Chapter 14: Connections

"How could you hit on Daisy?" Ein took his seat next to Chucky. "You know that I like her."

Chucky inhaled deeply. "What are you talking about, Ein?--I didn't talk to anybody named Daisy yesterday, I didn't really talk to anyone, except Princess, because I was too busy doing my ghost readings, plus I would never do anything to you that would--"

"Princess told me that you were hitting on Daisy, and Princess wouldn't lie to me. I believe her."

"I don't know what to tell you, Ein, only that I don't remember talking to anybody named Daisy, to tell you the truth, I can't remember much of anything that happened during the grand opening, all I can remember are bits and pieces, like it was a dream or something, and--"

"RRRRRRR!"

Ein looked over to where the sound was coming from.

It was a giant, walking rat!

Ein shrieked, and fell back in his chair. The rat came closer. Closer. Ein covered his face. "Stay away! "

The rat lowered down like he was going to bite Ein's head off. But the rat's own head was soon pulled off. It was Mrs. Kyoto, wearing a costume.

Laughter ping-ponged off the walls.

"I didn't mean to scare you, Ein," Mrs. Kyoto said, going back to the front of the class. "I like to dress up sometimes, based on the themes and subjects I'm teaching. Today, we're learning about numerous rat-based behavioral science experiments."

Ein set his chair straight, and sat again.

This class was beginning to wear him down.

***

Today, only three people stood outside and waited for Haunted House Dressing to open. But Sunflower expected this.

Actually, she hoped there would be anyone.

"I don't get it," Princess said. "Where are all the people?"

"The people are there." Sunflower pointed out the door. "At their favorite restaurants, where they can eat their favorite foods. They know that the Ninja or the Soap Stars aren't going to be here today. But there's no need to worry."

Princess inhaled a celery stick. "What do you mean?"

"I've studied business for years, and one of the most important things for a restaurant to do is to win the hearts of the townspeople. We've done this. And now they want to like our restaurant, but it'll take more than a few celebrities and super heroes to make us into a true success. It's going to take food. Good food."

At the mention of the word, Princess's mouth watered more, and she scooped some chocolates out of her pockets.

Sunflower swept her hand out in front of her. "See those three people right there, Princess?"

Princess nodded, chewing. "Yesh."

"Those three people have the power to make us or break us. If they like the food, they'll tell their friends, and those friends will tell their friends, and on and on, until the whole town hears about it. We're all connected that way."

"And if they don't like the food?"

Sunflower waved away the thought. "There's nothing to worry about, as long as we have Vincent. I'll go check if he's ready. You go take the orders."

Princess nodded, and gave a chocolatey thumbs up.

***

Normally, Ein would have freaked out at the thought of having to do an oral report in front of the class, but he had so many other thoughts clawing at his mind, he hardly noticed. Until now, of course. Now being the last few moments before the reports would begin.

Chucky held out his hand. "Good luck, Ein, not that you'll need it or anything, because you're a pretty smart guy, and since you're not taking my hand, I can only assume you're still mad at me, but I promise you that I won't hit on Daisy anymore, not that I'm admitting that I did before, because I don't remember ever--"

"Thanks, Chucky." Ein took his hand and shook it. "I'm sorry I yelled at you before. You deserve better than that."

"Don't worry about it, so are you ready to give you report, are you--"

"Yes. I think so. You?"

"Yeah, I-"

"That's good."

Ein was lying about being ready. He was never ready for things like this.

But it wouldn't be too bad. For one, he'd already embarrassed himself in front of these people so many times, one more trauma wouldn't hurt anything. Right?

At least there were less students here than his classes in high school. The more the eyes on him, the worse it was.

The door burst open and a camera crew rushed inside. They set up at the front of the class, to Ein's horror. This couldn't be about their presentations. It couldn't.

