Connie was ready, Peedee was ready, it was time for her snack.
"I'd like some..." Connie paused, glancing up at the menu of the restaurant.
Peedee rolled his eyes, assuming her usual snack attack was for her favorite. "You going to say it?" He asked boredly.
Connie looked back at him. "Well, actually, I was thinking about getting something different today, if you don't mind."
"I don't. Maybe, I don't know, actual fries?" Peedee asked her. He leaned on the counter. He liked Connie, she was nice, but she stopped by nearly everyday, he needed a break. Alas, it would never come.
The girl thought about it and shook her head. "No, thank you!" She said pleasantly. "I would like something completely different from the bits! Off-menu!"
"Connie, you always order off-menu." Peedee muttered, ending her cool moment. He then saw she had pleading eyes and sighed. "I'll see what I can find. Be back in a sec." He turned and walked back into the restaurant.
"Thank you so much!" Connie called after him happily.
A few minutes later, Peedee ran to the window, eager to show Connie a new discovery. "Connie, check this out!"
Connie gasped in surprise, seeing a little tray of mozzarella sticks, with marinara sauce. They looked amazing! And they smelled even better than that! "Mozzarella sticks! And with sauce and everything!"
"I can't believe it either!" Peedee cried, watching her pick it up. "They were way back in the freezer for some reason. Feels good to fry something else for a change." He gave a small smile and Connie practically skipped away.
"Thank you!" She called over her shoulder, and walked down the boardwalk. She passed Fish Stew Pizza, unaware that she was being watched as she took a single tiny bite of a mozzarella stick.
"CONNIE!" A angry voice suddenly yelled, nearly making her choke in surprise. Kofi Pizza ran up to the girl, who slowly swallowed. He glared down upon her and her snack. "What is this?"
Connie managed to speak now and smiled weakly as she glanced up from the tray. "Um, they're m-"
"Bread... cheese... sauce! The basic elements of a pizza!" Kofi cried in horror and anger. He gave a snarl. "Where did it come from?"
Connie pointed to the fry shop. "Over there, but I was just-"
Kofi cut the girl off once more, narrowing his eyebrows in anger and disgust. "Fryman... infringing on my business." He turned to his shop, away from Connie and walked to it. "I have been ready for this day!"
A new sign was immediately put up, and Connie was shocked at what it said. "Now serving… fries?!"
She suddenly heard a deep voice, heavy with the rage of war. ""So… it begins anew,"
Connie turned to see Mr. Fryman's eyes were shadowed over, his teeth gritted as he knew of the pain this would cause. It was happening again… "Eh, Kofi?" He hissed at his greatest enemy.
Connie glanced back to see Kofi was out now behind her, and was smiling dangerously. "Just like old times, Fryman."
The girl's eyes were wide in surprise.
The fryman grew angrier. "Kofi!" He yelled in anger.
"Fryman!" Kofi shouted back, the same look of anger and hate in his eyes.
Connie awkwardly stood between them as they yelled together out for the whole town, it seemed the whole world to hear. "RESTAURANT WAAAAAR!" The girl looked at them confused. What were they talking about?
War. They were talking of war. A Restaurant War… It was Connie's humanself's first time seeing a real battlefield, and it wasn't bloody, it was covered in ketchup, ketchup, fries, pizza, and people, people that seemed to be dying. Connie wanted to make peace… She had to. Her mother had already started a war in one species, and her heir had carried it on to another.
Other people of the town looked shaken, and looked in great pain. Connie slowly walked into the boardwalk, and saw a employee at the shirt store gasp and hide from her in fear. This strange girl hadn't suffered, was she also one that had caused this horror?
The girl then gingerly stepped over a man she didn't know, who held a single slice of cheese pizza with fries on top of it. "Too many carbs!" The man nearly puked out.
Connie then saw a depressed looking pizza mascot outside the fryshop and walked up softly. "Peedee?"
The boy turned to the one who had made him such low self pride at this time, then shuttered away from her. "Don't look at me, Connie." He whispered softly in great embarrassment.
"But-!" Connie put a hand on his shoulder and he elbowed her away from him and his hideous new form.
"I said, don't look at me!" He screamed with a voice crack.
Connie flinched away in fear. She took a few moments and then asked a question she was sure near everyone in Beach City was asking, "W-What happened?"
Peedee gave a soft sigh in regret and shame. "I violated the food treaty…"
"A treaty, that explains it. If you break a treaty, the promises you made in it are broken, to break one of war is frightening." Connie murmured softly. "How did it happen?"
