So Hungry Nothing Sounds Good

            Luke sat calmly playing the AFC Championship game on his play station.  When he had come to Emporia, he didn’t dream of playing Madden on any difficulty higher than All-Pro, but he got here to see all three roommates playing much, much better.  He knew he needed to improve his skills and he hoped that winning the Super Bowl against the computer would mean he could hold his own against Jack and Charlie.  As if on cue, it was as he was thinking this that Jack burst through the door. 

            “Hey,” they exchanged before Luke continued to play; the Patriots were in the red zone and he was only up by 10.  Jack quickly deposited his backpack in his room and returned to the living room in time to watch Luke force a field goal. 

            “So, how was class?” Luke asked as Jack flopped on the cozy green chair.

            “It was ok I guess.  Don’t have any homework, so it couldn’t be too bad.”

            “Hey, there you go.  Oops.”  Luke had fumbled and now he was on the brink of losing.  Jack moved absentmindedly to the refrigerator and looked at it longingly.  He noticed the cable bill held on the freezer door by his “Mom’s meal plan” spinner magnet.  The wonderful spinner had spaces for McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s, Pizza, and Reservations. And of course the tiny Mom Cooks space.  He stared sadly into the empty fridge as he said “I’m hungry.”

            “Me too man.”  Luke said.

            “How’s the game going now?”

            “Oh Ty got a pick, I’m just running out the clock now.”

            “So, you got any ideas on food?”

            “Nah man.  Just know I want some.”

            “I can’t help you, I just ate.”  Charlie had emerged from his room where he had been slaving on more homework.  “I can’t think of a subject for a story.  Got any ideas?”  Only silence met his request, so he congratulated Luke on his win and returned to his lonely prison. 

            “We could always have Pizza,” Luke said.  “No we just had that last night,” he answered himself.  It was like this every time he was hungry, he would be hungry but everyplace that came to mind wouldn’t sound good that night.  It seemed the only things that sounded good weren’t in Emporia.  He never thought he would ever miss Horton, the small town of 2,000 (4,000 including dogs) that he had been raised in for most of his life.  It was the size of the town, and it’s feeling of imprisonment which had caused him to make the decision to quit his life there and move in with Jack and Charlie here in Emporia.  He had thought with a city this big he would have no trouble finding a job and getting a foot hold.  Of course he wasn’t anticipating fighting 1500 new unemployed citizens after Tyson laid them off.  Even though he had not had the best luck he should be getting a call back from Wal-mart any day now.  If only he had the Wal-mart discount already, then he could buy some good food.

            “No, we already decided that Pizza was not an option.”  Jack had gotten the spinner down and was spinning it.  It had landed on Pizza twice in a row.  Jack spun the spinner again and got McDonald’s.  By now Luke was intrigued, “No, McDonald’s just doesn’t sound very good at all.”  This time Luke spun the spinner: Pizza.  Laughing, Luke said, “Well that thing just doesn’t know what’s good at all does it?”

            “You could go to Applebee’s.”  Charlie had given up the quest for a topic and moved into the living room to listen to the cause of all the laughing.

            “No man, I don’t have enough money,” Luke said.

            “If only Emporia had an Italian restaurant,” Jack said longingly.  Jack loved Italian food.  Back home in Olathe there were plenty of Italian restaurants.  His personal favorite was Zio’s, at which he had 7 or 8 different things that he liked to order.  He longed for Zio’s, Olive Garden, even a Fazoli’s.  He hadn’t even thought to check the restaurants in Emporia before signing on at ESU, ‘surely they would have an Italian restaurant’ he had thought.  Instead the city was overrun with disgusting Mexican joints, and there was not an Italian restaurant in sight, resulting in the constant struggle to find something that sounds good in the 5 or 6 places he can eat.  Maybe he should just drive to KC for dinner.

            “Mom cooks!  No way I ain’t cooking anything tonight.”  Luke’s sudden exclamation shook Jack back to his senses.  Charlie had spun the spinner, thinking that maybe he would have more luck.  Unfortunately his luck had been even worse. 

            “What made you think that I would have more luck anyway?  I can’t even come up with something to write about.”

            “You could write about two guys deciding what to eat.”  Jack had meant the comment to be a joke, but Charlie’s face seemed to light up as if he had just discovered the meaning of life. 

            “Maybe that would work.”  A plot began to unfold in his head, two boys thinking futilely of where to go to eat while another needed something else.  But what ending could there be?

            “No, no thank you Charlie.  I just live to solve all your problems.  Now, you got somewhere for us to eat?”

            “Taco Bell?”  Charlie said.   He always loved to make fun of Jack for not liking Mexican food, and Jack loved to make fun of Charlie for hating Chinese.  This time was no exception.

            “Careful, we’ll bring back China Buffet,” Jack replied. 

            “No, too expensive,” Luke said.

            “Well, I’ll think about it.”  Charlie said as he went out the front door.

            “Gee thanks man,” Luke said.  The silence that followed was interrupted only by Jack’s growling stomach.  Charlie returned carrying a notebook and pen.  “Think of anything?” Luke asked hopefully.

            “No, sorry.  What sounds good?”

            “Nothing” Jack said as Luke said “Everything.”

            “Well, you could go to Mr. Goodcents, they at least have pasta.”  It was as good as Charlie could do to help their situation.  He expected a simple “No, that doesn’t work” from either of them, but all he saw was Luke looking at Jack who had that “light bulb just went off” expression.

            “Subs, I haven’t had those in a while. How does Quizno’s sound?” he asked. 

            “Sure,” said Luke.

            “Thanks Charlie,” Jack said as he grabbed his coat and they walked out the front door.  Charlie longed to go with them, he wasn’t hungry but he didn’t like the idea of more homework.