>>> Guava

“Hey Ras,” Sebastian said in a long, drawn out childish voice. He was sitting right next to the guy on his bed with his laptop. Ras turned the next page in the book he was reading. “Ras,” Sebastian pouted, “Don’t ignore me!”
Ras set down the book, “I wasn’t ignoring you,” he frustratingly sighed, “I just finished the chapter, that’s all.”
“Oh,” the red head grinned, “Was it a good read?”
“I guess,” Ras fell back onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling, “Would have been better if you stopped prodding me with your feet.”
“But,” Sebastian moved closer to Ras’s face, “You know I do it out of love!”
Ras rolled his eyes, “You do everything that annoys me out of love.” He sat back up and looked at his friend, “Was there anything specific you wanted earlier or just attention?”
“I’m not like a dog,” Sebastian turned his laptop around to face Ras, “I can’t figure out what to do on this report. I can’t find anything on it.”
“What’s it on?”
“Guave!”
Ras raised an eyebrow, “You mean guava?”
“Uh… yeah!”
“It’s a fruit and people eat it… what else do you need to know?”
Sebastian starting to push his fingers together, “ummm….” Ras knew all too well what this meant.
“I’m not doing your report for you!” He picked his book back up, “And especially not for any sexual favors.”
“Fine,” Sebastian stuck up his nose, “You’re the worse boyfriend ever! Not helping me on my guave report!”
“It’s guava!”

Characters:
Sebastian and Ras from Saint Saffron

>>> Poi

Today was an interesting day in anthropology class. First off, Daniel was actually in a good mood so he wasn’t being super standoffish like he usually is. He has a really nice smile – so I wish he would stop frowning so much. Then, the professor came in with a large bowl and some small, disposable bowls and spoons. He said we all had a chance to try some “poi” which his wife had made. The poi looked some-what like chocolate pudding, but lighter in color. Nobody had offered to try it so I decided to be the “daredevil” of the class.
I hate to say it, but my college experience is just turning out to be the same as the American high school I went too. It’s always me, the Brazilian foreigner, whose not afraid to try new things.
“Ah, Kim,” the professor said, “Want to try some?” Our class only had about thirty students but I was on a first name basis with the professor because of my uncanny freshmen like behavior. I had to stop by his office to ask some questions about our fieldwork project. Right then and there he had become fascinated by me – I had asked all the right questions and of course, he wanted to know more about me. That’s when I told him about being adopted by my mother, who was in the peace core in Rio de Janeiro at the time. I hadn’t shared that much information with anybody except Nathan – I guess you could say the professor sort of reminded me of my ex.
The poi was sweet, a little too sweet for my tastes, but wasn’t bad. “It’s an interesting flavor,” I said to the professor. I then turned to Daniel, “You should try it, you like sweet things.”
The classic frown of Daniel’s came back on his face, “I don’t want to.”
Daniel wasn’t the only one who didn’t want to – not a single person in the class would try the poi. The professor went on to teach his lesson but it was after class when everyone left that made the day so interesting. “Hey Kim,” he said, “Thanks for trying my wife’s poi. Would you like to have dinner with us sometime?”
A smile stretched on my face, “I’d love too.”

Characters::
Kim and Daniel from Lion Lies

>>> Chocolate

There’s nothing more delicious than chocolate. You can turn it in to just about anything and eat it with just about anything. Have a hefty steak to eat? Why not have a glass of chocolate milk to eat with it? I love chocolate – but of course my favorite is chocolate cake.
Ryan said he’d go downtown to pick up an entire chocolate cake – just for me. He left about an hour ago so hopefully he’ll be back soon. He was being so good to me after what happened between Faust and I. The cottage was coming along nicely, even though I couldn’t do any heavy lifting… or cleaning… or anything really. I thought the bed rest was a bit overkill but I guess I did collapse without warning. The bedside service was nice though – everyone gets me what I want and lately I’ve wanted nothing but chocolate.
Before leaving the hospital, Yuya gave me a chocolate chip cookie from the cafeteria, then later Lex had showed up with a box of chocolates to share with my house guests. Begley, after finding out my craving for chocolate, brought in all sorts of sweets for me in all their chocolate glory. The only thing I was missing was my favorite chocolate cake with a mocha cream center. That cake was quite special.
“Sasukae,” Ryan called out as he walked through the cottage door, “I got the cake – picked up some milk too.” He walked in and smiled at me, “You want it now?”
“Of course.”
“Okay,” Ryan set down the bag on the dining room table and went into the kitchen, grabbing a cup and plate from the cabinet and silverware from the drawer. He then came back in and opened the box with the cake in it. He cut a slice of cake for me and poured a glass of milk before returning to my bed. “Here you go.”
I took the plate from his hands and sat it on my lap; with a fork, I cut the smallest piece from the chocolate cake and swallowed it. Delicious. “Ryan…”
“Yeah, love?”
I smiled, “I love you.”
“Heh,” hr grinned, “Looks like I’ll have to get you chocolate cake everyday to hear that.”

