"So I'll come pick you up at around 8 pm. And he can give us a ride to the venue, okay?"
"Okay."
Isaac hung up the phone and climbed the stairs. He could hear the noise the closer he got to the front door. He wondered how they hadn't been stormed by the entire neighborhood. Isaac knocked on the door lightly a few times because he carried with him two plastics of canned sodas and chips.
"WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?!" Out came Rikki but this Rikki was different. His face seemed to have been used as a template for the girl's makeup combinations.
"Wow, you're dazzling." Isaac laughed.
"Oh haha, get in here!" Rikki tugged Isaac to enter the house.
The living room was a mess, clothes everywhere. The kitchen on the other hand was spotless because none of the three knew how to cook a decent meal or were afraid of giving the others stomach poisoning. They head up to her room and hear strange noises coming from inside. They stuck their ears closer to the door and blushed as they heard the girls struggling to have Mei try on some new outfits. Before long the door swung open and the two guys fell into the room.
"So, what exactly were the two of you doing?" Sydney said, standing menacingly above the two.
"Uhm… Drinks?" Isaac offered his plastics of sodas and chips to no avail.
~~~
"So Mei, which outfit did you like most?" Sydney asked, popping a soda can open and relaxing on the sofa in the living room.
"I don't know, they all looked great. The brighter ones caught my eye." Mei answered, sitting next to her.
"Oh, you mean the yellow one? It does match your usual attire, but I was thinking of something a bit more out of your comfort zone. Oh, I know! How about the… Hey! Watch where you're sweeping!"
"M-My bad!" Rikki, who had a huge bump on his head, apologized and went back to tidying up the living room.
"Isaac? How's dinner coming along?" Sydney called from the living room.
"I-It's almost done!" Isaac, who also had a huge bump on his head, set up two plates of colorful meats and veggies.
"H-Here you girls go!"
The guys dropped to their knees on the other side of the table while the girls indulged in their food. Their eyes were fixated on the food while they whimpered at each bite the girls took. The sound of rumbling stomachs echoed around the room.
"Oh, did you guys want some too?" Mei asked, condescendingly.
The two nod their heads.
"You still gonna be dirty perverts?" Sydney intimidatingly asked.
They shake their heads in response.
"Do you know what'll happen if you do that again?"
The two nod their heads
"That's good to hear! Now you can eat."
The two start to scramble towards the girls, hoping to get a bite.
"Not our food!"
"But… I didn't make extra." Isaac said as the sound of their rumbling stomachs resonated once more.
They ended up sharing the food in pairs. Sydney and Rikki started off bickering at one another but settled in by playfully exchanging spoonfuls of food. Isaac and Mei witnessed the entire scene and were astonished at how the situation resolved itself almost instantly.
"So how is it?" Isaac asked.
"Good! Are you sure you're a painter? Because if things don't work out, I could see you running a restaurant." Mei snickered, causing some bits of rice to fall out of her mouth.
"Are you nervous?"
"You mean the presentation later? Of course, I am, but in a good way."
"Really? Did something happen? You were pretty down about it the last time we talked about it." Mei asked as she prodded what food was left on the plate.
"I had a very… enlightening conversation with Professor Ozwell earlier."
"Ozwell? The art department head? I guess it makes sense for him to consult you about your entry. Did he have anything nice to say?"
"Oh no, he basically told me that I'm a lost cause."
"And that got you into this bright mood?"
"Yeah, it did, weirdly enough."
"I'm glad for you. Though, did he say anything about the paper we're making?"
"Not really, no. You think he has something planned?"
"Wouldn't put it past him. Crossed a lot of people like him with these stories and they've done some pretty messed up things."
"Oh? Like what?" Isaac asked, gathering the dirty dishes in the kitchen sink. Mei followed ahead.
"There was this one guy, he sold crystal on campus. I got the okay from Ikki to tell a story about him when he came up to my house and offered me a brown bag filled with cash."
"Really? Did you take it?" Isaac started cleaning while Mei sat up on the countertop.
"No, but if I knew you were gonna invite me to this meet I wish I did. But he actually let his supplier's name slip while talking. I told him to wait by the door while I went to get my recorder."
"Then?"
"Hmph? Oh, I never went back. Woke up the next day and added his supplier's name into the story and we got them both."
