Five Girls - Chapter 50: The Rice Cooker Incident

Fatimah's Apartment - Morning

Fatimah was packing her bag for class when Alice burst through the door.

"FATIMAH! I NEED A FAVOR!"

Fatimah didn't even look up. "What now, Alice?"

"Can I borrow your rice cooker?"

Fatimah paused. "My rice cooker?"

"Yes! I want to make rice for lunch!"

"You? Cook?"

"I can cook!"

"But you burned water last week."

"That was an experiment!"

Fatimah sighed. "Fine. But be careful."

"I'm always careful!"

"You're never careful."

"That's not true!"

"It's completely true."

Alice grabbed the rice cooker and ran out the door. "THANKS, FATIMAH! I'LL RETURN IT!"

"You better!"

***

Alice's Apartment - Afternoon

Alice was determined to make perfect rice. She had watched three YouTube tutorials. She was ready.

"Okay, rice cooker," she said. "Let's do this."

She added rice. She added water. She closed the lid.

Then she pressed the button.

Nothing happened.

"Come on," she muttered. "Work!"

She pressed the button harder.

The rice cooker beeped. Then it started making strange noises.

"Is that normal?" Alice asked herself.

She looked at the manual. It was in a language she didn't understand.

"Probably fine," she decided.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbh3MIsZRbU

The rice cooker started shaking.

Alice watched it curiously. "That's new."

It started smoking.

"That's also new."

It started making a high-pitched whining sound.

"Okay, that's definitely not normal."

Alice backed away. "Maybe I should unplug it..."

She reached for the plug.

The rice cooker exploded.

BOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Rice flew everywhere. Steam filled the room. The lid shot across the kitchen and hit the wall.

Alice was covered in rice. She was covered in water. She was covered in regret.

"Oops," she said quietly.

***

Fatimah's Apartment - Afternoon

Fatimah's phone rang. It was Alice.

"Fatimah..." Alice said weakly.

"Alice. What happened?"

"So... funny story..."

"Alice. What happened to my rice cooker?"

"Okay, don't be mad..."

"Alice."

"It... it exploded."

Silence.

Fatimah's voice was dangerously calm. "It exploded."

"Yes."

"How?"

"I don't know! I just put rice and water in it!"

"Did you read the instructions?"

"There were instructions?!"

"ALICE!"

***

Alice's Apartment - Later

Fatimah arrived at Alice's dorm. The room was a disaster. Rice was everywhere. The rice cooker was in pieces. Alice was sitting in the corner, still covered in rice.

"I'm sorry," Alice said quietly.

Fatimah stared at the destruction. "My rice cooker."

"I'll buy you a new one!"

"You don't have money!"

"I'll get a job!"

"You got fired from your last job!"

"I'll get another job!"

"Where?!"

"I don't know! But I'll figure it out!"

Chima arrived. "What happened here?"

Fatimah pointed at the rice cooker. "Alice exploded my rice cooker."

Chima stared. "She exploded a rice cooker?"

"It's a talent!"

"It's a disaster!"

Naila arrived next. She looked at the chaos. Then she looked at Alice.

"Did you put too much water?"

"I don't know!"

"You probably put too much water."

"How do you know?!"

"Because that's what happens when you put too much water."

Alice stared at her. "How do you know that?!"

"I read things."

"You read?!"

"Occasionally."

***

They spent the next hour cleaning Alice's room. The rice was everywhere, on the floor, on the walls, and on the ceiling.

"I can't believe this," Fatimah muttered.

"I'm sorry!" Alice said again.

"You said that already."

"I mean it!"

"I know. But my rice cooker is still broken."

Wony arrived. "What happened?"

"Alice exploded a rice cooker."

Wony looked at the scene. Then she looked at Alice.

"That's impressive."

"Thank you!"

"That wasn't a compliment."

"It sounded like one!"

"It wasn't!"

***

Shopping Mall - Evening

Fatimah dragged Alice to the store to buy a new rice cooker.

"You're paying for this," Fatimah said.

"But I don't have money!"

"Then you're going to pay me back."

"How?!"

"I don't know. Figure it out."

Alice looked at the rice cookers. "Which one do you want?"

"The cheapest one."

"That one's ugly."

"I don't care about looks! I care about function!"

"But it's SO ugly!"

"Alice!"

"Fine, fine!" Alice grabbed the cheapest one. "Here. Happy?"

"Extremely."

***

Fatimah's Apartment - Night

Fatimah was cooking rice in her new rice cooker. And Alice was sitting nearby, watching.

"You know," Alice said, "I learned something today."

"What's that?"

"I'm never cooking again."

"That's a good lesson."

"Also, I owe you money."

"Yes, you do."

"I'll pay you back."

"When?"

"Eventually."

Fatimah sighed. "That's the Alice I know."

Alice grinned. "At least I'm consistent."

"That's not a compliment."

"It sounded like one!"

"It wasn't!"

They both laughed.

Because even though the rice cooker had exploded.

Even though Alice had caused chaos again.

They were still friends.

And that was all that mattered.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYz8QEsM7Is

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