Slawberry Kisses

Chapter Two: Kiss Player

The next morning, Chowder was walking through the market place, steeling himself for what he was about to do. He had decided that, gross as getting kissed by Panini was, it was the only chance he would have in possibly months to taste those sweet, sweet slawberries... which was why, for the first time ever, Chowder was looking for Panini, instead of vice-versa.

After over an hour of searching, Chowder was finally successful: He spotted Panini across the market, her back to him. Taking a deep breath of commitance, Chowder quickly walked over to Panini, and embraced her.

"Chowder?" Panini inquired, both surprised and delighted by Chowder's sudden act of affection.

"Hi... pum-pums!" said Chowder, thinking up the nickname on the spot. "How's my gi... gi..." Almost choking on the word, he managed to spit it out. "Girlfriend today?"

"Girlfriend?" Panini repeated, unable to believe her large pink ears. "You mean..."

"Yeah, I would like to be your boyfriend, Panini." said Chowder.

"You would?" Panini screeched in delight.

"Nothing would make me happier." gulped Chowder, just barely concealing his grimace.

"I knew it!" declared Panini. "I always knew one day you'd realise you loved me back! It was the kiss, wasn't it?"

"The kiss?" repeated Chowder, slightly panicked. Have Panini seen through his ruse?

"They say nothing is more powerful then true love's first kiss." simpered Panini. "It helped you realise your true feelings for me, didn't it?

"It sure did." Chowder agreed. "But how about another, just in case?"

"With pleasure." Panini purred, pulling Chowder in for a smooch.

Though still disgusted by the act of spit-swapping, Chowder endured by focusing on the taste of slawberries emanating from Panini's mouth.

"So," Panini said hopefully, "Now that we're really boyfriend and girlfriend, how about we go on an actual date?"

"Oh, I'd love to, but, ummm..." Chowder stuttered, trying to think of an excuse, "...Mung needs my help to fill this really huge order, so I'm gonna be stuck in the kitchen all day!"

Oh, okay." said Panini, crestfallen.

"Some other time, maybe?" offered Chowder.

"You can count on that." Panini purred again, gave Chowder another quick kiss before heading home. "See ya soon, num-nums!"

Chowder was elated. His plan had worked. Now, whenever he felt the urge to taste slawberries, he would simply find Panini and have her kiss him. He could assuage his cravings fee of charge! He felt a tiny bit guilty over manipulating her like that, but as usual, his stomach overruled his brain, and for the next week, he would take kisses from Panini, and then make up weak excuses as to why he couldn't spend any time with her.

The following Onesday, Chowder was at Gazpacho's stand, collecting more ingredients for his cooking master.

"Hey, good news, little buddy." said Gazpacho. "The slawberry shortage is over!"

"It is?" replied Chowder, sure that he was dreaming.

"Yeah." confirmed Gazpcho. "The police nabbed this crook, who had a huge supply of slawberries stashed away. They seized his assets, and spread 'em out all over. Should last us until the crops grow back."

"Oh, that's good." sighed Chowder. "Now I don't have to pretend to like Panini anymore."

Unfortunately for Chowder, Panini had snuck up on him, hoping to surprise him, and had heard his last sentence.

"How do ya mean, little buddy?" asked Gazpacho.

"Well, you see, Panini's kisses kinda taste like slawberries." said Chowder. "So I pretended to like her so she'd kiss me. And it worked! All week, whenever I felt like getting a taste of slawberries? Boom! I got it whenever I wanted it!"

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!" Panini screeched, now right behind Chowder. "You pretended you liked me, all this time, just to satisfy your cravings?"

"W-well, I, uh..." Chowder trembled. Panini was usually a cute little thing, but when she got angry, she became downright terrifying.

"You lied to me, you used me, and now you've just bragged to Gazpacho about how you lied to me and used me!" Panini raged her eyes full of tears.

"B-but..." started Chowder, but was stopped from going any further by Panini slapping him across the face.

"Never come near again." seethed Panini. "Never talk to me, or even look at me, ever again. I'm done with you, Chowder." And with that, she turned around and stalked off.

Chowder felt bad, and not just because he'd been slapped across the face. As he watched Panini leave, the guilt he had held in week seemed to explode, filling him with intense feelings of regret.

"I've really messed things up, haven't I?" Chowder asked Gazpacho.

"Well, that's what you get for going around kissing girls." stated Gazpacho matter-of-factly. "That's why mother doesn't let me kiss any girls, not even herself."

Chowder ran after Panini. He didn't know how or why, but he felt like he had to fix things, to make them right again, no matter what.

To be concluded...

(Chowder and all related characters are the property of Cartoon Network.)