The Trip To Flavortown

Chapter 1

It was about 1:30 in the afternoon. The bell had just rang for the start of 10th period. But today, it was Thursday, so instead of double period science, we had a study hall. I looked at the four desks surrounding me. Anna was to my left, and Will was to my right. Rachel was in front of me, and Vanessa was in front of Anna. Anna was in the very back left corner of the class. The way the room is built is so there are four elevated platforms, each getting higher as you go toward the back of the room. So even though we were in the back of the class, we could still see the board.

I looked up from my notebook over at Anna. She was watching videos on how to make an origami Millennium Falcon. Vanessa was gluing more pictures of Bruce Jenner's head onto her planner. (This was before she was Caitlyn Jenner.) Will was watching macaroni ASMR videos with the volume blasted all the way, and Rachel was doing her work like a responsible, innocent child.

"Dude, put some headphones on," I said to Will in my usual outdated slang. Will just stared at me and proceeded to turn up the volume even more, even though it was already turned up all the way. I realised he wasn't really turning up the volume, it was just that Patrick had walked in and was playing the same video right behind me. I picked up the miniature crocodile pillow pet that Patrick had dubbed Kirby and claimed as him son and threatened to throw him out the window. "KIRBY NO," Patrick screamed as I threw him over Rachel's head. However, my aim was so bad that I hit her, even though she was literally two feet in front of me.

"Guys what are you doing??" Rachel said, annoyed. Vanessa spun around, and she put her hand over her phone. "Did somebody say Guy?"

"Yeah, I did," Rachel said, "why are you on the phone? First we're in school, and second we all know that you don't have any friends."

"It's Grandmaster," Vanessa replied, "he called me because it's my birthday today. Also I haven't talked to him in like two years so." Vanessa was a black belt in karate, and Grandmaster had taught her everything she knew. Also, like she said, it was her birthday today. She went back to talking obnoxiously loud on the phone without knowing how obnoxiously loud she was being. Our teacher didn't really care though. Vanessa had good grades so it was okay.

"Why did she ask if I said guy?" Rachel asked me, wondering if I knew.

"I don't know," I shrugged, "You know how she has that obsession with the Food Network and cooking." Vanessa would always call us and ask if we wanted to go to her house for a fire. And she would always have ribs or hot dogs or something. Also, she would always throw in a secret ingredient, like the one time when me, Hannah, and her neighbor Briana slept over in a tent in her backyard. In the morning she made us pancakes with surprise peaches in them.

Vanessa finally got off the phone with Grandmaster. "So who said Guy?"

"I did, I said I did," Rachel repeated, "Why do you care?"

"Because Guy Fieri is so cool," Vanessa said.

"What the heck, you would think that," Anna jumped in on the conversation. She was surrounded by a bunch of paper cranes. She was a bird so it was only natural that she continued to make effigies of her people.

"He is, he makes the best ribs in town," Vanessa said, pulling an example rib out of her lunchbox, "Take this for example. It is a prime example of a tough and tender culinary masterpiece."

"That's disgusting, put that away," I said, revolted. I was a picky eater and basically a vegetarian, so just the sight of meat typically grossed me out.

Vanessa put the rib away. "Anyway, Guy is going to be in town, so we should all go see him. He's filming for an episode of Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives."

Will looked at his computer then back at us. "She's right. He's gonna be at the local restaurant, one that we won't name for personal protection purposes, so let's just call it Denny's for the rest of the story."

"Yeah, we should do it," Rachel said, "When is it?"

"Tomorrow night," Will said, "everyone be ready by tomorrow at four."