The Mystery Ingredient

142

A triple drabble, written in 2010 for the LiveJournal me_and_thee_100 comm.

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“Starsk, would you quit stuffing your face with those things?”

Now, that was a challenge if he ever heard one. Starsky shoved one more marshmallow chick into his mouth, just for good measure. His cheeks bulging, he chewed the spongy mass slowly.

Hutch rolled his eyes. “That’s disgusting.”

After he swallowed most of it down, Starsky said, “Aw, c’mon, it’s just a little candy.”

Hutch picked up the carton and began reading the label. “Sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, preservatives, dye…”

Starsky snatched the box out of Hutch’s hands. “Hey, don’t take the mystery out of it.” He licked yellow crumbs off his fingers, grinning as Hutch grimaced.

“The only mystery here is why these things don’t give you instant sugar shock. No nutritional value whatsoever. Did you know the eyes are made from carnauba wax?”

That gave Starsky pause. “You mean, like the stuff I use to polish my car?”

“Uh-huh.”

Starsky picked up one of the remaining chicks and studied it carefully. “Huh. Didn’t think you could eat that.”

“My point exactly.” Hutch crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, too smug for words.

Starsky shrugged, and scraped the little dots off with a fingernail. “There,” he said, “problem solved,” and popped it in. Before Hutch could form a comeback or even lift an accusatory finger, Starsky got off the corner of the desk he’d been perched on and raised his hands in mock surrender. He began backing up towards the door.

“Alright, alright, I’m done. I won’t eat any more, so I don’t wanna hear another Peep outta you, y’got that?”

He ducked out of the squad room, barely in time. He heard a soft thump hitting the door behind him.

It’s a good thing he hadn’t been eating chocolate creme eggs. That would’ve been messy.