Characters:
Sasukae and Ryan from Metric Point Academy

>>> Peanut Butter

It was my brother’s motorcycle starting up that woke me up. He must have been heading into work early… or maybe it was on time. I didn’t know and honestly, didn’t care. Next to me, in bed, was the most wonderful person I knew. I was amazed at how much Biff looked like a child when he slept. His golden locks framed his masculine face and his lips were almost in a pout. He had a slight snore which made me want to giggle. I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t meet Biff when I did. The loneliness that I kept bottled up inside was starting to become too hard to hide from Ivan. I think Chris had an idea of what I had been feeling but she had her own problems to deal with. Those problems mostly revolving around her love for my brother and his still broken heart over Kyo. But once Biff arrived at the bar, I think all our lives began to change. There’s just something about him that makes life… so much better.
My stomach started to grumble. I forgot that I hadn’t eaten dinner last night – as soon as Biff and I got back from the bar, we went into my room and had a very passionate night together. I just hope my brother hadn’t heard us, heh-heh.
I got out of bed gently, not wanting to wake Biff. I tiptoed from my room into the kitchen and started searching the fridge and cabinets for food. Most of the stuff lacked the protein that I always craved – Ivan’s dammed vegetarian diet really hindered my food intake. Finally, I found a jar of peanut butter and grabbed a spoon. I scooped out the largest amount possible and stuck it in my mouth – it was creamy, the way I liked it but of course, stuck to everything inside.
“Morning,” Biff said as he walked into the kitchen.
I tried to say “you too” but couldn’t with all the peanut butter in my mouth.
Biff smirked as he saw the peanut butter jar. He went up to me and stole a kiss – along with some peanut butter.
“Mmm,” he said, “peanut butter kisses.”

Characters::
Max and Biff from Flaming Snowball

>>> Jelly

“Mom.”
“What is it, Tye?”
The young boy folded his arms and wore a frown on his face, “I was making a sandwich for Maxy and me and you know what?”
“Yes, dear,” she tried not to laugh with such a serious look on her son’s face.
“The jelly in the refrigerator was older than me!”
“Oh,” Minna cringed, “Did you throw it away?”
Tye stuck up his nose, “Yeah, because you adults are too lazy to do it yourselves!”
Minna wanted to agree with him, but at the same time not get herself too involved. “Well, you know the rules of the house,” she sighed, “I’m not allowed to make anything in the kitchen.” She put her hand on her son’s shoulders, “But if I would have seen that nasty old jelly – I would have thrown it away.”
“Yeah,” Tye shrugged his shoulders, “But I want a peantut butter and JELLY sandwich and we’re out of jelly.”
She knew where this was going. “Tye,” she got up, “Would you like to accompany to the store and pick out some jelly?”
The boy instantly brighten up, “I can pick out any one I want?”
She smiled, “Of course!”
Perhaps letting Tye pick out the flavor of jelly wasn’t the greatest of ideas. Later, when Tye’s father, Goukai, was digging in the fridge he found the recently purchased jelly. “What the hell is this?”
Minna, sitting at the counter in the kitchen shrugged her shoulders, “Tye picked it out – I told him it wasn’t going to be the jelly he likes but he’s as stubborn as you.”
Goukai stared, “But… it’s mint jelly. The only thing you eat with this is a rack of lamb.”
“So I noticed,” Tye walked into the kitchen with a disappointed look on his face, “The green jelly does not go good with peanut butter at all.”

Characters:
Tye, Minna, and Goukai from Wild Wingz

>>> Ramen

Some days I just want to ring his little neck out.
When I first met Jan, I hate to say it, but I was fascinated by him. I mean, I couldn’t even tell if he was a girl or a guy. He explained he wasn’t really transgender, that he fully accepted being a guy, he just liked wearing effeminate clothing. And little did I know that not only would I end up dating the cross dresser, but falling in love with him too. I had been with other guys before, but not with one so – insane.
“Fuck,” Jan lashed out on his keyboard, “I hate writer’s block!”
He was destroying my apartment – I regret agreeing he could live with me during summer break. He was camped out on my couch, wearing my white button down shirt and a pair of white socks. The only other thing he had on was one of his many headbands. He was obsessed with headbands – I believe his collection was almost at two hundred. He sat twirling his fingers through his silky brunette hair and blaring some god awful pop music. He would literally do this for hours and hours and my coffee table was starting to become covered in snack boxes, chip bags, and cans of soda.
“Why don’t you take a fucking break,” I finally sat next to him on my couch, “And turn off that shitty music.”
He glared at me through his red framed glasses, “And you said you liked this band.”
“Well after you hear the same song the HUNDREDTH time you get sick of it.”
He titled his head, “I’ve played it a hundred times?”
“It’s been on repeat the whole time.”
“Oh,” Jan looked down at his laptop and then pressed the mute button, “Taken care of! Now how about lunch?”
I sighed, I was paying for all the delivery so my funds were dwindling fast. Luckily I had stopped by the grocery store to pick up some stuff. “How about ramen?”
“You mean that stuff that’s ten cent a packet?”
“If you don’t like it, go live back home.”
“I do like ramen – we just got to jazz it up a bit!”
“Jazz it up?”
Jan went on to explain that his friends in high school would make big pots of ramen and add some other ingredients to the pot – he used egg and hot dog. Surprisingly, it didn’t taste too bad. I guess it was a lot better than just throwing the ramen noodles into the microwave with that crappy seasoning pack. Maybe living with Jan wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Characters::
Duncan and Jan from Untitled

>>> Hamburger

There’s nothing more satisfying than lighting up the charcoal grill and throwing a couple of pure, quarter inch thick beef patties on top. As soon as the meat starts to sizzle my nostrils are filled with one of the most mouth watering aromas known to mankind.
“Dad,” the voice of a small, sweet, and innocent girl calls out, “Mom wants to know how long it’s going to take for the hamburgers to be ready.”
“Tell your mother I just put them on, they’ll be done relatively soon,” I replied.
My little girl smiled, I knew that she was much more interested in our house guests than running outside to ask her father a question. The six year old was about to run back inside when her newest “friends” were stepping outside.
“Ras,” she squealed, “Come play with me on the swing set!”
“Swing set,” he questioned before chuckling and agreeing to accompany the child on the swings.
As he walked off, Sebastian mockingly joked, “Don’t break the swings or you owe her a new one!”
“Ha,” Ras looked over his shoulder, “Only you would break a swing set, Sebastian.”
Sebastian disregarded the remark and approached me at the grill. “How are you doing,” I asked as I looked under one of the burger patties to see if they were ready to be flipped.
The red head smirked, just like he always did when he was a child, “I’m good – nothing more amusing than seeing a one armed man work at his grill.”
I rolled my eyes, “You’re just jealous because you didn’t loose your arm in a cool accident.”
“That’s true,” he said, “But at least I do have both my arms…”
I knew what he was trying to do – provoke me. He used to challenge me all the time when he was younger and now he wanted to reenact the past. But I couldn’t do that now, things had changed. I started flipping the burgers, “Have you heard from Arkadine lately?”
“Afraid not,” he said, “the last thing she sent was a picture of Sabrina starting sixth grade.”
Sixth grade… had we really gotten all that old? Did the days of Volterra really even exist or the fiasco at Saint Saffron? Did I really serve as a top military agent from a secret organization to a now suburban dad?
I flipped over a patty, “Hamburgers are almost done.”

