Chapter 9
Nuclear Explosives
"Hey, hey, hey! Look who it is!" Kai bellowed.
She cautiously pulled the chair out from the table and slumped into it. "Hello," she grinned.
"Wait," he said slowly, smile melting from his face, "you're entering? Like, in the eating contest?"
"Yup!" she exclaimed, making an endeavor to keep her face from twitching in annoyance.
His eyes widened. "Seriously?"
"Yes, seriously, dangit!" she huffed.
He threw his hands up in the air, mumbling, "Well, excuse me, princess."
"Mmhmm," she nodded, "that's more like it, peasant." She raised a brow at him.
The gesture and words evoked a laugh from him. "Touché!" he chuckled.
"It's my job to be," she confirmed.
Zack's deep voice again crackled through the megaphone. "Alright, listen up!"
Everyone continued chattering away, drowning out Zack's attempts to quell them.
Gotz stood up from his chair. He positioned his thumb and forefingers in the corners of his mouth, and his chest broadened with a deep breath.
"Uh oh," Kai muttered.
A shrill whistle pierced the air, evoking a yelp from just about everyone in the vicinity.
Althea clenched her hands over her ears, squeezing her eyes shut. "Um... Ow?" she groaned. When she carefully lifted them away, everyone at the table was silent, directing irritated, fidgety gazes to Zack and Gotz, the latter of whom returned to his seat. She seized the moment to size up her competition.
In the row across from her sat Ann, Karen, Gotz, and Cliff (there's no doubt Ann talked him into it). She and Kai were sitting directly across from Ann and Karen, and in the seats next to her were Rick and Gray.
Kai looked over at Karen and winked.
She rolled her eyes and looked back at Zack.
"Alright, all of you! You have five minutes to plow through as much food as possible! We have a ton of rice dishes ranging from spicy to sweet, so prepare your taste buds! Out contestants this year are Ann, Karen, Gotz, Cliff, Kai, Althea, Rick, and Gray! Good luck! You have about a minute until it starts!" he barked, shutting off the megaphone and setting it on the foldable table behind him.
"You ready, girls?" Karen smirked. "We're gonna eat these men under the table!" She tossed her hair over her shoulder and straightened her purple jacket.
That's not the right phrase. It's to drink someone under the table. Karen should know, of all people, Althea muttered in her head.
Luckily, Ann stood up for the heinous injustice. "Hey, dummy, it goes 'drink them under the table', not 'eat', you idiot," she corrected.
Karen merely rolled her eyes and laughed, "Whatever."
"'Whatever' my butt!" Except Ann used a much harsher word for "butt".
"That was lovely," Althea remarked.
"Right?" she grinned, nodding enthusiastically.
Althea laughed dryly and buried her face in her palm. Did everyone in Mineral Town act like a child? Of course, nothing she wasn't used to. She could be quite childish herself, just... In a less straightforward way, she supposed.
"Hey, blondie, you ready?" Kai sniggered, tugging on his purple bandana to keep it snug on his head.
He just called her blondie. Blondie. B-l-o-n-d-i-e. A smug grin overtook her face. "You betcha, hot stuff," she winked, then looked in the opposite direction, resting her chin in her hand. ... Well, it was the best she could come up with.
He scoffed, but made no comeback to the remark. "You really-" he began, but was cut off by Zack barking into his megaphone.
"Eaters ready!"
Everyone at the table put on their game face and leaned in toward the table. Well, she could utilize the chance to prove herself, or make a fool out of herself.
"Doug, if you'd do the honors!" Zack hollered.
Said chef burst out of Kai's shack with bowls of rice on a large tray. She could handle a few bowls of rice, couldn't she?
Doug carefully walked over and started dishing out the portions. The bowls looked a lot larger up close.
"When I yell 'go', you go!"
As if that wasn't obvious enough. Would another dish be put out right when she finished? Or would she have to ask? Probably the former choice, since-
"Go!"
