Jay's POV
"Spicy is superior."
"No, sour is elite."
"Sweet is for people who fear pain."
Yuri stopped walking and stared at me. "You just insulted three entire food groups in one sentence."
I tossed a bag of flaming hot chips into the cart dramatically. "Spicy builds character."
He grabbed a neon green bag of sour gummies and held it to his chest. "Sour builds personality."
"It builds trauma."
"You're dramatic."
"And you're red."
He blinked. "Excuse me?"
I leaned closer and squinted at his hair under the mini-mart lights. "You know… if this place had a 'Flamin' Inferno Chips' mascot, they wouldn't need to design one. They'd just hire you."
He gasped. "Unbelievable."
"You literally match the spicy aisle."
"At least I don't look like grape soda," he shot back.
I flipped my hair. "Grape soda is iconic."
We continued down the aisle, arguing like professional snack critics.
"Spicy chips," I declared, grabbing another bag. "They hurt you but you still go back. That's loyalty."
"Sour candy," he countered, throwing two into the cart. "It shocks you first, then makes you happy. That's emotional growth."
"You're describing therapy."
"You need therapy."
I shoved him lightly.
We reached the drinks section.
And that's where the real war began.
"Soda," I said firmly.
"Juice."
"Soda."
"Juice."
"Carbonated excellence."
"Artificial chaos."
"You're the artificial chaos!"
He grabbed an energy drink.
I grabbed iced tea.
He grabbed sparkling water.
I grabbed cola.
We stared at each other like this was a championship round.
"You know what?" I said suddenly.
"What?"
I jumped onto his back.
He stumbled. "JAY!"
"Carry me, spicy mascot!"
He groaned but held onto my legs. "You're insane."
"I'm fun."
"You're heavy."
"I'm royalty."
He walked a few steps while I laughed uncontrollably.
"Faster," I demanded.
"I'm not a horse."
"Then what are you? Red licorice with legs?"
He almost dropped me laughing.
We passed the snack cart section.
I stopped suddenly.
"You know what would be amazing?"
"No."
"Yes."
I jumped into the shopping cart.
He stared at me.
"Push me."
"No."
"Push me."
He sighed dramatically.
Then pushed.
And we were flying down the aisle.
"FASTER!" I shouted.
"This is illegal!" he laughed.
We almost knocked over a display of cereal.
I raised my hands like I was on a roller coaster. "Bow before your snack queen!"
He was laughing so hard he had to stop pushing.
"You're embarrassing."
"You love it."
He leaned on the cart, catching his breath.
Then squinted at me.
"You really think my hair looks like a chip mascot?"
"Yes."
He grabbed a random bag from the shelf and held it next to his head.
It matched.
Perfectly.
I burst out laughing so hard I nearly fell out of the cart.
"Oh my God. You ARE the brand ambassador."
"Unbelievable," he muttered.
We were still laughing.
Still arguing about sour versus spicy.
Still fighting over drinks.
Still pushing the cart.
Still being loud.
That's when I noticed something strange Outside.
The automatic door didn't open for anyone new.
But the air felt different.
A faint hiss.
I frowned slightly.
"Do you smell that?" I asked.
Yuri sniffed. "Smells like—"
A strange mist drifted near the aisle entrance.
At first I thought it was a cleaning spray.
Then my vision blurred.
The lights flickered in my eyes.
"Yuri…" I said softly.
He turned toward me.
His expression shifted instantly.
The cart wobbled.
My hands felt heavy.
My head spun.
The aisle tilted sideways.
The colorful chip bags turned into streaks of red and yellow.
Yuri grabbed the cart handle tightly.
"Jay?"
His voice sounded far away.
My fingers slipped off the cart edge.
The last thing I saw—
Was his red hair under the white lights.
Then everything went dark.
End of Chapter.