AAOOOSC! Wheatie Bits!

E. 1. "Newest Of The Prairie" (3/5)

Kale is slouched in his chair in the dining room of his house.

The interior of his house is small and humble, with the kitchen nearby to his left and the living room to his right. On the wall across from the kitchen is the front door while against the wall between the living room and dining room Kale is facing is a wooden staircase leading up to the second floor, which is obscured by the rising wall.

He aimlessly brushes his finger against the screen of his phone, which is flat on the table's surface, and begins mumbling to himself: "First day of junior practice and I already dread it." He pauses his movements, processing why he dreads it.

"Nolan's so annoying." He resumes his pointless strolling. "He keeps referring me to the vegetable." He sticks his finger against the screen, stopping its motions.

"I'm not a vegetable!" He settles his head against the back of his chair with lifted eyes and a groan. "Why did my parents name me after a vegetable?"

He lets out a heavy sigh and pulls himself slightly upright. "And now I'm gonna have to deal with him every single day." He holds a hand out from his side. "On a road trip? He's there." He does the same motion with his other hand. "At an off-ice practice? He's there." He holds his hands out in front of him. "In the locker room, right next to me... He's. There."

He drops his hands against the table. "I should ask to be moved. I don't want to be with someone like him." He leans over the table and holds his head with his fist while swiping through his phone with his other hand. "I tried to be nice, but he just snapped at me." A scowl appears on his face. "It's his fault."

His phone pops into the air and emits vibrations, causing Kale to pull away with lit-up eyes. He excitedly scoops it, calming it down, and peers down at its screen.

It's a new text message from the captain: I order all teammates to have PIZZA. Be at Papa Crosby's in 20 l>

Excitement fills Kale's eyes. "Oh great, pizza! Just like what he said!" He immediately gets up and rushes out of the dining room.

The warm, savoury aroma of pizza wafts around the small eating room in the front of Papa Crosby's pizza parlour. Multiple tables have been pushed against each other, creating a long table for the Wheat Kings to sit and enjoy delicious pizzas bearing all types of toppings from pepperoni to pineapple to sausage to solely plain cheese.

The front glass door swings open, emitting the fleeting ringing of a bell, notifying anyone in the room that a new customer has arrived.

Kale strolls in happily, his big, toothy grin growing on his face as he emotionally melts in the snug, doughy scent of freshly baked pizza. He immediately catches sight of the long table occupied by a few familiar faces among multiple other unfamiliar faces.

His face drops as he spots visibly no empty chairs. "Why do I have to be late?"

He scans his eyes hastily through the two rows of occupied chairs that line both lengths of the table, mentally hoping for an empty one to appear.

Sure enough, one does, yet it is nearby by the edge, right next to the last person he wants to sit next to: Nolan.

Kale lowers his eyebrows with a subtle scowl. "Fine. For pizza."

He stalks to the empty chair, calmly pulls the chair out, plops himself in it, and grabs a slice of pepperoni and sausage pizza with a paper plate.

He takes a bite of the slice, immediately brightening up at the toothsome, tangy flavours of pizza. He swallows, places his pizza on the plate, and plucks a napkin from the pile by the boxes of pizza.

With burning curiosity, he slyly glances at Nolan from the corner of his eye.

He quickly spots an immaculate, empty paper plate laid out in front of him. Nolan himself is patiently sitting, quietly observing the teammates in his field of vision.

Kale knits his eyebrows with confusion and inquisitiveness as to why he is not enjoying the mouthwatering dish.

He gradually turns his head to face Nolan. "Aren't you gonna have pizza?"

Nolan slides his sharp eyes to him. No."

"Why?"

He adjusts himself in his seat, pulling his hands down onto his lap. "I'm not hungry."

A gawk beings to form on Kale's face. "How can you not be hungry?"

He rotates his head to face him, displaying an irritated expression. "I just ate."

Kale's jaw drops. "You just ate before coming to a pizza gathering? How could you do that?"

"Because I want to." He narrows his eyes and coats bitterness on his words: "Do you have a problem with that?"

Kale catches his breath as a shot of ire whizzes through him. I poked him too much; I can just tell by his voice. Should I let him slide or put him in his place?

Kale narrows his eyes, mentally selecting his choice. "No, but I do have a problem with your attitude," he shoots back roughly.

Nolan furrows his eyebrows with resentfulness. "My attitude?" He flicks his pointer finger at him. "It's your attitude that needs major fixing."

Kale leans toward him, shaking in his rising rage at how his remark was quickly shot down. "You're the one who told me I'm brainless!"

"That was subtle—" He rolls his eyes, keeping his composure. "Can't you take a joke?"

"Not when they degrade me!"

Nolan gradually reverts back to his paper plate. "Probably that's why you get so jealous of me easily."

Kale slams his tensed hands against the edge of the table, clutching onto it in intensifying fury. "For the last time, I'm not jealous of you!"

Nolan whips around to face him. "You definitely are, you're as green as your name—"

"Don't use my name like that—!" he barks back.

"I can use it however I like—!"

"It's my name—!"

"I don't need to—"

TWEET TWEET!!!

The two teenagers immediately freeze with bewilderment at the peculiar sounds of a referee's whistle.

Ryan, in a referee outfit, slides in between the two behind them, waving his hands frantically in the air.

"Whoaaaa! Stop the play! Timeout!" He leans over to the two and wraps his arms around their shoulders. "We're teammates here—we're not supposed to be fighting!" His face drops into a solemn expression. "Now apologize."

Kale darts his cold eyes at Nolan with crossed arms. "I'm sorry."

With a scoff, Nolan rolls his eyes, gets up, and storms behind Kale and away to the back of the eating area.

The two teammates follow him with their eyes in surprise, watching him turn to the left and exit the building.

Once he disappeared from sight, the two turn back to each other.

"I apologized," Kale states flatly.

"I would say ejection, but he already ejected himself." Ryan shrugs with a slight frown. "Makes my job a whole lot easier, y'know?" Then with a pat on Kale's shoulder, he straightens up and ambles away.