Some retro techno music with a thick bass blared from a nearby truck as the boys crossed the parking lot of the mall. It was crowded and packed with hundreds of Power Slurp-thirsty fanatics, many of which were males ranging from adolescents to post-pubescence.
"Can you believe it, Jerry? We're actually here!" Eddie squeaked excitedly, gripping onto Jerry's jacket.
"We're at Powerfest," Jerry summed.
Jerry and Eddie made their way through the confluence, searching for the trailer. They found it settled near the stage, draped in all its blue-and-electric-green-bolt glory.
"There," Jerry pointed in the direction of the mobile home. They headed towards the fence that surrounded it, guarded by a single man as security; he looked threatening.
"Keep it moving, boys," the man shoved them; "There's nothing to see here."
"We're here to see Lady Power Slurp."
"No free meet-and-greets, kids. You've gotta have clearance."
"Clearance?" Jerry questioned. Eddie nudged him, referencing the passes that he'd won from the radio station. Jerry nodded and handed Eddie his and flashed the guard. The guard mutely acknowledged them before speaking into his earpiece, asking someone about the whereabouts of their-lady-in-question. He received a response, and then turned his attention back towards the young males.
"It's your lucky day, boys. Lady Power Slurp, just so happens to be in the mood for visitors." He stepped aside, letting the teens enter the trailer. They were eager and bounded up the steps mercilessly.
They entered the cabin of the mobile home and found it empty, but the two were too overjoyed to care. In a matter of moments, they were going to meet Lady Power Slurp and nothing would top that for the rest of their pubescent lives.
"I can't believe we're in Lady Power Slurp's trailer!" Eddie squealed. He noticed a mini-fridge within the corner of the room and went to open it. To his joy, it was filled with Power Slurp. "…and she's drinks Power Slurp."
Jerry walked around the room and settled himself on a lounge couch, pulling a pillow from beside him and sniffing it. It smelled of sugar and vanilla. "It smells just like her too."
Unbeknownst to the boys, the door of the back room had opened and out came the woman that they idolized, an empty can of the hearty beverage in her hand along with two pills.
"Who the hell are you?" she shouted, stunned by the two intruders. She popped the two pills down her throat and took two strong gulp of what was left of her drink. She smashed the can against her dark, silky locks and threw it aside mercilessly.
Jerry's eyes glazed over with this action: he was in love. Eddie brought himself up from his knees and stood beside Jerry, the two watching her intently in her Spandex shorts and lesser-known company logoed crop top.
"L-lady Power Slurp—" Jerry sputtered.
"We're the radio contest winners," Eddie clued her in; "I'm Eddie."
"I thought the winner was Jeremy," she riddled aloud.
"Jerry," Eddie again clued, pointing to his friend, "He's the one who actually won the passes."
"Well, I'm—" the female was select with her information, but gave into habit, "Brenda, Lady Power Slurp, as you may know me." She extended her hand.
"Brenda," Jerry repeated, still shocked that he was in the presence of such a magnificent woman. Eddie elbowed him in the back, seeming break Jerry's hypnotic trance. "Ow."
"Shake her hand," Eddie muttered, "Be nice."
"I am," Jerry replied harshly, and then feigned a grin as he took her salutation. "I'm Jerry, very nice to meet you. And may I say that the TV doesn't do you any justice, mi amor." He leaned forward and kissed her hand.
"Cute," Brenda mused, "Hey guys, you mind if I showed you something really quick?"
"Sure, no problem," Jerry said and they followed her down the narrow hall of the bus. Jerry turned to Eddie and whispered excitedly, "She's taking us to her bedroom. You think she's tryin' to make a move on us or somethin'? "
"I don't think so, Jerry," Eddie countered, "Seeing as she's taking both of us."
"You're right," Jerry pushed Eddie into a nearby bathroom. The black boy screamed as Jerry apologized, "You know Eddie sometime I need to do things on my own—and this is one of those things." Jerry shoved the boy further in, causing him to fall into the empty shower and locked the shower door behind him.
"Jerry? Eddie?" Brenda chimed from the end of the hallway.
