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Here's Part 2 of Chapter 3. Had to split it up in order to post it.

Anyhow... back to the story!

Wednesday...

“All right, people; that’s it for today.” said Hattie.

She just finished teaching a writing class at the library located in the brain. Several cells, a few viruses and germs gathered their belongings and left.

Hattie then spotted a certain female influenza virus heading for the door.

“Cora, can I talk to you for a minute?”

The female virus looked up at hearing her name.

“Yeah,” Cora walked over to Hattie, adjusting the olive-green messenger back on her left shoulder.

“What’s up?” she asked.

“I don’t mean to pry but…where are you staying?” Hattie replied.

Cora then felt uneasy, her sea green eyes were currently looking at the floor.

“To be honest, Ms. Hattie…I don’t have a place…there’s a warehouse and…” Cora was cut off.

“How long have you been there?” Hattie asked.

“Two weeks…I’m originally from California but I was separated from my folks…been wondering ever since.” Cora explained.

She looked rather embarrassed. Cora had only a few belongings with her. It was obvious from the patches on her leaf green shirt and brown pants that she had gone without some new clothes for a while. The same could be said for her dark blue and white sneakers which were somewhat faded.

Although Cora was a strain of flu, she resembled a white blood cell with her light turquoise skin tone. Her hair style was semi-long and chalk white. The only differences between her and a normal blood cell was the dark blue claws on her hands and feet plus a few ocean blue cheetah-like spots on her arms and face. Cora seemed to be in her early 20s and was on the average side in terms of height and build.

Hattie felt sorry for the young woman, here she was across the country, miles away from home and didn’t have a place to stay at all.

“Oh, I’m so sorry… listen, there’s some property available over on the West-Shoulder…maybe there’s a place you could rent.” Hattie suggested.

“That’s nice of you to suggest that but I don’t have a job…there’s no way I could pay for an apartment.” said Cora.

“Well… how about I help you find a job?” Hattie offered. Cora’s eyes widened in shock. She hardly knew this blood cell, but this woman still wanted to help her regardless.

“You’d do that?! For real?!” Cora asked.

“Sure,” Hattie answered with a smile.

Next thing she knew, Cora was hugging her.

“Thank you!” the female virus exclaimed.

“Cora, if you don’t mind…I’d like to keep my spine in one piece.” Hattie said in a meek voice.

“Oh! Sorry,” Cora apologized and let go.

“It’s just that…not many people have been kind to me.”

Hattie frowned.

“Why is that?”

“Well, it’s because I’m…” Cora trailed off.

“A virus?” Hattie finished.

“Yeah,” was Cora’s reply.

“Look, I’m not like that and neither is Rusty.” Hattie explained.

“Good to know,” said Cora.

Hattie was a white blood cell who like Rusty, seemed to be in her 40s.
She was slightly shorter than Cora with an average build. She had a light denim complexion and a semi-long snow-white membrane. Her eyes were copper brown and rather expressive.

Just then, Hattie thought of something.

“You have any idea where you’ll be staying for tonight?”

“I think there’s a shelter south of here.” Cora replied.

“Forget that…my neighbor Florida has an extra room. I don’t think she’ll mind having a house guest.” said Hattie as she grabbed her dark gray purse and laptop bag.

“That’s a nice offer but I don’t want to impose,” Cora answered sheepishly.

“I doubt it’ll be an imposition.” Hattie insisted. Cora shrugged her shoulders.

“If you say so,” she sighed.

At that, she followed Hattie out of the library to the nearest subway station. From what Cora could tell, Hattie was a kind and compassionate blood cell who hardly took no for answer.

Having been on her own for so long, Cora had trust issues towards others, mainly because of how viruses and germs were treated. Hattie knew this all too well, her mate, Rusty was a red blood cell and their son Roger was a mix.
At first, her family wasn’t sure what to make of it but respected her decision.

Across town, the day wasn’t exactly going well for a certain white blood cell and his cold pill sidekick.

West-Shoulder-11:00am-Eastern Time…

“Sheesh! Traffic in this city sucks.” Said Ozzy.

“You’re right about that,” Drix agreed.

After parking the car, he and Ozzy got out and made their way up the steps of a nearby brownstone.

“What’s up guys?” a familiar voice greeted them.

“Adella? What are you doing here?” Ozzy asked.

“I live here,” the female measles virus replied, pointing to her own brownstone which was next-door from where Ozzy and Drix currently were.

“Wait a sec…you? aww…never mind,” said Ozzy.

“I gotta get to work, see you later.” Adella told them.

“Bye,” said Drix.

“Yeah, see ya,” Ozzy said in a dull tone as Adella walked off heading towards the subway.

Ozzy then grabbed the spare key that was hidden under the doormat and unlocked it.

“Sheesh! Can you believe this place?” said Ozzy who stood in the doorway.

“Never thought that he was renting something like this,” Drix confessed.

“Me neither,” Ozzy agreed before turning his head towards a nearby staircase.

“Yo! Thrax, we’re here!”

“I’ll be right down.” Was the reply he got back from upstairs.

“Guess we’ll wait for a few minutes.” Ozzy concluded.

He and Drix then went into the living room which was currently to the left of them. The two sat down on a medium size black leather sectional couch. Both of them were surprised by what they saw.

The décor in the room was mostly neutral colors. It was primary black and white, across from the couch was a pair of dark blue and white striped armed chairs. Both were square which matched the couch’s rectangular shape.

On the left side of the room was a flat screen TV mounted on the wall and below it a small fireplace. Under the coffee table was a blue area rug, the same shade as the stripes on the chair. Behind the couch in a corner was a floor lamp with an off-white square shaped shade. In another corner of the room on the right, next to the built-in bookshelves was a fish tank. Beyond that, a door that led into the kitchen.

The windows behind the couch allowed for natural light to enter the room.

Just then, Ozzy heard a noise coming from upstairs.

“Is that water running?” he asked.

“I think so,” Drix answered.

Shortly after, the two heard another sound; this time it was a voice.

“Wait a minute…” Drix sputtered.

Ozzy raised an eyebrow as he looked towards the stairs.

“Is that…?”

The two of them heard what sounded like singing. The lyrics were rather easy to make out:

“A boy is born in Hard time, Mississippi…surrounded by…four walls that ain’t so pretty…his parents give…him, love and affection; to keep him strong…moving in the right direction. Living just enough…just enough…for the city.”

It didn’t take long for Ozzy and Drix to put two and two together.

“Hold up…he sings…?” Ozzy started to saHe

He and Drix looked at each other in surprise.

“In the shower?!” they said in unison.

Within seconds, the two started laughing.
A few minutes later, the water stopped running.

“Stop laughing,” Ozzy whispered.

Drix snickered one last time before collecting himself.

Ozzy coughed after laughing so hard.

A moment later they could hear footsteps, the hard floor did nothing to hide the noise. At the bottom of the stairs stood Thrax who was fully dressed, apart from not having on any shoes.

“All right, ready to…?” he paused when he noticed Ozzy and Drix giving him an odd look.

“What is it?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Nothin'!” Ozzy sputtered.

“You sure?” Thrax continued.

“Yes,” was the reply from Ozzy and Drix.

