Page 115 of The Otherworld

That’s when Celine returns, two mugs of coffee in hand. Jack and I both say “thank you” in unison, and then Celine asks what she can get us. I’m not sure what she means, but Jack understands all this Otherworldly etiquette. He tells her something about waffles and chocolate chip pancakes, and she laughs at him for being predictable. Moments later, she is walking away, and I’m raising an eyebrow at Jack.

“Did you just decide what I’m going to eat?”

“Yep.” Jack winks. “So what do you want to do after breakfast? You’ve been dreaming about coming to the Otherworld for so long, you must have a list of things you want to see and do, right?”

“I want to see everything,” I say with a laugh. “Where do you suggest we start?”

A new idea sparks in Jack’s eyes. “I’ll be right back.” He slides out of the booth and vanishes outside. I watch through the window blinds as he dashes through the parking lot to his car. Moments later, he drops back into the seat across from me, a small notebook in hand.

“What’s that for?” I ask, cradling my coffee under my chin.

“A list. So we can keep track of everything.” Jack opens the notebook to a clean page and clicks his pen against the table. “Okay, so I know we talked about some things on the phone, right? All the stuff your dad’s forbidden?”

“Yes…”

“Remind me. I know you’ve never seen a movie.” Jack shakes his head with dismay, writing something at the top of the page. “Insanity. Oh, and video games! I have to show you video games.”

“Mm, the elusive video games…”

“You’re going to be so into it,” Jack assures me. “Mark my words.”

I watch him write a few more items on the list; then he looks back up at me, tapping the pen against the paper. “What else?”

“Ummm… pizza?”

“Oh god, yes. I can’t believe I forgot that.” Jack writes “PIZZA” in all capital letters on the paper. “And all the good food in general that you’ve been deprived of.”

“Like what?”

“Like ice cream and soda and fries and cheeseburgers…”

That’s when Celine reappears with two sweet-smelling plates of food. She slides them onto the table, and I can’t help staring. I’ve never seen anything quite like this before.

“… and waffles,” Jack finishes with a grin. “Thank you, Celine.”

“Sure thing, baby.”

I tilt my head, studying the strange symmetrical shapes of the waffles, which are piled with strawberries and blueberries and dusted with a white powdery substance. The other plate is stacked with pancakes the size of my head, speckled with chocolate pieces. When I look back up at Jack, he is trying not to laugh at me.

“What? I’ve never seen food like this before.” I pluck one of the strawberries from the pile. “Except this. I grow these on my island.”

“Okay, but here’s the ultimate question,” Jack says. “Pancakes or waffles?”

“The ultimate question, huh?”

“The ultimate. Like, we can’t even hang out anymore if you don’t pass this test.”

I try both the pancakes and the waffles before determining that they taste the same. Jack argues that they are most definitely not the same, and I can tell he prefers the pancakes since they are already half gone. Upon further reflection, I decide the waffles are superior. Jack takes it as a personal insult.

“Okay, if this is a small town,” I say at last, “what does a big town look like?”

“They’re called cities. You want to see one? I’ll take you to see one.” He grabs the notebook and pen, writing something down. “We can go to Seattle.”

“Isn’t that far from here?”

“No, it’s not too far. If you’re amazed by how many people live here, your mind will be blown by Seattle.”

“Okay, well, maybe we should stick around here to start.”

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