By Ross

Upon being summoned to their Superior’s office for some work orders, firefighters Gage and Kelly found Stanley on the phone. They respectfully waited outside.

To kill time, while their Captain conversed, they immediately engaged in a friendly little ‘ongoing’ 'war of words'.

John closed his eyes, swung his right arm and then pointed to a spot on the enormous map of Los Angeles County, on the wall beside them. He opened his eyes and looked surprised. "Ah-hah! Ah-hah! Encino!"

Chet looked thoughtful. "There once was a man from Encino...who developed a vanishing bean-o...One day, to be mean, his wife ate the bean. You ask, ‘Has she been seen?’" Kelly’s eyes sparkled, "No!"

His competitor was impressed, "Not bad...Not ba-ad. But...bean-o?"

Kelly shrugged and then turned back to the garage wall. He shut his eyes and then took great pains to pick out another ‘completely random’ spot on the map. "Beverly Hills!" he announced, upon reopening his peepers.

Gage gave his grinning crew mate a grumpy look and the tip of his pointing finger a closer scrutiny. "Looks more like Bel Air!"

"Okay,"Chet--the cheater--conceded, "Bel Air,"

The paramedic cocked an eyebrow. "Bel Air...Bel Air..." Suddenly, he brightened. "There once was this chick from Bel Air...at whom all the guys...they would stare...But it wasn’t because of the wart on her nose...or even her...complete lack of clothes...It was on account of her...bright purple hair!"

Kelly cringed at the ‘mental image’. "Bright purple hai-air?"

"Well, those Bel Air chicks are pretty weird!" John defensively declared

"You oughtta know," Chet teased, "You’ve dated enough of ‘em!"

Gage gave the grinning Irishman another annoyed glare, before raising his arm to begin another round.

"Eh-hem!"

The sound of their Captain--clearing his throat--signaled the end of the game. With the score tied at one all, the two ‘friendly’ combatants filed out of the garage.

Hank Stanley stared at the map for a few moments...smiling and shaking his head.  Then, he turned and followed the two men--er, boys--back into his office.

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