Thrax gave the two a suspicious glance, something was up but neither of them were saying anything.

“Mm-hmm…”

He grabbed his shoes that were by the front door and sat down in a nearby chair. It was then that he noticed Ozzy staring at him.

“What now?” Thrax asked, sounded somewhat annoyed.

“Ever hear of a pedicure?” Ozzy replied, commenting on Thrax’s feet.

“Look Jones, if you’re going to keep this up…I can catch the bus from here.” said Thrax.

“All I’m saying is…” Ozzy was cut off.

“I trim my claws every three months and occasionally file them…all right?” Thrax explained.

“Noted,” Ozzy said in a dull toneHe

He knew about the claws on Thrax’s fingers, but his feet were a different story. They were narrow with three long toes, the fourth, however was shorter and similar to a dew claw. The feet overall resembled those of a raccoon’s. Unlike the claws on his fingers, the ones on Thrax’s feet were slightly shorter but still cranberry red.

It was clear Ozzy was already uncomfortable being there, but this was too much.

He glanced at the wall where the TV was for a minute.

“So, who’s your decorator? Ikea?”

“Ask Hattie, she’s the one who decorated the place.” Thrax replied.

After putting on his shoes he got up and grabbed his jacket off a nearby rack.

“So, we leavin’ or what?” he asked.

Ozzy then grabbed the car keys from his pocket.

“We’re goin’” He got up, followed by Drix without saying another word.

The two of them headed outside first with Thrax being last. Ozzy and Drix waited at the foot of the steps while Thrax locked the front door.

“Oh, by the way…Maria’s gonna meet us at the auction house,” Ozzy announced.

Thrax nearly dropped his house keys when he heard this. After what happened two days ago, he really didn’t want to see that female blood cell again.

“Say what?!” Thrax exclaimed.

“That’s not a problem is it?” Drix asked.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Thrax replied, going from shocked to somewhat upset.

“Didn’t think it was necessary.” said Ozzy.

He still had Thrax’s contact information from third Friday but decided not to tell the virus via text message about Maria tagging along.
It was increasingly obvious Ozzy and Thrax were getting on each other’s nerves.

“Really, Jones? If that’s your explanation, then…” Thrax stopped short when Drix chimed in.

“Are you two done?”

Letting out a sigh, both Ozzy and Thrax decided to drop the conversation; there was no point in continuing it. Without another word, the blood cell, virus and cold pill all got in the car.

“You got something against Maria?” Ozzy asked after shutting the door.

Thrax took a minute to fasten his seatbelt before he replied.

“Jones, I’m a virus; she’s a blood cell…I don’t think I have to explain.”

“I’m a blood cell too, ya know.” Ozzy pointed out.

“Yes, but…” Thrax stopped short letting out a growl of frustration.

“Are you still angry that she called you outbreak?” Drix asked.

Thrax frowned, unsure of what to say.

“I…I don’t know. When have you ever heard of blood cells and viruses getting along?”

Ozzy and Drix gave each other a puzzled look, they knew viruses and blood cells did coexist to a certain degree but not much else.

“I…” Ozzy sputtered.

“Well…” Drix started to say.

“That’s my point, cells and viruses can’t stand each other. We’re just too different.” said Thrax.

Ozzy was about to start the car but paused for a minute, if they missed the start of the auction, it wasn’t a big deal.

“Well, here’s a shocker. Drix and I didn’t exactly become instant friends when we met. Matter of fact, we got on each other’s nerves.” He explained.

Thrax’s eyes bucked, this was news to him. As far as he knew, the cell and the pill were pals, though he could see why their friendship had been a work in progress. Ozzy had his own way of doing things; while Drix was more by-the-book. Still, they managed to work together regardless.

After hearing this, Thrax wanted to know more about this story.

“Did you now?” he asked, giving the two a curious look.

“Yes, but it worked out eventually.” said Drix.

“Yeah, we got our differences; but we’re still friends.” Ozzy added.

“So, what’s your point?” Thrax asked, tilting his head slightly.

“Just somethin’ to think about.” said Ozzy before he started the car.

For the most part, the only ones who spoke for the duration of the ride were Ozzy and Drix. Every once in a while, the white blood cell and cold pill glanced at Thrax. His attention was mostly focused on the view of the city as he looked out the window. It was obvious he was in deep thought about something, but what?

“So, this is it.” said Ozzy as he looked at the light gray and white barn-like building outside the car.

“Funny, I thought there’d be more people.” Drix admitted as he got out and took note of the fact there were only about fourteen other cars parked in the lot.

“It depends, some weeks are slower than others.” Thrax explained. He stepped out and stretched for a minute. Riding in the backseat wasn’t exactly comfortable due to his long legs.

As Ozzy locked the car, he noticed an outdoor pen on the side of the building that looked as if it was used for holding livestock.

“Looks like cars aren’t the only things they auction off here.”

“Seems that way,” Drix agreed.

He was then alerted by the sound of a door slamming about two cars down.

“Oh, look Maria’s here.” Drix said in a cheerful tone.

“Hey guys, sorry I’m late, I…” Maria paused and stopped smiling when she saw Thrax.

“Oh, it’s you again.” She said in a dull tone.

Thrax scoffed, clearly not in a good mood.

“I’m not exactly happy about this either.”

Maria simply rolled her eyes and ignored the snarky comment.

“Anyway… Ricky insisted on coming with me, I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” said Drix.

“No problem,” Ozzy replied.

“Hola Fellas, it’s been a while.” Ricky greeted the duo as he walked up to them.

“Got that right,” said Ozzy.

“So…what’s up?” Ricky asked.

“The ceiling,” Drix replied.

Ricky chuckled.

“Good one,”

He then noticed a tall figure standing off to the side watching the four of them without saying a word.

“What the…? Sis, this is the virus you were talking about?” Ricky asked, pointing a thumb towards Thrax.

The red virus narrowed his eyes and folded his arms in front of his chest.

“You know, I have an actual name…it’s Thrax,”

“Oh,” was all Richardo could say.

“In answer to your question, Ricky…yes, this is the guy.” Said Maria.

“Huh, and I thought Drix was tall.” Ricky confessed as he studied Thrax who wasn’t too keen on the blood cell being so close.

He never liked anyone staring at him as if he was some sort of animal from a nature documentary. Thrax then glanced at Ricky, looking indifferent.

“And I didn’t know Maria had a sibling.”

“There’s about nine of us, actually.” Ricky said nervously.

Thrax nearly fell over. He had never heard of a blood cell having that many siblings.

“Nine?!” he sputtered.

“Yes, what about you?” the female blood cell asked.

Thrax tilted his head at the question.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t you have any brothers and sisters?” Maria continued.

“No,” was Thrax’s reply. Maria raised an eyebrow at this.

“Really? But don’t viruses…” she stopped short when Thrax cut her off.

“Not all of us have siblings,” he said.

“Didn’t know that,” Ricky admitted.

He and Maria both knew that viruses typically had large families, multiples such as twins and triplets were the norm, but single births were somewhat uncommon. Ozzy cleared his throat, getting the others attention.

“Are y'all done yet?” he asked.

Maria, Richardo and Thrax then noticed Ozzy and Drix were standing there waiting. Without saying another word, the five of them walked towards the auction house.

