“Come on now, Martine. You know locking yourself in your room’s not going to help. You’re spending the summer with your mom, and that’s that.”

The male drowsee sighed even as he jiggled the doorknob, knowing it would still be locked. He hated this time of year more than anything, but it was inevitable. “Martine, you live here all year long, and you only see your mother once a month. Don’t you think she at least deserves the chance to be with you for the summer?” No answer. These were the times that he most wished his daughter wasn’t mute. It made communicating during arguments really tough.

So she can drag me around like a doll or an accessory? You’re right Dad, sounds -real- fun.

“Don’t you take that tone with me, young Lady. You’re going to live with your mother this summer, and that’s that.” //No matter how much I’d rather you stay here instead…//

With a quiet click, the portly mon heard the door unlock itself and opening. He didn’t even have time to peer into the room before being tackled by a clinging teenage girl. With a smile he patted her dark blue hair and held her tight, reassuring her. “Besides, I’ll see you once a month, right? Don’t worry; I’m sure you’ll still have lots of fun. Now hurry up and finish packing your things. Your Mother will be here soon.”

With a nod and a pout, the mute Mimic turned back into her room and sullenly finished packing.

“Though, we might have time for some ice cream… I’m sure your mother can wait a bit longer…”

Giggling noiselessly, the young girl agreed, hugging her dear father and kissing his cheek.

Thanks Dad, you’re the best.

~~

“You were supposed to be here an hour ago.”

“Come on, it’s only an hour. You have all of summer to catch up.”

While her parents spoke for the first time in weeks, Martine was busy placing her things in her mother’s car, trying to slip into the car before she could dragged into their argument.

Slipping quietly into the passenger’s seat and placing her schoolbag filled with sketchbooks at her feet, the young girl grabbed and opened her newly bought pink sketchbook to the first page, using the hardcover of her blue sketchbook as a table.
//Let’s see, green is people, purple is conversation, blue is… err…private… so what’s pink? Ooh! Landscapes! I don’t do enough of those, after all.//

The young Mimic was so concentrated in her work that she barely noticed the small lurch of the car beginning to move, nor the quiet voice her mother used when she was trying to be gentle with her.

“-ine... ar...ine... Martine! Young lady, I am talking to you!”

Snapping out of her trance, Martine dove for her purple conversation sketchbook, but her mother stopped her with a sigh.

Dear, I’m driving. And besides, you’re a Mimic. Be proud of it and use that you were born with.

But Mom… It’s hard…

Preposterous. Your cousin Mindy is half your age, and already she’s mastered telepathy. I will not have -my- child be the only one in the family with difficulties, just because your soft dolt of a father spoils you.

H-hey, that’s not fair! You’ve said yourself she’s a genius!

Enough, Martine. I don’t want to argue right now. I know you hate living with me for the summer already, and a heated debate right off the bat won’t help.

At this Martine could only stare at her mother, who usually never backed down until she was proven right. Heck, she loved- arguing.

Don’t give me that look. Is it that strange that I’m not pursuing the point?

Yeah, it is… but thanks.

Was that… was that a smile on her mother’s face? Martine thought it was, but she really couldn’t be sure. It looked so -alien- on that woman’s face. It seemed she was actually trying to stay on friendly terms this time.

“Now, about the rest of this summer. You don’t mind if you only see me once a week, do you?”

Well, I guess not, since it’s the norm, isn’t it, just the usual summer alone with my books in your mansion of a house?

“Not quite.”

With that, a pamphlet floated up from the backseat, levitating in front of the young Mimic’s nose until she grabbed it from the air. “I know you’ve been wanting to go, so instead of butting heads for the entire summer I figured we’d both be better off if I visited you once a week instead.”

The panphlet read “PokeStarRangers Summer Camp, Enroll your chid today!”

Gasping in surprise and glee, the young girl could scarcely believe it. Oh thank you thank you thank you! the young girl ‘said’, hugging her mother and nearly causing them to crash into a passing semi.

“Martine! Careful, this dress creases easily!”

//There goes the thought that she’d been abducted by aliens… only mom would scold me for a dress instead of a possible car accident.//

The rest of the trip to the Poke Star Rangers’ summer camp was taken in silence between the two mimics, one too absorbed in drawing landscapes and day dreaming of summer days to come while the other concentrated on dress designs and business plans.

~~

Watching her mother’s vehicle drive away, Martine smiled. This summer wouldn’t be so bad after all. Now she just needed to bring her things to her room and-

“Oof! Hey, Watch it!”

Slam into a vulpix before taking a step onto the grounds. Great. Frantically picking up her sketchbooks before scribbling an apology for the fire type, Martine extended one hand while her other one showed what she’d written.

Brushing some dirt off the hem of her yellow skirt, the girl looked up and took the offered hand, shaking it. “Hi, my name’s Martine, and I’m really really sorry? What, you can’t talk or something?” She asked, a bit embarrassed when the mimic shrugged as an answer. “Oh… uh… well, my name’s Tone, nice to meet you. Huh? Oh no! Look at the time, I’ll be late!” And with that the girl, probably fourteen or fifteen, ran off, clutching a few novels she’d probably brought from home.

Along with a blue sketchbook that was picked up but went unnoticed in her rush.

//Huh? No! No one’s supposed to see those!//

Shoving the rest of her sketchbooks into her bag and making sure it was zipped tight, Martine ran as fast as she could through the crowd of arriving kids and parents, losing sight of the vulpix when she turned a corner.

//No no no!//
~~

Fifteen minutes of running around, and nothing. No one noticed a vulpix save two or three people, and that was a guy. Oh… what was she going to do? That blue sketchbook of hers was only when she got a sudden flash of inspiration, of a more steamy variety than the usual. A lot of the students from the PCA had been used as base models, and she was scared they’d be mad if they saw the pictures. Of course, that was nothing compared to the fear that they’d think it was nothing but smut. Certainly the pictures were a lot more… provocative than her usual fare, and you probably shouldn’t show them to children, but they were still her best ones. //Not my fault my best work turns people on…//

“Martine?”

Had she had a voice, everyone nearby would have turned to see the surprised teenager. As it was, only the few who’d seen her jump paid any attention, and they quickly turned away. Behind Martine was Tone, holding the blue sketchbook in question and blushing deeply enough for her red fur to look like a cherry around her cheeks. “Uhm… I think… I think this is yours.”

Oh god… did… did you look?

The vulpix turned away, flushing even deeper now. “Y-yeah… erm… nice work, it’s really… uh… well done…”

At that point it was difficult to say who was blushing the most, but Martine managed to steady herself enough to grab the blue book and shove it into her backpack.

Thanks…

Well, at least she managed to get through the first day without anyone –hating- her. Of course, mentally scarring the first person she met might not be the best of achievements either.

//All right… let’s try not to let that happen again… though I guess it wasn't so bad. At least I got a new friend out of it.//

Adorable! ^w^ Martine is just soooooo cute! And poor Tone, she couldn't take it!

Most people can't, at least not without blushing or having to run to the nearest locked room.

That's understandable... doesn't make it any less cute!

I figured she'd be up for some summer camp goodness.

She is so adorable.

Cute and mute, and shy as a shadow.