Chapter 1: Fish Out of Water

- "You think you have me, but you can't catch what you can't feel."

“Why do you have to put your feet on the table?”
Smithy peeled one lazy eyelid to turn his vision to his feet on the apartment coffee table. He thought to himself how badly he needed to clean the caked mud out of the webbing on his toes. 
“I paid for this table. I’ll do as I please with it,” remarked Smithy with an cranky stammer. 
Smithy always got upset when Kal interrupted his midday naps. Maybe he should consider getting a new apartment, nah. Probably too much work. 
“You did not. Lissy got that for us at a garage sale on Garage Sale Day.”
As usually he was punishing his ears with facts and “reason”. 
“Weh!” whined Smithy who rolled up a pillow and tossed it at Kal.

Kal caught it effortlessly and returned it neatly to the sofa. Smithy glared with his half napped bloodshot eyes. His large pink bat ears pricked backwards in annoyance. 
Kal sighed.
“I see you’re going to be extra mature today?”
“Nobody pays me to be mature at 8:00 am.”
“Your customers do. Speaking of which, shouldn’t you be tending to your clients’ commissions right now?” Kal remarked with a grin.
Smithy bore his rows of razor sharp teeth at Kal.
“Don’t give me that. Rent’s due this month and I’m tired of hearing you complain about how far behind you are. We aren’t paying extra rent for that shed of yours just so you can sleep on the couch and waste it.” 
Smithy whimpered like a puppy at his roommate. The two had a dialog for this just about every morning he caught Smithy on the couch asleep. 
“Please! I practically invented the puppy eyes.”
They shared a chuckle. 
“I guess you’re riiiiiight,” whined Smithy.
With a huge yawn flowing out of his gills Smithy peeled himself from the couch into an upright position. 
“Welcome to the living world Sleepyhead. It’s time for science.”
Smithy stretched his long whip-like tail out as another great yawn bellowed through him. He slugged down the rest of his disgusting black water with great reluctance. When can we get some real coffee around here?