Chapter 3.3

Zolnax looks up at me and exclaims, “Today is going to be a great day, Creator! I can feel it!”

(Oh, well, I’m happy you’re happy! Maybe today WILL be a great day! 😃)

Zolnax is at House 2 to take the girls to their first challenge.

But when he enters the main room, fire alarms shriek through the house and smoke fills his nostrils.

“Not again,” he grumbles.

But instead of one lady putting out the blaze, there are three.

“Guys,” Annabeth says through gritted teeth, “this is MY gig! Go start your own fires.”

“You can’t get all the free time with Zollie,” Ariana hisses, “share the wealth, why don’t you.”

June grimaces. “My authenticity detectors indicate an infringement on our domicile. You shall not plunder more chronology from my human admirer.”

(Let me translate: Get away from my boyfriend, bish! 👀 Ohhhh, the catfighting is starting early today!)

When the fire is estingushed, Ariana says, “Mission accomplished. Zollie didn’t give anyone extra free time. That Annabeth doesn’t know who she’s messing with if she thinks she can grab more time.”

(Aack! Look at those eyes! I wouldn’t want to mess with her either! Annabeth, you better listen! 😱)

“See, Creator?” Zolnax says when we got to the beach. “I told you it was going to be a great day!”

(But a fire erupted again at the tree house. I don’t think it’s a good idea to have a fire pit on a wooden floor.)

Zolnax grins and lifts his finger. “Yes, but seeing everyone in a panic sent goosebumps through my soul!”

(Evil sims. 🤦‍♀️)

Tonya Anansi asks, “What are we doing today, Zollie?”

Jada interjects, “It better not have anything to do with those cauldrons sitting on the beach. I hate cooking!”

But that’s exactly what we’re doing, Jada–cooking! Sorry!

Zolnax raises his arm and cries, “You may commence with the challenge….NOW!”

With a flip of a gigantic wooden spoon, mac and cheese bubbles and burps. I must admit, the smell alone makes me hungry!

“Creator, why do you hate me?” Jada yells (as if she can see me.)

(She BETTER not be able to see me! 👀 But she’s looking in the wrong direction so I’m safe.)

Ariana loves to cook and she swirls and inspects and dotes on her pot of cheese. Will she win this challenge?

It’s close, but June is the first to finish and takes a plate of tasty cheddar for Zolnax to admire.

“Great job, June!” he says.

In her electronic voice, she warbles, “It’s you and me and this plate of cheese makes three.”

(***Smacks head*** Not another one! She must have been reading right out of Divan Rex’s cheesy lines.)

Zolnax walks up to Tonya and announces, “Congratulations! You’re the second winner.”

Tonya flips her ponytail. “Well, my mother taught me how to cook from a cauldron when I was little sOooOOo, it comes naturally.”

“Cheater,” Jada grumbles from behind.

She stabs her fork in the cheese. “I hate cooking. I hate cheese. And I especially hate people who have better skill than me. It isn’t fair.”

Zolnax ushers the two winners inside the cafe and asks each of them what they want in a husband.

Tonya answers, “I’d WANTED someone who looked like Leonardo DiSimprio but…”

June interrupts, “How DARE you mention that name within 100 parsecs of my human admirer’s ears. He is by far the most provacative, the most woo-hoo worthy human on the planet and I expect you to give him a full confession of atonement immediately.”

(👀👀👀👀👀 I’ll say one thing for June, she’s passionate.)

Both Zolnax and Tonya are left speechless.

(Ehehehehhh…that could have gone better…)

Anyway, I quickly zip Zollie over to House 1. Maybe the winners’ date will go better with them.

Tension fills the air as four girls wait to start on their mac n cheese.

Smiling, Zolnax says, “Ladies, take your wooden spoons and…START!”

Cheese fills the air as the ladies salt and stir and boil their bubbly mixture.

“Oh…would this be a cauldron of snot, I would like it much better.”

(Um…Keisha, have I ever told you that you are…WEIRD? No? Well, I take it back. That’s just…gross!)

“Aaah!” Princess cries, “I thought I saw a snake. A live snake is in my pot!”

(Hon, that’s just the macaroni. I can assure you there’s no snakes in Sulani.)

Keisha was the first to finish. “My snot turned into a pile of noodles. Whew!”

(That’s not SNOT, Keisha! Now I’m definitely not hungry… 🤢)

And the second winner is Princess!

“Hee hee! That wasn’t a snake after all. Funny how the mind can play tricks on you.”

(Funny, yes! But maybe thinking snakes were in her cauldron helped her cook faster.)

Zolnax leads the two into the cafe and asks them the same question: what are they looking for in a husband?

Princess answers first, “Well, you’re perfect, I hope, since I want a man with a well equipped…um…BAR! Yeah, that’s it…bar…”

(Sure, Jan. 😏)

Zolnax smirks. “I like where her mind is going,” he says inside his head.

(You would. 😑)

Keisha answers, “I need someone who likes really dark places and really sparkly places and really WILD places. Basically, someone who can handle my mood swings.”

Zolnax waves his arms. “Listen, Keisha, I can handle anything.”

Keisha’s face falls. “Oh…that makes me so sad.”

(***Hits head on desk***)

After the date is finished, they all head back to the girl’s mermaid house.

Jenna pops up and arches her eyebrow. “Did you have…fun?”

(Uh oh, Zollie, looks like you’re in trouble.)

He opens his arms and says, “Not as much fun as I’m having right now with you, dear.”

(Good answer. Heh heh… 😜)