As Frypan talked about the kitchen his eyes sparkled. He was the type of guy who was boisterous with passion. I admired every counter and wooden beam that held it up. I liked it here. Frypan made the kitchen homey. I know it's super cliche and I didn't want to want to be in the kitchen, but the warmth my chest filled with from being in the little outdoor cooking area made me beam. I knew I'd probably get some sexist jokes thrown at me but I honestly didn't give a fuck.

Frypan showed me the oven and explained how he could request different ingredients from the box. My mind raced over different recipes. I especially focused on pie, pizza, milkshakes, and hot french fries. The possibilities were endless. If I worked in the kitchen I'd have unlimited access to it! The idea made my stomach rumble, sounding like the best thing, like ever. If I was going to be in this crazy place I might as well be eating well.

"Hey, you listening?" I was snapped back to reality from my delicious daydreams. Fry was leaning toward me, his back against the fridge.

"Yeah. Yes, yes, I'm listening." I replied quickly. Frypan tilted his head back, taking hold of my words. He chattered on, a grin dimpling his face.

"It's really nice that you stuck through the whole kitchen tour." His smile fell a bit. "Most people don't." My heartstrings felt plucked from what he said. How could anyone not want to listen to Fry talk about his kitchen? Just by the way his eyes gleamed when he spoke made me want to stay there all night. Not to mention his laughter was incredibly infectious.

"Of course I'd stay! The kitchen is very nice and so are you." I said, bestowing him a fond look.

"Thanks! Y'know I could say the same about you." He chuckled for a moment before he was smacked with a realization. His eyes rounded to saucers. "Hey, do you want some of Gally's drink? Sorry I forgot to ask you earlier."

"His drink?"

 I had no idea Gally was a bartender. What kind of drink could that guy even make. The thought was amusing, laughable even. 

"Yeah! He makes a whole bunch for the bonfires y'know. It's basically alcohol." Fry grinned, handing me a mason jar filled with amber liquid. I sloshed it around, smelling the pungent fluid. I turned my chin up, lips arching toward Fry.

"Eh, what the hell." Giving a short-lived shrug, I shot the glass to my mouth throwing it down the hatch. Liquid fire burned my throat. As soon as the drink slipped down, it begged to come back up. My eyes bugged out of my head. I slammed the drink down on the counter and spluttered whatever remained of the nasty liquor onto the grass. 

"Hey are you okay?!" Fry's hand went to my shoulder. My hands grappled onto my knees as I bent over.

"Oh yeah for sure, that was so-" I coughed, esophagus raw, rough. "Good man."

"No it wasn't."

"Yeah no, that tastes like piss." Laughing, I wiped my mouth. Frypan joined me in my laughter until Chuck showed up, tugging on my shirt.

"Hey Greenie come on, we got things to see, people to meet, places to go."

"I really should charge you with kidnapping." 

"Yeah well you gotta talk to my lawyer first. come on!"Chuck yanked harshly on the back of my clothes. I let him pull me away, giving Fry a wave goodbye. The sun had started to melt into the maze, the sky's colors dripping together. Chuck led me past people without saying a word.

"Where are you taking me Chuck?" 

He led me to the back of the homestead. His head turned towards me.

"We're here." He said beaming as he'd shown me the single greatest thing in the universe. In reality, he had brought me to a small window attached to the homestead. It faced the great big walls and shed light from the inside. 

"And where exactly is here Chuck?" My tiredness slipped from my tone. His face was full of mischief, light danced around his eyes.

"That," He pointed up towards the window. "Is the homesteads bathroom."

"And?" I sighed. "What's so special about the bathroom?" He scrunched up his nose with a smile, giddy from my questions.

"This." He whisper shouted. Chuck spun around and stepped up on a large wooden crate. I couldn't help but feeling like Chuck was doing something he wasn't supposed to. Unease bubbled in my chest.

"Hey just get down okay." I reached for his arm. "We can go back to the kitchen with Frypan-"

"Shhh!" Chuck snapped his arm back and shushed me. "They'll hear you." Filled with confusion I decided to just step back and let chaos ensue.  No skin off my back, at least I'd get a show out of it.

I pressed my back against the building and stared at Chuck as he gave the window a little tap. He had his hand clamped over his mouth to stop his gleeful laughs from escaping.

 I couldn't believe Chuck had suckered me into playing a prank on someone, although something told me that this wasn't my first rodeo. I was surprisingly giddy and a smile broke out on my face. A curtain covered the window but I could still see the outline of a male figure.

Chuck knocked on the glass, louder this time. Quicker than lighting, the shadow pushed the curtain aside and opened the window.

"Who's out there!?" Shit. I knew that voice. Suddenly the joke wasn't that funny anymore. I went for Chuck's arm but instead of letting me take him, he jumped up and screamed into the window. A crash filled the bathroom followed by a string of curse words.

Even though it was anything but funny for our victim, I still couldn't help letting out a snort. I grabbed Chucks hand and practically ripped him away from the bathroom.

 We ran across the glade, not looking back until we arrived back at the kitchen panting. I took one glimpse back toward the homestead, seeing Gally's red face glowering at Chuck.

"That." Chuck wheezed. "Was close."

"You think!" Attempting to scorn him while trying to catch my breath was proving to be difficult. I flicked him in the arm. "You, are a little hell raiser."

"Ouch!"

"Yeah? You'll get a lot worse if you do that again." I pushed him on the shoulder. 

"Okay, but you have to admit it was pretty funny." He couldn't seem to wipe that stupid smile off his face. A tenacious one stretched across my own.

"Okay maybe just a little funny." We sat down chuckling on one of the rough logs to watch the others start the bonfire.