Snippet #2295898

Benji reclined in his chair, enjoying the marvelous view of the Mediterranean Sea. A salty breeze ruffled his blonde locks and breathed life into the wind chimes scattered around the outdoor cafe. Benji had learned about this place from one of the many food blogs he followed. With luxurious outdoor seating and the best chefs of southern Greece, it was very high-class. Keeping this in mind, Benji signaled to the waiter and requested another round of breakfast with as much regality as he could muster. He had planned to have breakfast at home, but after brewing a pot of coffee and finding only a bag of whole wheat bagels in the fridge, he had decided to go to Greece.

The waiter returned with his meal. Benji's mouth could barely utter a quick thanks in perfect Greek before descending upon the innocent eggs. They vanished in mere seconds. Recognizing the sensation of air rising up his throat, Benji hurriedly placed a napkin over his mouth to muffle the burp. Needless to say, it didn't help at all.

I'd better leave, he thought, feeling very self-conscious under the stares of the restaurant's other customers. Again, he signaled to the waiter and asked him for the check.

"That will be one hundred-six euros," the waiter said.

Benji nearly screamed. A hundred and six euros?! He had only brought thirty-five! Really, he should have known better, but he hadn't thought of going here until the last second. "I... uh... left my wallet at my house!" he told the waiter, rising to his feet. The waiter cried out to stop him, but Benji was already gone. He dashed away at a fast sprint, only to become a brief blur of color as he used his freakish speed to carry him back home. Upon arriving at the manor, he burst into his room and flung open his foreign currency drawer, stuffing as many euros as he could into his pockets. When he felt he had enough, he returned to Greece.

The waiter looked truly amazed to see Benji.

"Here you go!" Benji flashed a dazzling smile and handed the crumpled wad of bills to the waiter. "You can keep the change." With that, he pranced away happily. He found a nice alley to hide in before using his super speed to travel back home.

Reaching Sunny Haven, Benji slowed his pace to a light jog. He stopped near the tennis courts and pretended to look breathless, as if he had been out on a long run (which was actually the truth). He noticed his dragon brother Marcus whacking tennis balls and occasionally incinerating them with his fire breath. It wasn't the correct way to play tennis, but Marcus looked so intent on the task that Benji decided to let him be.

"I'm kind of hungry," he said to himself. All that running had drained him, even though he had just eaten. He began to walk to the Pawprint, where he knew a few of his siblings would be working.

Along the way, Benji couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him. He suddenly whirled around and scanned his surroundings. Nothing unusual. Maybe he was just being paranoid. Shrugging, he continued his trek, but the feeling persisted. When he entered the Pawprint, he went straight to James, trying not to look too nervous. He knew the snake would take a logical approach to his worries and assure him that he was just imagining things.