Sweet Tea

The sugar glider was sitting on top of the dryer, purring softly as she felt the vibrations moving through her body, large ears filled with headphones blaring music.  Clutched in her paws was a small black address book, one of the last things that she had gotten from her mother after her passing.  It had been a few weeks to a month, she wasn’t sure to be honest, her mother died and she had decided to set out and find her father, to let him know what happened.  That and let him know just what she thought of him and the way that she thought he had done them.

Closing the book as she felt the dryer stopping under her, stretching her legs out and hopping down from her seat, she opened it and started pulling clothes out and piling them into her basket.  She had been living in her car the whole time but she wasn’t letting that stop her from being clean and looking nice.  Even now she was dressed in loose fitting clothes to keep from messing with her movement, with the flaps of furred flesh that was connected to her arms and legs.

She took a few moments to get her clothes folded up before scooping the basket up and heading out to her car.  Popping the back door of the old fifties woodie and slipping the basket into the back.  Before setting out she had turned the back into a small sleeping place.  Sitting on the bumper of the bright blue car she pulled out a map, looking over it and nodding as she found the place she was looking for.

Getting up and closing the back of her car she made her way around to the front and got in, starting her car.  Her woodie might have been old, but it was well taken care of, she was thankful for the friends that she had back home for helping her.  Soon, from following the route that she had burned into her mind, the dark blue-grey furred glider pulled into the parking lot of a library, parking and getting out.  Slipping in and right for the computers, she had something to look for.

Sitting down at one of the computers, she pulled out the small black book, turning it to the first page that she had marked.  The little book itself looked like it was made more of a post it notes and bookmarks of all different colors.  The glider had everything in some order, each color relating to something important, today, she opened it to the first red marker and started searching through any available avenues.

“Need any help,”  bubbly voice asked from behind her. She turned to see a red panda who looked to be in her mid to early twenties, though it was hard to really tell with the pink flowery t-shirt and blue jeans. The ensemble only made the lanyard with her library  badge stand out like a sore  thumb.

“Something like that.”  The glider said, smiling a little at the sight of the red panda girl and just how loudly she was dressed.  “I’m….I’m looking someone up to make sure that they are still around before I go visit them.”  She said opening up the black book and pointing to one of the names with a red mark beside it.

The panda pulled out a chair and sat down as she asked, “Did you try the phonebook? We have them archived for years. I like using them better than the interwebs. I keep getting all sorts of people that aren’t the right one on there.”

“If it finds me what I need then I’m all for it.”  She said nodding and closing the little book.  “Kill two birds with one stone, lead the way.”  She said scooting her chair back to get up.

Leading the way to the reference section the red panda asked, “ so how long ago did they live here? we can start with that. At least then we will know if they were listed or not.” As soon as they arrived at the shelf with the phonebooks, she began pulling a few off and setting them on the floor. “looking stuff up is always fun,” she said as she glanced over her shoulder and added, “but not as much fun as hiding out in the romance novels when it gets quiet.”

“Ummmm, about twenty, twenty five years ago.”  She said looking around the room before walking up to the panda girl, sitting down with her.  “Big reader in general I take it?  Romance novels are fun, but I kinda like fantasy a little more.”  She said with a little snicker before picking up one of the books and starting to flip through it.

The panda ran her finger across the spined of several books still on the shelf before pulling out. “I’m Maiyumi, but everyone just calls me Redd.”  She stretched out on her belly in the middle of the aisle, and propped her head on one paw as she opened the phonebook in front of her. The sight almost looked like a young teen as the panda kicked her footpaws in the air.

The glider giggled a little as she watched the panda girl.  “It’s nice to meet you, my name is Alice.”  She said as she walked up and joined the other girl on the floor, smiling as she stretched out on the floor, letting her tail flop as she looked over the book with her.  “You know, you’re adorable.”  She said, blushing softly.

“Hu?” she sounded when she looked up from the phonebook, as if distracted from an engrossing novel. “Oh, yeah I guess,” the red panda said, “But I think most people call it ditzy, not adorable.”

“You kinda are…..but that makes it cute.”  She said with a little snicker.  “And, thank you for helping me.”  Alice said smiling and putting her hand on Redd’s hand.   “It means a lot to me.”

Redd looked back at the book as she said, “It’s something to do, I read almost all the good books. And we’re not due to get anything new for a while.”  The woman seemed to be getting back in her her rhythm of eyes gliding across the pages at unrealistic speed, the pages flipping almost as fast as she turned from one to the other. “I have to spend all day here anyway.”

