Pika-Pooooooooo
The yellow rat was cute, that was for sure. Billy didn’t look too happy about having a small pile of raisin-style defecants in his hand though. For once, he wasn’t crying about it though. Billy began to pet the neon-colored rat and it nuzzled his palm as he stroked it.
Billy pushed past me and sat at Mitzi’s desk, setting the rodent down on Mitzi’s paperwork and wiping the small pile of pellets from his hand into the trash.
“He hasn’t ate anything, but he keeps on pooping!” Billy lopsidedly grinned, “it’s a little poop machine, I guess it’s better than an electric mouse. So, guys, what is going on?”
“Billy, uh, what do you mean?” I stammered a bit and looked to Mitzi to navigate through this.
“You two are both talkin’ in here, like it’s some kinda work meeting that. Somethin’ up?” Billy scratched the Yellow Rat’s head. It prompty soiled every paper on Mitzi’s desk out of sheer happiness. “I’m done with the project by the way, man. It’s all over. Do you think I could take a few days off this week, just today and tomorrow?”
Mitzi unclenched and walked over behind his desk and sat down, he saved what papers he could and noted on post-it’s what he would have to replace. “Sure Billy, you can take a couple days off. What about your partner here?”
“I,uh, yeah, I could use a couple days off too” I sat down in the chair next to Billy.
“You guys are so intent on working me until I’m crazy, aren’t you” Billy straightened up. “The Popes, now this. You left your laptop on when you went to your desk and I could see some of the IMs from Mitzi up.”
“Look Billy, it’s not like we were trying to hurt you, these popes are amazing! Did you always make stuff appear like this?” Mitzi started to settle into a rhythm, trying to smooth Billy out. “Billy, we’re your friends, it’s okay, you know. You’re going to be well-paid for this when we figure out all the details, you know?”
“I know, man! I know! I already snagged all the notes off of Jerk-ass’s laptop here” He thumbed at me. “I’m gonna spend the next few days thinking about what I’m gonna do about this. I can’t sue your asses, that would mean I’d have to produce these things,”he motioned to the foot tall Pope Eustace III that had waddled into the room, “all the time, just to prove I can. Naw, man. This is something else, I was going crazy. YOU! You put the idea in my head about the John Lennon thing too.”
I willed myself to get smaller, to shrink out of sight. Billy was my friend and I had been exploiting his neurosis for my own ends. I couldn’t have felt worse at that point in time. Mitzi figured out how to make it worse.
“Billy, c’mon, cool down. It’s just between us.”
“Shut up! You Jim-Jay-Bullock looking fucker!” Billy stood up and pointed at me “This fucker is going to take me to the bar and get me drunker than a middle-school kid with two bottles of manischewitz! Then you’re gonna cut me a check for a nice vacation, away from you assholes. Maybe I’ll go to Disney World or something. C’mon asshole, get your ass in gear, it’s time to get my dose of Vitamin B”
Mitzi gave me a pained look and I got up to follow Billy as he led me out of the office and down the streets. He straightened himself and looked at me with a devilish gleam in his eye. “Do you wanna see something really cool man?”
“Uh, sure” I said, not sure what to expect.
“Check this out!” Billy held out his hand and 2 one-hundred dollar bills appeared in his hand.
“Holy Shit, since when can you do that?” I stared at the bills.
“Since I read your reports to Mitzi, man. I was so mad at first, then I figured out what was really going on, I can make shit appear outta nowhere. Then I gave it a bit of thought, I was kinda heavy when this all started and now I’m sorta thin, right?”
Billy had lost a ton of weight since we started seeing the Popes, mitzi and I had chalked it up to stress.
“It’s why they poop so much, they’re made of the stuff. I make them out of the crap in my colon” Billy beamed. It’s poop-magic.
“So What now? Are we cool?” I asked.
“Oh yeah, man, we’re cool. I know you didn’t really want to hurt me. Next time you have a project that involves me thoughh, you tell me, kay?” he put his arm around me and stuff the bills into my pocket.
“How did you know abou the Poke-monster thing?”
“I was outside the door when Mitzi said it. So, are we gonna get our drunk on?” Billy swerved me towards the Bar and sat at the counter.
“Billy, it’s only 10 AM. Can we start with something light?” I was overwhelmed.
“Sure man, two stouts”
Suddenly two stouts appeared in front of me.
“Drink up man”
Billy Grinned.