AUTHOR
I'm back! I might have forgotten to tell you nerds that I went on a break. My bad XD Sorry 'bout that. I just needed a break from everything—life in general. Since I'm back, expect Chap 11 to be posted prob this coming weekend.
**
Before the carnival…
"I'm home!" Natalie called out as she stepped into their cosy flat. She kicked off her shoes and hung her jacket on the hook by the door. "Guys?" she called, making sure her voice carried to the second floor of the flat. "Ginny?"
Natalie listened carefully, and amid the silence of the surroundings, she heard a continuous paddling sound, accompanied by a quack. She already had a pretty good idea of who it was. Prof. Beak came running to her, feathers wet, sliding on the floor with enthusiasm.
"Little dude, chill," Natalie kneeled and addressed Prof. Beak, who continued his incessant quacking. "Where's your mom, Mozart?" She attempted to pick up the ranting duck with her two hands, hoping to stop him from making any more noise. The dorm mother would definitely report them all for illegally harboring a pet in the dormitory if she found out about all of this. "Why are you so wet and slippery?"
As if on cue, her question was answered when Sally, one of their roommates, appeared with a towel in hand.
"Oh! You're here!" She exclaimed in relief and continued, "I was bathing him when he just suddenly ran off." She was referring to Prof. Beak, who was now busy pecking the air. "He probably thought you were Ginny." Sally took Prof. Beak from Natalie's hold and covered him with the towel she was holding.
"Where is Ginny anyway?" Natalie questioned.
Sally just shrugged and answered, "She left a note for you on the fridge."
As she made her way to the kitchen, Natalie spotted the note on the fridge. It was written in Ginny's playful handwriting, adorned with little duck drawings. The message read: "Hey, Natalie, buddy! Off to visit the folks for 2 days. Please take care of Prof. Beak for me. Thanks, love you! Xoxo"
Natalie couldn't help but sigh as she read the note. Her heart sank at the thought of having to look after Ginny's spoiled, mischievous, and high-maintenance duck. She was never a fan of the feathery troublemaker because, as some people might not know, Prof. Beak is a menace in disguise. Well, he doesn't just look like a self-entitled, wig-wearing aristocrat. He also acts like a dog with a terrible habit of chewing on everything in sight.
"You better behave when I'm here," Natalie muttered under her breath, pointing a finger. Prof. Beak quacked in response as if he was offended.
♦
Natalie had taken on the responsibility of feeding Prof. Beak when Ginny was still not around. However, she couldn't help but grumble about the peculiar eating habits of the demanding duck. Prof. Beak had developed a reputation for being incredibly picky when it came to his food—he simply refused to eat anything that wasn't organic.
One morning, as Natalie prepared Prof. Beak's breakfast, she muttered to herself, "Honestly, Prof. Beak, you're one high-maintenance duck. Not every duck gets organic grains and handpicked herbs for breakfast."
She carefully set down the bowl of organic food in front of Prof. Beak, who quacked in apparent approval. Natalie sighed, shaking her head. "You're lucky you're cute, you spoiled brat."
Despite her grumbling, Natalie couldn't deny that she had developed a soft spot for Prof. Beak, but he's still spoiled as hell. As she watched him nibble on his breakfast, she muttered, "Just stop gnawing on the sofa every morning."
♦
Despite her ongoing battle with Prof. Beak's chewing habits, Natalie couldn't help but feel a sense of responsibility toward him. So, one sunny afternoon, she decided to take matters into her own hands and take Prof. Beak for a walk, as Ginny had requested. She had him securely tied to a small, duck-sized leash with his rubber flippers on and a Hermès twilly scarf around his neck. Natalie couldn't help but mutter that the duck had better fashion sense than its owner.
With her sunglasses on and Prof. Beak's Birkin bag slash pet carrier bag on her left arm, Natalie strolled down the sidewalk with Prof. Beak in tow with style, and passersby couldn't help but stop and stare at the unusual sight. Some people chuckled, while others raised their eyebrows in disbelief.
"Mommy, why does that duck have a wig?" pointed a kid to his mom. "He's wearing shoes too!" His mom scolded him not to point fingers at people.
Natalie simply smiled and greeted them with a shrug, "Just taking my duck for a walk, you know, the usual."
Prof. Beak, not entirely thrilled with this new outdoor activity, waddled along reluctantly, occasionally quacking his disapproval. Natalie tried to encourage him, saying, "Come on, Prof. Beak, it's good for you to get some fresh air. Maybe you'll find something else to chew on out here."
As she was walking toward her favourite cafe, a faint vibration against her thigh interrupted her focus. Natalie read the message Ginny sent her with a raised brow.
"Why is your mom requesting Ariel's help with the kissing booth?" She asked the duck, as if waiting for him to answer her back. Natalie shrugged off Ginny's weird message. It's probably just nothing. She proceeded to send a text to Ariel instead, asking her for some assistance for tomorrow's carnival event.
As she was doing that, Prof. Beak started quacking, throwing a temper tantrum. "What?" She faced the duck and started sighing, "A little walk won't hurt, buddy." Natalie placed a hand on her hips, feeling a bit tired, and continued saying, "And I do believe you really need some exercise," as if she was talking to a child.
After saying those words, Prof. Beak continued his quacking, but much louder this time. Some passersby are looking in their direction, and Natalie started to get annoyed.
"Alright! Just stop," she exclaimed. "Just shut up." Natalie placed the Birkin bag on the ground, and Prof. Beak immediately hopped inside and sat comfortably. "You lazy bum."