Chapter 5

I know that voice…

As I sit up, panting heavily and thankful to be alive, I take in my surroundings. This was indeed a part of Sugar Rush I had never seen before- it seemed to be some sort of rock candy cave. I'm looking for a way out when suddenly a hand taps me on the shoulder. I jump away in shock and brace for another Bug attack, but instead find myself looking up at an all too familiar face… Vanellope's face.

"Nice of you to drop in," she said snarkily. "Too bad ya missed the party."

There was a stern look in her hazel eyes, as if she might attack me. Given everything she's done to me and the rest of the game, I wouldn't put it past her. Yet at the same time, for some reason she saved me barely a day ago, and I want to know why.

"You must really love this place, huh, Jubes?" Vanellope went on. "Well, ya shouldn't have come back. I've had enough trouble staying in one piece on my own. If I gotta take care of you now, too, then we're gonna have problems."

I remember our last encounter, when I lay losing consciousness with a zillion questions on my mind as Vanellope watched over me. I want all of them answered here and now but as I gaze into her eyes, I can only bring my mind to say one thing to her.

"You… you saved my life."

"Wouldn't be the first time," she grimaced. "Next time I get to save your butt from a buncha overgrown bugs, a simple 'thank you' would do. Now, move yer molasses so's I can give ya the grand tour!"

I pick myself up off the ground and follow her through the dark tunnel. As we round a sharp bend to the right a light appears in the distance.

"Ooh, you're gonna love this!" Vanellope says before vanishing into the light.

Is this really happening? I think to myself as I follow her through the light and into a large, chasmic room. The light, as it happened, emanated from a boiling lake of hot soda in the center of the chamber. On either side of the soda lake were two ramps that appeared to be hastily made out of wafer cookies.

Diet Cola Hot Springs, reads a nearby sign, Watch out for falling Mentos. I look up and take in the massive stalactites of Mentos that dangle precariously from the ceiling. If all those Mentos were to come down… the thought is so chaotic I banish it from my mind.

"What is this place?"

"I had a feeling you'd be wondering that," says Vanellope as she reappears by my side. "Years ago I found that secret opening into Diet Cola Mountain, and then I found this hot spring! Oh yeah, but don't touch it, unless you like fried cherries."

Secret opening? "Wait… we're inside the mountain?'

"Yup," she says nonchalantly. "And that…" she says, gesticulating towards a shabby-looking campsite near the wall, complete with a pile of candy wrappers that must have served as a bed, "…would be my home. Yeah, it's not much compared to those fancy-schmancy homes of yours down in the square, but it's all I got."

I take in everything from the interior of the mountain to Vanellope's sad little home against the wall, and suddenly I lose it. "Vanellope… How could you live like this? Why would you go and just seal yourself away?!"

Vanellope gives me a cockeyed look. "Well, whaddaya expect, Jubes? What was I supposed to do- just come out and pretend that I could actually live a normal life like you? Or your sister? Or… or Taffyta?!" She says the name disgustedly, as if the mere thought of the strawberry-themed racer sickened her.

I clear my throat. "For your information, Taffyta happens to be a great leader and a very kind person."

"Is that so?" asks Vanellope in a mock inquisitive voice. "Sounds like you've never been pushed in the mud before."

I feel a twinge of guilt as I glance back at her. "So why did you save me, then? After everything I've done to you?"

"Well, did you expect me to just sit there and watch ya die?" Vanellope asks. "Besides, you and all your other friends never treated me fairly, but what if it was a matter of life and death? I mean, if it was me being attacked by all those Bugs, you'd have stepped in to save me, right?"

I hesitate because, honestly, I'm not sure just how I would answer the question. This must occur to Vanellope, too, because she continues, "Yeah, that's what I thought. Well, it's a good thing I can do this." And with that she glitches away from me and reappears at her pile of candy wrappers.

I stare at her, both amazed and repulsed by her glitching, and only when she snaps "Keep staring, I might do a trick," do I hastily glance away.

"I'm sorry," I mutter angrily, still looking away from her. "I only came back so I could learn what made you decide to help me, not so you could be… rude to me."

Vanellope scowls. "Yanno, you're not exactly great company either, but I guess I can't complain. Matter of fact, you're the first company I've ever had over. Well, not counting Stinkbrain…"

"Who?"

"That big, heavy-handed diaper-baby Ralph."

