Later...
Mumble and Johnny were sitting in a small diner with Gloria and Chrysta, who had gotten all four of them kicked out of the show for fighting. Gloria was covered in bumps and bruises, the only serious of which was a five centimetre long scratch on her left cheek, whereas Chrysta sported a right eye that was blacker than the feathers of an adult Emperor penguin, with a small bird feather up her left nostril to stop the blood that was still gushing out after her confrontation with Gloria.
"Okay" Johnny started. "It has come to my attention that you two don't like each other."
"Ha. That's an understatement!" Chrysta snapped sarcastically.
"Indeed" Johnny responded, less than impressed. "Okay, so, if you ask me, I believe an apology is in order."
"Yes. Perfect" Gloria interrupted. "Exactly what I was thinking."
"Uh, Gloria" Mumble said quietly. "I think Johnny means an apology from you."
"WHAT! AN APOLOGY FROM ME? WHY SHOULD I APOLOGISE TO HER? LOOK AT MY FACE!" Gloria reacted aggressively, pointing to the scratch on her cheek.
Chrysta just shrugged her shoulders and said under her breath "If you ask me it's an improvement."
Unfortunately Gloria heard this comment and shouted "OH, THAT IS IT!" before sending herself and Chrysta rollicking to the floor, knocking over the table in the process.
Much later...
The four of them were sat at another table at another restaurant, due to Gloria and Chrysta getting them kicked out for fighting (again). The only difference this time was that Chrysta now had a bird feather up her right nostril as well as her left, almost perfectly symmetrical in a way.
"Well, I think we can all agree that last time didn't work so well" Johnny started. "I realise now that we need to know why you two hate one another. Do you mind going first, Chrysta."
"Don't mind at all" Chrysta said proudly, before counting Gloria's "flaws" with her fingers. "Little Miss Emperor Land over here is arrogant, stuck up, and actually, she really is stupid."
"What the fish is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that, you think your singing is so good, when even I sing better than you."
"Come on, Carrie."
"It's Chrysta!"
"Yeah, yeah. But, do you really think you have a shot at beating me at the exams."
"Actually, I do have a shot at beating you in the exams."
"Do not."
"Do too."
"Do not!"
"DO TOO! Think about it. Were you even listening. Everybody thinks I sing like an angel. Even Tony Lazarus thinks so. How could I possibly lose?"
"Because you're a FREAK! and that's what's supposed to happen. I win and you lose."
"Check the scoreboards, Gloria. Not anymore!"
"Well, I think it's time we counted your flaws, Cassie" Gloria said smugly before making her list. "You're an Arctic Fox. You don't belong here. Who even brought you to Antarctica in the first place?"
"If you must know, my parent's did."
"Oh, yeah. Mr and Mrs Wolfsworth were even bigger idiots than you!"
"You take that back!" Chrysta said, tears starting to fill her eyes.
"Bringing their family to somewhere where they would never fit in. And I guess they never saw that leopard seal coming."
"I SAID SHUT UP!" Chrysta shouted, lunging at Gloria's throat, knocking over a table and a waiter in the process.
"Damn it" Johnny said. "We didn't even get to order this time."
Much, much later...
After that previous escapade, not only were the four of them kicked out of that diner, but no other restaurant would let them in for the rest of the night. It was because of this that they just went back to Mumble and Chrysta's room, sitting on the beds for their intervention.
"Okay, so, I guess it's not going to work with you two talking to each other, so Mumble and I have decided that we will each talk to our respective room-mates alone."
And with that, Gloria and Johnny exited the room, talking just outside the door, leaving Chrysta and Mumble alone. After a brief awkward silence, Mumble opened his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by Chrysta.
"WHO DOES THAT SNOT NOSED LITTLE INGRATE THINK SHE IS! OH YEAH, JUST BECAUSE SHE WAS BORN LITTLE MISS PERFECT AND EVERYBODY ELSE LOVES HER MAKES HER BETTER THAN EVERYBODY ELSE!"
"Now Chrysta, just calm down for a mi-
"WHAT GIVES HER ANY RIGHT TO TREAT ME LIKE THAT! SHE SAYS SOMETHING MEAN TO ME AND NOW EVERYBODY'S ON HER SIDE! I MEAN, I CAN BE JUST AS MEAN AS SHE CAN! SHE SINGS LIKE AN ANGEL, I SING LIKE A GODDESS! SHE HITS ME INTO THE FLOOR, I WALLOP HER INTO NEXT WEEK!"
"CHRYSTA PLEASE!" Mumble said, his voice suddenly going louder than usual. "You really think that just because she hits or insults you gives you right to do the same?"
"Ha, of course. Like my brother always says. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. And frankly, I-
"Yes but there's another saying. Treat others the same way that you want to be treated."
"We all have to get respect somehow, Mumble."
"And is this how you want to get respect? through violence and fear?"
These words made Chrysta think for a moment about her actions. She then wiped the blood from her lips and hugged Mumble tightly,whispering a small "I'm sorry" in his ear. Mumble was surprised with what Chrysta was doing. He had never been hugged before. It felt good. "Thank you Chrysta" he said.
Just then Gloria came back in with Johnny, the first thing she saw being Mumble and Chrysta hugging. This angered Gloria momentarily, before she just shrugged it off. After all, friends hug all the time, right? That was until...the kiss. As Chrysta hugged Mumble she gave him a small friendly peck on his right cheek. Seeing her hug Mumble made Gloria angry, but seeing her kiss Mumble made her go bezerk.
"THAT IS IT! LET ME AT HER! LET ME AT HER!" she screamed as she lunged at Chrysta, only to be pulled back by Johnny with all the strength he had. "YOU CAN SHOW ME UP AT THE SING-OFF'S! YOU CAN SCRATCH MY FACE OFF, BUT SEDUCING MY BEST FRIEND RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME? NO WAY!"
"Now calm down, calm down. Try not to lose your temper" Johnny said panicking.
"You know what, Johnny" Chrysta said calmly. "Mumble over here has given me an idea of what I have to say to Gloria."
"Really" Mumble asked, surprised.
"Yes, Mumble. I know just what I have to do".and with that, she bent down so that she was eye-level with the slightly shorter Gloria, and said "Gloria, I think I have something to say to you."
"Okay" Gloria responded.
However, contradictory to the apology they were all expecting, Chrysta instead said "I am gonna wipe the floor with you at the exam!"
"Oh, please" was Gloria's response to this as she shrugged off Johnny. "You're not even half as good a singer as I am."
"You're right. I am not half as good as you. I'm twice as good as you! Just you wait, little miss Emperor Land. I am gonna be spinnin' circles around you this year!"
"Yeah, I would like to see that, Courtney" Gloria mocked as she left the room, with Johnny following.
"Oh, yeah" Chrysta said as she put her previously discarded glasses back on. "And don't worry, Gloria. You're gonna see it. Everybody is!"
Next chapter: Winter Barnes