Jackson Jones, Book 1_ The Tale of a Boy, an Elf, and a Very Stinky Fish - Jenn L. Kelly [15]
I’m not going to tell you what happened in there. It’s too awful. If you’ve ever been sick before, you know exactly what happened in there.
Some time passed. Jackson slowly opened the door and staggered over to Meeka. She clandestinely shoved the plain, brown book back into her tour-guide bag. (Clandestinely is like when you try to sneak cookies from the cookie jar without getting caught. I do not approve of such tactics. If you want a cookie, you should ask. If you are told no, I’m sure there are some good reasons, even if you don’t like them.) Jackson slumped into his chair. His pajamas were wet and his face sickly and pale. He glanced over at the buffet table and felt his stomach churn. Then he noticed a sign on the table.
Why, oh WHY, hadn’t he noticed that before? Jackson sighed.
Meeka stood up and patted his head like a dog. “I’ll help you feel better, Jackson. Wait here.” She left the table for a few moments and then came back with a tray full of food.
Jackson groaned weakly. “Oh, Meeka, I can’t eat anything! I’m sick! I’m shaking! My stomach is still churning. I feel like there’s a kangaroo jumping in my belly!”
Meeka pushed the tray in front of Jackson. The smell of the food made him nauseous.
“Eat,” she said.
“I can’t.”
“Eat!”
“I can’t!”
Meeka speared a baby tomato and tried to shove it into his mouth.
Jackson jerked his head away. “Stop! STOP! I’LL THROW UP ON YOU!”
“Would you please trust me? I am the tour guide, you know.” She shoved the tomato into his mouth.
Jackson barely held back the nausea. He felt the bile moving up the back of his throat.
But he chewed.
The sweet tomatoey taste exploded in his mouth. It was so…good. Jackson felt the nausea subsiding. He took a bite of the lettuce and felt his belly calming down. Fresh strawberries, blueberries, cooked carrots in tarragon butter, wilted spinach and mushrooms…it was amazing. Jackson stopped sweating and the cramps ceased.
“I don’t understand. Why do I feel better now?” Meeka smiled, tucking some hair behind her elf ears. “Jackson, I know I’m still young, and I’ll probably just be a tour guide for my entire life. But what I do know is that if you don’t take care of your body, it won’t take care of you.”
Jackson jumped up from the table. He felt fantastic! He felt like he could take on the world!
Or at least a tour in Great-Aunt Harriett’s hair.
“Take me to the next room, Meeka!” Jackson cried. Meeka squeaked with laughter, and off they went.
Chapter 21
In Which There Is an Important Conversation
So, Meeka, how long have you been a tour guide?” Jackson asked as they meandered down the hall.
“Um, longer than I should.” Meeka began digging in her bag.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, someone in my position would normally have been promoted a long time ago.” Meeka shook her head and her long hair fell, covering her face.
Jackson stopped walking to look at her. “Can’t you complain?”
“Why should I? I’m the one who keeps messing up,” she said, looking earnestly at him. She pulled out a broken pen, studied it for a moment, and then shoved it in her pocket.
“Could you change jobs?”
Meeka began walking again. “Oh no! I’d never ask to move. He has great confidence in placing me right where I am.” She pulled out a crumpled piece of paper.
“Who?”
“The Author.”
“What Author? Lemony Snickett? Is he your boss?”
“Oh yes, but He’s so much more than that. He’s also my best friend.” Meeka pulled out a twisted barrette from her bag. She shoved it back in.
“Lemony Snickett is your best friend?”
Meeka stared at Jackson. “What? No! Who’s Lemony Snickett?”
Jackson shook his head, confused. “OK, wait a minute. How could your best friend put you in a job you don’t like?”
“We-ell. It’s complicated. But not. It’s definitely a long story,” said Meeka. And she stopped walking because they had arrived at something very unexpected.
You’d think at this point Jackson would stop expecting anything, because so many unexpected