A short time later, they were all inside. Apart from a few cells, germs, bacteria and viruses, the place was relatively empty. The gray concrete floor and faded pine wood like walls showed the building was rather old. The lighting overhead was somewhat dim.

Aside from a concession stand, vending machine, public restrooms and drinking fountain, there wasn’t much to write home about.

“Huh, they have a livestock and exotic animal auction on Saturdays.” said Drix as he read a flyer on a nearby bulletin board.

“Is that so? I’m surprised nobody’s called animal control.” Maria told him.

“Why is that?” Drix asked, looking confused.

“’Cause there’s a zoo missing a Lobo Rojo,” Maria replied.

Ricky snickered at his sister’s remark.

“What was that?” Thrax asked with an underlying hint of anger as he looked at Maria suspiciously.

The female blood cell turned around, somewhat startled to see the virus standing behind her.

“Oh, you don’t speak Spanish?” she asked Thrax.

“No, why?” he replied.

“It’s nothing,” said Maria before she headed off to the concession stand with Ozzy and Drix.

Ricky flinched when Thrax grabbed his right shoulder, preventing the cell from taking another step.

“Hey Rick, what does Lobo Rojo mean anyway?” Thrax asked.

“You won’t get mad?” Ricky replied.

Thrax raised an eyebrow at this, what was this guy talking about?

“Why would I?” he asked.

Still feeling nervous, Ricky moved about two inches to the left, putting a bit of space between Thrax and himself.

“Lobo Rojo means Red Wolf,” Ricky explained.

At hearing this, Thrax looked at Ricky in shock.

First Maria called him outbreak, now this.

“Oh,” was all he could say.

“Would you rather be called that or outbreak?” Ricky asked.

“Wha? She told you?!” Thrax exclaimed.

“Yeah,” Ricky replied, not at all surprised by Thrax’s reaction.

How many people did Maria talk to about this? But then again Thrax had mentioned it to a few folks he knew, including Ozzy, Drix and Doug.

Letting out a groan, Thrax face-palmed, this was wearing him out.

“I take it you and my sister don’t get along,” said Ricky as he put some change into the vending machine and pushed a couple of buttons.

“Is it that obvious?” Thrax asked.

“In a way,” Ricky replied before retrieving a soda can from the machine.

“Is she always like that?” Thrax asked after a minute.

“Nah…actually, she can be nice.” Ricky answered.

“Mm-hmm,” Thrax muttered, he did notice Maria was always kind around Ozzy, Drix and her other friends but she was the opposite whenever they crossed paths.

Thrax wondered if Maria treated all viruses like this or was it just him. Pushing the thought aside, he spotted Ozzy and Drix heading into the auditorium where the auction was being held. Thrax stepped off to the side and waited.

“What is it?” Maria asked, giving the virus a confused look.

“Ever hear of ladies first?” Thrax answered.

“You don’t have to do that,” Maria said in a sharp tone.

“Look here, I’m trying to be nice, all right?” Thrax replied, sounding somewhat irritated.

Maria scoffed.

“Yeah, sure.” She muttered.

“Yo! Tammi Terrell and Marvin Gaye, let’s go!” Ozzy called as he stood near the doorway.

Ricky snickered; it was hard not to keep a straight face.

He then coughed at seeing the angry look his sister gave him.

The main auditorium was a sharp contrast to the rest of the auction house. Granted, the room was still old looking like the rest of the place but had better lighting due to the windows. The room consisted of several rows of foldable chairs and a stage like platform. There weren’t many people sitting around since the majority of the chairs were empty. The room also smelled of sawdust. One by one, Ozzy, Drix and the others sat down.

After a few minutes, Drix tried to start a conversation

“How many cars do they auction off?”

“Depends…on a good day, twenty isn’t unheard of. Rusty’s sold several here.” Thrax replied.

“Really?” Drix asked, sounding surprised. He had found out sometime ago that Rusty’s garage did restoration work on old vehicles and sold some of them but didn’t know how many the red blood cell had auctioned off.
Thrax nodded in reply to Drix’s question.

“He’s got one on the auction block today.” Ozzy pointed out, looking at a list of vehicles on a copy of the auction schedule he had picked up a while ago.

“Probably that old station wagon, I helped work on it last week.” said Thrax.

“Isn't that how you cut yourself?” Drix asked.

At that, Thrax rolled up the sleeves of both his jacket and sweater.

His right arm was still wrapped up with bandage tape. He then turned to Drix and spoke.

“Yes, it is.”

"Hey look, they’re starting again.” said Ricky.

The auctioneer, a measles virus dressed in a dark brown blazer, jeans and work boots approached the microphone on the stage. He adjusted his light beige cowboy hat before he spoke in a Texas accent.

“Ok folks, Lot eighteen is an old but goodie. We got an RV here with twelve-thousand miles, interior has been fully restored to its former glory. Perfect for those who love the great outdoors.”

The auctioneer then pointed to a large photo sitting on an easel, set up on the left side of the stage. The vehicle pictured looked like an old cream colored Winnebago RV from the 1990s.

“So, who wants to bid first?” the auctioneer asked.

He looked out into the audience and waited.

“Anyone?” Maria frowned slightly looking rather concerned.

“Nobody’s bidding,”

“Wait for it,” said Thrax.

“Two-thousand!” a male germ in the back row shouted.

“All right, I have a bid of two-thousand, anyone else?” the auctioneer asked.

“Three-thousand!” shouted a male red blood cell, who was in the right hand corner of the auditorium.

“Now we’re gettin’ somewhere, do I have four-thousand?” the auctioneer continued.

A female flu virus in the third row simply raised her hand.

The auctioneer simply nodded.

“Ok, four-thousand, do I hear five-thousand?”

The same germ in the back row shouted a reply.

“All right,” the auctioneer sighed.

He could tell this was going to be a long afternoon. For the next hour, four different people bided on the RV. The auctioneer removed the cow print bandana from around his neck and wiped his face. Obviously tired from shouting. Once he collected himself he continued on.

“Fifteen-thousand going once… going twice…sold! To the bidder in the third row.”

“Fifteen grand? That’s not much.” said Maria who was surprised the RV had been sold for that amount.

“It’s a pretty old RV though,” Ozzy pointed out before finishing off what resembled a corn-dog.

“True,” Maria agreed, regarding Ozzy’s comment about the RV. She then noticed her cup of iced tea was empty.

“I’m gonna go get a refill.” “I’ll go with you. I could go for another corn dog.” said Ozzy.

The two cells got up and started to walk out. Ricky flinched in his seat, clearly uncomfortable.

“I shouldn’t have drank that whole can of soda…be right back.” He said before making a quick exit to get to the restroom.

“So…” Drix started to say.

“Wait a sec…” said Thrax. He glanced at where Ozzy had been sitting and spotted his cellphone. Grabbing the device, he stood up and tried to get the blood cell’s attention.

“Hey Jones, you forgot your…”

It was then Thrax noticed Ozzy was out of earshot range and probably didn’t hear him.

“Oh, nevermind.” He groaned.

When Drix wasn’t looking, Thrax glanced at Ozzy’s cellphone, the screen currently showed a phone number listed under a familiar name. Thrax made a mental note to write down the number when he got the chance. He then put the phone down on Ozzy’s seat before Drix noticed.

