Once, I was a real turtle.

Megan heard his voice. She was still crying in the bathroom, her sobbing punctuated by sneezes. “I’m not sick.” She said back. “Being sick is disgusting. I can’t be sick. I have too much to do. All I heh….All I….hep’tchoo!” She paused, sneezing into a tissue. “All I wanted was to hear you play the piano since you seemed to work so hard on it. So I could cheer you up.” She explained, sniffling. “And…and…theoretically…” She paused, sniffing. “I’m a danger to you because I would be contagious…” She explained.

"I’ll play a little louder, then," he replied. "So you can hear me from there." What would really cheer him up is if he could give her a little cold medicine.

Megan opened the door and poked her head out. Her nose and eyes were red and her cheeks were flushed. “Really?” She asked with a small smile, excited. She sniffled a little and skipped back upstairs to the piano room.  ”Well, come on. This way you won’t have to play as loudly.” She giggled.

"Of course!" he replied just as happily. He liked to see her in a smile like that. It cheered him up even more. He went up to the piano room, but not without picking up the best flavoured cold medicine from the cabinet.

Mock got up and sat by the door. He hoped the announcer voice wasn’t the wrong thing to do, since he was just being goofy. He leaned his head against the wall and sighed. “Megan, don’t resist it. You feel really warm. That really seems like a fever to me.”

Megan heard his voice. She was still crying in the bathroom, her sobbing punctuated by sneezes. “I’m not sick.” She said back. “Being sick is disgusting. I can’t be sick. I have too much to do. All I heh….All I….hep’tchoo!” She paused, sneezing into a tissue. “All I wanted was to hear you play the piano since you seemed to work so hard on it. So I could cheer you up.” She explained, sniffling. “And…and…theoretically…” She paused, sniffing. “I’m a danger to you because I would be contagious…” She explained.

"I'll play a little louder, then," he replied. "So you can hear me from there." What would really cheer him up is if he could give her a little cold medicine.

Megan squeaked as he continued to interrogate her. “No, silly isn’t b-bad.” She continued to stutter. “I-I’m fine…It’s j-just…” She sighed, turning around. Not looking at him, she wrote something on his arm. The message read: “Silly is really cute.” With that done, she ran away, too embarrassed.

He flopped onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. After a moment, he read the message on his arm. As he read, a huge smile spread on his face. He felt flushed, giddy, ecstatic even. He leaped to his feet, beaming like a kid at the candy shop. “Thank you! Thank you so much!” he cheered. He had never been called cute before, and it really made his day.

Megan couldn’t hear him. She had run so far away because of her embarrassment that she was hidden in a bush somewhere.  She could only imagine that he thought she was insane. 

Mock figured that she must've gotten far, so he started in her direction. "Megan," he called after her. "Megan! Thank you so much!"

Megan’s response was only to blush and cry more. Don’t compliment that part of her! It was grotesque! She blinked behind tears as he shared a secret with her. She stared at him in shock before getting up and yelling at him. “You don’t get it! Wearing Glasses and having facial hair is not the same as being a fat whale! It’s not even a source of embarrassment!” She roared at him before turning around and running away, still crying. As she ran she pulled down her dress so that her tummy was covered. She should’ve been more careful.

Mock stared after her, watching with wide eyes. He was never used to being on the receiving end of the tears. He glanced around awkwardly, then began to slowly walk in her direction. “I’m sorry,” said softly. “I didn’t know. I just wanted to share with you.” He walked a few more steps, then stopped. Standing there, he began to hum instead. He didn’t know what he was humming, only that it was an old tune that always cheered himself up. he really, really hoped it worked on other people as well.

Megan ignored him, but she fought back a laugh. How did a turtle catch up with her? She hadn’t realized that the reason he had caught up with her was because she had stopped in her tracks eventually and just sat down and cried. She only faintly heard his humming through her tears. He just didn’t understand how embarrassing her tummy was for her. 

Mock sat down a yard behind her, far enough to try not to upset her but close enough for her to hear him. He kept humming his happy little tune. "Megan," he said in between bits of music. "I may not understand what you're going through, but I understand that it hurts."

