flowers of poison

Part 48: Hot sauce poisoning

My period is giving me heat flashes and I literally don't know what to do with myself.

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12: 15 P.M.

Lunabella P.O.V.

I look up from the tv as Aki walks out of the kitchen wiping her hands on her pajama pants. 

"Can you set the table for me? I need to drag Ari out of bed." She says blankly and a wave of warmth washes over me, so I know she's telling the truth.

'Does she actually have to drag Ari out of bed'

'That seems a little excessive'

I stop the tv and head into the kitchen opening the drawer with the silverware and pulling out three dull knifes, two sharp knives, three spoons and three forks.

I set them on the table, at the places we each sat at last night before heading back to the kitchen to grab the plates filled with a mound of marmalade orange rice and a puffy oval egg thing balancing on top of the rice.

I lift all three plates at once and carry them to the table, placing them in front of each of our chairs, I head back quickly for the two red bottles on the island.

I sit down at the table and glance behind me as Aki emerges from Ari's room, with Ari limply draped over her shoulder.

"Is she okay?" I ask

"Yea, she's just not a morning person." Aki says dumping Ari into the chair beside me and rounding the table.

She slumps in her own seat as Ari pats the table trying to find her utensils. I watch with interest as Ari finds her fork and knife and cuts open the light yellow egg and as it unfolds, spilling over the rice.

She grabs the red bottle with a pointy red vegetable on it and squeezes it onto her omurice. Aki does the same but this time with the other red bottle; the one with the round red vegetable on it.

I cut open my own egg thing and grab the bottle with the pointy vegetable.

"Are you sure you're going to like that?" Aki asks bluntly and I look up, nodding "That's hot sauce it's spicy." She states "Why don't you lick some of your finger before pouring it on your food.

I look down and squeeze some of the bright red sauce onto the tip of my finger. I lick it off and my eye immediately start to water "Ehkk" I wipe it off my tongue, but it still burns, tears begin to fall from my eyes, pinging off the chair and floor.

Aki sighs and stands up, disappearing into the kitchen and returning a few seconds later with a tall glass of milk. She hands it to me, and I gulp it down the burning stopping after a few minutes as I hiccup and sniffle.

Aki pulls the hot sauce away from me and tries to hand me the other red bottle, but I recoil quickly and Aki rolls her eyes "This is ketchup, it's not spicy." She says, "You can try a little bit on your finger if you want."

I put down my half full glass of milk and take the bottle from her squirting a bit too much on my finger. I poke it with the tip of my tongue judging it carefully before relaxing and actually tasting it. "It's not bad." I mutter wiping the rest of it off with a napkin.

I dump some ketchup on my omurice and start eating, my eyes widening with the first bite. "Dith es amathing" I mumble around my food as I scarf it down.

I start coughing as I inhale my food and thump my chest as I wheeze trying to dislodge the grains of rice from my windpipe.

Aki hands me a glass of water, I down it quickly and my coughing stops. I take a couple of deep breaths just to be sure.