It was then that Thrax thought about something he wanted to ask the cold pill.

“Drix?”

“Yes?” was the reply.

“What’s with Maria?” Thrax asked.

Drix scratched his head, not sure how to answer.

“I’m not following,”

“Is she always this cold around other viruses or just me?” Thrax continued, trying to be more specific.

“How come you want to know?” Drix asked, glancing oddly at the virus.

“Just askin’,” Thrax replied.

Drix rubbed the back of his head, he knew that Maria and Thrax couldn’t stand each other and had tried to stay out of it.

“Well…” “Never mind,” Thrax replied, shaking his head. He could tell Drix wasn’t too sure about answering.

“I can’t believe she’s got nine brothers and sisters. Her folks had a full house.”

“Yes, her mother did have her hands full.” said Drix.

“And her Dad?” Thrax asked.

Drix lowered his head.

“It’s not my place to say it but…he went to work one day and didn’t come back.” He explained.

Thrax blinked in surprise, first he found out Maria had nine siblings, now this.

“Why? What happened to her Dad?”

Drix frowned, looking uneasy.

“She doesn’t like to talk about it.” He replied.

“Oh man…I didn’t know.” said Thrax.

“It’s been a few years but…” Drix trailed off.

“She’s not over it,” Thrax replied.

“No,” Drix said as he shook his head.

“That’s rough,” Thrax sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck.

The fact that Maria’s father didn’t return home from work meant something must’ve happened to him on the job.

Drix looked around when he heard footsteps approaching.

“She’s coming back,”

In an attempt to not look conspicuous, Drix and Thrax tried to put on a game face and make it seem as if they were still watching the auction.

“Hey, what’d I miss?” Maria asked.

“Nothing,” Drix and Thrax said at the same time.

“O…k,” was Maria’s reply, she decided not to say anything else.

As the auction went on, Ozzy and Drix swapped conversations between Maria and Ricky. The only one who hadn’t spoken much was Thrax, he thought about what Maria had said to him. He glanced at her once in a while, often looking away before she noticed.

The virus then stared at his claws and sighed. Whether Ozzy and Drix, knew it or not, some viruses were much like wolves…living together in packs, often in one place that was considered their territory. It was something Thrax had experience with, though he hadn’t crossed paths with any virus packs lately.

Just then, the auctioneer’s voice rang out.

“Sold! To the bidder in the back row!.”

“And that’s my cue,” said Thrax before he stood up.

“Where you goin’?” Ozzy asked.

“I’ve got the paperwork for the station wagon…be right back.” Thrax explained.

He then went down to where the auctioneer was to hand off the registration and other papers for the station wagon. After a minute, Ricky glanced at his watch and realized what time it was.

“Sheesh! It’s almost five o’ clock.”

“For real?” Maria asked, sounding surprised by the amount of time they had been there.

“Yep,” said Ozzy who looked at his phone.

He then spotted Thrax walking back to where they had been sitting.

“That was fast,”

“Not much to it,” Thrax replied.

Shortly afterwards, Ozzy noticed several people starting to leave.

The microphone on the stage was also removed.

“Looks like they’re wrapping up,”

“I guess so, since that was the last car,” said Drix.

“Good, I’ve got a long drive back home.” Maria replied.

“So do we, let’s go.” Ozzy said before he got up.

A moment later, they were all outside.

It was still daytime but the streetlights would be on later.

“There’s one thing I don’t get Ozzy.” said Maria as the two walked back to their cars.

“What’s that?” the other blood cell asked.

“If Thrax works at Rusty’s why doesn’t he have a car?” Maria continued.

“I’m right here, ya know.” Someone behind them answered.

Both Ozzy and Maria then glanced over their shoulders.

“And since you asked…where I live I can catch the bus and the subway’s not far away either.” Thrax explained.

“Uh-huh, well…anyway, I better get…” Maria stopped short as she slipped, yelling when she hit the ground with a small ‘thud’.

“You ok, Sis?” Ricky asked as he rushed over along with Ozzy and Drix.

“I’m fine, just slipped.” Maria answered.

She looked up and a saw hand in front of her. It didn’t long for her to notice it was Thrax.

“I said I’m fine,” Maria insisted.

She then tried to stand up and almost fell over though someone grabbed her left hand and pulled her up. Maria glanced at who grabbed her, the person had a strong grip plus a warm hand.

“You’re welcome,” said Thrax.

Maria huffed and didn’t say anything.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Drix asked, looking concerned.

“I’m ok, Drix…really.” Maria answered as she dusted off her clothes.

“I’ll see you later,” she said to Ozzy and Drix.

“Nice seeing you guys, bye!” Ricky called out before he and sister got in the car.

“Ok,” Drix said after a moment of silence. “That was weird.” Ozzy admitted.

The two of them gave each other odd looks but didn’t say anything else.

Later…

“Anyone remember how much that station wagon sold for?” Ozzy asked.

“Thirty-thousand carbs.” Drix answered.

“That’s right, thanks Drix.” Ozzy said with a smile.

“Anytime,” the cold pill replied.

It had been quite a day for the two of them but they still had ways to go before getting back home. Usually, having a conversation was one of the ways, Ozzy and Drix passed the time while sitting in traffic but not today. Although they both had a lot on their minds, for now some things were better left unsaid.

MORE TO COME…

Ok, so a few notes…because this chapter was long the rest of it has been split up and will be posted later.

Anyway, onto some info:

The title of this chapter is reference to the song, “We can’t be Friends” sung by Deborah Cox and RL from Next.

The voices for the other characters introduced in this chapter are pretty familiar. Cedric the Entertainer costarred with Steve Harvey on the Steve Harvey show and has done voices for animation including The Proud Family, Ice Age and other TV shows and movies.

Miles Brown is best known for his role on the show, Black-ish but has appeared in Dancing with the Stars Junior on ABC. Jamie Foxx has been in various TV shows and movies such as the Jamie Foxx show, The Soloist and several others.

Tichina Arnold is best known for her roles on the TV shows, Everybody hates Chris and Martin.

Cassi Davis is known for her role as Ella Payne on the Tyler Perry series, House of Payne. Quotes and other references in this chapter are from the following: The Steve Harvey show, The Parkers, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Everybody hates Chris, Cars, Sanford and Son, Homeward 2: Lost in San Francisco, Family Matters, Yes, Dear, Little Polar Bear, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, The Land Before Time 4, Pound Puppies (2010 remake) Daddy Daycare and Cats and Dogs.

The lyrics in this chapter are from the song, “Living for the City” by Stevie Wonder.

The town car, RV and other descriptions are based on photos from Google searches, Ikea and Zillow.

Tammi Terrell and Marvin Gaye were both Motown singers in the 1960s. They both worked on duets such as “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” it’s been said that Marvin Gaye was deeply saddened when she passed away.

Also, here’s another bit of trivia Bill Murray is a baseball fan.

There’ll be some other characters in the next chapter, as well some comedy and drama.

Want a good laugh?

Look up Bill Murray sings ‘Take me out to the Ballgame' on YouTube from the 2016 World Series. It’s hilarious!

Anyway, reviews are appreciated.