Of course she had had company here before, of course she had known Wreck-It Ralph. After all, it was she who had led the redheaded Bad Guy astray and helped him inadvertently start the entire Bug invasion- so says Taffyta and everyone else from home.

Vanellope leans across the side of her makeshift bed and sighs deeply. "I shoulda given him back his stupid medal while I had the chance. Otherwise none of this would ever have happened. I kinda miss him."

My look of curiosity from her glitching vanishes, to be replaced with one of utter disgust. "You miss him, do you?" I mutter.

"What did you say?" asks Vanellope.

"You MISS him, do you?!" I say, my voice rising. "He was that useful, was he? After everything he did for you, after all he did to help you wreck our game, Vanellope? Not to mention the entire rest of the arcade?!"

"Jubi, take it easy, I d-" Suddenly Vanellope's eyes widen with fear. "Wait. What did you say about the rest of the arcade?"

"Well, if you think things are bad here in Sugar Rush, you should see what's happened to Game Central!" I shriek. "We're living underground, Vanellope! We're all living in hiding because the Bugs are spreading to every single game! People are losing their homes each day, Vanellope! And it's all your fault!"

Vanellope's face contorts with anger. "Oh, it's all my fault? Why is that, Jubes? Is it cause I thought maybe, just maybe, I could try for myself the one thing no one else said I could do? Not even you?! It's my fault for being… myself?"

Another pang of guilt hits me, and an awkward silence ensues.

"Maybe I should have just let you die back there," she scowls. "Maybe we'd both be better off that way."

"How can you say that?!" I am angrier now then I ever have been in my fifteen years of being plugged in. "No one needs to die! Not me, not the others, and not Ralph! Tell me Vanellope," as I suddenly grab hold of her, "why did you save me? Why not HIM? He was the only friend you'll ever know and he stood up for you, and you let him die!"

"You think I let him die?" Vanellope shoots back. "You think I never tried to save him? You think he died for me, or you, or the whole stupid arcade?!" Vanellope leans halfway out of her bed, and looks me in the eye.

"You want the truth?" she hisses. "Well, now you're gonna get it: This whole invasion was all Ralph's fault. All he ever cared about was getting back his precious medal, and he crashed this whole game for it. He didn't die trying to save the arcade, all he was trying to do was undo the mess he'd already started. You can go around blaming other people for your problems, Jubi, but like it or not, that's the truth."

Paralyzed by her words, I sit in silence for the longest time, letting them sink in.

"No it's not…" I whisper, barely audible.

"What?" asks Vanellope.

"No… it's… NOT!" I scream at her. "How am I supposed to believe any of that? Why should I trust you, after everything you did to our game? I don't know what to believe anymore, but there's three things I know for certain: The arcade is doomed, Wreck-It Ralph was the bravest hero we'll ever know, and you're nothing but a liar and… and a…"

Vanellope's eyes narrow into furious slits. "Go on. Finish it. I DARE you."

"…A GLITCH," I finally spit at her. And that's all you'll ever be, I finish in my head.

Vanellope leaps out of her bed, and before I have time to do or say anything she is upon me. She tackles me to the floor of the cave, pins my hands down firm, and looks at me with a savage expression on her face.

"Say that again," she sneers, her voice deadly, "and I'll rip those little red pigtails of yours off of yer head."

I brace for an impeding blow from Vanellope, but it doesn't come. Instead, she stares me down for a long while, sighs deeply, and releases my arms.

Vanellope glitches away from me as I pick myself up off the ground once more and teleports back to the foot of her bed, watching over me like a hawk. She still has that same stern look from before, but something seemed different about it this time.

"I'm… I'm sorry, Vanellope." I say, breaking the silence.

Vanellope doesn't answer, and as I timidly approach her, I can see tears welling up in her eyes.

"Vanellope?" I ask her.

Vanellope turns away. "Apology accepted," she growls. "Now get out."

"Vanellope, please! I- I didn't mean it, really, I-"

"I said GET OUT!" she screams as she wheels around to face me, tears streaming down her face. "I've had just about enough of you! And I never want to see you, or Taffyta, or any of your friends ever again! NOW GET OUT! And don't come back!"

I don't need to be told again- without hesitation I turn and walk out of the room, leaving Vanellope to cry alone. And now I'm crying too, because in spite of everything that she may have done to me, I know I've just done to her something much, much worse.