“Sounds like a blast.”  She said cocking her eyebrow at the speed that she was going through the book.  “You know I might have some of my old books in the woodie.”  She said smiling.

“mmhmm.” the sound came from the girls unmoving lips as if she made it only to acknowledge the presence of the sugar glider. After a moment she sat up and said, “I wonder if they were unlisted?”

“Well….maybe they moved?”  She said shrugging and pulling the book out of her back pocket, opening it and flipping to the page.  “It might be just another dead end.”  Alice said shaking her head.

“Um, What are you looking for?” She asked as she tilted her head to one side.

“I’m…...well I’m looking for someone.”  She said closing the book.  “I’m looking…..for my dad.”  She said with a little sigh.

“Oh,” Redd questioned, “What happened? Is it like one of those he gave you up for adoption things and you want to find him or something?” She went wide-eyes as she shifted dramatically to a different  hypothesis. “Or was is like abducted by some strange group that only left enough clues for you to barely follow? Have you called the cops? He might be in witness protection or something.”

“I think that you might have read too many books.”  Alice said with a little snicker.  “Nothing like that really.  Mom died a few weeks ago, and well I decided that it was time to find him.  All that I know is that he got her knocked up and stuck around a little before leaving.”  She said holding up the black book.  “This is about the only clues that I have about him….is that he is one of the names in here…..that or someone knows something about him.”

The red panda nearly snagged the book out of  Alice’s paws as she began to flip through it and eagerly drink in the handwritten letters on the pages. “Oh, this is so awesome. So you’re like on a cross country trip looking for the father you never knew and all you have to go on is a list of names and you don’t even know if he is one of them? He could be anyone, Like a truck driver that stopped in that town once and might not even know he has a daughter. Or he could be some government agent that left to protect you from his work. Or…. He could be a prince from some other country that can’t acknowledge you without giving up his throne and riches.”

“From what mom told me, he knows that he has a daughter.”  Alice said shrugging.  “As for the cross country thing, it’s not that great…..living in one’s car isn’t that great even if it has a big back seat.”  She said shaking her head.  “And I don’t think that he is any of that…..I would shit a brick if I found out that my father was some kind of prince.”  She said stopping for a moment.  “If he is, I would come back and buy you every book that you could handle.”

“Oh,” Redd said shocked, “I work at a library, I can get any book I want. you don’t need to do anything like that.” As if on cue, her stomach rumbled  just as she stopped talking. She smiled weakly as she said, “I guess I forgot to eat again.”

“Well it sounds like you could use something to eat.”  Alice said with a little snicker.  “Can you take a break?  We can go get something to eat.”  The glider said smiling softly at the red panda.

Redd’s eyes went wide as she jumped to her feetpaws and said, “I was supposed to have lunch with Hottie, She’s gonna kill me if I forget again.” The red panda ran out of that archive area back toward the counter at the entrance to the building. A moment after leaning half way over the counter and grabbing something, her body fell limp, her upper half hidden from public view while her legs, thick fluffy tail, and rump sat on the customer side for the world to see.

“Well that’s something that you don’t see too often.”  Alice said as she walked up to the red panda that was slumped over the counter.  “Hey, you ok there?  You playing possum there?”  She asked reaching out and putting a hand on her shoulder, nudging her softly.

“She’s out of town, on another consulting job,” the red panda said, the sound of relief evident in her voice. “I missed her text like two hours ago.” 

“Well then it looks like you are free for dinner.”  The glider said with a little snicker.  “You know the lay of the land, so I’ll let you lead the way.”  She said glancing over the panda’s tail, trying hard to not just reach out and wrap her arms around it.

She tuned and slit to the floor with her back to the counter while she tapped out a text on her phone. “Well, I don’t have a car, Hottie usually drives us everywhere. I have to use the bus when she’s out of town.” she looked up at the sugar glider and said, We can go to my place, it gets kinda lonely when she’s out of town.”

“Well I have the car thing covered.”  Alice said smiling and snickering a little.  “And sure, a couch would be nice….the back of the woodie is getting a little worn out.”  She said holding her hand out to the panda.  “I’ll be your driver in exchange for crash space.”

