Queen Of The Ventils

XV

We walked for a short time over the field of grass, Krel the way towards a flamboyant and colorful object sitting on the side of the road. It was a large rectangle, with a hole on the side facing us. The rectangle was balanced on logs with thick, black bark and silver cores. A human male was leaning out of the hole in the rectangle, handing small parcels to other humans that had gathered around like disciples praying to a deity.

"How do you know this...Stuart, was it?" I asked Toby.
"Oh, Stuart? He sells the best Diablo Maximus burritos in town," he replied. As we kept walking, I wondered what a burrito was. "He also is a close friend of mine," Krel chimed in from the front of the pack. I continued to purposefully ignore him.

When we got close enough, the man noticed our arrival and waved his arms wildly in our direction. "Krel, it's been such a long time," he grinned, his voice tinged with an accent similar to Douxie and Archie's, except his 'e' sounds were a bit lengthier. "I remember you, Toby, and you, blondie! You're Aja's boyfriend! But, I'm not sure I've met your other friends here. Care to tell me your names?"

"I'm Claire Nuñez," Claire said, giving a little wave. "It's nice to meet you."
"I'm Jim Lake Jr.," Jim smiled. They all went around introducing themselves, but I stayed silent during my turn. Everyone turned to me, but I didn't say anything. Krel gently nudged my shoulder, but I just grunted and stared straight ahead, emotionless.

"Bit of the silent type, eh?" Stuart asked me with a grin. I just scowled deeper. Still unrelenting, he ducked into his rectangle (which I presumed was hollow) and came back with a flashy, silver box. He handed it to me and I carefully examined it. It was warm to the touch, and felt squishy and doughy, but it crinkled whenever I moved it. "Maybe we just need to bring you out of your shell a bit," Stuart smiled. Toby carefully pulled back the silver lining, and I gaped at the white, floppy thing under the skin.

How many human things come with cocoons, Cephas asked, half awed and half disgusted. I ignored the comment, sniffing the unidentified object. "Haven't you ever seen a burrito before?"
"A what?"
"Burrrrrrrrrito," Stuart said, rolling the 'r' for a long time. "A Diablo Maximus Niño Del Infierno, to be exact. It's a bunch of meat, beans and rice wrapped in a tortilla. Except this one also has sriracha sauce, jalepeño guac, and diced ghost peppers mixed into it."

I tentatively bit down on the tiniest bit of the corner, and instantly my mouth was burning like hot coals were on my tongue. I shrieked, dropping the burrito and growling, trying to get the fire out of my mouth. "Poison," I hissed, and I instinctively tried to flip my ears back, but ended up just moving the human ones around. "You tried to poison me!"

"Uh, no," Toby said, picking up my falled meal. I backed up a step when he raised it up. "I think you just need something milder for your first burrito-"
"No," I immediately stopped him. "No more burritos."
"Okay," Stuart said slowly. "Guess you're not the burrito person. How about a taco?"

"Taco?" I said, more hesitant to trust any food this man had to offer. "What is a taco?"
"Krel, I think your little friend here doesn't get out much," he mumbled to him. "That would be an accurate assumption," he agreed. I just snarled at the two. "Maybe we should skip the tacos and come back later," Douxie suggested, touching my shoulder to move me along.

"Agreed," I said, surprised at the words in my mouth.
"Well, then, guess I'll be seeing you guys around, then?" he asked. "Krel, Toby and the rest of you lot?"
"Definitely," Toby said, patting his stomach. "Guerito Taco Truck has the best Diablo Maximus burritos in Arcadia. Can't go to school without my breakfast."

"Krel, you be sure to text me more often. And please invite me over for dinner some time. I can't live without more of Lucy's homemade meatloaf."
"Of course," Krel smiled, and I didn't know whether or not to gag or smile at the connection. "Then onward we go," Archie said, pointing to the deepest, wildest part of the suburban forest with the tip of his tail.