Description
Here's Part 2 of Chapter 3. Had to split it up in order to post it.

Anyhow... back to the story!

Wednesday...

“All right, people; that’s it for today.” said Hattie.

She just finished teaching a writing class at the library located in the brain. Several cells, a few viruses and germs gathered their belongings and left.

Hattie then spotted a certain female influenza virus heading for the door.

“Cora, can I talk to you for a minute?”

The female virus looked up at hearing her name.

“Yeah,” Cora walked over to Hattie, adjusting the olive-green messenger back on her left shoulder.

“What’s up?” she asked.

“I don’t mean to pry but…where are you staying?” Hattie replied.

Cora then felt uneasy, her sea green eyes were currently looking at the floor.

“To be honest, Ms. Hattie…I don’t have a place…there’s a warehouse and…” Cora was cut off.

“How long have you been there?” Hattie asked.

“Two weeks…I’m originally from California but I was separated from my folks…been wondering ever since.” Cora explained.

She looked rather embarrassed. Cora had only a few belongings with her. It was obvious from the patches on her leaf green shirt and brown pants that she had gone without some new clothes for a while. The same could be said for her dark blue and white sneakers which were somewhat faded.

Although Cora was a strain of flu, she resembled a white blood cell with her light turquoise skin tone. Her hair style was semi-long and chalk white. The only differences between her and a normal blood cell was the dark blue claws on her hands and feet plus a few ocean blue cheetah-like spots on her arms and face. Cora seemed to be in her early 20s and was on the average side in terms of height and build.

Hattie felt sorry for the young woman, here she was across the country, miles away from home and didn’t have a place to stay at all.

“Oh, I’m so sorry… listen, there’s some property available over on the West-Shoulder…maybe there’s a place you could rent.” Hattie suggested.

“That’s nice of you to suggest that but I don’t have a job…there’s no way I could pay for an apartment.” said Cora.

“Well… how about I help you find a job?” Hattie offered. Cora’s eyes widened in shock. She hardly knew this blood cell, but this woman still wanted to help her regardless.

“You’d do that?! For real?!” Cora asked.

“Sure,” Hattie answered with a smile.

Next thing she knew, Cora was hugging her.

“Thank you!” the female virus exclaimed.

“Cora, if you don’t mind…I’d like to keep my spine in one piece.” Hattie said in a meek voice.

“Oh! Sorry,” Cora apologized and let go.

“It’s just that…not many people have been kind to me.”

Hattie frowned.

“Why is that?”

“Well, it’s because I’m…” Cora trailed off.

“A virus?” Hattie finished.

“Yeah,” was Cora’s reply.

“Look, I’m not like that and neither is Rusty.” Hattie explained.

“Good to know,” said Cora.

Hattie was a white blood cell who like Rusty, seemed to be in her 40s.
She was slightly shorter than Cora with an average build. She had a light denim complexion and a semi-long snow-white membrane. Her eyes were copper brown and rather expressive.

Just then, Hattie thought of something.

“You have any idea where you’ll be staying for tonight?”

“I think there’s a shelter south of here.” Cora replied.

“Forget that…my neighbor Florida has an extra room. I don’t think she’ll mind having a house guest.” said Hattie as she grabbed her dark gray purse and laptop bag.

“That’s a nice offer but I don’t want to impose,” Cora answered sheepishly.

“I doubt it’ll be an imposition.” Hattie insisted. Cora shrugged her shoulders.

“If you say so,” she sighed.

At that, she followed Hattie out of the library to the nearest subway station. From what Cora could tell, Hattie was a kind and compassionate blood cell who hardly took no for answer.

Having been on her own for so long, Cora had trust issues towards others, mainly because of how viruses and germs were treated. Hattie knew this all too well, her mate, Rusty was a red blood cell and their son Roger was a mix.
At first, her family wasn’t sure what to make of it but respected her decision.

Across town, the day wasn’t exactly going well for a certain white blood cell and his cold pill sidekick.

West-Shoulder-11:00am-Eastern Time…

“Sheesh! Traffic in this city sucks.” Said Ozzy.

“You’re right about that,” Drix agreed.

After parking the car, he and Ozzy got out and made their way up the steps of a nearby brownstone.

“What’s up guys?” a familiar voice greeted them.

“Adella? What are you doing here?” Ozzy asked.

“I live here,” the female measles virus replied, pointing to her own brownstone which was next-door from where Ozzy and Drix currently were.

“Wait a sec…you? aww…never mind,” said Ozzy.

“I gotta get to work, see you later.” Adella told them.

“Bye,” said Drix.

“Yeah, see ya,” Ozzy said in a dull tone as Adella walked off heading towards the subway.

Ozzy then grabbed the spare key that was hidden under the doormat and unlocked it.

“Sheesh! Can you believe this place?” said Ozzy who stood in the doorway.

“Never thought that he was renting something like this,” Drix confessed.

“Me neither,” Ozzy agreed before turning his head towards a nearby staircase.

“Yo! Thrax, we’re here!”

“I’ll be right down.” Was the reply he got back from upstairs.

“Guess we’ll wait for a few minutes.” Ozzy concluded.

He and Drix then went into the living room which was currently to the left of them. The two sat down on a medium size black leather sectional couch. Both of them were surprised by what they saw.

The décor in the room was mostly neutral colors. It was primary black and white, across from the couch was a pair of dark blue and white striped armed chairs. Both were square which matched the couch’s rectangular shape.

On the left side of the room was a flat screen TV mounted on the wall and below it a small fireplace. Under the coffee table was a blue area rug, the same shade as the stripes on the chair. Behind the couch in a corner was a floor lamp with an off-white square shaped shade. In another corner of the room on the right, next to the built-in bookshelves was a fish tank. Beyond that, a door that led into the kitchen.

The windows behind the couch allowed for natural light to enter the room.

Just then, Ozzy heard a noise coming from upstairs.

“Is that water running?” he asked.

“I think so,” Drix answered.

Shortly after, the two heard another sound; this time it was a voice.

“Wait a minute…” Drix sputtered.

Ozzy raised an eyebrow as he looked towards the stairs.

“Is that…?”

The two of them heard what sounded like singing. The lyrics were rather easy to make out:

“A boy is born in Hard time, Mississippi…surrounded by…four walls that ain’t so pretty…his parents give…him, love and affection; to keep him strong…moving in the right direction. Living just enough…just enough…for the city.”

It didn’t take long for Ozzy and Drix to put two and two together.

“Hold up…he sings…?” Ozzy started to saHe

He and Drix looked at each other in surprise.

“In the shower?!” they said in unison.

Within seconds, the two started laughing.
A few minutes later, the water stopped running.

“Stop laughing,” Ozzy whispered.

Drix snickered one last time before collecting himself.

Ozzy coughed after laughing so hard.

A moment later they could hear footsteps, the hard floor did nothing to hide the noise. At the bottom of the stairs stood Thrax who was fully dressed, apart from not having on any shoes.

“All right, ready to…?” he paused when he noticed Ozzy and Drix giving him an odd look.

“What is it?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Nothin'!” Ozzy sputtered.

“You sure?” Thrax continued.

“Yes,” was the reply from Ozzy and Drix.