“Oh,” Redd’s eyes light up  as she bounced to her feet. “It’ll be like a sleepover, we can order pizza and watch movies and do each other's hair.”  She looked back toward the offices and shouted, “Miss Jones, I'm going to leave for the day. Do you need anything before I go?” After a while with no answer she smile and tilted her head toward the door.

“Sounds good to me.”  She said with a little giggle.  “So are you always this….bubbly?”  Alice asked as she started walking with the red panda, leading her to her old car.  “Now…..my car might not be much…..but damn it, she is mine….and has been with me for…..years.”  She said pointing to the blue, 50’s woodie that was parked in the lot.

“Oh, it’s nice,“ Redd said with a smile, “I wish I had a car. Hottie has a basic sadan, She takes good care of it, but it’s kind of plain.”

“My mom gave me my car, and I have taken care of it since, she told me that it was hers and it was a gift to me.”  Alice said as she walked up to the driver’s side door and opening it.  “I have had to do a lot of work to it, but it’s still running and treating me good.”  She said as she leaned over, unlocking the door for Redd.  “Your chariot awaits.”

Alice followed the red panda up the stairs to the third floor apartment. “Thats one way to stay in shape,” the sugar glider said as Redd stepped up to the apartment door and fumbled with a ring of color coded keys.

“Oh, I know right, “ the panda replied. “Sometimes I’ll see Hottie running up and down them for hours. She’s a real fitness buff.” When she opens the door they find themselves in a well furnished modest sized apartment for two. Just inside the rood was the walk in kitchen with  breakfast counter separating it from the rest of the open room. Ot the other was  a dining area with a small table with two chairs. the rest of the room has a couch, coffee table and two overstuffed chairs. One wall was lined with bookshelves while the other have a large picture of an ocean scape. The far wall was not much more than a sliding glass door leading to a balcony that overlooked the apartment parking lot. There was not television or even stereo in the common room, leaving it for entertaining guests from the looks of it.

“This is a nice place.”  Alice said as she took a few steps into the room, looking around.  “Hottie has nice taste it seems.”  She said walking around, looking over different things.  “And as for all that fitness stuff…..yeah…..I will get out and go for a run, but man, fuck stairs.”  She said with a little snicker, stopping at the kitchen table and having a seat.  “So you said something about pizza.”

“Oh, yeah,” the red panda said grabbing the sugar glider by the paw and pulling her out of the chair. “We can order some, I have the menu in my room. I get the room with the bath tub, Hottie likes showers so I get to take a bubble bath whenever I want.” The girl seemed giddy as she pulled her new acquaintance through a door leading into what almost looked like a different world. Everything in the room was some shade of pink fluffy cuteness. It was like stepping into a cub’s dream room. The  bed was piled high with stuff animals of every variety. The walls were covered with posters of cartoon and anime characters. mounted on the wall across from the bed was a mid sized flat panel T.V. the screen was framed by the outline by the head of a popular international cartoon character. 

“It’s…...it’s so pink…..and…..You sure that this is your room and you don’t share it with a cub?”  Alice asked looking around, taking in the sight of the countless plushies and fluffy things on the bed, her mind wandering to just how the panda could sleep sharing the bed with them all.  The whole time that she was walking around the room she was starting to smile more and more.  “N….not that it’s a bad thing.”  She said softly.

“I’ve been collecting this stuff since I was a little cub,” Redd admitted as she jumped at the bed knocking the plushies to the floor before sitting up and rummaging through a drawer in the night stand. “sit, We’ll look at the movies once we get the pizza ordered. You want anything special? I think I get a free medium this time.”

“Well I do like Hawaiian, but anything is good for me.”  She said as she watched her new friend digging through  a drawer.  “I’m not that picky when it comes to food.”  Alice said as she reached down scooped up one of the fallen plushies, absentmindedly holding it to her chest.

“Ooo, I like Hawaiian, do you mind if I add back olives to that?” Without waiting for an answer she dialed then her cell phone and  started to talk, “Yeah… no she’s out of town again… can you add black… I guess I do order the same thing too much… My card says I have… You already started a new card for me? you’re so sweet.” after a few moments she hung up and slipped off the bed onto the floor. “It should be here in about forty-five or so.” She pulled a plastic bin out from under the bed and popped it open revealing a selection of DVDs as she asked, “What kind of movies do you like?”

Alice sat down next to the other girl on the floor, almost feeling like she was back in school as she looked down at the selection of anime and cartoon movies with the few scattered in  action flicks with hot guys adopting the covers.  “Ooooooooh.  You have Azumanga Daioh.”  She said, squeaking out happily before blushing and giggling a little.

