calm the guy, who shared a few choice words with Sarah.
Halfway to the mess hall, she leaned over and placed her hands on her knees. “Go on without me.”
“ Are you sure?” Emily asked.
“ If they're going to make me eat, I'd rather take it slow. Maybe I'll have an appetite by the time I get there.”
After filling their trays, Matt and Emily went to the back table, where Damon gorged himself. Raven, however, dangled her fork in front of her lips, moving it side to side as if she counted down the launch of the space shuttle. Two bruised soldiers were turning green from Damon's display of gluttony. The rest of the table ate in silence.
Emily divided her pile of goo in four circles, but it put up a wicked fight, spreading out and coalescing into one bubbling mound. “My mom always told me not play with my food, but what happens if this stuff starts to play back?”
Raven took three quick bites. “I'm just happy this day is almost over.”
“ Tomorrow, they'll show us the simulators,” Damon said.
Raven dropped the fork on her plate.
He eyed her uneaten slop. “Do you mind?”
“ Be my guest,” Raven said, and scooted her tray in front of him.
Another tray clanged in front of Damon, and a wobbling Sarah stood behind him. “Have mine, too.”
His eyes lit up as if he were a little boy on Christmas. “Thanks.”
Emily glanced at Matt. He hadn 't said a word since they sat, and a half-eaten pile of food remained on his plate. “What about yours?” she asked.
“ It's not so bad.” Then his stomach growled and squealed.
“ You sure?”
“ How can you stand this crap?” Raven asked Damon. “My boyfriend will eat anything, but I don't believe even he'd touch this stuff.”
Sarah chuckled. “Just think. He's enjoying Chicken-A-la-King while you get to eat Chicken-A-la-Crap.”
“ I don't believe this is chicken,” Emily said. “At least not any part of a chicken I'd want to eat.”
Damon looked at his mountain of goo, his eyes showing a hint of disgust. Then he shrugged and shoved a massive pile into his mouth. The table went qui et except for Sarah, who chuckled to herself.
“ What's so funny?” Raven asked.
“ Cradle robber,” Sarah blurted out.
“ What's that supposed to mean?”
“ She thinks your boyfriend is a bit on the young side,” Emily said. “She's just messing with you.”
“ He's eighteen—a mature eighteen, thank you very much. I'm eighteen, too.” Her lips formed a tiny smile. “He asked me to marry him before I left. We plan to once I get out. If I get out. I didn't want him to buy me a ring, though. Once I put it on, I'm not taking it off, but here they'd probably make me.”
“ Aww,” Sarah said. “Make sure you have the ceremony the day after you get out. That way, your children can see your black eyes when you show them your wedding album.”
Raven crossed her arms and leaned back.
“I'm kidding. Besides, any man who still wants to marry a girl with the face of a raccoon is a keeper.”
Now Raven giggled. “He is. Either I got lucky with my memory loss or he's perfect. I don't remember a bad thing about our relationship. Not a fight or argument one. My mom even said she couldn't recall a moment when he and I seemed mad at each other.”
“ Almost too good to be true?” Matt said.
“ I guess I hit the jackpot.”
For a while the table went quiet as everyone watched Damon drop the last bite of slop into his mouth. “Done,” he said. “Time to get out of here.”
“ So what do we do for the rest of the day?” Raven asked.
“ Yeah?” Emily asked. “Why do they wake us up so early for such a short orientation?”
“ They're getting you accustomed to the routine,” Matt said. “Do whatever you want for now. I doubt we'll be able later.”
“ I'm going to the gym,” Damon said. “Then I'll probably get some shut-eye.”
“ I need to get my meds,” Emily replied, and stared at Matt. She nudged him in the ribs. “But you
Halfway to the mess hall, she leaned over and placed her hands on her knees. “Go on without me.”
“ Are you sure?” Emily asked.
“ If they're going to make me eat, I'd rather take it slow. Maybe I'll have an appetite by the time I get there.”
After filling their trays, Matt and Emily went to the back table, where Damon gorged himself. Raven, however, dangled her fork in front of her lips, moving it side to side as if she counted down the launch of the space shuttle. Two bruised soldiers were turning green from Damon's display of gluttony. The rest of the table ate in silence.
Emily divided her pile of goo in four circles, but it put up a wicked fight, spreading out and coalescing into one bubbling mound. “My mom always told me not play with my food, but what happens if this stuff starts to play back?”
Raven took three quick bites. “I'm just happy this day is almost over.”
“ Tomorrow, they'll show us the simulators,” Damon said.
Raven dropped the fork on her plate.
He eyed her uneaten slop. “Do you mind?”
“ Be my guest,” Raven said, and scooted her tray in front of him.
Another tray clanged in front of Damon, and a wobbling Sarah stood behind him. “Have mine, too.”
His eyes lit up as if he were a little boy on Christmas. “Thanks.”
Emily glanced at Matt. He hadn 't said a word since they sat, and a half-eaten pile of food remained on his plate. “What about yours?” she asked.
“ It's not so bad.” Then his stomach growled and squealed.
“ You sure?”
“ How can you stand this crap?” Raven asked Damon. “My boyfriend will eat anything, but I don't believe even he'd touch this stuff.”
Sarah chuckled. “Just think. He's enjoying Chicken-A-la-King while you get to eat Chicken-A-la-Crap.”
“ I don't believe this is chicken,” Emily said. “At least not any part of a chicken I'd want to eat.”
Damon looked at his mountain of goo, his eyes showing a hint of disgust. Then he shrugged and shoved a massive pile into his mouth. The table went qui et except for Sarah, who chuckled to herself.
“ What's so funny?” Raven asked.
“ Cradle robber,” Sarah blurted out.
“ What's that supposed to mean?”
“ She thinks your boyfriend is a bit on the young side,” Emily said. “She's just messing with you.”
“ He's eighteen—a mature eighteen, thank you very much. I'm eighteen, too.” Her lips formed a tiny smile. “He asked me to marry him before I left. We plan to once I get out. If I get out. I didn't want him to buy me a ring, though. Once I put it on, I'm not taking it off, but here they'd probably make me.”
“ Aww,” Sarah said. “Make sure you have the ceremony the day after you get out. That way, your children can see your black eyes when you show them your wedding album.”
Raven crossed her arms and leaned back.
“I'm kidding. Besides, any man who still wants to marry a girl with the face of a raccoon is a keeper.”
Now Raven giggled. “He is. Either I got lucky with my memory loss or he's perfect. I don't remember a bad thing about our relationship. Not a fight or argument one. My mom even said she couldn't recall a moment when he and I seemed mad at each other.”
“ Almost too good to be true?” Matt said.
“ I guess I hit the jackpot.”
For a while the table went quiet as everyone watched Damon drop the last bite of slop into his mouth. “Done,” he said. “Time to get out of here.”
“ So what do we do for the rest of the day?” Raven asked.
“ Yeah?” Emily asked. “Why do they wake us up so early for such a short orientation?”
“ They're getting you accustomed to the routine,” Matt said. “Do whatever you want for now. I doubt we'll be able later.”
“ I'm going to the gym,” Damon said. “Then I'll probably get some shut-eye.”
“ I need to get my meds,” Emily replied, and stared at Matt. She nudged him in the ribs. “But you
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