Thrax gave the two a suspicious glance, something was up but neither of them were saying anything.

“Mm-hmm…”

He grabbed his shoes that were by the front door and sat down in a nearby chair. It was then that he noticed Ozzy staring at him.

“What now?” Thrax asked, sounded somewhat annoyed.

“Ever hear of a pedicure?” Ozzy replied, commenting on Thrax’s feet.

“Look Jones, if you’re going to keep this up…I can catch the bus from here.” said Thrax.

“All I’m saying is…” Ozzy was cut off.

“I trim my claws every three months and occasionally file them…all right?” Thrax explained.

“Noted,” Ozzy said in a dull toneHe

He knew about the claws on Thrax’s fingers, but his feet were a different story. They were narrow with three long toes, the fourth, however was shorter and similar to a dew claw. The feet overall resembled those of a raccoon’s. Unlike the claws on his fingers, the ones on Thrax’s feet were slightly shorter but still cranberry red.

It was clear Ozzy was already uncomfortable being there, but this was too much.

He glanced at the wall where the TV was for a minute.

“So, who’s your decorator? Ikea?”

“Ask Hattie, she’s the one who decorated the place.” Thrax replied.

After putting on his shoes he got up and grabbed his jacket off a nearby rack.

“So, we leavin’ or what?” he asked.

Ozzy then grabbed the car keys from his pocket.

“We’re goin’” He got up, followed by Drix without saying another word.

The two of them headed outside first with Thrax being last. Ozzy and Drix waited at the foot of the steps while Thrax locked the front door.

“Oh, by the way…Maria’s gonna meet us at the auction house,” Ozzy announced.

Thrax nearly dropped his house keys when he heard this. After what happened two days ago, he really didn’t want to see that female blood cell again.

“Say what?!” Thrax exclaimed.

“That’s not a problem is it?” Drix asked.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Thrax replied, going from shocked to somewhat upset.

“Didn’t think it was necessary.” said Ozzy.

He still had Thrax’s contact information from third Friday but decided not to tell the virus via text message about Maria tagging along.
It was increasingly obvious Ozzy and Thrax were getting on each other’s nerves.

“Really, Jones? If that’s your explanation, then…” Thrax stopped short when Drix chimed in.

“Are you two done?”

Letting out a sigh, both Ozzy and Thrax decided to drop the conversation; there was no point in continuing it. Without another word, the blood cell, virus and cold pill all got in the car.

“You got something against Maria?” Ozzy asked after shutting the door.

Thrax took a minute to fasten his seatbelt before he replied.

“Jones, I’m a virus; she’s a blood cell…I don’t think I have to explain.”

“I’m a blood cell too, ya know.” Ozzy pointed out.

“Yes, but…” Thrax stopped short letting out a growl of frustration.

“Are you still angry that she called you outbreak?” Drix asked.

Thrax frowned, unsure of what to say.

“I…I don’t know. When have you ever heard of blood cells and viruses getting along?”

Ozzy and Drix gave each other a puzzled look, they knew viruses and blood cells did coexist to a certain degree but not much else.

“I…” Ozzy sputtered.

“Well…” Drix started to say.

“That’s my point, cells and viruses can’t stand each other. We’re just too different.” said Thrax.

Ozzy was about to start the car but paused for a minute, if they missed the start of the auction, it wasn’t a big deal.

“Well, here’s a shocker. Drix and I didn’t exactly become instant friends when we met. Matter of fact, we got on each other’s nerves.” He explained.

Thrax’s eyes bucked, this was news to him. As far as he knew, the cell and the pill were pals, though he could see why their friendship had been a work in progress. Ozzy had his own way of doing things; while Drix was more by-the-book. Still, they managed to work together regardless.

After hearing this, Thrax wanted to know more about this story.

“Did you now?” he asked, giving the two a curious look.

“Yes, but it worked out eventually.” said Drix.

“Yeah, we got our differences; but we’re still friends.” Ozzy added.

“So, what’s your point?” Thrax asked, tilting his head slightly.

“Just somethin’ to think about.” said Ozzy before he started the car.

For the most part, the only ones who spoke for the duration of the ride were Ozzy and Drix. Every once in a while, the white blood cell and cold pill glanced at Thrax. His attention was mostly focused on the view of the city as he looked out the window. It was obvious he was in deep thought about something, but what?

“So, this is it.” said Ozzy as he looked at the light gray and white barn-like building outside the car.

“Funny, I thought there’d be more people.” Drix admitted as he got out and took note of the fact there were only about fourteen other cars parked in the lot.

“It depends, some weeks are slower than others.” Thrax explained. He stepped out and stretched for a minute. Riding in the backseat wasn’t exactly comfortable due to his long legs.

As Ozzy locked the car, he noticed an outdoor pen on the side of the building that looked as if it was used for holding livestock.

“Looks like cars aren’t the only things they auction off here.”

“Seems that way,” Drix agreed.

He was then alerted by the sound of a door slamming about two cars down.

“Oh, look Maria’s here.” Drix said in a cheerful tone.

“Hey guys, sorry I’m late, I…” Maria paused and stopped smiling when she saw Thrax.

“Oh, it’s you again.” She said in a dull tone.

Thrax scoffed, clearly not in a good mood.

“I’m not exactly happy about this either.”

Maria simply rolled her eyes and ignored the snarky comment.

“Anyway… Ricky insisted on coming with me, I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” said Drix.

“No problem,” Ozzy replied.

“Hola Fellas, it’s been a while.” Ricky greeted the duo as he walked up to them.

“Got that right,” said Ozzy.

“So…what’s up?” Ricky asked.

“The ceiling,” Drix replied.

Ricky chuckled.

“Good one,”

He then noticed a tall figure standing off to the side watching the four of them without saying a word.

“What the…? Sis, this is the virus you were talking about?” Ricky asked, pointing a thumb towards Thrax.

The red virus narrowed his eyes and folded his arms in front of his chest.

“You know, I have an actual name…it’s Thrax,”

“Oh,” was all Richardo could say.

“In answer to your question, Ricky…yes, this is the guy.” Said Maria.

“Huh, and I thought Drix was tall.” Ricky confessed as he studied Thrax who wasn’t too keen on the blood cell being so close.

He never liked anyone staring at him as if he was some sort of animal from a nature documentary. Thrax then glanced at Ricky, looking indifferent.

“And I didn’t know Maria had a sibling.”

“There’s about nine of us, actually.” Ricky said nervously.

Thrax nearly fell over. He had never heard of a blood cell having that many siblings.

“Nine?!” he sputtered.

“Yes, what about you?” the female blood cell asked.

Thrax tilted his head at the question.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t you have any brothers and sisters?” Maria continued.

“No,” was Thrax’s reply. Maria raised an eyebrow at this.

“Really? But don’t viruses…” she stopped short when Thrax cut her off.

“Not all of us have siblings,” he said.

“Didn’t know that,” Ricky admitted.

He and Maria both knew that viruses typically had large families, multiples such as twins and triplets were the norm, but single births were somewhat uncommon. Ozzy cleared his throat, getting the others attention.

“Are y'all done yet?” he asked.

Maria, Richardo and Thrax then noticed Ozzy and Drix were standing there waiting. Without saying another word, the five of them walked towards the auction house.