"Years ago…" Peedee whispered quietly, remembering how his father had told him. The guilt he felt was overwhelming. "My Dad and Kofi signed an agreement not to steal each other's businesses, but when I fried those mozzarella sticks," He looked up with fear in his eyes, like he was consumed by fire. "... I reignited the hot oil of war." The boy sighed once more, placing a hand to his face in shame.
Connie sighed as well. He didn't need to feel this way. "Don't blame yourself. I was the one who wanted a change… a surprise. I guess I got it."
Peedee frowned and glared at her. "That's right, it is your fault."
Connie felt bad, but at least he wasn't feeling guilty anymore.
"Hey Connie!" A cheery voice cried, making Connie turn. It was Mr. Fryman, he smiled widely at her. "As a valued customer, I want to know your thoughts on the new menu item!" He was so excited to show her, he nearly got her right in the face with the whipping out of the new food. "Deep-fried pizza!"
Connie gave a tiny smile, walking up. "That's very kind of you to offer, sir, but I think I'll just have fries for now."
The man's face darkened and said sternly. "Sorry, we're all out of fries."
"Out? But… Are you even out of the bits?" Connie asked, praying he'd say no. If she had grown up with different people raising her, maybe she wouldn't come for the bits everyday, since she knew they were so unhealthy, and maybe a human mother would disapprove. But she loved them here.
"Now we have pizza bits!" Fryman cried happily, displaying little balls of cheese and sauce.
Connie finally started to protest. "But how can you be out of fries? You're not giving what is advertised! I mean, this is a fryshop, you're Mr. Fryman! Your hair! It totally looks like-"
"Like what?" The man grunted, making her stop in her tracks. She gave a tiny shrug, not wanting to offend him.
Back in the fryshop, Connie saw Ronaldo was on his computer as always, struggling to find relief from this madness. "Ugh, I can't connect to Fish Stew Pizza's wifi."
"Hey, you got no time for interneting. You're doing deliveries now." His father said, dropping a big bag of pizzas on the teen's lap.
Ronaldo immensely protested. "But I don't even have a car!" He was clearly thinking of Jenny and how she did have a car for delivering.
"You got those wheelie shoes, don't ya?" Mr. Fryman frowned.
"Yeah…" Ronaldo realized that was true, and went on the ball of his shoe before skating off.
Connie peered in, feeling guilty.
The gem hybrid went to go check on the other side, the Pizzas, and how they were faring. She walked up to the counter and was shocked to see Jenny was working it, didn't she normally deliver? "Hello, Jenny! This is a pleasant surprise." Connie smiled.
"You're so sweet, girl, it's good to see you too." Jenny smirked happily. "I don't usually work the counter, but things have been crazy since the war was back on!" The two heard the phone ringing from somewhere in the back. "The phone's been ringing off the hook!"
"I'll get it!" Kiki called to her family, picking it up and balancing the receiver on her shoulder. "Thanks for calling Fish Stew Pizza. We do fries now."
Jenny glanced back to Connie, with a sigh, taking out a notepad and pen. "Anyway, I'm obligated to tell you about our special new menu item, French-fried pizza with French-fried crust and twice-baked French fries on the side." The teen gave a bored sigh. "'Cause we do fries now."
"Oh, well thank you, but I think I'll have my usual pepperon-" Connie was cut off by Kofi leaping up behind Jenny, seemingly from nowhere, and yelled her name, scaring both the girls.
"Hello Kofi." Connie smiled weakly.
"Before you give your order, you must sign," He suddenly heaved a huge stack of papers onto the counter, making Jenny back up. "these papers and pledge your allegiance to Fish Stew Pizza! Not only that, you'll be issued brand-new, permanent, V.I.P. pizza-eater card!"
"Sir, uh, well, I don't really go here too often, only with Steven, plus, are those papers legally binding?" Connie asked, backing away slightly from the man.
Kofi didn't care if she didn't come often, he wanted another person on his side! He took out a branding iron that would usually be used on cows that said vip, and edged towards Connie.
Connie ran out immediately, she wouldn't be a possession!
However, she nearly knocked into Mr. Fryman.
"Connie! You forgot your pizza bits!" He called, trying to force them in her hands.
Connie made a small noise in panic, backing away, and heard Kofi yell out behind her, and she turned to see the branding iron.
"You May not come often, but you're such a polite customer! Allow me to thank you!" Kofi cried with a crazy look in his eye.
"No!" Connie suddenly yelled, and ran out from between them, racing for the safety of home. "No, no, no!"
A few hours later, the children of the feuding fathers were all at the Beach House, where Connie held a meeting.
