idioms...sayings understood by native speakers part twenty five

Rick finally made the executive decision on sleeping arrangements. Charlie, Carl and he would take his room, leaving the two women in his mom's old room. An old roll away was pulled out and made into a bed for Charlie and the men folk exhausted, found their way to bed.

The two women equally exhausted headed into their room, and thus began a most interesting conversation, between the two friends.

Yawning loudly... "I can't remember when we have had a sleepover together." Lynn started.

"Oh, well, I guess the night that you were drunk and passed out doesn't count, huh?"

"Oh," Yawn, "I completely forgot about that."

"So, Lynn, spill it. Do you still think this is all pretend with you and Mr. Fox."

"No, it is not pretend."

"Then give me the juicy details. Charlie dumps Nice guy on his posterior while you two were making out in the kitchen."

"Stop it. We weren't making out... exactly...besides, I think Carl IS a nice guy. Don't you?"

Carl whispered very quietly to Rick. "Have these walls always been this thin?"

Rick answered back, "Shush, I am trying to hear. But, now I know how my mom was always one step ahead of me when I was a kid."

Lynn leaned up on one elbow. "Jenny, he is the first guy you have not chased off. You haven't even beaten him up yet."

Jenny reciprocated with her elbow and turned towards Lynn. "Well, I did put him into a wrist lock when he got a little irritated."

Lynn's eyes widened, "HUH?"

Jenny continued with her musings, "He is just ... I.. don't ...know... He is NICE(making the word sound like it was yucky to be nice).

"Don't underestimate him. He may look act like a teddy bear but he is a smart one."

"Oh, I know. He even caught me off guard a couple of times."

"Only a couple?"

"Hey, we were talking about Mr. Fox. I wanna hear more about him."

Carl whispered, "no, no. keep talking about me." Then flinched after he caught a soft elbow in his ribs.

Rick smiled. "It's my turn."

"I don't know. I mean with Charlie and all. Remember when we were in middle school we swore off men."

"yeah."

"I was busy with mom and Charlie, trying to keep everything going."

"I was busy with trying to keep from ever getting hurt again."

Lynn looked concerned. "About that, not all men are evil."

"I know... it's just..." Jenny quickly changed the subject. "Remember when we spent our prom night at the movies."

"Yeah, those two creeps tried to hit on us."

"Yeah, they were creepy, weren't they?"

"And you got them both with your coke and popcorn?"

Giggles entered the room where two men lay listening in like their very lives depended upon it.

"Those were the days."

"Jenny, thankyou for always taking time out to be there for me." Lynn said sleepily.

"No problem kiddo. You and your mom taught me what being a family means. You are my sis, no ifs, ands, or buts."

"So what about Mr. nice guy?"

"Jury is still out on that."

"Come on."

"With Larry and Joey still in the hospital, I think I need to wait and see."

"I understand."

"How about you and Mr. Fox?"

"Oh... one day at a time. Although he handled it pretty well with Charlie tonight."

"Remind me to give that boy a treat tomorrow."

"Which one?" yawn.

"Charlie, of course."

"Jen, you are so bad." Lynn picked up her pillow and hit Jenny square in the shoulder.

"No, you are." Returning the hit.

Two men lay very still in the bed when realization hit them.

"Are they really having a pillow fight?" Carl whispered. Suddenly, Charlie sprung out of bed... "Charlie wants to play too." as he ran into the girls room and jumped between them. Carl and Rick both got up. Each man leaning on either side of the door posts surveyed a sight that totally broke all fantasy. Jenny in a pair of blue flannel pajamas with pink lambs on them and Lynn in another pair, albeit, pink with yellow cats, long sleeved and long pants. Both girls stopped as they looked up and saw two men in pajama bottoms only.

Rick cleared his throat. "Girls, time for bed. Charlie, let's get some sleep. I want to get up early and go fishing tomorrow."

Lynn and Jenny, both with sheepish grins, sent Charlie back to the men, as they snuggled down and giggled themselves to sleep.

"Man, I was hoping for baby doll pajamas." Carl muttered as Rick took his pillow and hit him with it.

"Go to sleep."

---

Rick was up early whistling with Charlie following right behind him. Rick smiled when he saw Charlie blowing thru his lips. "Have a seat, Charlie." he turned on the TV to the sports channel and noted the frown.

"Cartoons?" He hit the remote. "Can you watch TV while I go make us some breakfast?"

Charlie nodded, already mesmerized by the TV.

Rick pulled out frozen hash browns out of the freezer and looked up seeing Carl yawning, heading for the bathroom. He sprayed the casserole dish and scattered the hash browns. Taking a cartoon of eggs out and a package of shredded cheese out of the refrigerator, he scrambled the whole carton and dumped it on the hash browns. After sprinkling the whole package of cheese he tossed it into the oven and hit the timer. Carl emerged and headed into the living room. Noting the Cartoons, he headed into the kitchen. Rick had three apples and three oranges out preparing to cut them.

"So what is for breakfast?" Carl managed to get between yawns as he went to the coffee pot, and found it empty. He looked sad faced.

Rick laughed. "Right above the pot, you will find coffee filters and coffee."

"You don't expect me to...."

Rick arched an eyebrow.

"Okay, Okay. How much?"

"Two and half cupfuls. The cup is inside the coffee."

"Okay. Okay."

Rick smiled as he sliced the apples. "You are not a morning person. Are you, cuz?"

Carl gave him a disdained look. "I get better after my first cup."

Rick paused, "Don't forget to put the coffee filter in first."

"Okay, Okay," yawning.

to be continued...