A short time later, they were all inside. Apart from a few cells, germs, bacteria and viruses, the place was relatively empty. The gray concrete floor and faded pine wood like walls showed the building was rather old. The lighting overhead was somewhat dim.

Aside from a concession stand, vending machine, public restrooms and drinking fountain, there wasn’t much to write home about.

“Huh, they have a livestock and exotic animal auction on Saturdays.” said Drix as he read a flyer on a nearby bulletin board.

“Is that so? I’m surprised nobody’s called animal control.” Maria told him.

“Why is that?” Drix asked, looking confused.

“’Cause there’s a zoo missing a Lobo Rojo,” Maria replied.

Ricky snickered at his sister’s remark.

“What was that?” Thrax asked with an underlying hint of anger as he looked at Maria suspiciously.

The female blood cell turned around, somewhat startled to see the virus standing behind her.

“Oh, you don’t speak Spanish?” she asked Thrax.

“No, why?” he replied.

“It’s nothing,” said Maria before she headed off to the concession stand with Ozzy and Drix.

Ricky flinched when Thrax grabbed his right shoulder, preventing the cell from taking another step.

“Hey Rick, what does Lobo Rojo mean anyway?” Thrax asked.

“You won’t get mad?” Ricky replied.

Thrax raised an eyebrow at this, what was this guy talking about?

“Why would I?” he asked.

Still feeling nervous, Ricky moved about two inches to the left, putting a bit of space between Thrax and himself.

“Lobo Rojo means Red Wolf,” Ricky explained.

At hearing this, Thrax looked at Ricky in shock.

First Maria called him outbreak, now this.

“Oh,” was all he could say.

“Would you rather be called that or outbreak?” Ricky asked.

“Wha? She told you?!” Thrax exclaimed.

“Yeah,” Ricky replied, not at all surprised by Thrax’s reaction.

How many people did Maria talk to about this? But then again Thrax had mentioned it to a few folks he knew, including Ozzy, Drix and Doug.

Letting out a groan, Thrax face-palmed, this was wearing him out.

“I take it you and my sister don’t get along,” said Ricky as he put some change into the vending machine and pushed a couple of buttons.

“Is it that obvious?” Thrax asked.

“In a way,” Ricky replied before retrieving a soda can from the machine.

“Is she always like that?” Thrax asked after a minute.

“Nah…actually, she can be nice.” Ricky answered.

“Mm-hmm,” Thrax muttered, he did notice Maria was always kind around Ozzy, Drix and her other friends but she was the opposite whenever they crossed paths.

Thrax wondered if Maria treated all viruses like this or was it just him. Pushing the thought aside, he spotted Ozzy and Drix heading into the auditorium where the auction was being held. Thrax stepped off to the side and waited.

“What is it?” Maria asked, giving the virus a confused look.

“Ever hear of ladies first?” Thrax answered.

“You don’t have to do that,” Maria said in a sharp tone.

“Look here, I’m trying to be nice, all right?” Thrax replied, sounding somewhat irritated.

Maria scoffed.

“Yeah, sure.” She muttered.

“Yo! Tammi Terrell and Marvin Gaye, let’s go!” Ozzy called as he stood near the doorway.

Ricky snickered; it was hard not to keep a straight face.

He then coughed at seeing the angry look his sister gave him.

The main auditorium was a sharp contrast to the rest of the auction house. Granted, the room was still old looking like the rest of the place but had better lighting due to the windows. The room consisted of several rows of foldable chairs and a stage like platform. There weren’t many people sitting around since the majority of the chairs were empty. The room also smelled of sawdust. One by one, Ozzy, Drix and the others sat down.

After a few minutes, Drix tried to start a conversation

“How many cars do they auction off?”

“Depends…on a good day, twenty isn’t unheard of. Rusty’s sold several here.” Thrax replied.

“Really?” Drix asked, sounding surprised. He had found out sometime ago that Rusty’s garage did restoration work on old vehicles and sold some of them but didn’t know how many the red blood cell had auctioned off.
Thrax nodded in reply to Drix’s question.

“He’s got one on the auction block today.” Ozzy pointed out, looking at a list of vehicles on a copy of the auction schedule he had picked up a while ago.

“Probably that old station wagon, I helped work on it last week.” said Thrax.

“Isn't that how you cut yourself?” Drix asked.

At that, Thrax rolled up the sleeves of both his jacket and sweater.

His right arm was still wrapped up with bandage tape. He then turned to Drix and spoke.

“Yes, it is.”

"Hey look, they’re starting again.” said Ricky.

The auctioneer, a measles virus dressed in a dark brown blazer, jeans and work boots approached the microphone on the stage. He adjusted his light beige cowboy hat before he spoke in a Texas accent.

“Ok folks, Lot eighteen is an old but goodie. We got an RV here with twelve-thousand miles, interior has been fully restored to its former glory. Perfect for those who love the great outdoors.”

The auctioneer then pointed to a large photo sitting on an easel, set up on the left side of the stage. The vehicle pictured looked like an old cream colored Winnebago RV from the 1990s.

“So, who wants to bid first?” the auctioneer asked.

He looked out into the audience and waited.

“Anyone?” Maria frowned slightly looking rather concerned.

“Nobody’s bidding,”

“Wait for it,” said Thrax.

“Two-thousand!” a male germ in the back row shouted.

“All right, I have a bid of two-thousand, anyone else?” the auctioneer asked.

“Three-thousand!” shouted a male red blood cell, who was in the right hand corner of the auditorium.

“Now we’re gettin’ somewhere, do I have four-thousand?” the auctioneer continued.

A female flu virus in the third row simply raised her hand.

The auctioneer simply nodded.

“Ok, four-thousand, do I hear five-thousand?”

The same germ in the back row shouted a reply.

“All right,” the auctioneer sighed.

He could tell this was going to be a long afternoon. For the next hour, four different people bided on the RV. The auctioneer removed the cow print bandana from around his neck and wiped his face. Obviously tired from shouting. Once he collected himself he continued on.

“Fifteen-thousand going once… going twice…sold! To the bidder in the third row.”

“Fifteen grand? That’s not much.” said Maria who was surprised the RV had been sold for that amount.

“It’s a pretty old RV though,” Ozzy pointed out before finishing off what resembled a corn-dog.

“True,” Maria agreed, regarding Ozzy’s comment about the RV. She then noticed her cup of iced tea was empty.

“I’m gonna go get a refill.” “I’ll go with you. I could go for another corn dog.” said Ozzy.

The two cells got up and started to walk out. Ricky flinched in his seat, clearly uncomfortable.

“I shouldn’t have drank that whole can of soda…be right back.” He said before making a quick exit to get to the restroom.

“So…” Drix started to say.

“Wait a sec…” said Thrax. He glanced at where Ozzy had been sitting and spotted his cellphone. Grabbing the device, he stood up and tried to get the blood cell’s attention.

“Hey Jones, you forgot your…”

It was then Thrax noticed Ozzy was out of earshot range and probably didn’t hear him.

“Oh, nevermind.” He groaned.

When Drix wasn’t looking, Thrax glanced at Ozzy’s cellphone, the screen currently showed a phone number listed under a familiar name. Thrax made a mental note to write down the number when he got the chance. He then put the phone down on Ozzy’s seat before Drix noticed.

