"World Domination is Beginning"

RECORD TWO - Pop Food -is- Bothersome

----------------------------------------

In the end, getting home wasn’t the issue. Dealing with the person I called to pick me up was.

After a brief and stilted chat with the fanny pack wielding, and glasses donning, and quiet employer of mine, I headed outside and made a call.

Only two rings in, they picked up, a casual drawl to their voice.

...Yes, to be blunt— “Eh, what’re you calling me for? Less you’re taking me out for dinner, ain’t interested. ...Less it’s interesting.” —they were difficult to deal with.

Only a hot dash of femininity, they were the African Tropics to my Sahara Desert. With a bite, she was lively as hell on a mostly consistent basis, prone to blurting out strings of sometimes unintelligible nonsense.

Her name was Estelle, or “East”, my roommate for the preceding few months. We’ve grown somewhat close, mostly due to the fact she became my go-to in terms of nabbing a free ride. She didn’t seem to mind as long as we met at a place where she can eat her fill.

“No, not taking you out for dinner. For the...” I’m sure she could imagine my other hand coming up as I stare at a full five extended fingers. “...Just not. We can meet up at a shop near the mortuary.”

“You still work there?” Oddly enough, her voice seemed a bit nasally.

“Yes, yes, I do.”

“Jeez, it’s gotta be dreary as hell, dunno why you don’t get a job at Sugaré.”

I roll my eyes, “I’m not getting a job so you make me feel obligated to bring home donuts every other day.”

“Geh. My master plan foiled!” East laments herself as if the star of a tragedy, though gets an idea, a sing-song triumphant tone foreshadowing my demise.

“Wait, no, let’s meet up at Sugaré. If you won’t give me food on a consistent and regular basis, then I’ll stuff myself on your wallet!” This time, it was my turn to mourn for myself(or more accurately, my wallet). Sweet junkies. Getting smarter as days pass by.

“Fine, fine,” I give in easily, noticing an opportunity. “Meet you there.”

“...Huh.” She lets out a small noise, “Eh, yeah, see ya then Sun.”

There goes the rest of my energy. I get annoyed when people mispronounce my name and East commits a crime against it every time. Given her accent, she says ‘Soon’ as in the ‘Su’ in ‘Tsunami’ rather than ‘Sun’ as in the big ball of gas and fire upside.

Never will I ever be good at dealing with her, surely.

But she could be my first ‘ally’.

So, I bear with it.

//-//

When I arrive at Sugaré, the local pastry shop whose specialty is donuts, donuts, and more sugar cancer, I spot East’s vehicle immediately.

A Ford Pinto. A dilapidated car painted an admittedly nice dark blue which East had fixed up after nabbing it from her pop’s garage. Her ‘baby that if anyone so much as talks a single syllable of shit about she’d rip them a new one and then do some more unreasonably censored somethings’. Slightly modified for ease on the conscience.

It didn’t take all too long to locate her either, being one of the only people in this day and age who wore bandanas. Holding back her impressive volume of jet black hair into a pseudo ponytail, her clear eyes were perfectly visible even through her rough bangs she is adamant about cutting herself. Some might just describe her as a heartthrob.

I thought that once too, but now...

“Suuuun-” ‘Suuuu’ she calls out as she practically prances to the entrance, “They’ve got the new donuts that people’ve been raving about in, you’ve got to get ‘em!”

Yep. Just a food addict.

“What’s it called?”

“Seriously?!” She exclaims in shock, “You haven’t heard about it? People talk about it whenever Sugaré comes up.”

“You never bring it up.”

“Well, duh, I don’t like repeating the obvious.” Even though she does. But it was true. It was probably one of those new crazes around the city. I haven’t heard since I don’t talk to people outside of when it’s necessary. Except when East forces me to.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

It’s tiresome, socializing.

What ended up happening was that she brought me up to the cashier and ordered what she wanted and-

“There’s a week-long discount for eligible for parents and children. Would you like the discount, ma’am?”

Oh. Oh. “O-”

“Of course!” East grabs my shoulder bringing me close. One thing that was very apparent between us two is the sheer... appearance diversity.

All the milk went to waste in my body while she grew, grew, and grew.

With most of my energy spent, I end up going along with it, since this wasn’t the first time. Shuffling in my pockets I snag my wallet and pull out cash and hand it over, endeavoring to wrangle myself out of her grasp.

Which only occurred after they took the money and returned change. To East.

Though once we sat down, she handed it back, a mirthful simper on her face, skyline hues crinkling in entertainment.

“You have to tell me these types of things beforehand, you know? So I can decide whether or not I want to walk home.”

She laughs, keeping her voice on the down low, “Oh come on, it’s not like it hurt anyone, plus you barely talk to anyone. It’d be better if you got out more.” Her eyes were clear with their intent.

Annoying. Despite everything, she was one of the most honest people I knew. Although I didn’t know an amazing amount of people. A slight heaviness in my chest, I decided, if anyone, she’d be the most honest ‘ally’ I’d have.

Propping my jaw up onto my palm, I look at her through untidy hair.

“Fine, fine, I can deal with you.” I snicker as she immediately narrows her eyes.

