{[ Italics = inner thoughts/daydreams/flashbacks ]}
Chapter 1
"And Along Came Vicki"
It was after school at Middleton High, about 3:15. Kim and Ron had just gotten out of the library after doing some research on chemical bonds for Science class, and Ron was in the mood for some 'brain food'.
"Come on Kim, Bueno Nacho awaits!" Ron tugged at Kim's arm.
"Not today, Ron. I'm meeting Monique at the Club Banana in The Mall," Kim explained, not really in the mood to watch Ron and Rufus stuff their faces. "Maybe next time, ok?" she said with a smile.
"Oh. Ok, I guess. Club Banana is better than a nacho feast any day," Ron tried to smile back, hiding his disappointment and sarcasm.
"Don't give me that, Ron. We spend practically every day together, and I'd think we could stand to be at least an hour apart once in a while."
She looked at him, then giving him her infamous 'Puppy Dog Pout'.
"Aw, not that!" Ron groaned, covering his eyes. "Fine, fine! Just go!" he waved his hand towards the door at the end of the hall, desperately wanting her to stop.
"Thanks, Ron. I'll catch up to you later, ok?" Kim said as she hurried off out of the building to meet Monique out in front of the school.
"Yeah, whatever," Ron muttered, turning and heading for the opposite exit out of the school building.
*~*~*~*~*
"Something's been up with Kim lately, Rufus, I just know it," Ron confided in his pet naked mole rat.
Rufus mumbled out his semi-nonsense chatter, seeming to tell Ron he was just being paranoid as usual.
The two's unusual conversation was interrupted by the sound of loud chopping and tortilla chip crunching coming from the booth behind theirs. Ron turned around and his jaw dropped at the sight before him. The sounds were being made by a girl no less. She was eating some odd combination of nachos, a tortilla, sour cream, and ground beef.
"Uh, excuse me?"
The girl whirled around, small dabs of cheese and salsa at the corners of her mouth.
"What the heck is that?" Ron asked, pointing at the concoction on the girl's plate. Instead of saying something rude, like what most of the girl's he knew would have done, the girl smiled showing off her still clean pearly whites.
"I call it: the 'Naccoritto'!" she stated proudly, holding it up for Ron to see. "See here. The tortilla is the 'plate', with ground beef smeared over it till the whole thing is covered. Then you pile on the cheesiest of nachos with a big swirl of sour cream atop it all!" the girl explained her invention to Ron, who sat there with mouth agape from shock.
"This. Is. Amazing!" he exclaimed, continuing to stare at the marvelous culinary creation. "How did you come up with something so– awesome?" he asked.
"Well, for one thing, my mother's a cook. So I have a knack for such things concerning food," the girl said.
Ron climbed over the back of the booth and took a seat next to the girl.
"I am in the presence of true genius," Rom praised, bowing mockingly to the girl.
"Oh, it's no big deal. I just love food," the girl blushed, not really use to such praise.
The two smiled at one another for a moment, oblivious to the fact that Rufus was now digging into the Naccoritto for himself.
"So what's your name?" Ron asked.
"Victoria Baxter. But most people just call me Vicki," she introduced herself.
Ron couldn't stop smiling.
Wow! She just as into food creation as me… unlike Kim, who just puts my inventions down, Ron thought to himself, amazed to find someone (and a girl no less) who shared and interest with equal enthusiasm. "Rufus!" he now took notice to Rufus, who'd by now finished off the entire Naccoritto mountain. "Sorry about that. He must've really liked it."
"Ah well, I guess I can take this as a compliment," Vicki laughed. She then got an idea. "Say, why don't you come by my place tomorrow and we can compare Mexican food recipes. I've been dying to find someone to invent with," she suggested.
"Sure! That'd be cool!" Ron said, unable to hide his excitement.
"Great! Let me write down my address," Vicki took out a piece of paper, scribbling down some directions and a home address. "Come by around 3:30, ok?"
"I'll be there!"