Characters:
Stephen, Juniper, Ras, and Sebastian from Saint Saffron

>>> Bread

It was damp in that god forsaken cell. The cinder blocks had been molded over with mildew and it was absolutely frigid. The airship must have traveled to an even higher altitude – maybe they were approaching Elsu soon. Normally, I’d be content arriving at the kingdom in the clouds but now I was dreading it. I would soon be going to trial over the injustice I caused to my kingdom.
Injustice? Pah! I did no such injustice to my kingdom, my lord, or any of the loyal subjects of Elsu. This was all my brother’s doing. The only “injustice” I caused would be against poor Bibi who I knew I should have never gotten involved with in the first place. She was too young and naïve, but her advances were becoming too much to handle and then I didn’t know what I had gotten myself involved in. The worse thing is that I now have genuine feelings towards her – and my brother took me away from her.
As soon as that little bastard found out my relationship with Bibi, he put me under arrest, citing not only the laws of Elsu, but playing at my lord’s heartstrings by saying, “What if it had been Kyla? Her and Bibi are almost the same age.” Hesitantly, my lord allowed the arrest but reassured me that I would get a fair trial.
But if my lord cared so much, then why would I be in this dreaded, damp cell?
I heard a creak and looked up, my so-called dinner was being brought to me… by him.
“This is the perfect image of you, Moose,” Noah smirked, “Rotting away like this.”
“Everyone thinks you’re so noble and innocent Noah,” I spat at him, “But I know you’re just shit.”
He wiped his face with his sleeve, “That’s better than being you, Moose…” He dropped my tray on the floor, just outside the cell, “You’re nothing and no one will ever care when you’re gone.” He turned and left, slamming the door behind him.
I reached, stretching my arm as possible to grab the food. The only thing I could reach was the bread… stale bread.
I was really starting to become nothing, rotting away in this cell, eating the morsels of hard, stale and flavorless bread.

Characters:
Moose and Noah from Everything You Want

>>> Mac’ and Cheese

“Evan,” Ghost said as she was in the kitchen, boiling a pot of water on the stove, “You’re hungry, right?”
There was no response – he didn’t either hear her or was ignoring her. Annoyed, Ghost left the stove and stuck her head through the wall. Evan was sitting on his bed, with headphones in and playing on the Toshiba laptop she had recently “gotten” for him. She went through the entire wall and floated towards him, peaking down at the laptop screen. She then lifted up his headphones and shouted, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING EVAN?”
Scared out of his mind, Evan jumped up from his bed and caused the laptop to go flying. He cringed and panted as his heartbeat raced out of control. She started giggling until Evan finally composed himself.
“Why,” he grinded his teeth, “DO YOU KEEP DOING THINGS LIKE THAT?”
She smiled, “Because I know you hate it.” Ghost started to get cheeky, “And you’re SO cute when you’re scared.”
Even though they had been living together for a few weeks, against Evan’s will of course, they still had a lot of problems to work out. Ghost was good at making basic dinners, like pancakes – which aren’t really dinner food, but she always scared the crap out of Evan by sneaking up on him. The end result was the two arguing and shouting.
“If the ghost busters really existed,” Evan barked, “You’d be out of here and out of my life for good!”
She ignored his comment, “Hey, what do you want for dinner?”
Evan sighed, she always did this in their arguments. Change the subject on him so he his problems could never be acknowledged. “I don’t care,” he got off his bed, “Just don’t make some inedible crap like you’ve done before.”
“My cooking isn’t crapped,” she jeered, “You’re just a spoiled brat!” With that said, she left through the wall and went back into the kitchen. “Didn’t matter what he was going to say anyway,” she picked up the box of macaroni next to the stove, “I already planned dinner out.” Her shoulders fell back, feeling slightly depressed, “But I wanted to enjoy it with somebody since I can’t eat anything…”
“What are you mumbling about,” Evan said as he walked into the kitchen and looked at the stove, “You’re making macaroni?”
“And cheese,” she added, “I restocked your cabinets today while you were at school.”
“Thanks,” he said, “Macaroni and cheese is actually one of my favorites.”
Ghost couldn’t help but smile – maybe she was finally doing something right for a change.

Characters:
Ghost and Evan from Immortal Ghost

>>> Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Okay… butter, bread, and cheese… that’s not too hard at all.
I took in a deep breath and opened up the refrigerator. I wasn’t really the cook of my family… actually, I didn’t know how to cook at all. My sister and mom did all the cooking and now that my sister was at college and my mom at the hospital with my dad, I knew I’d have to eventually learn. Mom had given me money to buy prepared stuff at the grocery store and my aunt did take me but I was getting ill from the preservative laden foods. A girl can only eat so many TV dinners, mini pizzas, hot pockets, and toaster strudels for so long.
I was inspired by the television, something I had been watching lately to kill the time since both my parents weren’t home and my only company was my ferret Apple, to make a grilled cheese sandwich. A cheese commercial had come on and showed the two pieces of bread being torn apart with the gooey cheese coming out from the center. It looked good – really good.
I found a tub of butter in the back and the sliced cheese in one of the fridge drawers. The bread was out on the counter so it came time to put the butter, bread, and cheese all together. I had already heated up the stove with my pan on top so I opened up my tub of butter and began to butter my bread. I put the first buttered slice in the pan and it began to sizzle. I unwrapped my cheese and placed that on top of my bread, followed by the next slice of buttered bread. That part was done – now I had to figure out to flip the damn thing.
I grabbed a spatula that was next to the stove and stuck it under the sandwich – it was beginning to brown. “That looks about right…” I decided to quickly flip the sandwich – and it was a success! Nothing fell apart.
Maybe I can cook after all.

