V & V - Rageous Rageon Rise

Chili Hot Chocolate

Kid Ritz POV:

Fred and Rollie eventually leave, which gives me the tricky task of calling up Orchid.

Ven sits with me on the couch as I ring Orchid, yet she doesn't answer. Ven tries Velv, but she doesn't answer.

Ven: "I'm almost certain she's not picking up on purpose. Gosh, she can be so stubborn."

Kid Ritz: "I'm sorry. It's frustrating that I made this much worse than it needed to be."

Ven: "It's fine. We'll try again tomorrow."

The following week passes, and neither of the girls answer each time Ven and I call.

I had no idea they could hold a grudge this long, but alright.

In the days leading up to the wedding, I started to really panic, as neither girl answered back our calls.

I asked Fred and Rollie to call them, but they've called back and said the girls don't feel like talking to us.

Today, the day before Ven and I's wedding, we give one last try. They don't pick up.

Ven's very quiet as I pack up the car to head to the lodge. I know he's heartbroken, but he won't tell me about it.

Fred and Rollie did all the convincing they could, yet the girls were not interested in listening.

I feel devastated that my best friends won't be attending our wedding. This was something that never should have gotten as big as it did, and now, I'm really unsure if we should go ahead with the documentary.

However, it's already paid for, and apparently, camera crews are there, so I guess it's not in the cards for me to back out with them anymore.

I finish putting our bags in, then open Ven's door for him. He thanks me quietly as he and Jewels enter.

I get into the front seat and pull away from our apartment. I try to keep the mood light, and Ven plays into it as I let him play his favorite songs.

I drive to the beach and pick up Mama, who is very excited for us.
I load her things into the back as Ven helps her and her stuffy into the car.

Once we're all set, we start towards Mocha Mountain. With each mile we put in between us and the girls, I try to forget about them the best I can, even though it feels like my heart is pained with regret and grief.

Once we get to the base of the mountain, Ven is very excited. He stares out the window the whole time we drive up, and Jewels squeaks excitedly as she sees the chocolate snowflakes fall gently from the sky.

Ven: "Ritz, when we get everything inside, can we play in the mocha and creamer snow?"

Kid Ritz: "Of course we can! It's one of the best things I could think of doing."

Ven claps excitedly as we pull up to the row of lodges waiting for us. I park at our cabin and quickly get to work unpacking our things.

As we enter the cabin, I'm hit with a strong smell of chocolate, making me smile, and Mama claps happily. She explores downstairs and sits on the oversized, comfy couch in the living room overlooking the chocolate tree forest.

Ven looks around excitedly at the decor and happily takes our things upstairs with me.

I let Jewels roam around as we change into snow wear, and just as I'm helping Ven pull on his boots, I hear a knock at the front door.

I expected it to be either Rollie or Carlos, yet I am surprised to see that it's the camera crew.

Mama lets them in as Ven and I walk down the stairs. The crew greets us, and immediately kicks into gear with filming. They film the whole lodge, interview Mama, and then follow us outside for some "cute" footage of Ven and Jewels in the snow.