Roses & Ferns (An OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes Love Story)

Chapter 27: YOU LIVE HERE?!

By Jen Joyce

On the last chapter of: "Roses and Ferns", and the second chapter of the "Old Wounds, New Friends" Arc

Raymond and Ernesto have a small talk on how Raymond's been feeling and why he was yelling prior to Ernesto coming in. After getting a quick flashback of Raymond and Fern on their first date, Ernesto -- and by extension, the readers -- learn that Raymond's worried about what Shannon's plan is about and what will happen if Fern's plan doesn't work. After a quick sibling hug, Ernesto began sneaking Raymond out of Boxmore. But how are Carol, K.O., and Fern doing? What happened to them, and how do they get those ting ships to fit inside those glass bottles?! Well, maybe that last one isn't as important, but the answer to it is that they're made inside of them. But, back to the story!

   After Carol got back to K.O. and Fern, all three of them began walking again, following Fern's lead with K.O. on lookout and Carol on high alert for any approaching civilians with active phones or cameras on them. Fern had been looking for a particular marking on a nearby tree; the mark is a lone tree with about five feet of clearing away from the other trees.

   'Come on, come on. Where are you?' Fern thought worrisomely.

   "Any signs of people coming this way, Peanut?" Carol asked, listening for incoming footsteps.

   "Nope!" K.O. responded, leaning forward on his sitting spot of the hover trolly. "No one at all!"

   "Good, hey, good news Fern, no one's comin' toward us!" Carol said, looking towards Fern, only to find that she was looking elsewhere. "Uh, Fern?" Carol put a hand on Fern's shoulder, causing the latter to flinch.

   "Huh? D-Did you say something, Carol?" Fern asked, startled by the sudden physical contact.

   "Y-Yeah, K.O. doesn't see anyone comin' and I don't hear any footsteps, so I think we're in the clear for now." Carol said worry drizzled on her words. "Are...you feeling okay? You seemed a little distant lately."

   "O-Oh, well, I-I'm just worried. I-I mean, what if things don't go as planned? I can only imagine what Shannon and the others have planned for me when they come." Fern shivered slightly, just the thought of something even remotely similar to bullying never failed to make her shiver in fear.

   "Hey," Carol said in a comforting tone. "I'm sure whatever plan ya got, it won't fail. Besides, you've got me, K.O., and Raymond ta back you up." Fern smiled, knowing that she's got two fighters backing her up, just in case things get ugly. "Thanks, Carol."

   Fern looked ahead of her and saw the tree that she was looking for. 'Finally, about time I found you.' Fern stopped walking, surprising the mother and son duo.

   "What's wrong, Fern?" K.O. asked, getting off of the hover trolly. "N-Nothing, K.O., we've just reached the path to my place. Fern said, looking at the creepy, spooky, and over-grown path that leads into Hero's Forest.

   "Uh...are you sure your place is down that path?" Carol asked, pointing down the path, hugging her child slightly.

   "Y-Yeah," Fern said, looking away from the duo. "It'll make more sense when we get there." Fern began walking on the path, Carol and K.O. following suite; Carol was holding her child under her arm very tightly. The mood between the three was filled with thick silence, Fern leading the way, while Carol was walking just behind Fern, carrying K.O. under her arm.

   "So-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o," Carol said, stretching the "o" out way too much. "Is this a shortcut to your house, or...?"

   "Uh, it's something like that," Fern said, trying to keep a hold on the hover trolly as the group began reaching the more overgrown part of the path. "Just...don't judge me about how my...house looks when we get there, okay?" Fern asked, looking over to Carol, a soft dab of both sensitivity and embarrassment in her eyes.