𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙

9 | Backpacks and Banapples

MIA ALWAYS LOVED THE days when she and her roommate, Quinn, would do experiments together.

There was just something so intriguing about helping her make her scientific fantasies real.

Once, Quinn helped turned a regular fifty pence coin - a British coin - into a jewelled necklace.

Another time, Mia tried helping Quinn make a pen that erases ink - too bad it was already invented.

But time, Quinn has spent the entire morning telling her best friend and roommate all about her brand new fruit idea. And it was time to test it out.

"Leaf quality?" Quinn asked Mia, holding up her phone to record their research. They were outside their dormitory building, in the garden, circling curiously around a large tree Quinn planted.

"Er, leafy?" Mia guessed, feeling a leaf that, like the others, was bigger than a palm leaf. "And spongy!"

"Hey, ladies!" Michael greeted, nodding to Mia and Quinn when he and Chase approached them.

"What's up?" Chase asked, raising his hand.

"Hello, boys," said Mia. "This." Quinn stated, pointing her thumb at the tree with a proud grin.

Chase and Michael look at it in confusion.
"A banana tree?" Michael questioned.

"It was," said Quinn, still beaming with contagious pride, "until I altered it's genetic structure."

"So, it's.. not a banana tree anymore?" Chase asked. "It's a banapple tree." Mia corrected.

Chase nodded. "Sure." He said, still puzzled.

"You see, my two favourite fruits of all time are the banana and the apple." Quinn explained, pulling an apple and banana out of her backpack.

"So, we crossbred their DNA to create the very first banapple tree! So far, they're green. But they'll be ready, when they turn red." Mia concluded.

"So, let me get this straight: you're growing a new fruit that's half apple and half banana?" Michael asked. "That is correct." Quinn confirmed.

Michael snickered, whilst Chase smirked.

"I don't see why it's so funny." Mia chimed in, with a shrug. "People combine foods all the time."

"Really?" Michael asked. "Name three."

"The jellybean, the cornbread and the fruitcake. Ha!" Mia pointed out, counting three fingers.

"And the cheesecake and the turducken. Double ha!" Quinn added, promptly earning a high five.

After a pause, Chase said, "H-He said three."

"Drinks, too." Mia informed them, still smiling triumphantly. "Teacake and watermelon."

Quinn nodded, grinning proudly. "But when these ripen and turn red, get ready for the best fruit experience of your lifetime." She declared.

"Okay." Chase responded, nodding.

"We'll be ready," said Michael, "Later."

"See ya." Chase added, with a wave.

"Bye!" Mia replied, waving back.

Quinn handed her the red apple, peeling the banana for herself. "Ooh, thanks!" Mia told her, grabbing the apple and taking a bite.

"What's your two favourite fruits?"
"Hmm. Green grapes and apples, I think."

"Oh," said Quinn, her grin fading slightly. "Well, I can't use 'grapple' next. That's already a word."

"Well, you could if it was pronounced 'gray-pple'. Like in 'grape'." Mia suggested, shrugging again.