Characters
Tatum from Girls Need Love Too

>>> Orange Juice

“Ahhh,” I pleasantly said to myself after taking a sip of orange juice from the carton, “Today’s going to be a good day.”
I kicked the door back on the fridge and walked over to my comfort with the carton. I sat down, took another swig, and flipped on the television. “I love it when I don’t have to work,” I said out loud. I of course felt like someone, anyone would reply, but it was just me. Just me, Kingston Joseph McCrary, alone in his pink trailer – my “man cave.”
I took another sip, letting the acidic taste tingle down my throat. Some days I really should just go into work, I thought to myself, because who really wants to be alone all the time? It was fun watching the television in nothing but my underwear, but that got boring – fast. And to make things worse, no one was re-running episodes of Scrubs and that’s the best show on all of television.
I looked at the half empty carton of orange juice. Maybe I should become an alcoholic… vodka tastes pretty good with orange juice and it would give me something to do…
Nah, booze is too expensive and it already costs too much to keep my dirty magazine collection going. Not to mention, I still had unfinished court bills to pay from all those lousy sexual harassment cases. Sexual harassment – yeah right! You look at someone the wrong way these days and it counts as sexual harassment. Now maybe sometimes I got too far out of line but I can’t be that bad! Can I?
I put the carton to my lips, thought about it some more before shrugging my shoulder and gulping down more of the orange juice. It was refreshing – better than the crap that’s in the cafeteria that’s no pulp and therefore no good.
Man, today’s just going to be a boring day… I took a final sip and killed the carton. It was just like my life.

Characters:
Kingston from Silvercrest Hospital

>>> Milk

Mikano had yet to call.
What was up with her?
One minute we were laughing, having a wonderful time… then things changed.
She got so cold… so distant… and I don’t know why.
Did I do something? Did I deserve this?
No.
I stretched my arms as far as I could above my head. My blonde hair was a mess according to the reflection in my dresser mirror. The pink pajamas with cows I was wearing were starting to sag off me… I had been loosing weight unintentionally. When Mikano wouldn’t call… when she’d ignore me… I just didn’t want to eat. Everything tasted like sandpaper. My world would be put on halt – what was the point of doing anything if the one you loved, hated you?
But I was getting tired of her little game. Would it take me to start seeing my own ribs that our relationship needed some serious help? My body odor sure did. I hadn’t even thought about showering as I had locked myself in my room, blaring the Wild Wingz for 24/7, on my computer, and waiting for that damn phone of mine’s to reason. I know she hadn’t died… she just… didn’t want to contact me.
I finally got up off the bed and wiped the crust from my eye. Since I was being ignored, sleep was the next best thing. But now nature had called as well as my armpits – they were hairy.
I took a long shower. The steam, the warmth – it was amazing. My hair appreciated the attention I finally gave it and I must say, I appreciated having shaved legs. Once I got out, I put on a pink fluffy bathrobe and wrapped my hair in a towel. I went downstairs into the kitchen.
The house had been empty – I couldn’t tell you where everyone had gone too. Biyoku was the only one to ever stop by it seemed like – he hadn’t seen Bibi since Moose left for that teacher conference. Daddy, Naomi, Noah, and Uncle Blake all left on the same business trip so it really was an empty house.
I opened up the fridge and took out the carton of milk, perhaps the greatest beverage known throughout the entire galaxy. Since no one was there, I went ahead and drank out of the carton.
No one was here, so I could just drink milk straight from its container… maybe there were a lot of other things I could do too.

Characters:
Kyla from Everything You Want

>>> Pudding

The short, red headed rabbit girl was scraping the sides of her pudding cup, trying to get the very last scoop. The three year old loved chocolate, with chocolate pudding being her absolute favorite. The only thing that she loved more than chocolate was carrots and if she had any, she would have certainly used the carrots as a dipping spoon.
“Biff,” she cried out to her caregiver, “More!”
She shoved the empty plastic cup up above her to the much taller, male fox. Biff smirked before he took the cup from her and tossed the disposable plastic into the garbage can. “You sure do love your pudding,” he said as he leaned over and picked the small child up, “Looks like I’ll need to clean you up.”
“No,” Scarlet protested and rubbed her face with her already dirty, chocolate covered hands.
Biff sat her down on the counter and wet a rag, “This will just take a second.” He wiped her face and made sure all the chocolate was off, “There.”
“I want more.”
“That was the last one.”
“More!”
Biff sighed, he knew the kid was as stubborn as both her parents yet he was the one that had to put up with it. It was okay though, he’d stay the guardian of the child as long as he could… as long as Chris would finally tell Ivan the truth.
“Let’s walk to the store, Scarlet.”
She grinned, “Okay!”
Before the two left, Biff put a light jacket on the girl and a hat that discreetly concealed her white rabbit ears. He put on a gray, knee length coat knowing the weather wasn’t frigid, just a bit nippy. Leaving the apartment, the two walked hand in hand to the small grocery store until Scarlet requested to be carried. She rode on his shoulders even inside the store.
“What we get?”
“We’re getting pudding mix,” Biff said as he found the aisle and starting filling his basket with the pudding mix boxes, “You go through the cups too fast.”
“But I like cups.”
Biff had expected to hear that, “Tell you what – I’ll make this pudding extra special.”
The little girl became interested, “How?”
“I’ll add fresh grated carrot.”
Scarlet instantly hugged the head of her guardian in approval – nothing could be better than chocolate pudding with carrots.