“Oh I love that series, I have the Manga for it too,” the red panda said with a giddy smile while she pulled the first of the set out of the tub and jumped back up on the bed to slip it into the dvd player on the nightstand. As she lay on the bed she pulled off her shirt, leaving only her pink lacy bra covering her breasts, and started to fiddle with the buckle on her belt.

The sugar glider blushed as she saw her new friend stripping out of her clothing down to her undies.  “Oh…..ummmm.”  She squeaked out, blushing a little  “I can step out of the room if you want to get changed into some night clothes.”  She said trying not to stare too hard at the girl, blushing.

“We’re both girls,” the red panda said with a smile. “I don’t have anything you don’t, so it’s not like changing in front of a boy or anything.” She sat up after kicking off her pants leaving her in a pair of cartoon character panties.”Unless you’re into girls,”she teased as she pushed her breasts together with her arms and wiggled her chest at the sugar glider.

The sugar glider blushed darkly at the comment.  “Ummmm and just what if I am?”  She asked, poking her tongue out.  “And I have things that you don’t.”  She said as she started wiggling out of her shirt, leaving herself in just her bra and jeans.  “I have amazing wing flaps.”  She said as she started wiggling out of her pants and tossing them to the side.  “And if I take my undies off, then I can be a blanket.”  She said with a giggle.

The red panda crawled over to the edge of the bed on her hands and knees as she looked at the other girl in astonishment. “The look so soft,” she said, absentmindedly reaching out toward Alice.

“Well I do keep my fur nice and soft.”  She said with a little snicker.  “The flaps are bigger, but with the bra and panties on, I’m a little tied up.”  Alice said smiling and holding an arm out for the panda.

Redd touched the velvety furred  membrane as she said, “You have got to be one of the best cuddle buddies ever.” She stopped and rolled across the bed, landing on her paws on the other side as she  went to pull a set of pink pajamas out of the dresser. She looked back at Alice and asked, “Oh, did you need to bring anything up to sleep in? You can borrow one of mine if you want.”

“well I tend to sleep naked.”  She said blushing a little, “but if that’s a little much for you, I’m sure that you have something that’s loose enough for me to wear.”  She said leaning back and resting her elbows on the floor.  “It’s just easier for me to sleep… and well be naked because of my wing flaps.”

“Oh… um… we can do that too I guess,” the red panda said with a smile as she put the night cloths back in her drawer. “I mostly wear them because I like the feel of them on my fur. It’s kinda like being cuddled, like my mom used to do… when I was little.” Redd blushed a little, visible only in the light fur of her ears. She looked at the floor with her paws behind her back, swinging her hips from side to side like a young child, as the movie sat on the opening menu screen and said, “I… I don’t normally do stuff like this, have people I don’t know spend the night, but I don’t like being alone. It’s a little embarrassing, but I guess I get scared being alone.” 

“So you want me to stay here with you, and be a security blanket?”  The glider asked with a little giggle.  “Well, it’s a good thing that I like to pretend to be a blanket.”  Alice said as she reached behind her back and started unbuttoning her bra.  

Redd sat back down on the bed in her bra and panties as she asked, “How does that work? Pretending to be a blanket?”

“Just like it sounds.”  Alice said smiling and standing up, stretching out a little.  “If you want to I can show you just how it works.”

Intrigued the red panda laid down on the bed and watched the sugar glider. “Do… you you have to take off all you clothes to do it?”

“Yes, if I want to be a full blanket.”  She said smiling and snickering a little as she wiggled out of her panties.  Once she was out of them she started climbing onto the bed and laying next to the red panda.  “And now…..blanket mode….go.”  She said smiling as she stretched out, laying one arm and leg over the panda, her wing flap covering her like a blanket would.  “See.”

“Do… do you want me to be naked too?” Redd asked, putting her nose to Alice’s and looking in her eyes.

The sugar glider blushed as she felt the cool nose of the panda pressing against her’s so lightly.  “Ummmm, that’s up to you…..if you like sleeping or cuddling naked…..I’m totally fine with that.”  She said smiling and tilting her head up a little to lick Redd’s nose.

“You’re pretty,” the panda said. “Are… are you into girls?”

“I…...I am.”  Alice said blushing and smiling softly as she went back to looking the panda girl in the eyes, letting their noses touch again.  “I have been for as long as I can remember…..I think that I had a crush on like one guy.”  She said snickering.

