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"What do we want?"
"Chocolate pudding!"
"When do we want it?"
"Now!"
Richard and EJ had assembled an entire mob of kids in the cafeteria. The cafeteria worker scowled at them. "I'm not having this conversation with you kids again. Besides, we're out of chocolate pudding,"
"What about that chocolate pudding cup on the counter right behind you?" Nina spoke up. Without a word, the cafeteria worker picked up the pudding cup, opened it and started eating it in front of all the kids.
"Hey, that's not fair!" a little girl frowned.
"Life's not fair, kid," the cafeteria worker sneered. "Now scram before I page the nurses," she turned around and went into the back, leaving the kids in the cafeteria.
"What do we do now?" the little girl asked, turning to EJ and Richard, the oldest of the bunch. It was clear the kids all looked up to them.
"In times like these," Richard started, a dramaticall y overmotivated expression on his face as he addressed the group. "There's only one thing I do,"
EJ chuckled. "You don't mean..."
He exchanged a look with Richard. who nodded. "Oh, yeah. Gather 'round kids. It's time to pull off the chocolate pudding heist of the century,"
As the kids cheered, Nina caught Richard's attention. "What're you planning to do? LIberate enough pudding for the entire peds ward?"
"Exactly," Richard nodded. "This is just the kind of stunt that can make a sick kid's day. Plus, it'll be fun,"
"Well then, what's the plan?" she asked, Richard's eyes brightening. He knew NIna's mom worked at the hospital, so he would have understood if she decided she didn't want to get in trouble, but so far she'd surprised him a few times since they'd met, he should have been used to it by now.
"EJ will keep the cafeteria worker distracted while the rest of us sneak into the kitchen to grab as much pudding as we can carry," Richard said, voice loud enough that everyone could hear him, but hushed so he didn't alert the cafeteria worker.
The kids followed Nina and Richard to the side wall near the kitchen door as EJ returned to the counter. "I wasn't joking about paging the nurses," the cafeteria worker said as he approached.
"It's okay," EJ sighed. "I've accepted that I'm never eating chocolate pudding again. But I feel like we've gotten off on the wrong foot, and it's eating me up inside. So let's talk about you! What's your life story? A beautiful, charismatic woman like you must have an interesting past."
Her scowl faded at EJ's sweet talking. "Well, actually..."
They waited until she'd turned away from the kitchen, Nina and Richard ushering the kids inside as quick as they could. Once they were safely inside the kitchen, NIna yanked open the nearest fridge, beginning her search. "Juice, juice, more juice. Is someone here doing a cleanse or something?"