Characters:
Scarlet and Biff from Flaming Snowball

>>> Jell-O

I felt like the green Jell-O on my hospital tray was staring back up at me.
I had never really cared for Jell-O but being hospitalized had really left me with no choice.
I thought I had just caught some silly little cold, that “flu bug” that everyone had been catching. But I was wrong – Dad knew right away.
“Clover,” my dad walked in with his scrubs on, “How are you feeling?”
“My throat hurts,” I tried to whisper to ease the pain. “Can I have another popsicle?”
He tried to smile, “How about if I get Wren to bring an entire box?”
I knew this was hard on him. I had only just met my father a few months ago – how would he have ever known his daughter was seriously ill? Was this the reason my mother abandoned me in the first place and left me in the care of a person I had never even met before?
My father was looking over my chart – he was a nurse at the hospital. It was odd being dropped off at a hospital until my mom said that my father was a nurse here. She grabbed my suitcase out of the trunk of her car, hugged me good bye and drove off. She never would answer any of my questions – like when she was coming back… if she was ever coming back. Dad tried to track her down – the most he got was that she was moving out of the states and living somewhere in Asia. Why – we’ll never know until she comes back… if she comes back.
The first impression of my father wasn’t a favorable one. I asked the front desk and the nurse grinded her teeth as she heard the name “Kingston McCrary.” I didn’t understand why until I saw him – hitting on a nurse named Nikki… followed by a doctor named Mark… and another resident named Wren. Nikki insulted and threatened him, Mark seemed somewhat nervous but knew my dad was joking, and Wren turned flush before turning him down. Plus, my dad’s hair color wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought he was going to have ginger hair like me. However… it was and still is a green as my Jell-O.

Characters:
Clover and Kingston from Silvercrest Hospital

>>> Tomatoes

“I’ll tell you what Koji…”
The Italian girl stretched out her limbs on her boyfriend’s bed. Koji’s roommate was currently out so it was just the two of them, lying in bed on a sunny Sunday morning.
“I want some fresh tomatoes.”
Koji raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t really into cooking but he knew his girlfriend loved it. She made good dishes too – he just didn’t know exactly how to have a conversation about food. “For what?”
Pai rolled over, twisting her fingers in her long black curly hair, “Tomato sauce… I want to make real pasta! Real spaghetti!” She was starting to become excited about thinking of all the different foods she could make, “I want mushrooms and green peppers and garlic in my spaghetti sauce!”
The Japanese boy cringed at the word “garlic.” One too many times had he kissed his beloved girlfriend who had unfortunately ate something that was over powered with garlic.
“I wonder,” she stood up from the bed, “if there’s tomatoes in the green house. I bet Mrs. K would let me pick them for a fresh sauce!”
“I guess so,” he got up, “Do you want to stop by her apartment?”
“Sounds like a plan to me.”
On the way to the apartment, Koji and Pai ran into Ras and Sebastian who were shooting each other with squirt guns in the hall.
“Do you two ever grow up,” Pai questioned.
“Why should we,” Sebastian stuck out his tongue. “Where are you going anyway?”
“I want to check out the greenhouse,” Pai replied.
“Greenhouse,” Ras never knew the campus had one,” Can we come?”
Pai shrugged her shoulders, “I guess if Mrs. K is fine, sure.”
Mrs. K, in fact, was more than fine – she was quite ecstatic that students were not only interested in the green house, but also wanted to make organic foods from her freshly grown vegetable garden.
“I like angel hair noodles,” Sebastian muttered as Pai went on about her homemade sauce.
Pai plucked off a ripe red tomato, “I know the kitchen has those – wow, these really do look terrific!”
Ras looked at one of the red tomatoes and then up at Koji, “I dare you to eat one raw.”
“No sweat,” Koji plucked one of the tomatoes from the plant and bit into it, “Oh my god… these are delicious!”
“Really,” Ras plucked his own and bit in, “You’re right!”

Characters:
Pai, Koji, Sebastian, and Ras from Saint Saffron

>>> Upside Down Pineapple Cake

“Upside down pineapple cake?”
Kate picked up the piece of paper off the counter. Her mother had left the recipe for Kate to make for the dinner party they would have later that night. Tatum was invited so naturally she decided to come over much earlier to help Kate out around the house.
“Do you think she meant pineapple upside down cake?” Tatum had to ask, as she had never heard the words rephrased in such a way.
“I guess so…” Kate shrugged her shoulders, “Mom is weird like that.”
Tatum tried to eyeball the piece of paper, “So what do we need?”
“Mom bought all the stuff,” Kate pulled open the fridge, “But um… she doesn’t like canned fruit…”
“Oh?” Not liking canned fruit? That was just another eccentric trait of Kate’s mother. Tatum was the favorite of Kate’s friends when it came to Kate’s mom and Tatum made sure that anything that seemed odd from her own personal experiences, just wouldn’t be mentioned. “So,” Tatum tried to see what Kate was pulling out, “What does that mean?”
Kate picked up a whole pineapple, “We got to cut up this bad boy.”
Tatum gulped. She wasn’t a cook. She knew how to follow a cake mix and cook microwavable meals – but cutting? It was a disaster waiting to happen! Tatum knew if she even attempted to hold the knife, her poor little fingers were going to get chopped off. And she needed those fingers if she was going to continue being a painter.
“I’ll cut it,” Kate said to Tatum’s relief, “You just mix the ingredients…” Kate then remembered one vital step to any cake mix, “Let me crack the eggs though… you’re really not that good at it.”
Tatum’s head hung low. The last time she cracked an egg, shell got everywhere and it took a while trying to scoop out the tiny pieces. But she knew the dinner party was important so she’d let Kate take over any of the difficult steps. They were going to make the best upside down pineapple cake ever!

