "He took them back."

"Then you've got two hours since that's how long it'll take to make a batch of my oatmeal pistachio cookies. All right?"

"Yeah, yeah. I can do that. Hey, Jimmy?"

"Yes, Sarah?"

"Don't interrupt me on spa day. Ever. Again."

The rolling of the boy's eyes was all but audible. "I'll see you at eleven."

-x-

"Ngh." Rolf yanked on the makeshift harness. The piglet on the other end squeaked in protest. "Stop this nonsense at once, Ilya! I will rename you if you soil the honor of your ancestors!"

Hooves scrabbling on the sidewalk, the piglet wailed. The blue-haired boy gave another gentle tug and continued dragging her down the street.

"…yeah. So it all worked out perfectly, you know?"

"Wow."

"We're so glad to have you, Emma. If you need anything, you can always stop by."

"Why hello!" Rolf stopped at the open gate, waving at Nazz. "A lovely day for tilling the turnips, yes?"

"Hey, Rolf." The blonde gave a glowing smile. Jimmy and Sarah turned to face him, and the figure beside Nazz became visible. "Rolf, this is my cousin Emma. She's living with me for a couple months."

"Yes, hello," the girl echoed, tucking a strand of long, dark hair behind her ear and blinking her big eyes. "I am sorry about bad English."

"She's German," Sarah added, the fascination evident on her face.

"Rolf?" Nazz frowned. "Dude, are you okay?"

The blue-haired boy swallowed thickly as heat rushed to his face. Emma smiled politely at him while Ilya snuffled in the grass around his feet, wholly uninterested.

"R-Rolf must go," he finally announced. "There is much to do in so little time!"

"I made cookies," Jimmy offered, holding up a heaping, plastic-wrapped plate. "Are you sure you can't-"

"Papa is calling Rolf! Do you not hear it?!"

The four stared at him. He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.

"Y-yes! Farewell! Good day!"

The tall boy turned around and strode back the way he came, the piglet grunting softly as she trotted after him.

The redhead scowled. "What's wrong with him?"

Emma looked at her cousin. "Rolf is very nice. Maybe he is feeling sick?"

The cheerleader shrugged. "I have no idea."

-x-

"KEVIN."

The redhead pitched off the couch, going from fast asleep to wide awake in half a second. "Ngh. What the-"

"He-of-the-bulging-pectorals! Kevin! Rolf requires assistance!"

The panic on his face turned into a scowl. Kevin stalked to the front door, rubbing his jaw where it had collided with the leg of the coffee table.

Rolf burst through the door as soon as it opened. "Kevin! Kevin, Rolf requires assistance!"

"Calm down, man." The jock carefully removed the taller male's hands from where they were death-gripping his shoulders. "What happened?"

"It is time! The dreaded flutterings of anguish and responsibility are upon Rolf! We must season our feet and baste the pumpernickel! MAMA! WE MUST STEW THE SEASONINGS OF MATRIMONY-"

"Jesus, man, they're gonna hear you in London." Kevin's glare had exchanged itself for a rare look of concern. "Quit yellin' and explain what's happening. In English."

"At Nazz-girl's house - there is a - a girl."

"A girl?"

The blue-haired teenager's pupils expanded, his face growing red. "Her hair is the color of freshly-spread manure and her eyes are like ripened green peppers glistening in the morning dew."

Kevin raised an eyebrow. "Gross."

"SHE IS THE MOST LOVELY CREATURE TO STAND BEFORE THE EYES OF ROLF."

"Oh…" The redhead blinked. "Oh."

"Yes," Rolf intoned impatiently. "I require your counsel!"

"Me?"

"Yes!" The redhead crossed his arms and watched as his taller counterpart fell onto his couch. Rolf let out an inhuman sound, tangling his fingers in his hair. "You are the cream of the crop! The bull among the heifers! The beet that cannot be pickled!"

"STOP - just. Stop yelling." He sat on the cushion furthest away from the taller male.

Rolf peeked out from between his fingers. "Is it too early to present to her the ceremonial trimmings from Nana's back?"

"Uh." Kevin grimaced. "It's always too early for that, Rolf." His best friend gazed at him imploringly. "Okay, look - I'll be right back. You're gonna need to take notes for this."

I'm back. o_o Sorry it's been so long. I've been kinda stuck. Once a story gets so "big", I start feeling intimidated and worry that I won't be able to do it justice in later chapters...

Hopefully Nazz's cousin doesn't alienate anyone. I'm not sure how big of a role she'll play (unfortunately for Rolf's sanity.)

The way Rolf says "Nana" in the show is more like ... "Nano" or "Nanaw" or "Nanou" ... I think trying to spell it phonetically would just create more confusion, though. Poor guy.

Expect the next chapter soon!