"IS THAT A TURTLE!!!!!!!!"
"THEY HAVE BIG ALEXANDERS!!!" yelled Laf.
"I'm not a Lion!" screeched Alexander.
Washington was starting to regret taking Alexander and his friends to the zoo. The seven year old boys couldn't contain their excitement.
"Yeah, you're a little baby lion." Laf informed Alexander.
Hercules stood off to the side, confused and quiet. Everyone should be like Hercules Washington though tiredly.
"I'M NOT A BABY LION!!!! DADDDDDDDDDDD!!!!"
"What?" Washington said.
"Am I a baby lion?" asked Alexander innocently, " 'Cause last time I checked I'm a ten year old boy."
"You're not a lion."
"SeEEEEeeeeeee-"
"But that can still be your nickname!" Laf argued back.
"TURTLES!" yelled John excitedly.
+++++++++++++
"OH MY CANDY FLOSS!!!!!!" shouted John as he ran to the glass. Inside was a tortoise munching on some leafy greens.
"Wow." mumbled Hercules. "Cute."
"When can we see the lions?" asked Laf innocently and batted his brown eyes up at Washington. "Cause I gonna throw Alexander in with them-"
"Maybe later." Washington replied.
"Alexander look!" John grabbed Alexander's hand and dragged the skinny boy over to the next tortoise. "Awww isn't he so cute!"
Alexander's face turned bright red. "Yeah, so cute."
"I'm going to call him..." John trailed off, thinking of a name. "Alex! After you!"
"N-Nice."
Laf grabbed Hercule's hand and ran over to the other two boys. "See, I can hold a guy's hand too!"
The boys smiled and laughed before returning their attention back to the animals, hands still intertwined.
+++++++++++++
Washington was surprisingly pleased that the boys had started a game of who can hold their 'partners' hand the longest. It kept everyone close so as to not wander off and the 'teams' kept sneaking glances at each other as if to try and catch the other team eating.
But when they got to the lion exhibit all hell broke loose.
"Herc, help me get Alexander back to his family!" said Laf.
"But my family is here!" Yelled Alexander and he waved his one free hand at Washington and John.
"Noooooo you're a L-I-O-N!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"NO!"
"YES!"
"NO!!"
"YE-"
"Sir, could you please quiet down your children?" asked an irritated worker.
"There not all my kids-"
"NOOOO!!!!!"
"YESSSSSSS!!!!!"
"Would you two please be quiet!" Washington snapped. Silence fell on the group. "Come on, let's go to the penguins."
"Yay!" cheered the kids and they marched to the penguins.
+++++++++++++++
"Can I dress like a penguin?" asked Alexander. The boys had their tiny faces pressed up against the glass, oohing and awing at the birds.
"Yeah, it's called a suit." replied Hercules.
Alexander nodded. "When I marry John I'm gonna be a penguin."
Washington sighed and walked on, the boys chattering behind him.
Laf rolled his eyes. "You can't be a penguin!"
"He can be a penguin." John informed the other boy.
"Seeeee?!" said Alexander.
"Hey Mr. Washington sir, c-can I be a penguin too when I marry Laf?" asked Hercules as his one hand clung to Washington's pants.
Washington looked down and smiled at the boy. "Of course you can."
+++++++++
Hercules' mouth hung open in awe. "Horsies!"
Laf turned and smiled at him. "YEAH!!!"
"Shh, you're gonna scare them off!" Scolded Hercules to which Laf quickly apologized.
"I want to go see the penguins." Alexander complained.
John shook his head at Alexander. "No, Hercules wanted to see the horses so we're gonna see the horses."
Alexander let out an exasperated sigh.
"Mr. Washington sir?" asked Hercules.
"Hmm, yes?"
"What are their names?"
Washington looked over at an information poster. "Uhh, the red-orange one is Renny and that dark brown one is Slug."
"Thank you!" said Hercules before pulling Laf over closer to the horses to get a better look at them."
++++++++++
That night as Washington dropped the kids off there were tears about who won and who lost the hand-holding game. In the end they decided to play it another day.
~~(17 years later)~~
"Remember when Alexander said he wanted to wear a penguin." John asked through a fit of laughs. Years later the boys and their friends came back to play the hand-holding game.
The teams were:
Alexander and John
Laf and Hercules
Maria and Peggy
Aaron and Theodosia
Jefferson and Madison
King George the third and US colonies (Ok this is a joke... or is it?)
Alexander, John, Laf, and Hercules recounted funny stories of seven year old themes to the group.
In all Peggy and Maria won after the fought others grouped to let go of each other. Of course it was late in the evening and everyone was drunk (Expert Aaron) so it was hard to really say who won.
But they laughed, they smiled, they were kids once more. And Washington was still looking over them, even if he wasn't alive anymore.
Should I make another one-shot book? If so, any ideas for what it should be of?
Vote for grandma chocolate chip cookies
- Riley