It was then that Thrax thought about something he wanted to ask the cold pill.

“Drix?”

“Yes?” was the reply.

“What’s with Maria?” Thrax asked.

Drix scratched his head, not sure how to answer.

“I’m not following,”

“Is she always this cold around other viruses or just me?” Thrax continued, trying to be more specific.

“How come you want to know?” Drix asked, glancing oddly at the virus.

“Just askin’,” Thrax replied.

Drix rubbed the back of his head, he knew that Maria and Thrax couldn’t stand each other and had tried to stay out of it.

“Well…” “Never mind,” Thrax replied, shaking his head. He could tell Drix wasn’t too sure about answering.

“I can’t believe she’s got nine brothers and sisters. Her folks had a full house.”

“Yes, her mother did have her hands full.” said Drix.

“And her Dad?” Thrax asked.

Drix lowered his head.

“It’s not my place to say it but…he went to work one day and didn’t come back.” He explained.

Thrax blinked in surprise, first he found out Maria had nine siblings, now this.

“Why? What happened to her Dad?”

Drix frowned, looking uneasy.

“She doesn’t like to talk about it.” He replied.

“Oh man…I didn’t know.” said Thrax.

“It’s been a few years but…” Drix trailed off.

“She’s not over it,” Thrax replied.

“No,” Drix said as he shook his head.

“That’s rough,” Thrax sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck.

The fact that Maria’s father didn’t return home from work meant something must’ve happened to him on the job.

Drix looked around when he heard footsteps approaching.

“She’s coming back,”

In an attempt to not look conspicuous, Drix and Thrax tried to put on a game face and make it seem as if they were still watching the auction.

“Hey, what’d I miss?” Maria asked.

“Nothing,” Drix and Thrax said at the same time.

“O…k,” was Maria’s reply, she decided not to say anything else.

As the auction went on, Ozzy and Drix swapped conversations between Maria and Ricky. The only one who hadn’t spoken much was Thrax, he thought about what Maria had said to him. He glanced at her once in a while, often looking away before she noticed.

The virus then stared at his claws and sighed. Whether Ozzy and Drix, knew it or not, some viruses were much like wolves…living together in packs, often in one place that was considered their territory. It was something Thrax had experience with, though he hadn’t crossed paths with any virus packs lately.

Just then, the auctioneer’s voice rang out.

“Sold! To the bidder in the back row!.”

“And that’s my cue,” said Thrax before he stood up.

“Where you goin’?” Ozzy asked.

“I’ve got the paperwork for the station wagon…be right back.” Thrax explained.

He then went down to where the auctioneer was to hand off the registration and other papers for the station wagon. After a minute, Ricky glanced at his watch and realized what time it was.

“Sheesh! It’s almost five o’ clock.”

“For real?” Maria asked, sounding surprised by the amount of time they had been there.

“Yep,” said Ozzy who looked at his phone.

He then spotted Thrax walking back to where they had been sitting.

“That was fast,”

“Not much to it,” Thrax replied.

Shortly afterwards, Ozzy noticed several people starting to leave.

The microphone on the stage was also removed.

“Looks like they’re wrapping up,”

“I guess so, since that was the last car,” said Drix.

“Good, I’ve got a long drive back home.” Maria replied.

“So do we, let’s go.” Ozzy said before he got up.

A moment later, they were all outside.

It was still daytime but the streetlights would be on later.

“There’s one thing I don’t get Ozzy.” said Maria as the two walked back to their cars.

“What’s that?” the other blood cell asked.

“If Thrax works at Rusty’s why doesn’t he have a car?” Maria continued.

“I’m right here, ya know.” Someone behind them answered.

Both Ozzy and Maria then glanced over their shoulders.

“And since you asked…where I live I can catch the bus and the subway’s not far away either.” Thrax explained.

“Uh-huh, well…anyway, I better get…” Maria stopped short as she slipped, yelling when she hit the ground with a small ‘thud’.

“You ok, Sis?” Ricky asked as he rushed over along with Ozzy and Drix.

“I’m fine, just slipped.” Maria answered.

She looked up and a saw hand in front of her. It didn’t long for her to notice it was Thrax.

“I said I’m fine,” Maria insisted.

She then tried to stand up and almost fell over though someone grabbed her left hand and pulled her up. Maria glanced at who grabbed her, the person had a strong grip plus a warm hand.

“You’re welcome,” said Thrax.

Maria huffed and didn’t say anything.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Drix asked, looking concerned.

“I’m ok, Drix…really.” Maria answered as she dusted off her clothes.

“I’ll see you later,” she said to Ozzy and Drix.

“Nice seeing you guys, bye!” Ricky called out before he and sister got in the car.

“Ok,” Drix said after a moment of silence. “That was weird.” Ozzy admitted.

The two of them gave each other odd looks but didn’t say anything else.

Later…

“Anyone remember how much that station wagon sold for?” Ozzy asked.

“Thirty-thousand carbs.” Drix answered.

“That’s right, thanks Drix.” Ozzy said with a smile.

“Anytime,” the cold pill replied.

It had been quite a day for the two of them but they still had ways to go before getting back home. Usually, having a conversation was one of the ways, Ozzy and Drix passed the time while sitting in traffic but not today. Although they both had a lot on their minds, for now some things were better left unsaid.

MORE TO COME…

Ok, so a few notes…because this chapter was long the rest of it has been split up and will be posted later.

Anyway, onto some info:

The title of this chapter is reference to the song, “We can’t be Friends” sung by Deborah Cox and RL from Next.

The voices for the other characters introduced in this chapter are pretty familiar. Cedric the Entertainer costarred with Steve Harvey on the Steve Harvey show and has done voices for animation including The Proud Family, Ice Age and other TV shows and movies.

Miles Brown is best known for his role on the show, Black-ish but has appeared in Dancing with the Stars Junior on ABC. Jamie Foxx has been in various TV shows and movies such as the Jamie Foxx show, The Soloist and several others.

Tichina Arnold is best known for her roles on the TV shows, Everybody hates Chris and Martin.

Cassi Davis is known for her role as Ella Payne on the Tyler Perry series, House of Payne. Quotes and other references in this chapter are from the following: The Steve Harvey show, The Parkers, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Everybody hates Chris, Cars, Sanford and Son, Homeward 2: Lost in San Francisco, Family Matters, Yes, Dear, Little Polar Bear, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, The Land Before Time 4, Pound Puppies (2010 remake) Daddy Daycare and Cats and Dogs.

The lyrics in this chapter are from the song, “Living for the City” by Stevie Wonder.

The town car, RV and other descriptions are based on photos from Google searches, Ikea and Zillow.

Tammi Terrell and Marvin Gaye were both Motown singers in the 1960s. They both worked on duets such as “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” it’s been said that Marvin Gaye was deeply saddened when she passed away.

Also, here’s another bit of trivia Bill Murray is a baseball fan.

There’ll be some other characters in the next chapter, as well some comedy and drama.

Want a good laugh?

Look up Bill Murray sings ‘Take me out to the Ballgame' on YouTube from the 2016 World Series. It’s hilarious!

Anyway, reviews are appreciated.