She scrambled to clutch the chopsticks on the table and broke them apart, quickly snatching the bowl. She yelped at its searing touch, but sucked it up and grasped the edge of it, shoveling piping hot rice into her mouth. She resisted the urge to spit the scalding food back out and forced herself to swallow.
Althea made the mistake of stealing glances at the others. Some were already nearing the bottom of the bowl.
So that's when she decided to try and kick their butts.
Her stomach rumbled in protest to the inhalation of food, but she ignored it and continued shoveling. Finishing the bowl at last, the second course speedily plopped on the table in the form of an egg bowl, one of her personal favorites. It seemed luck shone on her so far. Like a wolf who hadn't eaten in a week, she gobbled it down with nary a second between that and the third dish.
The realization of her foolishness finally began to set in, her stomach feeling full already. What was she thinking?
The thought perished as she recognized the dessert: rice pudding. She'd never liked rice pudding, but hastily slurped it up with the provided spoon, stowing away any personal preference.
She quelled the urge to sit back and rest as Doug slid her the succeeding entree. A hearty bowl of rice porridge beckoned her to continue gorging. Indulging in that desire, she dug in, wincing at its heat but forcing herself to continue eating. If she just kept eating like her life depended on it... Well, she probably had no chance of winning. She was five feet. And a half inch. And had never eaten much.
Well, couldn't go back. She entered and intended to try her best. The thought pushed her as she consumed more of the food before her, until she faintly heard Zack saying something about finalists being on the last dish. That meant she had a little ways to go, probably.
Just then, when she shoved her face into her napkin to wipe off starchy grime, she looked up to see the most horrible thing she'd ever laid eyes on.
Meat, tomatoes, and rice were piled into a fiery red broth, which only meant one thing. The heavy spice wafted into her nostrils.
Why? Of all things. Not the lame little Taco Bell excuse for spice, but the nuclear explosion stew.
But, she couldn't afford to waste time gawking. Hand shaking, she nervously picked the spoon back up. If she could eat it fast enough, the spice wouldn't kick in until it was all over. She hastily slurped up the broth and threw the contents into her mouth, only stopping to chew and swallow. Before she knew it, she slurped up the last of the Goddess-awful liquid. She barely heard Zack blowing a bullhorn as her mouth set on fire.
She started sweating profusely, finding it hard to even breathe. Oh no, she shouldn't have done that... The contest was a very, very bad idea. Her chest heaved as a wave of coughing ensued; however, the coughs fueled the flaming in her throat. Honestly, what was she thinking? She was an idiot, just an idiot...
Althea steadily breathed in and out. Wait... When had she lied down? Her eyes snapped open, revealing... The white walls of the clinic? She immediately flew up into a sitting position, barking out, "What happened?" Her hand flew to her throat when the sound came out hoarse and painful. Oh... The eating contest. And the nuclear explosive stew. The spice must've hit her so hard she passed out. Well, that's embarrassing. See if she does that again.
Trent appeared, sliding his chair away from his desk and jumping up. "You're awake!" he observed, oh-so-keenly.
"You don't say?" she replied flatly.
He frowned, dark eyebrows curving downward. "Hm," he grunted, "Well, you won the contest."
"I did?" she croaked. He wasn't joking, was he? Well, she wasn't sure if he knew how to joke quite yet.
He shook his head.
She responded only with a ginormous grin.
The corners of his lips twitched, but nothing beyond that. He whipped a pen light out of his white coat pocket. The coat looked odd over his dark grey yukata. "Can I take a look at your throat? I want to make sure there isn't any real damage," he requested.
She nodded and opened her mouth wide. As he pointed the light down her throat and diligently inspected it for... Er, whatever he was looking out for, she studied his features closely. His pronounced jaw and cheekbones were accentuated by his dark hair and eyes. The young doctor's lashes looked dark and thick.
Althea immediately felt jealous of those thick lashes.
He blinked and stood up straight, pocketing the pen light. "Thanks," he cleared his throat, "Your throat looks red and inflamed, so I assume you don't eat spicy food frequently. I suggest you give your throat a rest for a few days and drink a lot of water. If you want, I can get you something for your throat to ease the pain," he instructed placidly, smiling ever so slightly and adding, "Oh, and... Congratulations. I'd advise against putting more stress on your body, but if you really want to, I won't stop you from going back to the festival for fireworks. It does come once a year."
