Only Way Out

Chapter 12 Mag-nights

"Alright everyone got their mask?" Sal says. We all nod. "Ok let's go then"
"Wait!!" I say
"What?"
"I'm still waiting on someone..."
"Who the hell are you waiting for?"
"Someone important..."
Soon a random car shows up, and out pops Ashley.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes..."
"Dude why? She'll ruin the vibe" Todd says
"No she won't she'll help out"
"Prove it" Neil says
"I will" I say as I walk up to her with Karma the duck. "Hey ash"
"Oh hey larry...uh are are you sure I should be here...with your squad?" She says
"Yeah! You can help us find out what the weird noodles are!"
"Weird noodles? Ugh alright" she says then she notices the duck. "hey cute duck where'd you get it?"
"Oh yeah it's named karma we kinda uh well it's a long story"
"I have all night"
".....ok...." I say not really wanting to bring t up again. I think she notices. I change the subject. "hey uh put on your mask"
"Whatever" she says as she puts it on.
"Woah....it's woah"
"Terrible right?"
"No it's...it's"
"Yeah yeah it's 'nice' whatever come on let's go find out what this shit is" Sal says in a kinda pissy voice. Both ash and I just nod in agreement.
"Wait does karma need a mask?" I ask.
"Karma is a duck" Sal says
"Yeah? And?"
"Larry it's a duck. It doesn't need a mask"
"Yes it does!"
"Larry...if you can get a baby duck to wear a mask I will seriously give you $3 right now"
"Deal! Uh....I need a barbie mask..."
Out of pure luck a little girl walks up to me and gives me a Barbie mask. "Here mister I gots two!" She says then leaves to her car with her parents. She must have overheard our conversation or something. Anyway I put the mask on karma and strangely it keeps it on.
"Three dollars please!" I say.
"You got lucky" Sal says while getting out the three dollars and handing it to me.
"Cha chingies!"
"H hi Sal..." ash says sorta looking down. Sal doesn't say a word.
"Oh hi ash!! How are you?" Travis says.
She doesn't say anything because of Sal being around. I realize and intervene. "Don't worry I'll get him to like you one day"
"In her dreams" Sal says. I sigh as we all walk inside to the break room.
"Can we just get to the matter at hand please?" Chug says
"Yeah. Here we go" Sal says and puts a bowl of the 'noodles' down in front of us.
"It really does look like weird rice" maple says
Almost everyone screams.
"Ohmygodohmygod!!!" Travis says freaking out.
"Sorry I didn't mean to scare anyone. Here I made cookies you guys look like you'd need some" She says while handing us a plate of fresh cookies.
"These look amazing ba- maple!!!" Chug says then turns bright red. Maple joins him on the redness. I think. Her mask is kinda in the way
"SHIP!!" Travis screams
"I'll take one" I say grabbing a cookie trying to break the awkwardness. They're damn good cookies. Sal takes like 3 of them and shoved them in his mouth.
"Fuck me I love your cookies" Sal says. Maple chuckles a little.
"Thanks Sal you're a real sweetie. Same with you larry. Seems like you two are the only ones appreciative" maple says knowing she'll make everyone els grab a cookie. Well almost everyone.
"Gimme!!" Chug then proceeded to takes a bunch of them and shove them into his mouth.
"Oh my god Chug you didn't have to do that!" Maple says
"Yes I did!" He says with a mouthful of cookies. Luckily Travis Todd and Neil manage to grab at least one of them. There's 7 cookies left now. Originally there were about 28 or so of them.
"Hey ash you want one?" I say
"Allergic..."
"Oh what are you allergic to it's just snickerdoodles"
"Cinnamon. I get an allergic reaction just being around it" she takes off her mask revealing a puffy red...are are those scares?...face.
"Oh my god!! Maple call 911" Sal says.
"No no it's ok! Really!" She grabs out an epipin and stabbed herself with it after eating one of the cookies.
"Why did you eat it?!?!?" Chug says.
"I was going to take the epipin anyway might as well try the cookie" she says as her face swells down and looses some of its redness. She just looks like she's blushing now but the mask is in the way. The thought of it is kinda cute though.
"Dude you're so hardcore" Todd says
"I I am?" Ash says
"Well fuck yeah you just almost killed yourself over a cookie!"
"Oh well uh thanks"
"Name's Todd"
"I know. I know all of your names. I'm Ashley but uh please call me ash"
"Nice to properly know you ash" Neil says
"Yeah same" Todd and the others but Sal say.