As the red panda looked into the sugar glider’s eyes she said, “I’ve never been with a girl before. I… I’ve never really been with a guy before… well only once.” She blushed

“I like girls more, there is just something about them.”  Alice started out.  “The shape of their bodies…..they way that they smell…..the cute little sounds that they make.”  She said pausing, starting to blush dark.

As the two blushed at each other, both obviously thinking the same thing, the sound of the doorbell rang through the apartment. “Oh my god, the pizza,” Redd said as she frantically rolled out of the bed and fumbled to put her t-shirt back on. She trotted out of the room, her panties still visible  at the edge of the shirt. Several moments later she reruned with the pizza box in her paws. “We can… um… I forgot I didn’t eat,” the panda said as her stomach rumbled.

“Like I said…..you are just too cute.”  Alice said snickering softly as she sat up.  “And I say that we have some of that yummy pizza and then pick up on the cuddles.”  She said smiling, blushing softly.  “And you know that you could see your panties right?”

“It was only Ted, He delivers here all the time,” Redd said with a smile, “I think he wants to try and get a peek at Hottie. He always asks if she’s here.”

“Well then, set that sucker down and lets get to eating.”  Alice said smiling as she slipped down onto the floor, sitting cross legged.  “This Hottie must be a looker or something if he is always trying to get a look at her.”

taking a slice of pizza, Redd said, “Oh, she’s slim and fit. always working out at the gym. But she’s got that toned body thing, you know  not all greasy muscles stacked on other muscle  bodybuilders or anything. Most of the guys from the gym don’t mess with her through. I think it’s because she makes them feel… inadequate.”

“So she is like a tomboy?”  Alice asked, tilting her head a little.  “I like tomboys, but there is something about the girly girls.”  She said with a little snicker, “kinda like you.”  She said as she took a bite of the slice of pizza that she had gotten.

Redd giggled at the glider’s comment, “Tomboy? I guess you could say that. She a hyena, and a lot of guys don’t like seeing…” She trailed off and pointed toward her crotch, “you know.”

“So she has…..one of those…...pseudoa dick things?”  Alice said cocking an eyebrow.  “Or is she like a herm?”

“Yeah, and she wears spandex around the apartment and to the gym all the time,” the red panda said giggling. 

“Oh my…..is she hung?”  Alice giggled as she kept munching on the pizza, “She just pops a boner and puts all the boys to shame.”  She said standing up and moving her hand down to her crotch, pretending to grab a cock that wasn’t there.  “Yeeeeeeah…..come get it boys.”

“Oh she’s not like that. It’s just that guys see it and…” She paused for a moment looking up in thought, “I don’t know, It might just be that they are too obsessed with themselves.”

“That sounds like most guys for you.”  The sugar glider said as she sat back down, snickering a little as she went back to eating. 

“I know right,” the red panda said as she flopped over on the floor, “what ever happened to opening doors for girls and stuff?” She sat up again quick as she said, “Oh I didn’t even think about where you would sleep, I guess we can share my bed. Hottie wouldn’t react well if she got home to a stranger on the couch.”

“Well in that case, we could just invite her to join us….I mean, there is nothing wrong with a threesome.”  Alice said, holding a serious look for just a few seconds before bursting out into a fit of giggles.  “And with someone as cute as you, I wouldn’t mind sharing a bed.”  She said blushing darkly.  “I will even be the blanket.”

“That would be nice,” Redd said with a smile. “come on,” she said as she picked up the pizza box and got on the bed, ‘We still have a movie to watch.”

“That sounds good to me.”  She said with a little giggle, still blushing a little as she joined her new friend.  Once again she put an arm and a leg over the red panda, covering her with her wingflaps, murring softly as she snuggled up to her, smiling softly.

Redd leaned back against Alice as she let out a soft mur, “I could get used to this.” She grabbed ahold of the sugar glider’s wrists and pulled her arms tighter around her as if they were the corners of a real blanket. “You’re warm like an electric blanket only  softer and sweet smelling.” she buried her snout in the other girls arms as she inhaled deeply. “Oh my god, you really do smell like candy.”

“Ummmm.”  Alice squeaked out as she held her new friend tighter.  “I do….I have a thing for sweets….and sweet smelling things….and candy to.”  She said smiling and resting her head on top of Redd’s.