“Don’t talk about me like I’m a nuisance-!” East shoots back, eyes as clear with intent, except with the intent of making me suffer.

So shut up I shall. Rather, I was given an excuse to get up so I could get the half dozen donuts she ordered. Bringing the paper platter to the table carefully, I glance at East to find her basically shaking in excitement. Or potential health issues.

I wouldn’t be shocked either way.

The donuts were some strange combo of colors that people found appealing enough for it to go viral.

Only grabbing a napkin as a bastion of protection from the sugary treat and her fingers she immediately began her conquest through the plate.

Though... she had no drink. Which immediately presented a problem as she snapped out her hand and grabbed my arm, her eyes pleading. With half the mind to just sigh and watch I take her shoulder to whack her back with my other hand, which got the donut hunks caught in her throat out after a few good smacks. If anything’s given me experience in aiding a choking person, it was East.

“Jeez, what are you trying to do?” I narrow my eyes squinting harshly at her which she replies with a wry grin.

“...God, you’re insufferable.” I grumble and quickly blink. “I’ll get you a coffee.” I turn around, wondering if she’d burn her mouth on the drink next before she tugged at my parka.

Swallowing, she looked up, completely serious.

“I want a milkshake.”

“Are you a kid?”

...I still ended up getting her the milkshake and myself, a coffee.

Leaning back into the seat, I pull out my phone, occasionally glancing up at East to make sure she wasn’t dying.

After a few rounds of me looking up and then back down at my phone, reading up about the next insane man on the coast, I get a donut shoved in my face.

I peek over the donut, “What’s this for?” I don’t recall doing anything to gain something as major as one of the six legendary pastries East herself ordered. And made me pay for.

“For helping me. And paying.” She raised the drink up. For that, then. Giving an amused snort I shrug. “Alright. Thanks then.” I nab the donut with my teeth, sinking into the chocolate then swallowing, furrowing his brow.

“Isn’t this just the double chocolate donut?”

“No, it’s different, see cause it has ganache instead of cocoa cream.” She split the donut she was eating displaying whatever... quality made it different.

“I fail to see the difference.”

She squinted. “This is why I pick out desserts. You’re really no good with sweets.”

I blow her off, returning to the bank robbery performed with several bags of live ants. Fake but very amusing.

//-//

Finally, we load into her Pinto, two donuts wrapped excessively in napkins perched in the driver side cup holder. The rickety car didn’t seem like it enjoyed the weight of two people. But I didn’t question it disliked even one person, the driver inside anyway.

Once on the road, Sugaré disappeared into the cityscape behind us. The sky was a dim purple-ish blue, clouds swimming on the horizon. I think if I were the artistic type I’d take a picture of this sight. But, I knew being here in this city for so long, it was just a feature, this sort of transition to night.

A slow but drawn out sigh sounds out from beside me originating from the person I’d least expect that sort of thing from: East.

In fact, for some reason, I didn’t notice it earlier but she had darker than normal circles under her eyes. Did she even have any before today?

Focusing on driving, her expression loosened from the high energy focus it had before to just... her. Not particularly lamenting but just mellowed out a considerable bit. Hell, I had no clue she could look like this.

Maybe because of how little my eyes show, she didn’t notice my staring but that was soon proven wrong.

“Sun.”

I blink, “Uh- yeah? What’s up?”

She smiled and leaned back a little, eyes keeping to the road and palms loosely handling the wheel. “Carter and I broke up earlier today. This morning, actually.”

They- what? “I’m... sorry for yo-”

A laugh emanated from East as she drummed her fingers across the steering wheel, “Come on, you think I want pity? It was a long time coming and heck, probably would never had told’ya.”

“Then why did you tell me?”

“Eeesh, I know I’ve barely complained about your bluntness but girls will appreciate a squirt like you more if you toned it down.”

I squint, “I’m only a year younger than you, you know.” Which she replies to easily, “Yeah, I know. Doesn’t make a difference but- anyway, don’t distract me.”

Valid. “Where was I... Right, wouldn’t have told you. But, for the- what two, three months we’ve known each other? You’ve never spoken more than a paragraph to me.”

That seemed like an exaggeration... but, she was right. I barely spoke to anyone and I had a hard time recalling any instance I spoke to her for more than a sentence or two in a small time frame.

She pulled a hand back from the wheel as we reached a red light and rubbed the back of her neck. “And well, it almost felt like you care ‘bout me more than ‘just a roommate’ or ‘just some food monger’. I felt a bit guilty about that second title which I did hand to her on many occasions.

East furrowed her brow before shaking her head, “Aaah! I’m so bad at summing things up!” She hollered in her car, turning on the radio to blast some music that’s repeated for the last month.

“Keep your eyes on the road!” I shout over the music, which she does, though was beginning to tilt her head my way.

For some reason, I didn’t want to see her face. I wonder if I’m an incorrigible person? That’s how I feel right now anyway.

Even if I feel a little lighter.

I feel that this person won’t leave me in the case of my desire for World Domination.

...Ally number one acquired, isn’t it?

----------------------------------------

Chapter End