At first, she was shocked at how talkative he seemed. Usually he'd just throw in a one-liner and wait for the other person to respond, although he had been a little talkative back at their first meeting at the lake. "Oh, um... I'd like to go back to the festival," she decided. Of course, he probably only chattered away in doctor mode.
Trent nodded solemnly. "I see. Please try to watch yourself."
"No worries, I will!" she assured him, giving a thumbs-up. "You done here? Oh, and I'd like some pain killers, please," she inquired before sliding off the hospital bed.
He nodded, taking a bottle of dark red liquid out of a drawer, and turned to her. "Now, follow the directions very carefully. This medicine can be dangerous if you take too much at one time," he explained slowly and carefully.
She nodded firmly. "Alright," she confirmed.
"Okay." Trent slowly pressed the bottle into her palm. He turned, straightened some papers on a medical cabinet on the opposite wall, and returned to his desk. He grabbed a mug and sipped from it, calling over the rim, "Take care now. I won't be charging you money for this since it's your first time." Then, he sat down and nabbed a pen from the top of a stack of papers.
First time? Was fainting, like, a thing in Mineral Town? Well, he probably meant just a visit. "Okay. Thanks!" she replied, walking past his desk and out of the office.
"Oh, wait," he called.
"Hm?" she twisted around.
He was holding up a plastic water bottle. "Take this."
"Mmkay, thanks," she rasped, walking over, clutching the bottle and walking back out into the cramped recepton area.
Elli's desk looked so lonely without her in it.
"Hey, um," Althea yelled hoarsely over her shoulder, "you coming, too? For fireworks, I mean." No answer. She finished her thought aloud, "You said it yourself, they only come once a year!" Still, no answer bounced back. She frowned, shrugged, and continued walking to the door.
At least I tried, she consoled herself, gently opening the door. The sky sparkled with glittering stars. With a hurried pace, she sped to the beach as fast as her feet would allow, breaking into a sprint across the plaza.
By the time she trotted down the stairs to the sand, she hardly broke a sweat, chugging down the contents of the water bottle.
Before she knew it, people surrounded her.
"Good job out there today!"
"A true underdog story, if I ever heard one!"
"Congrats!"
She looked over the rim of her bottle, eyes wide with shock.
Claire laughed and walked up to her. "Great job! Even if you did conk out afterwards!" she cheered, patting Althea on the back.
She laughed, which came out more as a cough, and smiled weakly at Claire. "Thanks," she replied. The crowd began dispersing back to their previous activities.
"A-Althea! Althea!" Elli came running up with an instrument case half her height, panting and brown hair slightly disheveled.
"Hm? Yeah?" she ground out.
Elli's eyes widened. "My, you sound awful! Did Doctor get you something for that?"
Althea nodded. "Yeah, but I haven't even looked at it yet," she admitted with a shrug.
Elli frowned, putting her free hand on her hip. "What? Why not?"
"Um... I wanted to get here as fast as I could?" Althea attempted at explaining.
"Well, how about we get you some in a bit? I have something I want to show you," she cooed.
She responded only with a submissive nod.
Elli beamed, holding up the instrument (which Althea swore by all her musical knowledge was a guitar) case and flipping up the latches. "Can you play guitar?"
Bingo. "Eh..." She lifted and hand and held it flat, pivoting it back and forth in an "iffy" motion.
"Oh, okay. Well, would you like to play? A-and I don't mean like putting on a show, just playing," Elli stuttered.
Althea nodded vigorously.
Elli giggled happily and lifted the guitar out of the case, carefully holding it upright until Althea grabbed it.
Just then, Popuri rushed over and nabbed Elli. "Oh my gosh, Elli! You have to see what Chickadee is doing with the sand, it is so adorable!" she squealed, yanking her towards a crowd of people.
Elli twisted and tossed an apologetic look at Althea.