“So… um… what are your plans after tonight?” Redd asked with slightly sad tone in her voice.

“Well I’m here in town for another day or three, but after that, I’m moving on to the next stop.”  She said stopping for a moment to think.  “I think that the place is something Cliff…..some town in New Hampshire.  Were my next lead is.”  She said snuggling her close.

“Oh,” the red panda said softly, disappointment clear in her tone. “Well, maybe I can help you more tomorrow.”

Alice smiled and snickered a little bit.  “I think that I will just take a day off from looking tomorrow.”  She said softly, “I think that I will spend it hanging out with a red panda.”  She said licking at one of Redd’s ears.  “Plenty of time to look into that dead end….I mean, I just ride by the place on the way out.”

“That sounds fun,” Redd mumbled as she pulled the nude sugar glider’s arms around her, using her as much like a blanket as she could. “You’re so warm and soft. ”

“Sounds like a date to me…..or just a thing that friends do.”  Alice said blushing and wiggling a little as she snuggled close to her new friend, purring softly as she licked at the red panda’s ears.

Redd giggled at the sensation of being licked. “Stop that, it tickles,” she said as she rested her head on  Alice’s breasts as if snuggling into a comfortable bed. “You know, if I didn’t have to worry about Hottie, I’d ask if you wanted to stay.”

“I take it that she is like super strict or something like that?”  The sugar glider said, purring happily as she rested her muzzle between the panda’s ears.  “Kinda like a big sister.”

The red panda yawned  as she replied, “She… has trust issues or something. She never brings anyone home and I guess she doesn’t like it much when I do either. Like something’s going to happen.”

“I’m fine with taking the time to get to know her and date you and all that stuff first.”  She said with a little snicker.  “I know how that thing can be, my mom was like that.”

Redd tilted her head to look up at her as she said, “Dating? I… um... “ she trailed off as she appeared to avoid the subject. “You can’t just live in your car. They'd eventually arrest you for vagrancy. And I’m sure Hottie wouldn’t let you stay here… not without a job and stuff. Sometimes I think she doesn’t even want me here, the way she acts after some of her jobs.” She yawned again, like a young cub as she pulled the sugar glider’s arms tighter around her. “It’s like she’s trying to hide from something, and is scared to let anyone get close incase they find out about it. It’s almost like a spy novel or something, and some secret agency is going to show up at our door and take her away.” She yawned again as her tail curled around Alice’s leg.

“I don’t know about all that, I mean, it sounds like she is just worried about you in some way, and as for the coming home and being miffed or acting different, yeah, I have had days where by the time that I got home from work I was ready to kill someone.”  Alice said, purring a little louder as she felt the red panda pulling her closer and wrapping her tail around her leg.  “And if she doesn’t mind me crashing on the sofa or your bed, then I’m fine with finding a job and all that.”  She said with a little yawn of her own.

As the sugar glider waited for a response from her companion she felt moisture filter through her chest fur. slowly the panda’s breathing became deeper and more steady as the sound of light snoring started to reach her ears.

It didn’t take long for the glider to figure out that the red panda that was snuggled up to her was slobbering on her in her sleep, she let out a little giggle as she snuggled closer to her, starting to hum a soft little tune as her eyes started getting heavy, soon joining Redd in dream land.

“Redd!,” A voice echoed through the apartment, “I know you didn’t get your license while I was gone, but some jackass parked their junker in our spot.” Soon after the two were jerked out of sleep by the words, the door slammed. “I’ll call down to the office and have the damned thing towed after I take a shower.”

Redd scrambled out of the bed, paws pushing and hitting against Alice and she frantically struggled to her feetpaws. “Oh god, I didn’t expect her home. You need to get out before she finds you here… or tows your car.” She ran over to her dresser, pulled drawers open and started rummaging through them, dropping several  articles of clothing on the floor as she went. “I’ll keep her in her room while you sneak out. We can meet at the library.”  The scene almost looked like a teenager trying to sneak her boyfriend out after her father returned home unexpectedly.

“Hmmmmm?”  The sugar glider said sitting up after being kicked to the side like the blanket that she was playing.  “I’m fine with meeting her and getting things straightened out and all that.”  She said as she started gath up her clothing and slipping into them.  “I mean….yeah, she sounds a little rough, but I don’t think that she is that bad.”  She said stretching out now that she was dressed.  “And you know that you drool in your sleep.  Right?”