"Coming mi princessa," the Latino boy replied hurriedly. He sprinted down the hallway and stopped himself short of running into the female. She turned around, only to appear confused and searching for something.
"Where's Eddie?"
"Bathroom," Jerry lied, "You know sometimes small boys have small bladders."
"Oh." Brenda shrugged and closed the door behind them, journeying further into her bedroom. Jerry remained posted by the doorway as he watched her seek away. She kneeled down at the bedside and bent over to retrieve something from under the mattress. Jerry couldn't resist staring at the girl's backside as it so elegantly protruded from beneath the bed. He silently prayed to God that his guess of blue lace panties was correct. She shot up from her position on the floor, bringing up a large white canvas with her.
"What's that?" Jerry questioned, nodding his head in the direction of the item.
"What I wanted to show you," she replied, "It's something I've been working on for a few months now." Brenda showed him a large canvas covered in royal blue and eclectic green paint, reflecting silver pieces of bubble gum wrappers, and empty Power Slurp cans all arranged in the fashion of a Picasso painting.
Jerry was not one for art, so it didn't amuse him much; however something about the piece did catch his attention. It was the smile that spread wide across Brenda's face as she showed him and he couldn't help but reciprocate the feeling.
"Do you mind turning off the lights?" she suggested, bringing him out of his trance. Jerry stuttered before complying with her request, unsure of what she had planned. As soon as he did, the painting glowed brightly in the black light of the room and he understood her pride. Her smile also was a light in the darkness and was an enigma to him. It was there that he realized he'd never, in a Power Slurp ad, seen the girl smile. She always carried some kind of pouty smirk to allude to sex appeal and it toyed with his mind always; but her smile was something of a rarity and individual to him. He liked it.
"So, what do you think?" she asked him, "I was thinking of showing it to everyone out there tonight. You know, let them get to know the real Lady Power Slurp."
"They'd love it." Brenda could make out the solid smile that covered Jerry's features and something about it made her feel warm all over. This feeling she had felt foreign to her and she reacted accordingly.
"You mind turning the lights on, kid?"
Her use of the word 'kid' took him from his peaceful moment and right back into reality. She was a few years shy of twenty and he a fourteen year old boy; there was no way in hell she'd break any laws for him. Hell, she couldn't possibly fiend the same way for him as he did for her. It was just impossible.
Jerry flipped the switch once again as Brenda set down the painting and headed towards the door. "Well, I should probably get out there. I have to be on stage soon."
"Right," Jerry mused, stepping aside allowing her passage. When Brenda did not see him moving behind her, she stopped.
"You know, you guys have to go too. I can't have you rummaging around in my trailer."
"Yeah," Jerry harrumphed, "I know." He was still playing with the thought in his mind. After all, this was the first, and maybe the last time he'd get to meet his brunette bombshell.
As Brenda moved forward to turn the knob, Jerry grabbed her wrist and spun her, his lips landing spontaneously on hers. Brenda's hands fisted and she was ready to swing and hit him, but his action stunned her, causing her to meld with him.
Suddenly, a loud banging came from the other side of the door, followed by Eddie's rambunctious yell. "Jerry, Jerry, open the door!"
The two pulled apart and Brenda's eyes bugged. Jerry knew he'd done something wrong and she'd pay dearly for it in the end. "Jerry…"
"I know," he whispered.
"You can't tell anybody," Her lips harrowed into a frown as she was on the verge of tears, "You can't tell anybody."
"I know, I know. I just—"
Brenda pulled from his grasp and opened the bedroom door, allowing him to leave first. "Go." Jerry walked past her without any other form of goodbye and into the wrath of Eddie. Eddie's eyes landed on the adult woman, offering a feigned smile. She gave him one back weakly.
"It was nice to meet you, Eddie," she saluted, "Jerry." Her tone was condescending. Eddie waved goodbye as he and Jerry made their way of the trailer and onto the lot.
Eddie asked Jerry, "Say Jerry, what Lady Power Slurp had to show you?"
"Oh," Jerry lied narrowly in reply, "Nothing much, just some painting."
