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It's summertime in Parrodipolis, school is almost out & in Dullards Corners, two boys on the front steps of their apartment building. The boys seem to almost be carbon copies of each other. They both have crewcut hair cuts, striped t-shirts, denim jeans & Chuck Taylor all-star high tops. The one real major differences between them was Wally had orange hair & freckles, he wore red high tops. Where as Mitch was blond with no freckles & wore green hight tops. "So, I'll trade you a few issues of Al Harper, Ace Scientist for your Trickshot comic?" Mitch said as he looked over his pile of comics & his friends' pile. "I don't know. This is a pretty good issue. Trickshot has to fight off Baron Zemo alone." Wally said. There is a short pause. "What is Doctor Harper doing in those comics?" Wally asked. "Well, He's making some Robots!" "So? I can name on one hand how many times he has done that before." Wally said as he rolled his eyes. "Yeah. I know. But these are really cool ones. He's made robot copies of the Lair Legion!" Mitch said really tying to sell his friend on the comic. "You mean like when they faced off against the Machine Shop?" Wally asked. "No. Well, sort of. These Robo-Legionaires act just like the Legion." "That's cool. Do they look like them?" "Sort of. They look like them but also look like robots. You know… metal outsides, bolts holding the pieces together." The two boys stop talking since another person has come on over to them. They are standing before with them & under one arm is a pile of comics. They have come to trade. "What do you want Catherine?" Wally asked. Catherine wearing her typical tomboy attire: a grey t-shirt, had some denim pants which were well worn & ripped in a few places pair of blue jeans. She also wore Chick Taylors', her high tops were blue. She also wore argyle socks. She had short sandy blond which was pulled back & into two small ponytails, one on each side of the back of her head. She had somewhat pale skin & was also wearing a pair of black plastic glasses. "Boy, I've come to trade Comics with you." "I don't know. You probably got girl stuff like Lisa Waltz, Lady Lawyer & The Night Nurse." "No!" Catherine said with some contempt. "Ok. What do you got?" Mitch asked. Catherine put her stack down between them & the guy started to look over what she had. Wally pulled one out from the middle of the stack. "Is this one any good?" As Catherine sat down, she looked at what it was & then said. "Yeah. I thought so. The Junior Legion had to save the entire Lair Legion from the clutches of Peter Von Doom." Wally flipped through the book & once he got to the end. "This isn't the whole story. You got the other part?" "I think so. It's probably somewhere in the pile. I brought most of my comics with me." "What's with all the Chad & Ronnie comics?" Mitch asked. "Why?" "Half of your pile seems to be their comic." "They are pretty cool. You ever read any of their stuff?" "Once or twice. I wasn't all the impressed by it." "Why not? They are like the best." "It seemed stupid." "Mitch Jones, you take that back! Chad & Ronnie are not stupid!" Catherine said angrily. She was resisting the urge to punch him. "Ok. They aren't stupid but I just didn't get the whole point." "That's the point: there is no point." Catherine said with a big smile. "But the stories should have a point. Plus, they don't seem to ever been doing anything." "What do you mean? They are always doing something. Chad, Ronnie & their friends are always on some crazy adventure from traveling the world, going out into space, traveling through time all sorts of fun stuff." "Yeah. But the Lair Legion does that & their book has a point." "Ok. I'll give you that. But why do comics always have to have a point? Can't you just have a fun, pointless comic?" "Not with the allowance my dad give me." "Yeah. I know what with 8 to 10 books that come out each month It's hard to read them all." "Yeah. That's why the Lair Legion book is awesome. You get all the heroes together in one book." Wally said. He had found the other half of the story & a few issues of Hatman that he'd like to trade for. Just then, a small group of girls were heard coming down the street. The three on the steps turned to look at them. They were all wearing blouses in a variety of pale pastel colors, over that were knit cardigans in bright solid primary & dresses that went down to their mid-calves. On their feet with sensible lather pumps. As they were about to pass by, they stopped. One of the girls, a Jane Tarzania, asked. "What are you guys doing?" "We're talking about Comic Books!" Catherine said. "Oh. I'm sorry, Catherine I didn't see you there." Jane said. The rest of the group all giggled for some reason. "ok." Catherine replied. She always felt that Jane & her could be friends but just hasn't figured out how. "So, are you all going to the year-end social?" "Yeah. Me & Wally both got dates with the Wooster sisters." Mitch said quite proud of himself. "I'm not." Catherine said. "Why not? No date?" Jane inquired. "No. I just don't like to dance." Catherine replied, which was a lie & Jane suspected that. "It's ok. There are plenty of other things to do then dance. I heard Principal Wilton say that they are having a carnival out on the football field." "Cool." Wally said. "Well, we have to be off. We've got appointments at Drusels' to fitted for a our dresses. So, I guess we'll see you guys there. And Catherine…" "Yes?" "Have fun doing what ever you'll be doing." Jane said & then the group of girls all walked off. Catherine could hear them laughing as they did. Once they were a block away or so, Wally said. "It's ok, Catherine." "Of course it is. As I said I don't like dancing & Carnivals are over rated." "Yeah." Mitch said. There were a few moments of silence. Then Wally asked. "Catherine, what will you trade me for these Hatman comics?" "I don't know. Those issues He travels to Candia. You'd have to trade something pretty good for me to give those up." Wally goes through the comics he has & stops on one. Then turns back to Catherine & asks. "How about a few issues of Spooky?" "Spooky?" Catherine said. Something about that word triggers something in the back of her mind. "Can I see them?" "Sure." Wally said as he handed them over. Catherine flipped through the books. Then said. "Ok. We have a trade." "Mitch, you want anything?" | ||||