Characters:
Kate and Tatum from Girls Need Love Too

>>> Green Tea

The air was frigid outside. Snow had yet to fall outside the temple but Mianoku was waiting for it. A gust of wind came blowing by, lifting up her sky blue hair and sending a shiver down her spine. She rubbed her shoulders before walking back into the temple.
“Cold,” Mianoku’s daughter, Mia, asked rhetorically as she lied across the living room couch. She had been stuck at the temple because of the weather conditions. While snow may have not hit there, it certainly had dumped on the closest nearby town which just happened to be where Mia played soccer at.
“You wouldn’t want to be out in it,” Mianoku said knowing that her daughter was disappointed not to play her beloved sport. “How about a cup of tea to cheer you up?”
Mia rolled her eyes, “All you ever do is drink a cup of tea.”
Mianoku sighed, “That’s what your father and I used to do together.”
Mia wanted to roll her eyes again because she heard the “dead father” excuse way too many times. She really didn’t know how to break it to her mother that Shadow was in fact alive. Or to tell her mother that she had been chosen years ago to serve as a Keeper of Death. Nobody at the temple knew that.
“What kind of tea is it,” Mia grudgingly got off the couch.
“Green,” Mianoku said as she walked into the kitchen and grabbed the hanging tea kettle. She turned on the faucet and began to filling up the kettle.
Mmmm, Mia thought to herself, dirty gym sock flavor. Maybe some honey would help the taste go down. “Is that the only shipment that came in?”
“Afraid so,” she turned the burner on the stove to high and put the tea kettle on, “It would be so easy to just leave this place and pick out my own flavors of tea.” Mianoku eyed one of her friend’s catalogues on the counter, “I’m starting to regret allowing Kittie to pick out our subscriptions.”
“Why don’t you just tell me what you want,” Mia along with the other children could leave, just not her mother and Kittie. “That way we wouldn’t be stuck drinking green tea.”
“I… I just like being able to choose things for myself.” Mianoku bit her lip, “It’s so hard being bound here by spell… and drinking mostly green tea instead of earl grey or jasmine!”
A snicker escaped from Mia’s lips – she always loved to see her mother worked up over trivial things… just like green tea.

Characters:
Mianoku and Mia from Wild Wingz

>>> Hot Dogs

I was born for this.
I had never been interested in the area my mother had been residing in for the past ten years. Honestly, we only reconnected about three years ago when Flare had been resurrected. I would take the kids over to her place so they could visit her and Mianoku – now Shadow too. I don’t ask about my own father – as far as my kids are concerned, they have two grandmothers and one grandfather.
The reason my interest in the area started to grow was because of an annual competition that I didn’t know about until I saw a poster in the grocery store.
Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Screw my celebrity status and the paparazzi – there was no way I would miss an event like that. The hot dogs are the best in the state and I was looking forward to raising the most money for charity.
My son Tye was eager to go – he never heard of a hot dog eating contest. He really wanted to enter but he doesn’t meet the age requirement. He had been bummed out until both his older brothers said they would compete for him. I never expected this to be a family affair, but that’s what it turned out to be. My wife decided to watch from the crowd with Tye and our daughter Clair.
“You boys ready to eat,” Minna laughed as she held up Tye.
“You better win,” Tye kicked his feet.
Lucky grinned and nudged Mike in the side, “At least I know I’m going to beat you.”
“Hmph,” Mike folded his arms, “I’ve been away at school and a lot of things have changed. You’re going down.”
“Just remember boys,” I interjected, “This is all for charity.”
There was a lot of people competing and even more hotdogs. When the whistle blew and we started devouring whatever was put in front of us, I thought I was going to puke from eating so much. I had never stuffed myself with so much meat and bread.
Sadly, I nor my boys won the title of hot dog eating champion – that was claimed by a petite blonde girl named Ice and honestly, I’ll never know how she could possibly eat that many.
As we loaded ourselves back in the car, the indigestion hit and Mike, Lucky, and I agreed that we never wanted to see another hot dog again.

Characters:
Goukai, Tye, Mike, Lucky, Minna, and Clair from Wild Wingz

>>> Soda

SNAP!
The aluminum topper popped off the lid of the soda can and instantly the carbonation began to fizz. Kyros poured the beverage into a glass filled with ice.
“Kaiya,” he carried the glass out of the kitchen into his living room, “I got you some soda.”
She didn’t respond. She hadn’t spoken a word since Kyros found her – beaten, bloodied, and bruised from her attackers outside the gas station where she worked. It was only by fate that he even stopped by the station, picking up a pack of smokes.
“You have to drink something,” he said as he sat down on the stool next to his couch, “Come on, Kaiya…”
Kaiya looked at him and then turned her head away. They were supposed to be enemies – but when they were back in the real world, the issues of reality always took precedent. The on-going battles between good and evil, Yumi versus Minx along with the P-mon meant nothing.
Kyros didn’t know what to do with the girl. She refused to go to the hospital and barely let the male dress her wounds. If there was just someway to get back to that fantasy world, both of them wouldn’t have to deal with their troubles.
“Kyros,” she finally spoke in a whisper, “Why did you save me…”
“It was the humane thing to do.”
She wanted to laugh at his hierocracy but she felt so tired, so weak. “You tortured Gem – that’s humane?”
“Gem is a fictitious creature that would never exist in the world. You’re a human being.”
“No I’m not…” She looked at him, “My life lost its value the night my parents were killed and I started bouncing from foster parent to parent.” She looked down, “At least Gem and Yumi valued you me… so did Ryder and Niles.”
“So you want to know then…”
“Yeah,” she hesitated, “Why are they still there and we both got sent back?”
“I don’t know… are you thirsty yet?”
“Yeah,” she took the glass of soda from his hands, “Thanks.”

