the pie

[instar]

Gym class is mind-numbing. Bella spends it thinking about introversion - Andi finds it peculiar and kept asking her questions about it. Bella's not an extreme case of the type, but definitely qualifies. Andi always has more friends - needs more friends - than Bella does.

Comments

[aeskhyne]

Trouble shrugs again and proceeds to the counter.

"I dunno, what have you got coming already?"

[instar]

"Shrimp fried rice, dumplings, hot and sour soup, beef-and-broccoli, crab rangoon. And the obligatory fortune cookies."

[aeskhyne]

"Sounds good to me."

[instar]

"Okay. Renée will probably also throw in an order of eggrolls with four people to feed, she likes them but me and Andi don't."

[aeskhyne]

"I'm fine with those," he says cheerfully, setting the cake down and stepping back to admire it. It is a good-looking cake.

[instar]

"The cake is really pretty - did you just carry it here from your house? Where do you even live?"

[aeskhyne]

"What else was I gonna do, levitate it?"

[instar]

"I mean, walking as opposed to getting a ride or taking a bus somewhere."

[aeskhyne]

"Oh. Nah, I took the bus," he laughs.

[instar]

"Where from?" Bella asks again.

[aeskhyne]

"Not that far."

[instar]

"Is there some reason I'm not allowed to know where you live?"

[aeskhyne]

"Yeah, nobody does."

[instar]

"Why?"

[aeskhyne]

"Skip it."

[instar]

Bella reaches for her notebook.

She writes this down.

[aeskhyne]

"Taking notes?" he inquires.

[instar]

"It's a thing I do."

[aeskhyne]

"Learning anything interesting?"

[instar]

"Insufficient data."

[aeskhyne]

He laughs.

"I'll bet."

[instar]

Bella shrugs, glances at the clock. "I'm going to call in the Chinese food now so it'll be ready when Renée passes the place on her way home from the teachers' meeting." She picks up the phone, dials the number from the takeout menu, and orders all of the listed things, eggrolls included.

[aeskhyne]

Trouble finds a chair to flop into while she is on the phone, and flops into it, closing his eyes and resting his hands on his stomach. It looks very comfortable.

It also incidentally reveals some nasty-looking bruises that were previously hidden by his shirt. One just under his colarbone on the right, one on his left shoulder peeking out from under his sleeve.

[instar]

Bella looks at him.

She looks at the bruises.

She concludes her phone call - "the name is Swan" - and hangs up.

"What happened?" she asks, gesturing at the bruises.

[aeskhyne]

He opens his eyes. "Mm?"