Ripples

"Mayo is where it's at"

Lucas placed the bagel on a cheap styrofoam paper plate atop the unlit grill. The ocean wind blew through his hair as he carefully sliced the bagel in two. Maddox sat at the table, flicking the wine bucket's handle up and down. A small cheap candle accompanied Maddox at the table. Unlike a real candle, it was made entirely of plastic, with the "fire" only being a small orange light bulb. The sun had begun to fall from the sky, basking the sky in yellows and reds.

Lucas unzipped a small baggie before carefully removing its contents, multiple slices of turkey, and a package of colby jack cheese. He lowered two slices of turkey onto the sliced bagel, curling up the sides to keep the slices from sticking out. Maddox watched Lucas, who squinted down at his creation. Next, he ripped off a small piece of cheese, placing it in the center of the bagel, before finally coating it in a thin layer of ranch dressing. A smile manifested on his face as he finished his creation, placing it before Maddox.

"What do you call it, chef?" Maddox smiled, placing her head in her hands.

The redness in her eyes had begun to fade, but it still remained noticeable.

"The classic turkey bagel sandwich, of course." Lucas returned the smile.

Maddox sunk her teeth into the sandwich while Lucas slid into the seat beside her.

"So, what do you think?" Lucas asked, propping his head up with his arm.

"It's good..." She responded, still chewing.

"...although, I'm more of a mayo girl than a ranch girl." She continued.

"I only brought ranch. Sadly. I didn't know I would be having company until last minute." Lucas explained.

"Mayo is where it's at, though."

Lucas jokingly rolled his eyes, causing Maddox to lightly punch him. She raised the sandwich up for Lucas, who took a small bite of it.

"Okay, I'll admit, Mayo isn't bad. They would never have packets of ranch in high school, just mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard. And I wasn't about to put ketchup or mustard on my damn cheese quesadilla..." Lucas explained.

"Wait, you put mayonnaise on your cheese quesadilla?" Maddox asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, gave it more flavor."

"...that doesn't sound awful."

"Right!? Pizza is good on its own, don't get me wrong. It's just you start dipping ranch into, and that shit is otherworldly."

Lucas reluctantly wrapped his arm around Maddox, gently pulling her in. Everything was quiet; Maddox worked her way through her sandwich, occasionally giving small bites to Lucas. The sandwich was eventually gone, and Maddox rested on her head on Lucas's chest, snuggling up against his shirt.

Lucas's heart paused when Maddox whispered, "Why did you bring all of this food anyway?"

Lucas painfully gulped, feeling his body tangle itself.

"It's not a party without food, you run out of food, and the party's over..."

Lucas's words slowly drifted off, he heard the faint words of Maddox speaking about her mother, but soon they faded. His head had turned towards the sea, watching the gentle waves. It was the only thing he could hear. They were so loud and booming; it was as if he was drowning in the middle of the ocean. All he could feel, all he could hear, all he could see were the waves.