Characters:
Kyros and Kaiya from Adventures in Humpapimpilis Land

>>> Coffee

“I didn’t know you liked coffee…” Duncan said as he stood out his kitchen counter waiting for the pot to finish brewing.
Jan sat at the kitchen table wearing Duncan’s white button down shirt and a pair of boxers, “As long as it has creamer in it.”
“Sugar?”
“Nope,” Jan stretched out his arms, “Just creamer”
“Hmph,” Duncan took the pot from the coffee maker and grabbed a mug from one of his cabinets, “And here I thought you’d wanted everything overloaded with sugar.”
“I like sweets,” Jan yawned, “But if it’s over powering with sugar it just kills it for me.” He picked up the coffee cake that was in a plastic container and took a bite, “That’s why I don’t like most cakes.”
Duncan set down the mug of coffee next to Jan and a bottle of creamer, “You want a plate for that?”
Jan rolled his eyes, “Only if you’re like my Uncle Davis who forbids crumbs.”
“It’s more like the mess I don’t want to clean up or the ants that may want to attack it.”
Jan shoved the rest of the cake in his mouth and swallowed, “Happy?”
“Brat,” he went back over to the coffee maker and got another mug, “I hope you choke.”
Jan smiled, this was how Duncan usually talked to Jan and Jan loved it. Duncan was the only person he ever met to insult him on a frequent basis. He was also the only person who knew how to knock some sense into Jan when he would go to far. Despite what everyone thought about the two, they truly made a good couple.
“What do you want to do today,” Duncan set down next to Jan with his cup of coffee.
“I don’t know,” Jan put his head on Duncan’s shoulder, “I’m happy just being here with you.”
Duncan took a sip of his coffee, “You sound like an old person…”
“I can’t help it. I’m a homebody and since I moved out, I haven’t really wanted to do anything.”
“You miss your mom, huh?”
Jan stirred his coffee, “We did everything together when I wasn’t out with my friends…”
“Well come on,” Duncan stood up, “Get your coat – we’re going out.”

Characters:
Duncan and Jan from Untitled

>>> Sushi

“I don’t eat sushi, Tatum.”
Tatum poked out her lip, “Have you even tried it?”
“I rather not eat raw fish,” Bella cringed thinking about it.
“You don’t even have to get any with fish,” Tatum sighed, “California rolls are just vegetables.”
“Why is this so important to you?”
Tatum was getting tired of Bella’s protesting. Bella said she wanted to try new things – especially Tatum’s own interests – but Bella hadn’t budged for anything.
“Because I know you’ll like it,” she took hold of Bella’s hand, “And if you don’t, I won’t get mad at all if you vomit on my shoes.”
“Ewww,” Bella hated when her girlfriend said things like that, “You can be so graphic.”
“I’m a painter, dear,” Tatum grinned, “That’s how my colorful mind works.”
Bella sighed, “If only you were a fashionista and then you’d have some real tastes.”
“I do have taste,” Tatum protested, “And if you wouldn’t be so pig headed and try the damn sushi, you’d have taste too. A taste of Japanese cuisine.”
Bella folder her arms, “What if I don’t want a taste of Japanese cuisine. They helped the Nazis kill my people.”
Tatum stared at her, “You did not just play the Jew card.”
“Okay,” Bella gave up, “You win. I’ll try your damn sushi.”
“That’s a good Jew,” Tatum joked, “And you’re going to like it too.”
“I’ll hate every bit of it!”
Tatum chuckled as they went up to the Japanese place in the mall’s food court. “We’ll have the Rainbow Dragon combo.”
“What’s that?”
“Just a variety of sushi. It’s plated pretty.”
“Yes,” Bella rolled her eyes, “Because raw fish can be plated oh so pretty.”
Bella took her words back though when Tatum brought their sushi plate back to the table. Tatum sat down and broke a part about a pair of chopsticks.
“You ready?”
“Just make sure it’s that vegetable one…”
“It will be,” Tatum picked up the California roll with the chopsticks, “Here you go.”
Bella took the piece of sushi from the chopsticks and chewed. “It’s…” she swallowed, “delicious!”

Characters:
Tatum and Bella from Girls Need Love Too

>>> Cheesecake

I had no idea how to propose.
Marriage?
Never in a million years had I thought that I would have ever gotten married.
Well… not married yet. He still has to say yes.
But why wouldn’t he?
Max came back because I came back. It was hell for the both of us being separated and now I know that he’s the one I want to wake up next to every morning. I don’t care if he sometimes attacks childish or reckless – he’s still my Max.
As these thoughts ran through my head, I paced back forth in my kitchen.
This was where Max and I really got to know each other. I had such a bad first impression of him because he ran over my foot with his moped but now I know all the circumstances that he, his brother, and the bar had to face. They struggled so much to keep that place afloat and never did they give up. Now look at the bar – business hasn’t been better. Of course, everyone’s lives couldn’t be worse. Ivan was so wrapped up at the hospital leaving Chris all the responsibility at the bar. Alice started to drink again because Oliver got sent to juive and Scarlet… the poor thing… she’s so lost. But I’m back… like a knight in shining arm I have to be the one to fix everything. It can be so tiresome but I’ll manage…
If I can figure out this first.
I know Max is getting sick of eating hospital food and he really loves lobster. But that doesn’t help me with trying to propose, does it?
Lately all I think I’m truly good at is cooking, not fixing problems. Food doesn’t get a person engaged…
Or does it?
And then it hit me.
They always said food was the way to a man’s stomach.
And so was cheesecake – the first thing I ever made for Max.