She shrugged. She waited until the pair was engulfed by the crowd to look around. Almost immediately, she spotted a pier jutting out over the ocean. Perfect! she shouted mentally, making her way to the elongated piece of wood. Her sandals clunked on the hard substance, sand grinding into her feet. She didn't mind; she grew up going to the beach often.
With a pang, she remembered the good days when her parents were alive, and her sister still talked to her. They all shared golden memories of crashing waves and scalding heat, of the acrid scent of sunscreen and digging trenches in front of their chairs to make sure water wouldn't splash them.
She sat on the jagged edge of the pier, removing her sandals and placing them at her side. Althea poised the guitar for strumming.
For the longest time, she had always stopped, and moved on. She got to know people just enough, played them a few songs, and left them behind. She never stopped to think about it like most things, she merely kept going, kept moving. In the end, it was her fault all her friends left, wasn't it?
She dug her own grave; because she pushed everyone away, she'd forced herself into loneliness.
And lonely she was.
She dug around her brain for a song to play. As her gaze traced pictures into the shimmering stars above, the appropriate lyrics fell into place. She didn't care that her voice crackled and grumbled. Althea took a swig from her water, slammed it back on the wood, and sang softly, "I lit a fire with the love you left behind," she coughed and cleared her throat.
"And it burned wild, and crept up the mountain side,
And I followed your ashes into outer space.
I can't look out the window, I can't look at this place.
I can't look at the stars," she lamented quietly, trying her best to keep her voice soft and level, "they make me wonder where you are,
"Stars, up on heaven's boulevard!
And if I know you at all,
I know you've gone too far...
So I... I can't look at the stars."
She started at the sound of light clapping next to her. "Ah, very nice, very nice! Quite a charmer, aren't we?"
As if from nowhere, a man with intense, sharp features and elegant silver locks beamed at her.
She could do nothing but gape at him, crinkling her brow in confusion.
"The silent type? Wonderful, I'll do all the talking and you-"
Althea immediately disliked that man. "Do you need something?" she inquired, slightly aggressively.
He hardly missed a beat. "My apologies, milady, I have not properly introduced myself," he smirked, flourishing his hands in a gentlemanly bow.
"Pray tell, who the heck are you?" she questioned, attempting at the same flowery speech pattern. If she played along, it'd satisfy his obvious need for attention, no? Curse her unwavering habit of humoring people.
"I," he paused dramatically, "am Phantom Skye, my mistress. And who are you?" He winked saucily and raised a brow.
"Althea, mistress of... erm, whatever you should want, I suppose," she quipped, nodding as if to agree with herself.
He lifted her hand off the guitar, planted a kiss on it, and placed it back on the neck of the instrument. "Our meeting is in the stars, lady Althea," he hummed.
She merely laughed at the statement. "I'm sure it is, Mister Phantom Skye," she interrogated, dropping the lofty tone for a comfortable dry, sarcastic one. Her hand tingled where his lips touched it. No guy had ever done that before.
Their banter ceased when a crackling boom pierced the air. Showered in colorful light, she tilted her head to the sky and blinked in wonder at the spectrum of explosives.
"So-" she turned to Skye, but found he wasn't there. Her eyes caught a piece of paper where he stood. Did he turn into a piece of paper?
It seems I'm not the only theif in town. Keep up with me if you can, darling.
It's in the stars.
- Phantom Skye
She gripped the note tentatively, wondering why she couldn't stop smiling.
Hi~! :D Well... Bringing Skye in will most certainly stir things up. ;o
I hope the contest didn't disappoint. ;w; I felt like she should win, just because... Well, I dunno. It'll... Balance some things out. w This arc, right here? Yeah, that's the first arc. It ends next chapter. This story will most likely last at least another 10 chapters. :D
Lilybud: QwQ I didn't intend to make this such a feel-good story... But I'm happy it turned out that way. Kai will definitely have a big part in the story. Not HUUUGE big, but he'll be there. Waiting. Watching. O^O ... Ho ho ho! Secrets, secrets! ;3
Dat chapter name tho.