"This is about your presentations," Mrs. Kyoto said, at the front. "I talked to the people in charge of the local station. I told them how proud I was of you students, how well you're doing, and how wonderful your presentations are going to be. To my great delight, they agreed to broadcast your presentations to the whole town. Live."

Live. Live. Live. The word echoed in Ein's mind.

He heard Chucky say, "Wow, isn't that cool, Ein, I…" And Chucky kept talking, but Ein couldn't hear hardly anything anymore. He was in a state of numbness.

He heard the names being called for the students to go up and make their presentations. He saw the camera. And he hoped that somehow, Mrs. Kyoto wouldn't call his name. He wished for a miracle.

Reality went back into focus when Ein noticed Chucky at the front of the class. Chucky looked different somehow.

"And that concludes my presentation," Chucky said, smiling. "But before I go, I want to say hello to Daisy, the girl of my dreams. If you're watching this, my dear, I want you to know how much I enjoyed speaking to you last night. I've heard angels sing, but I forgot them the moment you spoke to me." Chucky winked and went back to his seat.

Mrs. Kyoto stood from her desk. "Einstein, would you please come up to the front and give your presentation?"

Ein had so many different feelings whirling around inside him, he experienced emotions that had never been put into words. Like a zombie, he walked past Chucky without saying a word, and stood in front of the camera.

"Begin whenever you're ready, Einstein," said Mrs. Kyoto.

Mrs. Kyoto had encouraged her students to bring in rats for demonstrations during their presentations, so on both sides of Ein, there were cages rustling with the creatures. The only other place to look, and not see rats, was straight in front of him, where the camera was. And that wasn't much better than the alternative.

Luckily, he had his report memorized, and he felt words coming out of his throat. He only hoped they were the right words.

Right now, he focused on his head. It was expanding at an incredible rate, one that he'd never even thought possible before. All he could think about was how stupid he must have seemed right now, in front of so many people. One of those people might have been Waitress Girl. He couldn't stand the thought of her watching him, disgusted by him, wanting to turn off the TV so she could make him disappear and never see him again. Even Chucky was a better choice than him.

Ein's head felt as big as a watermelon, and maybe it was. The weight became so great, that he fell over backwards, and crashed into something. He hoped that something wasn't the something he thought it was.

It was. The rat cage fell onto the ground. The door to the cage was knocked open. And the rats scurried out, and onto Ein, and into his clothes.

"Get them off me! Get them off! Ahhhh!" He ripped off all his clothes as fast as he could. Some of the rats still clung onto him. "Ah! They want to eat me!" He ran around in his underwear, until he tripped and landed on his back. Above him, he saw the eye of the camera. The eye of the town. The eye of Daisy.

***

This would be the day Vincent showed Sunflower his true potential. He would give her the best food in town.

"Do you have everything you need?" Sunflower asked, entering the kitchen.

"Yes." He cracked his fingers. He was ready.

Princess popped her head in the door--"Can I have two caesar salads please?"--and disappeared again.

"Do you know how to make that?" Sunflower said. "I bought you some recipe books if you need them."

"That won't be necessary." Vincent grinned, and walked over to the phone. He picked it up and dialed the same number as before. "Hello, Pierre, yes, it's me. I'd like to place an order for two--"

"Vincent, what are you doing?" Sunflower said.

"I'm preparing food. That is what chefs do, isn't it?"

Her eyes opened wide. "Vincent, did you cook the food during the contest? I mean, did you actually cook the food yourself?"

Vincent chuckled. "Of course not. I got it from a restaurant across town. They say the cook there is the best around. I had the food made specifically for Ein. A mean plate for a Mean Boy." He smiled, but Sunflower didn't. He frowned. This could be bad.

"So…you don't know how to cook food?"

Vincent shook his head. "Sunflower, I don't understand. Why can't I order the food from somewhere else?"

"That's not how these things work. No one's going to pay more money for the same food they can get cheaper somewhere else, especially when it's in the same town."

"But why would it have to cost more money?"

