They'd gone on only two rides before Keila announced that she needed to use the bathroom.
A look of discomfort housed where Marceline guessed was in her friend's gut, rose quickly up to blot sickly colors on her face.
As they were rushing off to the nearest park bathroom, nearly bowling over kiddies probably half their ages in the process, a bit of worry found Marceline. All the dodging and weaving might be jostling her friend around too much. She pushed forward and hoped her friend had it in her to hold whatever bodily fluids were threatening to spill out, for just a little while longer.
To her immense relief, they made it before the park staff was required to break out the orange cones and cleaning supplies. The sounds alone of someone retching were enough to stimulate her own gag reflex, seeing it would've ended the day with both of their guts upturned.
Once Keila got washed up and it was safe for Marceline to look at her friend, she saw that her friend was still the same awful array of colors if a bit worse. "Sorry, Marce. I don't think I'm going to make it." She gave Marceline an apologetic look before her eyelids drooped back downwards to space out from the ill exhaustion.
"All good. I had fun." Marceline smiled reassuringly. " Wow, those rides really messed you up. Getting old or what?"
"Pffft. Never." Her friend scoffed, summoning at the very least the strength to seem vexed by the notion. Her ire faded back quickly to the weakened inert state. "I got a meat pastry thing from that little bakery-cafe-restaurant-shop-thing down the block from your place before I went to get you. Think it might've been junk."
Worry tied a knot out of Marceline's intestines. She went there most mornings to grab one of their frozen caramel coffee drinks and a pastry sweet for breakfast. This morning was one of those mornings. "You okay, Marce? Now you look like you're going to be sick."
"Shoot, I don't know. Let's just go." They picked up their pace, moving as swiftly through the park exits as their distressed bodies would allow. "Make me pull over if you're going to upchuck some more, yeah? I don't want to have to scrap my whole car."
Keila rolled her eyes, then cringed and shut them quickly, clearly regretting making herself dizzier than she was probably already feeling. "Think I'm good, just need to get to bed."
"Sure you don't want to just sleep it off at mine?"
"Nah, Gus is bringing my car back around later."
To that Marceline bobbed her head in response as they settled back in her car. She was still trying to decipher whether the squirming in her stomach was the sign of upcoming doom or just paranoia. Either way she'd find out shortly, hopefully in the comfort of her home by then. To add to her tribulation, she decided as well to probably ditch her morning spot for the time being just to be safe, meaning she would either have to walk an extra couple of blocks for sustenance or take her car.
These two things would defeat the purpose of the routine anyway since the convenience factor would be breached. Then she may as well cook up a proper breakfast and even invest in some fancy espresso contraption while she's at it. She was really going to miss that frozen caramel drink if she couldn't manage to make it as good on her own. Her drink wasn't quite as good on the weekends. Different barista being the reason she supposed. For the past couple of years or so, the same young woman made the drink for her. After realizing the subtle variation on her palate, she observed the task being done and saw that on the weekdays, she was actually getting an extra shot of espresso, and a light drizzle of caramel sauce on every quarter layer of her drink. It certainly didn't leave much to be desired, giving her the kick that she desired at the start of each stimulating work day.
"Aww you're no fun." Keila pouted.
Keila faked needing to vomit for the fourth time, and this time instead of rushing to pull over in awkward places like the first three times, Marceline just shot her a dead sideways look before resuming her attention to the road. "Do it. Let it all out." She dared her friend. "I'll be sure to let Gus know to reroute your keys to me. Since you'll owe me a car and all."
Pulling up to Keila's apartment, they saw Gus sitting bashfully on the small stoop in front of her front door. His expression lit up with relief as soon as he saw them. He quickly stood and shuffled over, concern started to etch his features as he got closer to them. They stepped out to greet their friend.
"You guys don't look so hot. Well mostly you, Keila" He said with his brows furrowed.
"Nope. Definitely not hot right now so if you'll excuse me" She snatched her keys from where it was dangling loosely in Gus's hand and thumped his arm affectionately. "I've gotta get to bed before I keel over. Thanks much, Gus. I'll call about the billing whatevers later." With that, he simply smiled at them both before nodding and taking his leave.
Keila turned to Marceline. "You'll be okay getting home or do you need to crash here?"
"Think Im good, Kei. I went to the Gala Café earlier than when you did so I would've been sick by now." She smiled at her friend sympathetically. "Let me know if you need sick supplies delivered or whatever."
Keila smiled back gratefully, "Thanks Marce, g'night." With that she slumped to her apartment, jammed the keys in the front door knob and disappeared into the apartment before Marceline was settled back in the car.
Poor Keila, Marceline thought. She glanced over at the time. 3:12pm it said. Finding herself suddenly free for the day is not what she had anticipated. She supposed she could call up her brother and see what shenanigans he might be getting up to that might interest her, or perhaps spend her Sunday lounging around her apartment.
The Gala Cafe came into view just ahead of her. Feeling grateful for not having been inflicted with whatever gut busting bacteria Keila had managed to stuff down, she decided another one of those addicting frozen caramel coffee things was in order to start her afternoon of self-entertainment. A parallel parking spot right outside the shop; score.
The warm orangey glow of the café lights gave the illusion that everything from the bread displayed on the racks to the tiled flooring was aesthetically pleasing. She usually moseyed on in at around six in the morning when the sun hadn't quite risen yet so at this hour, she noticed that the afternoon daylight blaring through the glass window walls did some clashing with the whole scene.
"It's not tomorrow morning yet is it?" the young woman behind the counter said wide eyed and in all seriousness before her expression morphed into a bright grin.
Marceline smiled and rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "What up, O. My friend got sick off the bread meat thing you guys do here, so I've come for round two of the usual."
"Bold." Ombretta stated with a chuckle.
Marceline shrugged. "Well I figure I didn't get sick so the drinks should still be good."
She laughed. "No, I mean your friend is bold for trying that stuff. Normally we end up throwing those things out at the end of the day but the boss insists on leaving them on the menu. Appeal to the rest as well as the masses, she says."
Marceline bobbed her head. "Makes sense I guess."
"I'll be sure to let her know that we broke your friend. Maybe that'll inspire her to take those things off the menu." She reached out to hand Marceline her freshly mediocrely-made drink. "On the house since I'm guessing whatever you guys were doing got rudely interrupted."
"Thanks." She sipped her drink and nodded appreciatively. "Keila knows she's reckless with her gob so she won't hold grudges for the consequences." With one last reassuring smile to O, she left the café to finish her weekend off at home.