Page 34 (2/2)

“I do” She claps her hands when I slide the plate toward her across the counter “You kno sous and their pee smells, and some people eat it and their pee doesn’t? I think it arlic and onion” With that pronouncement, she lifts the bread and takes a healthy bite out of one end

Moans

A string of cheese hangs between her ood”

I know it’s not polite to stare while so it in a way I can’t help but observe It’s completely impossible not to watch her inhale the pasta noodles and theup the ainst time and hasn’t eaten in days

Or like she’s in a spaghetti-eating competition and must beat an opponent

She has no shame

Or, she just does not give a shit about my opinion or what I think of her—because I’m not someone she finds attractive? Not someone who is a potential boyfriend? Wouldn’t she be ht I was cute? She probably remembers what a dork I hen I was a freshman and thinks I’m a dork today Lilly was up in my bedroom; she saw all my nerdy awards, trophies, and ribbons

Whatever, I’ to be her boyfriend, let alone date her, so what do I care what she thinks of me

I’ her friend

Besides, she just broke up with some douchey football player; clearly that’s her type

Plus, she’s sworn off ory, don’t I?

I glance away to give her privacy

“Ohnoodle back into heroff the stove”

“It was fantastic”

“I should have gone with you tonight What are you having next week?” She laughs, wiping the corner of her mouth on a napkin she’s plucked from the nearby napkin holder

“Er, spaghetti usually, unless I ask for so different”

She nods “Heaven”

As someone whose mother was home most days after school and cooked up a storranted the fact that ood cook I can’t reht on Sunday or the last ti homemade; I don’t have to ask Lilly to know that certainly wasn’t the case in her house growing up

Lilly continues to eat, eventually finishing the entire meal while I stand there aardly She finally puts down the napkin, resting it on the countertop to signal that she’s done eating, and smiles at me

“You’re going to have plenty for yourself, I hope”

“Oh for sure, don’t you worry about esture around at the containers “This is way more than I can eat hetti from now until next weekend”