"Thank you all for coming," Connie muttered, walking in front of them, "Ronaldo, Kiki, Jenny, and Peedee." She narrowed her eyes and calmly turned to them. I've called you all here tonight to talk about the war, it must stop. This is insane, we have to stop them before all of Beach City is forced to choose a side!"
"Connie, how do you think we feel?" Jenny asked, with a eyebrow raised.
Connie then remembered they would be affected the most.
"Do you know how many metal concerts I've missed 'cause of this war?" Continued Jenny.
Her sister frowned. "How many?"
The twin paused, realizing she didn't exactly know. "Like… one?"
Ronaldo was the next to complain, Connie was slightly surprised he wasn't the first. "Do you know how much blogging I haven't been able to do?!" He slammed his fist on the table.
"I don't," Connie sighed softly. "but this, this is all my fault! It shouldn't suprise anyone that I made this happen, giving my mother-"
"What does a war between our dads have to do with your mom?" Peedee piped up.
Connie glanced at him and frowned. "Er, nothing… The point is, I'm fixing it!"
"But how?" Kiki sighed in despair.
Connie rubbed her temples. "Well, um…" She thought about all the wars and family wars she had read about and gasped in realization. "Oh! Ronaldo, Kiki, in a Shakespeare play, there was a girl and a boy who fell in love, but-"
"Connie, I think we all know Romeo and Juliet." Jenny said, cutting her off with a apologetic smile.
Connie blushed in embarrassment. "Right, of course. Anyway, Ronaldo and Kiki should pretend to be in love! Like the Montagues and Capulets, they may realize the error of their ways!"
Kiki frowned. "Connie, you do know how that story ends, right?"
Connie nodded. "Very tragically, and I cried, but Kofi and Mr. Fryman will come to their senses and plan a wedding, they won't put fighting over love, will they?"
"Maybe you're right, you two should do it!" Peedee said to his brother and brother's may-be fake girlfriend.
Kiki shrugged. "We could give it a try. I'll do anything to get this war over with."
"Yes! This'll be such a twist for your fathers! It's going to be great!" Connie cried, practically twirling around.
The girl's hope was shattered when a voice interrupted her. "No way!"
They all glanced at Ronaldo who had spoke, he looked upset at her plan, and they all wanted to know why.
The teen took a breath, ready to reveal his so well-kept secret. "We can't do this because I…."
They all waited with a look of confusion.
"... have a girlfriend."
Connie and Kiki's confusion grew while Jenny and Peedee practically threw that statement out the window, certain he was lying.
"Where she at tho'?" Jenny asked with a smile.
Peedee nodded in agreement. "I was thinking the same thing, I've never seen her."
Connie shook out of the trance and laughed slightly. "It's just acting, Ronaldo, after we fix the war, just spend less and less time together over a few days, and I'm sure no one will notice. Your dad and Kofi will go back to their normal menus, no more problems, it's a solid plan, I believe."
Ronaldo didn't think so and looked nervous. "I… got a bad feeling about this…"
"Shut up, Ronaldo!" Jenny called, putting a arm around her twin. "Nothing bad is going to happen, and you'll get to spend time with the cutest girl in Beach City." Jenny made a noise while blowing on her sister's cheek, making Kiki giggle.
About half a hour later, the plan was beginning.
Ronaldo and Kiki were on their opposite sides, both holding flowers.
Ronaldo thrust his bouquet to his fake lover, wanting it to look as if he was truly in love with her. "Ah, Kiki, my darling!"
Kiki hid her flowers behind her back. "Oh, Ronaldo, my sweet!"
The two ran to each other, grabbing each other in a near embrace. They gazed at each other with passion, little would their fathers know that it was a passion to finish the war.
"My dear, sweet Kiki, whom I love with all my blog!" Ronaldo breathed.
Mr. Fryman poked his head out of the window in the shop and frowned in confusion. Was his son around one of Kofi's daughters? And why? They didn't normally talk…. "What the…"
Kiki gave a fake girly giggle, her voice high. "Oh, Ronaldo, you're so sweet and quirky in a way I can tolerate!"
Kofi was looking for his youngest daughter, and saw her out there with Fryman's boy, his older boy. Was he trying to ruin his daughter? He stomped out of the door, demanding a answer to this. "Kiki! Why aren't you working your shift?!"
"Yeah, come on Ronaldo! We have customers to take care of!" The other man roared.
Ronaldo gave a loving sigh. "But, Dad, ever since this war started, I've had to spend countless hours away from my beloved Kiki."
The fathers walked out to their children, shocked. When had this happened?! They both yelled in unision, the only thing they could agree on was this was sudden. "What?!"