Megan blushed, knowing he had been working so very hard on the sheet music, about to play it.  She daintily took the tissue, wiping her nose. She didn’t dare blow her nose in front of him. That would be rude. She sniffled, searching for a way to answer. “Nodding, Mod. I’b jud sorry I interrubted you.” She answered, cursing her congestion silently “Pleade forgibe be.” She sniffled behind the tissue, dabbing at her nose.

Mock smirked at the voice. “Uh huh.” He tucked the sheet music into a folder and stood, crossing the room to stand in front of Megan. Pressing a hand against her forehead, he said, “Just as I suspected.” He straightened and began to speak in a game show announcer’s voice. “Megan, Guardian of Happiness, you just won yourself a brand new cold!”

Mock got up and sat by the door. He hoped the announcer voice wasn't the wrong thing to do, since he was just being goofy. He leaned his head against the wall and sighed. "Megan, don't resist it. You feel really warm. That really seems like a fever to me."

Megan smiled when he returned the hug, but turned bright red when he returned the kiss on her forehead. “Y-yeah….” She answered, stuttering. “S-silly is g-good.” Embarrassed, she hid her face behind her hands and turned away, still blushing. Silly was also pretty cute.

He lifted a brow at the stuttered phrase. “Y’sure? Is silly…bad?” he leaned in, trying to see around her hands. “What’s that? are you okay?” He poked her on the ear, watching her inquisitively.

Megan squeaked as he continued to interrogate her. “No, silly isn’t b-bad.” She continued to stutter. “I-I’m fine…It’s j-just…” She sighed, turning around. Not looking at him, she rote something on his arm. The message read: “Silly is really cute.” With that done, she ran away, too embarrassed.

He flopped onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. After a moment, he read the message on his arm. As he read, a huge smile spread on his face. He felt flushed, giddy, ecstatic even. He leaped to his feet, beaming like a kid at the candy shop. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" he cheered. He had never been called cute before, and it really made his day.

Megan whimpered, starting to cry from embarrassment. She didn’t even answer his question, merely turning away and crying. He saw her tummy. And not only that, he tickled it when she was so fat and disgusting. She was mortified. 

"What’s wrong?" he asked asked the moment she began to whimper. He glanced down at her tummy, and he gave a light sigh of a laugh. "Oh, no. Don’t worry about that! It’s cute!" He wriggled closer and, lowering his voice to a whisper, said, "Wanna know something? I used to wear glasses and had facial hair. It was wild, I tell ya."

Megan’s response was only to blush and cry more. Don’t compliment that part of her! It was grotesque! She blinked behind tears as he shared a secret with her. She stared at him in shock before getting up and yelling at him. “You don’t get it! Wearing Glasses and having facial hair is not the same as being a fat whale! It’s not even a source of embarrassment!” She roared at him before turning around and running away, still crying. As she ran she pulled down her dress so that her tummy was covered. She should’ve been more careful.

Mock stared after her, watching with wide eyes. He was never used to being on the receiving end of the tears. He glanced around awkwardly, then began to slowly walk in her direction. "I'm sorry," said softly. "I didn't know. I just wanted to share with you." He walked a few more steps, then stopped. Standing there, he began to hum instead. He didn't know what he was humming, only that it was an old tune that always cheered himself up. he really, really hoped it worked on other people as well.

Megan blushed, knowing he had been working so very hard on the sheet music, about to play it.  She daintily took the tissue, wiping her nose. She didn’t dare blow her nose in front of him. That would be rude. She sniffled, searching for a way to answer. “Nodding, Mod. I’b jud sorry I interrubted you.” She answered, cursing her congestion silently “Pleade forgibe be.” She sniffled behind the tissue, dabbing at her nose.

Mock smirked at the voice. "Uh huh." He tucked the sheet music into a folder and stood, crossing the room to stand Megan. Pressing a hand against her forehead, he said, "Just as I suspected." He straightened and began to speak in a game show announcer's voice. "Megan, Guardian of Happiness, you just won yourself a brand new cold!"