"I've never met you before maple. It's uh it's nice meeting you. Oh and same to all of you to" ash says.
"Yeah I'm homeschooled I have been for all my life basically. Never really had any friends until Sal and Larry showed up. Then I met..." she says then blushes but as she looks at Chug. You can't really see because of her mask, but you know. Chug follows her by also blushing.
"Oh my god date already!" Travis insist.
"S should we?" Chug asks. Maple puts her hands to her mouth on her mask probably smiling really big and also tearing up a bit as she nods. I proceed to wrap up the cookies so ash doesn't get sick again and investigate the noodles. Sal joins me. Then so does everyone els.
"It kinda reminds me of orzo" Chug says
"Orzo?" Todd asks
"Yeah it's little pasta that looks like rice"
"Should we check the kitchen?" Ash ask
"Oh hell no. you go back there the manager and chef will kill you" Sal says.
"Notes to show they're hiding something" maple says. I hatch up a plan, and out of irony karma peeps.
"Here you go cutie. Wait can ducks eat noodles" Travis says while handing the duck a noodle. Everyone shrugs.
"Who's the loudest of us?" I say. Everyone but chug  just looks at me not saying everything. Even the duck. I blush and tear up a bit. I guess you can see my eyes through my mask. Well "eyes" one of them is fake. I probably shouldn't take it so harsh but they're loud to! I uh think... Not just me!!
"Hey hey calm down it just gives you an advantage of things dude." Sal says calming me down
"Yeah anyway what are you planing?" Chug asks.
"Well Sal  Travis and maple can distract the manager and chef while I go into the kitchen to see if they have orzo. And to buy us more time I make them a drink with uh...with something in it...dammit I didn't think this through enough I don't have anything to put in their drink..." I say getting frustrated. Ash pulls out prunes and Todd pulls out a laxative.
"W why do you to have that?" I ask
"I like prunes. Plus my blood sugar gets low so eh better than nothing" ash says.
"Well you see I am sometimes so stopped up like a traffic jam from LA to NY so in order to-" Todd gets cut off by Neil's hand covering his mouth.
"Ok that's enough information from you"Neil says. Todd licks his hand. "Todd!!"
"Ha ha!! Now you have my DNA on there!" Todd says. Neil roles his eyes kisses it a little then wipes is off.
"Oh...I uh...I didn't think you wanted that tonight" Todd says blushing.
"Todd stick to the noddle problem please" Neil proclaims. Todd nods.
"Anyway what was the rest of your plan big shot?" Sal says
"Well I put some prunes and laxative into their drinks causing them to well you know buy us some time. Then we could all get into the kitchen and investigate some more!" I say happier now.
"That's a good idea except one thing" ash asks
"Ugh what now?" Sal says
"I join Travis in the distraction. With my temper it'll bound to get the manager and chef" ash says.
"Oh uh that's. That's actually a good idea ash" Sal says. ash smiles a bit but you can't see because of the mask.
"Ok step one. You two take a plate of uh..something and throw a fit about it not being right and wanting to talk to both the chef and the manager. Chug Neil. You two are lookout. I get the some ingredients for the drinks and Todd you make the them. Sal and maple you proceed to give the drinks to them saying you'll pay for it and you're sorry that there was a commotion. After they go we go in!!" I say getting very excited about this. Everyone els agrees and seems as eager as I do! The step by step plan goes as was listed. The manager and chef run to the bathroom and all 8 of us run to the kitchen and look around. Chug manages to find the box of orzo.
"Welp cases solves I suppose!" Neil says.
"Wait a minute" ash says looking at the bowl of noodles again.
"Wait!" Todd says.
"Should...should someone try one..." Todd says. Sal shrugs
"Fuck it" he eats a few. "Ew... these don't taste right..." he says with a disgusted face.
"Um...guys they're...they're moving" ash says
"They're what???" Sal says
"They're moving..."
To my horror of looking around I notice something disturbing around the sink. On the left is a bowl of molded garbage with what looks to be maggots around it. In the sink is a colander of washed maggots. The right of the sink is what looks to be a half bowl of the "noodles" with drops of food coloring and salt in them. "G guys.." I say. Everyone comes over. Sal Neil and Travis vomit. Todd's mouth gapes open in horror. Maple looks away. I just stare at it all having a panic attack. Chug jumps for joy realizing he solved the case then realizes how gross it is and just stops and faints. Ashley starts shaking.