"It's true!" Kiki laughed with a blush. "The only way for us to be together is if we quit working!"
Right on cue, Connie and the siblings walked up behind the fathers in their ear shot.
"Oh! How romantic! A couple emerging from the problem of war!" Connie cried, placing a hand on her cheek with a sham of shock. "What a twist!"
"It isn't really sudden, Connie, we've loved each other for some time!" Ronaldo replied, taking Kiki's hands in his own.
Kofi watched the teen hold his little girl's hands, and frowned, would he treat her right? "Mm-hmmm! You two are only hugging, right?"
Ronaldo chuckled nervously, releasing her hands. "Y-Yes sir! Only hugs and longing looks!"
Fryman looked at his fellow father. "Well, Kofi, love is a beautiful thing."
"Yes, love is beautiful. We must end this feud in order for this love to blossom." Kofi nodded.
"Yeah! The restaurant war is officially over!" Mr. Fryman called, the children started cheering. It was all over!
"Ronaldo?" A shy and choked voice said, making them turn to a teenage girl, holding a dvd case that had a koala on it. She frowned. "I come all this way to return your 'Princess Koala' DVDs only to find you with another girl?" The broken-hearted young woman asked softly, nodding to Kiki.
Jenny and Peedee slid in front of their fathers, not believing their eyes. They let out a long and very confused, "Whhhhaaaaat?!"
Ronaldo back away from Kiki, trying to prove to his love that she was his one and only. "Jane, my sweet, this was all a trick to get my dad to stop selling mozzarella sticks!"
"Save it for your blog, Keep Beach City Single!" Jane shouted, turning away in tears before running off.
"Jane, my Ohime-sama. Ooh!" Ronaldo cried in agony, soon falling on his face and sobbing in agony.
The fathers saw how much Ronaldo cared for Jane, and not Kiki, and crossed their arms. They had absolutely no reason to be near each other anymore.
"The deal is off!" Kofi spat.
Mr. Fryman narrowed his eyes. "Fine by me!" He said bitterly. He then walked back to his shop, calling for Peedee to fire up the friers.
"Kiki! Pick up the phone!" Kofi yelled, making his daughters go back inside to live once more with their labour filled jobs.
"Jannne!" Ronaldo howled to the sky, praying she'd come back for him.
Connie had called another meeting of the food family siblings, and sat between the twins, thinking hard about what to do as Ronaldo continued to cry and frantically text Jane. Peedee sat on a stair, his chin on his hand in thought.
"Ugh, what are we gonna do?!" Jenny moaned suddenly, making Connie glance up.
"Well, last time the war ended, it was because of a treaty, so I was told, what was so challenging that it stopped the restaurant war?"
Kiki then remembered the story her grandmother had once told her that explained it all. "Well, you know where Suitcase's Sams is? It used to be a restaurant called The Everything Buffet."
Jenny gasped in memory and immediately said the obvious. "Oh yeah! They sold everything!"
Her twin nodded in agreement, then contuied the story. "But it wrecked the boardwalk's economy! Not one store could compete…. But just when everyone thought all hope was lost, our Dad and Mr. Fryman teamed up and ran them out of town!"
Connie thought for a moment then smiled. "Ladies and gentlemen, I have a plan!"
That very night, the Pizza and Fryman family stood outside the new restaurant, Dishes of the Universe which was run by none other than miss Universe herself. According to the children of the families, it was all the town was talking about now.
The door suddenly slammed open and Jasper marched out. "You better have come for some good food, and if you don't like it and you tell my kid about it and make her work go to waste, we're going to have a pro-"
Connie rushed up behind her with a nervous smile, wearing a simple but professional looking black and white outfit with a flower in her pocket and her hair up. "Jasper! I sorta wanted to be hostess?"
"I know, kiddo!" Jasper smiled at her, ruffling her girl's hair. "Just was giving them a… uh, intro!"
Kofi was angry and tried to protest, but Jasper glared down at him, then walked back inside.
"Please, pardon her, she is just as excited as I am to welcome to the grand opening of Dishes of the Universe! We are quite pleased to have such well renowned restaurant owners at our service! Come in!" She cried, Jasper holding open the door, insist on being the restaurant's bodyguard, though she didn't really need to.
Twinkling white diamonds hung from strands on the ceiling, and two tables were prepared elegantly with every rule of setting a table obeyed. Fryman took of his cap in respect of the young owner, and she lead the families to their seats.
"Nice ambiance." Peedee murmured softly to his father.
Fryman crossed his arms. "It's alright." He coughed.
"There's not enough tables!" Kofi cried, seeing only the two tables.
