Chapter Thirty

I finished slicing a zucchini before showing Nina what I accomplished. She smiled as she took a slice from each vegetable, trying to enjoy them before our big experiment. She stared at the onion, wondering what to do with it. “You made me cry, and I want to avoid you because of that. But you’re also hard like the cucumber, which means you’re going to be crunchy. I like crunchy.” She took a bite and waited for the enjoyment to spread across her tastebuds. I stopped as I watched Nina’s eyes grow big and her hands become frantic. She started tapping her feet and fanning her face before swallowing what she still had in her mouth.

“What is that?!” she yelled as I laughed. “What is that flavor?! It was nothing like the cucumber and it was so far away from the tomato that I wouldn’t be able to see it if it glowed in the dark.” She picked up another onion slice and handed it to me. “You have to try this. You have to tell me what it is!” I hesitated after seeing Nina’s reaction. What little curiosity I had about trying one disappeared without telling me. She pushed the slice into my face and waited until I opened my mouth. I took a bite and felt my eyes grow just as big as Nina’s.

“Flavor, intense!” I said turning to her. “Strong. Spicy.”

“Spicy? Which flavor is that one?” she said with a cup of water she conjured when I looked away. “Is it the pungent one or the burning one?

“Burning. Spicy sometimes good. Other vegetables. Much spicier. Onion. Not even close.” Nina’s mouth dropped as she heard those words enter her ears.

“Please don’t tell me we have one of those other vegetables. And please tell the truth about it. You said we were friends, but I don’t think friends would do that to each other.” I stayed silent and watched Nina try figure out the look I was giving her. “Right?”

“No spicy vegetables,” I responded, giving her a playful smile. Nina breathed a sigh of relief. “But friends. Sometimes hide truths.” Nina looked at me with a furrowed brow as I laughed again.

“Fine, but I’m going to make you show me what they look like. You’re not going to get one over me!”

“Lots of things, unknown about world. Wouldn’t be difficult.” Nina smiled, accepting the challenge of the future, believing that she would be victorious.