donât know. Jeans. Bec, we have more important things to figure out.â
âI know, I know.â It was my turn to sigh. âI wanted to act like nothing had changed, at least for a few minutes, you know?â
âYeah, I get it.â She sat up and grabbed a notebook. âOkay, enough moping. We need to plan. Where are we going to work?â
I wrapped my arms around my knees. âHow about bringing the stuff over tomorrow?â
âI asked
Tia
if I could stay here until my mom comes home. She liked the idea.â
âPerfect! Hey, we can go get your stuff and you can sleep here tonight. Then we can get an earlyââ
âWe? I donât know if you should go out yet.â
âCâmon, Carm, we got home okay.
Tia
will drive us. Besides, thereâs too much for you to carry alone if I know you. Let me go ask.â
I ran into the hall and downstairs to the kitchen where my aunt was baking. I went to the fridge and tried to not let her see my dejection. The door open, I grabbed a can of cola for Carm and was surprised to see a big pitcher of ruby red liquid on the bottom shelf.
âI put your cranberry juice and protein powder in the pitcher,â my aunt explained. âHelp yourself. Oh, and check the freezer. I made you a surprise.â
I opened the freezer door, wondering what she meant. Then I saw the pink ice cube tray, the small sticks poking out of each star-shaped slot. She mustâve seen my confusion and gave my shoulder a squeeze.
âHoney, I remembered how much you liked those freeze pops, so I made some little frozen bars for you with your juice, added some cherry this time. Makes it seem more like a treat. They should be frozen enough to eat in an hour.â
I closed the door and leaned over to kiss her cheek.â Awesome.
Tia, gracias,
you think of everything.â
Pouring a glass, I asked if we could take Carm home early to pick up her stuff. âItâll be easier for her to be here before school starts.â
She gave a low
mmm-hmm
and went back to cutting vegetables. â
SÃ,
we can go, but Iâm not sure you should be outside the house yet.â
I hid my pout. âIâll cover up. Promise. I have my hoodie.â
âWeâll see. Take this tray up to your cousin. Iâm sorry, honey, I donât have anything else for you to eat, but give me some time. Iâll figure out something.â
âItâs okay. Iâm not hungry anyway. Weâll be upstairs.â
âIâll call you when the baking is done. Then I guess itâll be all right. I can drop you girls at Carmâs house while I stop at the market.â
I bounded upstairs with the tray, grateful the protein stuff I slurped all day stopped those horrid hunger pangs. Saturday, my big pig-out day, loomed ahead.
Por favor, Dios,
please, donât let me go through those horrible pains again, I whispered.
The rainbow-hued plate in my hands, the red china covered with bright orange carrots, pale green celery pieces, and clumps of dark green broccoli, wouldâve pleased any artist. It was colorful, and almost appetizing.
Before this, Iâd never been much of a veggie person except for a carrot here and there, but once I couldnât have itâ¦I hadnât eaten in so long even the green clumps of broccoli made me long for a bite.
My fingers grazed a bunch and stopped. Ugh. I was losing it for sure when I considered eating that stuff. Never mind.
I pushed open the door and set the tray on the footstool. â
Tia
made you some veggies until we, uh, you eat later.â
Another apology left Carmâs mouth as she grabbed a carrot, dipped it in ranch dressing, and took a bite with a loud crunch. âSorry, Bec. I shouldnât eat in front of you.â
I sipped the juice and shook my head. No way, I could tell her about my weak moment. âCarm, quit apologizing. Youâll have to get used to it. Besides,
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