"There's just enough tables, daddy." Jenny groaned in annoyance, sitting at their table while the other family sat at theirs.
Peridot walked out in a tuxedo to the Frymans. "Hello, fry family, order your food and I will record it down."
"I'm full…" Ronaldo whispered, "of sadness!" He slammed his head on the table, and started to sob once more over the loss his girlfriend.
"I will take the Parmesan truffle fries." Mr. Fryman ordered, ignoring his oldest son.
"Okay, thanks." Peridot muttered, scribbling down the order.
She then walked over to the Pizzas as Fryman whispered to Peedee, "Weird name for fries, way too uptight!"
"What do you want?" Peridot asked Kofi abruptly.
"I will have the fruit pizza, but only because your real food is fries, I sell fries."
"Do you?" Peridot asked, clearly bored out of her mind.
"Fruit? On pizza? What a joke!" Kofi whispered with a laughter to Kiki.
Peridot bustled back to Connie, handing back the orders.
The girl smiled. "Perfection. They ordered the dishes I knew they would."
"That's because you coordinated the dishes to appeal to their real marketing." Peridot answered back.
"Lapis! One fry, one pizza! Chop chop!" Connie called, clapping her hands.
A few minutes later, the food was ready and Peridot placed the fruit pizza in front of Kofi, who scoffed.
"There's no version of parmesan for this 'fruit pizza'." Kofi smirked.
Peridot rolled her eyes. "Why would we add cheese to fruit, pizza man?" She then marched over to the Fryman family and placed down thier meal.
"Uh, can I get some ketchup?" Mr. Fryman asked awkwardly.
Peridot shook her head as she walked back to Connie's side. "It is not needed."
"Ha! This place is all talk!" Fryman announced to his sons, picking up a single fry. "Why on earth would you not need ketchup for fries?" He then took a bite and gasped in surprise. "A-All this flavor! The spices, the parmesan! It's like my mouth has entered a new region of flavor!"
Connie watched and smirked, clasping her hands togther. She had bested him, just as she thought she could.
Kofi meanwhile had taken a bite of a slice of fruit pizza, and dropped the slice with shock. "This is… so good! And without the grease of a regular pizza, it is healthier! And it can be served as a dessert!"
"It's amazing!" Fryman cried.
"It's genius!" Kofi gasped.
The two grown men looked at each other, nodded, then angrily looked at the proud girl who stood watching. They walked up to her.
"Hello, dear sirs, I do hope you are enjoying your meal and this restaurant overall, may I help you with anything?" Connie asked sweetly, with her hands behind her back.
Fryman cracked his knuckles. "Connie, we didn't want to do this, but…" Jasper was immediately at Connie's side.
"You want to go, buddy? Huh? Huh?!" Jasper asked with fury, getting in a fight stance.
Connie smiled pleasantly, and waved Jasper off. "Stand down, I'd like to hear what they have to say."
Jasper grumbled out a ok and stepped back, glaring at the men.
They suddenly fell to their knees in a begging stance, and Connie smiled down at them mercifully.
"Please, shut this place down!" Kofi begged at Connie's feet.
Connie put her hand on her cheek. "Oh? What is this? You wish for me to shut down my lovely restaurant? Why, I couldn't possibly…"
"Please, Connie, we can't compete with this place!" Kofi cried in agony.
Fryman was just as desperate as him. "It'll run us out of business!"
"There's already a line!" Kofi gasped, pointing to the door.
Connie frowned, she had only told Pizzas and Frymans, she turned to see little Onion with a fork and knife looking in and staring at her. She cringed in fear. Of course he knew about it.
"Well gentleman, I'm quite afraid I won't unless…" Connie trailed off for dramatic effect, looking down at them. "You put a end to this foolish war! Cook for yourselves and the good of the boardwalk! No more cooking out of hate and spite!"
The men looked surprised, but then rose, and smiled at each other.
"Let's go back to what we do best!" Kofi cried.
"Agreed!" His old friend said.
The two embraced, and the children excluding Ronaldo cheered at their victory.
"Good job, daddy." Jenny smiled, hugging her father.
Mr. Fryman glanced at his son, ready to tell the good news. "Do you hear that, Ronaldo? The war's over!"
Ronaldo was still sobbing at the table, but gave a thumbs up.
"Another crisis caused be me solved." Connie smiled, turning to the Temps.
Peridot put a hand on her shoulder. "Connie, you didn't mean to cause a war, just like your mother."
Lapis interrupted the tender moment by popping up between them. "So, who wants some food-?"
"I ate it all." Jasper suddenly yelled in the background, and they turned to see the fries and pizza were gone. Connie laughed.