Characters:
Biff from Flaming Snowball

>>> Cake

“Sasukae,” my name smoothly rolled off his lips, “Would you like some cake?”
My ears perked up and my taste buds began to dance. I adored sweets with a passion and cake was one of my favorites. Across the street was a café and above the restaurant resembled a sundeck. I waited for him up top as he went to surprise me with a delicious dessert. Sitting alone I started to think about my plan again when we got back to the cottage. I didn’t know how to act sexy and I started to worry that I might be bad at it.
Any worries or thoughts were lost as Ryan walked up the stairs holding a small box. In the sun’s rays, Ryan looked golden and he was of course smiling, only looking at me. He sat down next to me and put the box in my lap; he then put his hands over my eyes. “It’s a surprise. You better open it.”
I smirked, “You’re being silly.” I opened the box anyway and he lifted up his hands. Inside the tiny box was a chocolate cake with a mocha cream center. It looked delicious and I enjoyed every bite as I split it with Ryan. The sun was just starting to set and the sky was a magnificent orange hue. The day was perfect.
Ryan turned his head away from the sky and looked at me, he started to grin. “You got chocolate on your face.” Before I could even move my hand to wipe the spot from my face, Ryan’s tongue gently grazed the side of my mouth before his lips were against mine. I blushed deeply, surprised and started to think of the movie and the sex scene. Something took over and I was pressing my lips back against his and leaning closer into him, my tongue touching his. My arms embraced him and he started to kiss more passionately, his hands holding my face. We had reached a whole new level of intimacy and sitting there, kissing him, I knew that I would never want to be with another man. Finally I became overwhelmed and sighed, placing my head on his chest. I shut my eyes and my hand clasped his shirt – I loved being close to him.
He started to lightly chuckle and I opened my eyes, raising my head to look up at him. His face was covered in blush and he leaned to kiss my forehead. “I guess,” he started to laugh to himself again, “I need to treat you to cake more often.” I turned a bright crimson and buried my head back into his chest. I was so embarrassed I couldn’t even tell him to shut up.

Sasukae and Ryan from Metric Point Academy

>>> Brownies

“Do you think mom is going to like these?”
Seth pushed up his glasses and glanced at the box, “She said these are her favorite sweet.”
“But… what if they don’t taste good?” Suki was worried because last time she tried to bake, she mixed up the salt and sugar.
“That’s why I’m here,” her brother reassured her, “Mom hasn’t been feeling well so we’re going to cheer her up.”
“I wish Daddy was off tour…”
“Me too,” Seth took out a bowl from the cabinet and opened the box, “He could help us make these.” He handed the box to Suki, “Now you pour this in while I preheat the oven.”
“Mom said we shouldn’t use the oven without an adult around.”
Seth slumped his shoulders, “You’re right…”
“But I know,” Suki smiled, “I’ll be right back!” She then ran up stairs and soon came back down with Clair and Daisy.
“Suki,” Daisy squealed, “you’re so cute!”
“You two are doing something really nice for your mom,” Clair commented as she walked into the kitchen. “And I’m glad you got us to help with the oven.”
“I know how to work it,” Seth proclaimed, “But I don’t want to get into trouble…”
“Heh,” Daisy looked at the box and then set the oven to the right temperature, “You sure are Seth, most kids would just do it without thinking of the consequences. Like Redgie.”
“She tried to make brownies once too and needless to say,” Clair tried to hold back her laugh, “Those things were hard as a rock! Totally burnt.”
“Redgie can’t bake,” Suki questioned.
“Not really,” Daisy grinned, “She’s not going to make a very good house wife.”
Suki smiled as the young girl thought her chances with Clair’s younger brother Lucky grew. Boys want to marry a girl that can bake, the young girl thought to herself, and that’s just what she was going to learn to do – starting with making her mom some delicious chocolate brownies.

Characters:
Seth, Suki, Daisy, and Clair from the Wild Wingz

>>> Beans

I wasn’t going to my mom’s house for Christmas. She flew to Georgia to stay with her best friend who had just lost her husband. She wasn’t going to go if I didn’t have anyone to be with on Christmas day. So I lied – like I always do. “Sure Mom, I’ve got plenty of friends I can spend time with so I’m not alone.” But here it is, Christmas Eve and I’m alone with no plans to see anyone tomorrow. Life can be so miserable during the holidays.
I put on my coat and slammed the door to the trailer. There was no point bothering to lock it – I had nothing to steal. I was going out to Taco Inn before they closed early so I’d have dinner for two nights in a row. I’d be at work the twenty-sixth and if I knew my Christmas was going to be this miserable, I would have gladly worked that day. Hospitals just don’t close because of the holidays.
My feet crunched under the snow and I reached my beat-up old truck. I had to rev the engine a few times before it finally kicked in, then I drove towards my destination. The roads were miserable with the snow and last minute shoppers. I’ll never understand why people decide to shop on Christmas Eve, but I guess I really didn’t have anywhere to go… as long as I made it to Taco Inn.
At Taco Inn, I was considered their best customer – coming in there multiple times a week. They were the only place that had humungous tacos for a super cheap price and tasted good too. The workers weren’t at all surprised to see me when I came in… however, they did give me a little Christmas “surprise.”
“Since you are our best customer,” the manager said handing me a rather large bag, “We’ve made you an extra special batch of refried beans and queso sauce.”
“For real?”
One of the workers laughed, “Of course – you keep us in business!”
Suddenly, Christmas wasn’t all that bad. It may have been a small act of kindness, but it meant something to me. And when I got back to my trailer, nestled in my recliner and watching the twenty-four hour marathon of the same Christmas movie, I tried my special batch from Taco Inn. Those were the best beans I ever had.

Characters:
Kingston from Silvercrest Hospital