"So you just left the poor guy out there in the cold?"
"Oh he had a bag full of cash, he could've ordered a tent online and camped out."
~~~
It grew late. The girls went upstairs to get ready for the meet while the guys stayed downstairs. Isaac wore a black coat and tie with his hair slicked back. He thought of leaving his glasses off just for this occasion but after bumping into every fragile figurine Mei had, he thought otherwise.
"Yo, how do I look?"
Rikki came out of the bathroom. He wore a beige suit with a deep brown vest lined with gold patterns inside and he too slicked his hair backward.
"Wow," Isaac asked in astonishment.
"Wow what? Is there something on my face?"
"No, there isn't. I'm just surprised you don't dress like this as often."
"Really? I think it looks weird, feels weird too. This shit's itchy as hell and I can feel the leather with this belt around me."
"Well, you look great. Just bear with it for the evening." Isaac chuckled.
"What're you laughing about? Also, your bowtie is loose. Here, let me." Rikki came up behind Isaac to straighten his bowtie.
"My, such a gentleman." Isaac exclaimed in the fanciest voice he could muster.
"Oh, haha."
The door leading to Mei's room swung open as Rikki finished with the bowtie. Out came Sydney, wearing a white dress studded with gold textured patterns all over. Her makeup seemed expertly done and her hair was curly as it bounced with every step she took. She had the accessories to match and the walk that turned heads.
"Woah! You look amazing, Syd!" Isaac said.
"Not too bad yourself. I was kind of concerned with your wardrobe after seeing how you treat your home, but I gotta say you cleaned up great." Sydney approvingly said as Isaac's eyes shined after being praised.
"Yeah, you look great, Syd," Rikki said.
"Great? That's all you have to—"
Sydney trailed off after turning to Rikki. She eyed him from head to toe and was speechless. Her jaw dropped slowly but she quickly recovered before anyone noticed.
"Y-You don't look so bad yourself hehe…" Sydney said as she turned away and blushed.
"Oh, thanks. Hey, how much longer do we have to wait? Is Mei done yet?" Rikki asked.
"Yep!"
Mei's door swung open again, this time slamming into the wall opposite it. Mei appeared, sporting a deep dark dress with a hint of blue. The dress was sparkling like the stars in the sky during a clear night. The ends of her dress had short violet extensions that curled inwards. Her nails were a touch darker than gold but matched the yellow headband with a flower accessory. Her makeup and curly hair also seemed masterfully done.
"You really do know how to get our attention," Sydney said.
"I aim to please."
"So, what do you guys think? I'm pretty good, aren't I?" Sydney asked.
"Yeah, I barely recognized my rough and greasy star journalist with all that makeup on." Rikki laughed before Sydney jerked him along with a fist to the shoulder.
"How about you, Isaac?"
Isaac was frozen, his eyes wider than ever. He wanted to compliment her, tell her how divine she looked but there were no words that came to his head.
"It's weird, right? You guys all look amazing, but maybe this fancy stuff just isn't for me." Mei shrugged.
"What? No! You look beautiful. I think you look beautiful. It's just that, my mind can't think of other words to describe it except beautiful. I should probably stop saying beautiful."
"N-No, please continue." Mei covered her mouth and blushed. Isaac noticed this and did the same.
"Okay, you two lovebirds we ought to get going now. The food's probably halfway gone at this point." Rikki said, pushing them out the door.
"Oh about that! You guys should head on over. I told my mom I'd pick her up myself."
"Well, why don't I just drive you to the hospital then we'll all meet at the venue entrance?" Sydney asked.
"Really? Thanks!"
They drove to the hospital and dropped off Isaac and proceeded to the venue. It took some time for Sydney to find a parking spot after winning an argument with other drivers who vied for the same spot. They waited at the venue entrance but half an hour had passed and there was still no sign of Isaac.
"Have you tried calling him?" Sydney asked Mei.
"Yes, but he's not responding."
"Dammit, I can smell the food from out here. You think something happened?" Rikki asked.
They sat in the waiting area in confusion for a little while longer until Mei's phone rang.
"Isaac? Where are you? I think it's about to start." Mei said.
"She's gone."
"What? Isaac, you're not making any sense."
"It's… Mom. She's… gone."