used to.” I felt melancholy as I thought of Dad. Noticing, Everett threw something at me. “Ouch!” I rubbed my arm where it hit.
“Oh, come on! That didn’t hurt,” he said, picking up the bag of Goldfish from the floor. “Here. Eat some and turn that frown upside down. You probably have a headache because your blood sugar is low from not eating breakfast.” He tore open the bag. “Besides, I can’t stand seeing you look so desolate, which is impossible while eating crackers with smiles on their little fishy faces.”
I laughed, throwing a few in my mouth. “Who uses the word desolate?” I mocked.
“The guy who probably loves books just as much as you do.”
I rolled my eyes not knowing if he was being sarcastic or not. After eating a few handfuls of Goldfish, I unloaded the rest of the bag near me, finding plums, mayo, smoked turkey lunch meat, a block of sharp cheddar, extra crunchy peanut butter, blackberry jam, whole wheat bread, a container of one hundred percent orange juice with medium pulp, movie-style butter flavored microwave popcorn, cans of mandarin oranges, dried apricots, Granny Smith apples, and a box of my favorite brownie mix.
“Everett?” I slowly backed away from the counter, eyeing the items. He must have caught the tension in my voice, for he again looked to me with alarm. “What’s going on? And don’t tell me it’s a coincidence. I’ll allow that last night and this morning were coincidental, but not this.”
“What?”
“This! All this,” I yelled, pointing at the counter. My eyes searched his face for answers, finding none. “Don’t play dumb with me. There has to be a rational explanation. Did my dad give Brightman a list of all my favorite things or something?”
He looked at me like I was crazy. Maybe I was.
“Not that I know of,” he answered. “Besides the mint tea and Maddy’s soup, I randomly picked things. I mean, who doesn’t like those brownies? They’re awesome!”
Once again, I was caught in a whirlwind of deciding whether to pursue this further or doubt myself. Everett made a good point. I wasn’t the only person in the world who liked all these items. But that was just the thing. All of these items were my favorites. I looked up to find him watching the internal dialogue playing out on my face.
“Are we friends?” I asked, point blank.
“Yeah.”
“And friends don’t lie to each other, right?”
“Never,” he answered.
“So, as my friend, you promise you’re telling the truth?”
“I’m sorry.” He paused a beat. “I did lie. Maddy used her gift to help me.”
“You’re blaming this on Maddy?” I didn’t buy it.
Mia bounded into the room. “Yo ho, mateys! I’ve hidden me plunder,” she said in a horrible pirate accent. “Ye done unpacking that there booty?” Her smile faded as she noticed our serious expressions.
Everett answered in a lackluster tone, “Almost done, matey.”
“Good, because I’ve got an idea!” Mia said, lighting up. “We should show Sophie that really cool bookstore in town.” She turned to me. “Would you like that?”
“Sure,” I answered, my eyes fixed on Everett.
“Great. I’ll grab my jacket,” Mia said, running back into her dorm.
“Let it go,” Everett growled as soon as we were alone again. “Just be thankful I got you groceries.”
“I don’t mean to harp on this, Everett, but Maddy made one of my favorite meals last night, then you magically appear this morning with my favorite breakfast. That’s enough to raise suspicion, but then, you arrive with two heaping bags full of my favorite foods.”
“What are you saying?”
“I don’t know. I sound crazy, but it’s more than a little weird.”
“Will you get over yourself?” He turned to me, fuming. “As your friend, I was trying to do something nice for you, but I’m starting to regret it. You’re totally ungrateful.”
I reeled from his outburst, realizing he was right. “I’m so sorry.” Everett
“Oh, come on! That didn’t hurt,” he said, picking up the bag of Goldfish from the floor. “Here. Eat some and turn that frown upside down. You probably have a headache because your blood sugar is low from not eating breakfast.” He tore open the bag. “Besides, I can’t stand seeing you look so desolate, which is impossible while eating crackers with smiles on their little fishy faces.”
I laughed, throwing a few in my mouth. “Who uses the word desolate?” I mocked.
“The guy who probably loves books just as much as you do.”
I rolled my eyes not knowing if he was being sarcastic or not. After eating a few handfuls of Goldfish, I unloaded the rest of the bag near me, finding plums, mayo, smoked turkey lunch meat, a block of sharp cheddar, extra crunchy peanut butter, blackberry jam, whole wheat bread, a container of one hundred percent orange juice with medium pulp, movie-style butter flavored microwave popcorn, cans of mandarin oranges, dried apricots, Granny Smith apples, and a box of my favorite brownie mix.
“Everett?” I slowly backed away from the counter, eyeing the items. He must have caught the tension in my voice, for he again looked to me with alarm. “What’s going on? And don’t tell me it’s a coincidence. I’ll allow that last night and this morning were coincidental, but not this.”
“What?”
“This! All this,” I yelled, pointing at the counter. My eyes searched his face for answers, finding none. “Don’t play dumb with me. There has to be a rational explanation. Did my dad give Brightman a list of all my favorite things or something?”
He looked at me like I was crazy. Maybe I was.
“Not that I know of,” he answered. “Besides the mint tea and Maddy’s soup, I randomly picked things. I mean, who doesn’t like those brownies? They’re awesome!”
Once again, I was caught in a whirlwind of deciding whether to pursue this further or doubt myself. Everett made a good point. I wasn’t the only person in the world who liked all these items. But that was just the thing. All of these items were my favorites. I looked up to find him watching the internal dialogue playing out on my face.
“Are we friends?” I asked, point blank.
“Yeah.”
“And friends don’t lie to each other, right?”
“Never,” he answered.
“So, as my friend, you promise you’re telling the truth?”
“I’m sorry.” He paused a beat. “I did lie. Maddy used her gift to help me.”
“You’re blaming this on Maddy?” I didn’t buy it.
Mia bounded into the room. “Yo ho, mateys! I’ve hidden me plunder,” she said in a horrible pirate accent. “Ye done unpacking that there booty?” Her smile faded as she noticed our serious expressions.
Everett answered in a lackluster tone, “Almost done, matey.”
“Good, because I’ve got an idea!” Mia said, lighting up. “We should show Sophie that really cool bookstore in town.” She turned to me. “Would you like that?”
“Sure,” I answered, my eyes fixed on Everett.
“Great. I’ll grab my jacket,” Mia said, running back into her dorm.
“Let it go,” Everett growled as soon as we were alone again. “Just be thankful I got you groceries.”
“I don’t mean to harp on this, Everett, but Maddy made one of my favorite meals last night, then you magically appear this morning with my favorite breakfast. That’s enough to raise suspicion, but then, you arrive with two heaping bags full of my favorite foods.”
“What are you saying?”
“I don’t know. I sound crazy, but it’s more than a little weird.”
“Will you get over yourself?” He turned to me, fuming. “As your friend, I was trying to do something nice for you, but I’m starting to regret it. You’re totally ungrateful.”
I reeled from his outburst, realizing he was right. “I’m so sorry.” Everett
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