"Because we have to make a profit."

So that was what profit meant. Vincent had heard his father talk about it many times, and he knew it had something to do with getting money, but he never realized what making a profit involved. They needed to sell things for more than it cost to create and bring them to the customers. "I didn't know, Sunflower. I'm sorry."

She stared at him for a few seconds, then put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm not upset with you. I know you just misunderstood everything because of your childhood. It's not your fault."

Something strange happened in Vincent's stomach at that moment, and it had nothing to do with food. Now he knew that when she spoke of his childhood, in her mind, she thought he was a poor, street kid. She didn't know the truth. She didn't know the real him. And that made him feel…guilty? Was that the word?

Princess popped her head in again. "Do you have those salads ready yet? I need soup too."

Sunflower stared at the floor. Not at her notebook, like she usually did. "We have a problem, Princess."

"What kind of problem?"

"The kind that we probably won't survive."

***

Chucky started, "Ein, I--"

"Just go, Chucky. I don't want to see you right now."

Chucky looked down, and walked out of the class, alone.

Mrs. Kyoto had asked Ein to stay after class, so he just sat in his seat, and stared at the inscriptions in his desk. Bobby loves Gina. Gina loves Charlie. Charlie loves Bobby.

Ein was looking forward to speaking to Mrs. Kyoto. She was an adult. Maybe she could understand his problems. Maybe if he told her, she could help him.

Mrs. Kyoto finished up writing something at the desk, and walked over. She sat in the seat beside him. "Einstein, I'm sure you know what I want to talk to you about. I can't help but notice that you've embarrassed yourself quite a few times in my class. It must be hurting you inside."

"Yeah. It is."

"Good."

Good? "Good?"

"Yes." Mrs. Kyoto smiled. "I'm glad you're feeling bad. Perhaps now you feel a fraction of the pain I've been feeling. The pain you caused."

Ein arched an eyebrow. "You're kidding, right?"

"I wish I was."

Ein was beginning to understand. All the terrible things that had been happening in this class were intentional. All caused by Mrs. Kyoto herself. "What did I do?"

"What did you do?" Mrs. Kyoto chuckled. "You know exactly what you did."

No. She couldn't know. There was no way. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm talking about Princess, Einstein. You know, my daughter, who was going to go to medical school until you brainwashed her. I know you were the one who convinced her to drop out of college."

"Drop out? She never even started!"

"See! You're defending her!' She slammed a fist on her desk, then stared at him, without moving a muscle. "I know the truth, and there's no use trying to hide your guilt. I was told what you said to her by a very reliable source."

"Princess never would have told you anything."

"Oh, but it wasn't Princess. It is someone that neither you nor Princess knows about. Now then." She interlaced her fingers. "Here's the deal. Your suffering will end the moment you convince my daughter to come back home and put her life back together."

Ein shook his head, slowly. "I can't do that. She'll resent me for the rest of her life."

"Of course. You'll be the dream-crushing best friend, and I'll be the understanding, loving mother. Exactly as it should be."

Ein stared at her for a while, then said, "No. Even if I wanted to convince her to go back to her old life, she's too stubborn to listen to me."

"Then un-stubborn her. You're the only one she'll listen to. I know she will." She reached in her coat pocket, and pulled out a rat. She petted it on her lap. "If you don't do it, your pain will continue."

Ein swallowed. "Mrs. Kyoto, if you keep harassing me like this, I'm going to drop out of your class."

"I'm afraid you've exceeded the dropout period, so now you really only have two options. Pass, or fail."

"Then I'll fail, if it means not having to come here again."

She laughed. "No, No, Einstein. You never fail on purpose. Do you know why?"

He didn't respond.

"Because," she said, "you're a determined young man. Determined to create order in the chaos of this world. You're exactly like me when I was your age. And if you weren't my enemy, I would think it lucky to have a son just like you."

He almost said thank you, but decided on "…" instead.