“No, you don’t understand,” the red panda said as she pulled a long, pink, frilly nightgown over her head, “You can’t be here. I promised I wouldn’t have anyone over while she was gone again. She’ll kill me if she finds out.”

“Well.”  She said, pausing for a moment.  “You look so cute in that.”  She said walking to the bedroom door.  “I can walk out and stand outside a little and knock, then it’s like I have just come over…..I did that once or twice with a lady friend of mine back home.”

“Wait, let me make sure she’s in her room,” Redd said as she pushed past the sugar glider and ran into the hall. She suddenly stopped, turned, and added, “And she already saw your car, so she’ll see right through that. It’ll be better to… um… introduce you later, when she’s had time to settle in, and maybe hitting the gym. She’s worse than my dad.” She continued to run down the hall as she shouted, “Hey, Hottie, did you bring me anything?” soon the voices were muffled by the sound of a distant door closing.

“Not that I can think of.”  She said tilting her head and patting her pockets.  “And why would I need to hit the gym?  I’m in shape now.”  She said cocking her eyebrow at her.  “And.  I think that it would be better to do it now.  I mean….I am a little up front when it comes to things like meeting people.”  She said as she walked to the front door of the apartment and stopping.  “And I think that you might be making a big deal of this all.”  She said wrapping her arms around the red panda.  “Don’t worry so much.”

“Shhh,” Redd whispered as she returned the hug, “Just go, I’ll meet you back at the library. Trust me on this one, you don’t know Hottie. She’s not in a good mood and it’s best not to push her buttons right now.”  She started to push Alice out the door as she added, “We’ll go do some stuff together before we come back, I can take the day off. But just meet me there… and not here.”

“Oh…..ok.”  She said, sounding a little down.  “So…..lunch time?”  She asked smiling as she stood outside of the door.  “My treat for the both of ya.”

“Yeah, lunch,” the panda said in an almost half thought through panic as she looked over her shoulder and closed the door. From inside the apartment  the sugar glider could hear redd’s voice change to the cheery sound she first heard at the library as she said, “Come on, you said you'd get me something next time you were called out of town. I never get to go places.”

“I….I don’t even.”  Alice mumbled as she started walking off, making her way to the steps.  “If it was a little higher…..and I could be naked I would jump.”  She said as she started walking down the steps, heading over to where her car was parked.  “And now to…..do something with my night.”  She said sitting on the hood of her car, pulling out the small black book.  “It looks like I will be heading out to the northish end of the cost…..Marblecliff.”  She said looking at one of the last few names in the book.

Having sat there for a few moments that she remembered what she heard Hottie saying about calling and having her ‘junker’ towed.  Slipping off the hood and then into the car, she started it and pulled off to look for some place to park for the night.

“Shit.”  She mumbled as she reached into her pocket, before starting to look around the car, and then to the back of it.  “Where is it.”  She said sitting in the middle of the makeshift bed.  “I must have left it at her house.”  She said shaking her head.  “Why can’t I keep up with that damn phone.”  She said just flopping down, head resting against the pillow.

Soon the morning came, and like all the other times the sugar glider got up and pulled the car out of the spot it and her had spent the night and started heading to the closet truck stop, she needed a shower and a change of clothes.  Like the many other times she would have to sneak in and out, but over the time that she had spent on the road, she had gotten good at it.

By the time that she had gotten done and out of the building, it was just about time to meet Redd.  Making her way back to the building that she had wanted to spend the night at.  Pulling into the same spot that she had the night before, she figure that Hottie had gone some place, not thinking too much past that as she walked up the steps.  Knocking at the door, she stood there waiting.

She stood there waiting, every so often pounding on the door, getting a little louder.  “Oh come on…..really?”  the sugar glider said, kicking the door.  “That bitch.”  She hissed as she started walking off, heading back down to the car.  “At least let me try calling my phone.”  She side as she got into her car and started driving off and starting to look for a pay phone.

She drove around for sometime before finally finding one and stopping at it.  She got out and rushed up to the old payphone and feed it a few coins before dialing her number and waiting.  All that she heard was the sound of her phone ringing, no cheerful voice answering.

“Well fuck.”  She said as she heard the recorded voice saying to leave a message.  “Hey.  If you wanted to stand me up like that, well, ya did it…..at least give me my phone.”  She said pausing for a moment.  “No….just keep it.  I’m gone…..east coast here I come.”  She said slamming the phone down before walking back to her car and getting in, setting back out on her adventure.