The Restoration Project

3.10 - Sunnyside

"You're the one that let him out of your sight," Barbie Q pointed out.

"It's not like I'm his handler or anything. In any case, I came here to talk to you, not that I'm getting anywhere," Sunnyside replied. They were outside Olaf's store, sitting on the front steps and watching the storm clouds build in the late afternoon sky. It looked like a dark bruise in the east. Merrick was somewhere in that direction, at Father Frankie's, according to Diego.

"You're really not," Barbie Q said, although she forced a smile after, as if to cushion the blow.

He wasn't expecting to ride in like a white knight and save Barbie Q from Olaf's evil clutches—but he wasn't expecting her to actually believe in what Olaf was doing either. Or that keeping it to themselves was actually a good idea.

"You think he'll find Olaf there?" Sunnyside asked.

"Doesn't look like it," Barbie Q said.

Sunnyside scrunched his nose at the certainty in her response until he followed her gaze to the gate. A round, bald man was standing there with Diego, speaking to him while holding large paper bags in each arm. A second later the gate opened and the man entered.

"Olaf," Barbie Q called out, offering a short wave to the approaching man.

"Barbie! You made it outside!" Olaf beamed. His face looked like it was stuck in a permanent smile. It was unsettling. "And you brought a guest!"

"Well not a guest, really. That's Sunnyside, my brother."

"Your brother! You're right, Barbie, that's not simply a guest, it's much more!" Olaf exclaimed, juggling the bags so he could extend a hand. "Needed some supplies for tonight's dinner. It's cause for celebration, right Barbie?" Olaf added, nodding to the bags in his arms. Sunnyside wished he stopped referring to his sister as Barbie, although she didn't look offended by it.

"Pleased to meet ya," Sunnyside said, shaking Olaf's hand.

"The pleasure is all mine," Olaf replied, continuing to shake his hand vigourously. "What brings you out here?"

"He wants to convince me that once we finish our project we need to share it with everyone," Barbie Q chimed in.

Olaf stopped shaking Sunnyside's hand. "This true?"

"In a matter of speaking, there's someone at Walther's that needs to be cured," Sunnyside said, glaring at Barbie Q for bringing it up so soon.

"Sounds like an interesting situation we have here indeed!" he said. "Let's get into the details later, if you don't mind. I had a busy day at Frankie's and am rather hungry. Has your sister invited you for dinner or has she once again displayed a lack of social etiquette?"

Barbie Q looked at the ground. "Want to stay for supper?" she mumbled.

With Merrick somewhere at Father Frankie's it wasn't like Sunnyside had another option. He nodded.

"Super! Olaf will be inside getting it ready," Olaf said, crinkling the bags for good measure.

Barbie Q nodded and Olaf disappeared through the front door. A silence ensued between Barbie Q and Sunnyside. Sunnyside kicked a rock and watched it skitter across the cracked asphalt.

"So, this guy make you dinner often?" Sunnyside asked.

"It's not like that," Barbie Q responded.

"You know, we coulda worked on some machine like this together. You didn't have to leave," Sunnyside offered.

"We really getting into this now?" she challenged.

"It's kinda the reason I came here," Sunnyside said. "Or rather, why Walther had me come here."