Just one deal {platonic family snatcher&hat kid}

Chapter 30- Family

"Yes, you do, it's proper etiquette."

...huh? "Ettie-wha?" I asked, trying to say whatever he just said.

"Et-iqu-ette," he annunciated, before explaining, "it's the proper way to act in certain places. Like at the lunch or dinner table."

My brow furrowed, "well your eddie-pet is very silly."

"Etiquette—and it is not," he retorted, "it's polite."

That made me sit up, and I raised an eyebrow. "Since when we're you polite, oh mister 'you walked right into my trap!-here sign this contract young child'."

He smiled a bit, "ok, I admit, maybe I was fully aware I was breaking a bunch of laws—but in my defense, I could have written them out of existence if I wanted to."

"The contracts?"

"No, laws, what the contracts have to follow."

Huh, weird. I was going to say something else when the waiter came waddling over.

"Do youw two know what youw would wlike...?" The waiter seal asked, I nodded and looked at Madison. He looked back and nodded slightly, motioning to the waiter.

Oh... "uhm..." my voice got small all of a sudden, "just the chicken nuggets please..."

The seal nodded and wrote it down with its little flipper on a notepad before it shifted to look at Madison.

"And youw, sir?"

"Just a cup of water for me, thanks though," he replied with a PoLiTe smile. The seal nodded again and started to waddle away.

I watched it go, but Madison's voice drew me back to him, "what were you going to say?"

"Oh-yeah, I'd write a rule to make no more rules," I decided, proud of my conclusion.

Madison laughed, "really?"

"Yup! Rules are dumb," I concluded. obviously, I'm completely right—

"So you'd get rid of a rule of no stealing?" He queried.

I thought about it. I guess I don't like stealing, but I steal too, so I guess it's just a matter of getting back what's yours. I nodded to answer his question, and not a second later my hat was swiped from my head!

"Hey!" I cried and tried to reach for it. but even as I stood on the chair my arms were too short. He put it on top of his ponytail and crossed his arms as he settled back in his chair.

"What? Stealing is ok, so I saw this neat hat and decided I wanted it to be mine," he smirked.

I drew my hand back. Ok, so I really don't like stealing. I sat back down and slumped in the chair slightly. He chuckled, took the hat off, and put it on the table.

"That," he emphasized, "is what rules are for."

I looked at the hat. Huh...guess I didn't think of it like that. They are to help you and other people. Weird. My nuggets got to the table, and I started to chew on one as I thought.