A New Precious

Chapter 4

We carried our bags to the car, and loaded them into the trunk. Then, Aaliyah led me to another building right next to the mall. As we entered, we were greeted with a lovely aroma, one I've never smelled before.

"Where are we, Precious?" I asked.

"This is a restaurant," she replied. "People come to restaurants if they want to eat out."

"Oh, it smells so lovely."

"That's all the food you smell, and this kind of restaurant is called a buffet. You can pick the food you want, and how much you want. You pay before you eat, and you get as much food as you want. It's called an all-you-can-eat buffet, and there's all sorts of foods you can try."

"Does it have raw fish?"

"Well, actually, yeah, there is some sushi, but I think you should try some different foods, too. Since the Ring is no longer controlling you, your body is much more tolerant of normal foods."

"So... I won't chokes on it anymore?"

"Nope."

After Aaliyah paid, she led us to a table. As I sat down, I was surprised by a squeaking sound.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Oh, that was your tail!" Aaliyah laughed. "It squeaks when you squeeze it."

"Oh!" I bounced a little in my seat, making my tail squeak. I burst into giggles. "Oh, so funny it is, Precious!"

Aaliyah laughed. "I know! It's hilarious! I used to have a onesie like that. I would purposely sit on my tail, and bounce up and down to make it squeak."

I giggled even more. "Awww, so cute it is. Sméagol loves his squeaky tail."

"Well, I'm gonna go get you some food to try. Do you want something to drink?"

"Oh, yes, please."

"Okay. I'll get you some water, and then, you can try different drinks later."

So, I waited patiently as Aaliyah went to find different foods for me to try. She came back with a glass of water and a plate full of interesting-looking things. She placed the plate in front of me, and named all the foods as she pointed to each one. "Okay, this is shrimp. These are fries. This is fried chicken. This is macaroni and cheese, and this is a breadroll."

I tried each food, and very carefully chewed, allowing myself to taste the flavor.

"Well? How is it?" Aaliyah asked.

"Everything is so tasty, Precious," I said happily.

"You like it all?"

"Oh, yes, very much."

"Would you like me to get you something else?"

"Yes, please."

So, Aaliyah hurried back up to the buffet, and brought back some fries and a very unusual sort of sandwich. "This is a hamburger. It's like a sandwich, but I think it's even better. It has beaf, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and different sauces on it. It's very messy, though, so be careful."

"Alright, Precious." I carefully picked up my burger with both hands, and took a bite out of it. "Oh, my! This is delicious!"

"I told you it was," Aaliyah teased. "You might wanna eat your fries first, because they go cold fast. Cold fries are nasty."

"Alright, Sméagol eats them first."

"Would you like some sauce to dip them in?"

"Yes, please."

"Okay, I'll be right back." Aaliyah hurried off to fetch some sauce for me to dip my fries in. She came back with two different kinds. "This is barbecue sauce, and this is Ranch dressing."

I tried each sauce, and loved them both. But, the Ranch was my favorite.

"You like that?"

"Oh, I loves it!" I replied happily. Then, I suddenly felt very sad. "Aaliyah," I said sympathetically, "why are you not eating, too?"

"Oh, I wanted to make sure you were fed first."

"Awwww, Precious, aren't you hungry? You should go get your own food."

Aaliyah smiled sweetly. "Awww, Sméagol, thanks for caring about me."

"Oh, of course, Precious. Sméagol doesn't wants nice angel to go hungry."

"Aww, you're a good friend."

"And, so are you."

Aaliyah smiled again. "I'll get some food in a little while."

"Awwww, are you sure you can waits, Precious?"

"I can. I wanna make sure you're happy first."

"Sméagol is happy. Please go get food for yourself, my precious friend."

Aaliyah stood up, and gave me a hug. "Thank you, Sméagol. I'll be right back."

She soon returned with her own burger, and we both enjoyed a very tasty lunch together.

Oh, such a wonderful afternoon it was. So kind Aaliyah was to me, the first friend I made in so long. Yes, Master was my friend, but... I ruins that friendship. Very determined I was to not ruins it with Aaliyah.