A Skilene-Filled September
Scenario 2: “Dating Practice”
Thursday, September 2, 2010


Just shy of nine months since she had gone on that infamous tarehe with Fred, Marlene chuckled to herself as she recalled the whole escapade. She found it funny that she had found him funny, only to learn too soon that her “Bobo” was just a run-of-the-mill buffoon. In fact, she had all but sworn off dating ever again the very inayofuata day.

But could she truly hold out on dating again forever? Marlene soon pondered such a question.

“Forever certainly is an awfully long time,” she then thought to herself. “Maybe I could go on a tarehe again someday, but it’s really going to take someone special for me to even consider it.”

But then she had another thought.

“But what would I even do on a date?” she wondered. “Fred was the only one I ever went out with, and being with him didn’t really help me get any dating experience. If only I had some way to practice for the future so I would know how to handle myself.”

She then sat for a few moments to reflect, beginning to regret even bring up the whole thought of dating again. But it struck her after a while that maybe she could convince one of her Marafiki to go on a mock tarehe with her so that she might be better prepared to handle another real tarehe someday. But who could she get to help her?

“Forget Julien, I don’t want him to think I’m ‘hopelessly in love’ with him again,” she alisema to herself. “I need the complete opposite of that -- I think I need Skipper.”

Marlene then left her habitat to go to see Skipper to see if he would be willing to take part in her practice session. She knew that he would be tough to convince, but he was the only one she could really trust for something as personal as this.

When she reached the penguin, auk enclosure, Marlene jumped into the air and tumbled down in the middle of the habitat’s platform. She landed firmly on her feet -- she always did -- and found Skipper there peering through a pair of binoculars. He put them down as he approached Marlene.

“So, Marlene, what do wewe need my help on today?” he asked nonchalantly.

“Wait, how did wewe know I wanted something?” Marlene asked.

“Call it a hunch, my gut, au an eighth sense,” Skipper replied.

“Um, don’t wewe mean sixth sense?” Marlene wondered.

“No, I meant eighth,” Skipper replied. “My sixth and seventh senses are classified. But anyway, what can I do for you?”

“Well, I was hoping wewe could do a special favor for me,” Marlene replied. “You see, someday I might like to go on a tarehe again, but I’m nervous about what exactly to do on one. Going out with Fred didn’t really help prepare me for the future, so I’m afraid that I might not do au say the right things if I ever went on a tarehe again. So I was hoping wewe could help me practice.”

“Practice how?” Skipper wondered.

“By taking me out on a mock tarehe so that I could gain experience without the pressure,” Marlene replied. “If I do this with wewe and make a fool of myself, at least I wouldn’t be doing it in front of a guy I’m trying to impress.”

“So you’re asking me, probably the least qualified guy in this zoo on the whole ‘relationship’ subject, to help you?” Skipper asked. “Why?”

“Because I know wewe the best and trust wewe the most,” she replied. “Trust me, for something like this, I’d much rather have someone I feel salama around be the one to assist me. Someone who’d be honest and not in it for themselves.”

“Well, I suppose I could help you, as long as wewe realize that I’m not dating wewe for real,” Skipper stated. “So, what’s next?”

“Come to my habitat tonight for diner,” Marlene replied. “We’ll pretend that you’ve taken me to a big expensive restaurant.”

“Very well,” Skipper said. “I’ll be there.”

And with that, Marlene thanked Skipper and then left to go prepare for later that day.

At 1800 hours that evening, Skipper left the HQ to go over to Marlene’s habitat for their mock date. He stopped briefly along the way to pluck a few flowers to present to her, then continued waddling along to see Marlene.

“These are for you, dollface,” he alisema as he presented the flowers to Marlene. “I’m not sure what they are, though.”

“They’re dandelions, Skipper,” Marlene replied as she led him in. “But it’s the thought that counts.”

“Anything to make this whole scenario zaidi realistic for you,” Skipper said, briefly breaking the character of Marlene’s supposed “date.”

The two then approached the meza, jedwali to begin their mock tarehe together, hoping to give Marlene the confidence she needed to someday go on a real one again. Before Marlene went to sit down, Skipper pulled her chair out for her -- a true gentleman.

As they soon got down to eating a delicious tuna casserole, Skipper and Marlene began talking with ease. They laughed together. And Marlene felt encouraged kwa the way she made Skipper smile; he was truly playing the role of a tarehe better than any Oscar-winning dramatic actor ever could.

Little did she know that Skipper had stopped uigizaji five dakika into the date.

Time passed quickly that evening. Before they knew it, it was already 2200. And Skipper had early training the inayofuata morning.

“You know, Skipper, this evening with wewe turned out to be far greater than I could have ever imagined,” Marlene said, meaning every word from her heart. “And we’re getting along so well and getting to know each other so well that I’m actually–”

But Marlene couldn’t finish her sentence. She wasn’t sure how Skipper might take it.

But Skipper smiled, knowing full well what Marlene was going to say. In fact, he finished Marlene’s sentence for her.

“… sad that this wonderful evening together is coming to an end,” Skipper said.

Marlene smiled. And blushed.

“Actually, I’m sad that this is just a mock date,” Marlene said.

“I hear you,” Skipper replied. “So I guess we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to have a real one.”

------------------------------

Thank wewe for kusoma the sekunde of the 30 scenarios that will be part of my project. There is one zaidi sample ilitumwa here on Fanpop; wewe may click link to access it.