Kayla draws out, slightly confused. She watches Jackson walk
into the kitchen. Kayla rolls her eyes and thinks about how weird he is.
Following Jackson, she throws her backpack on the counter and asks, “Are you
hungry or thirsty?”
“Both, actually.”
Walking over to the fridge, Kayla opens it and looks inside. “There’s
leftover lasagna or we have frozen pizza downstairs.”
“Pizza would be good.”
“All right, I have to go get it.” She runs down the basement steps and to the
freezer in the back. Kayla grabs a pizza out of it. When she turns
around to walk back up the steps, she passes the side room. Movement
catches her eye. Kayla screams, “No! ”
Jackson spins toward her as he puts the leaf in his mouth. “What?”
“Spit it out! Spit it out right now!” Kayla shrieks.
With a raised eyebrow, Jackson continues to chew. “Why?”
“It will make you sick, and it’s really dangerous!”
Jackson scoffs at her and swallows. “Kayla, calm down. I eat this
every day.”
Kayla squeaks in bewilderment. “You do?”
“Yeah, where do you think your parents got it
from?”
“Oh, do you know what it is?” she asks, since her parents still haven’t told
her.
Jackson takes off another leaf and offers it to her. Kayla studies him
and then opens her mouth. With a smirk, Jackson gently places it on her
tongue. “It’s called Kiej.”
“Is that Chinese?”
Jackson shakes his head. “No, it’s not from China. Is that what your
parents told you?”
“Yeah. So where is it from then?”
“Are you sure your parents have never mentioned us before?”
Kayla looks off to the side. “I think I would remember that my parents
had friends who had a son my age.”
“Mmm, well, Kiej’s origin is kind of a family secret. Let’s just say it’s
from really far away from here.”
“My parents put it on everything. I don’t mind; it tastes kind of good.”
Jackson puts his hand on her shoulder and guides her toward the basement
stairs. “It’s what was in those brownies.”
“But you said there wasn’t anything dangerous in them.”
“Not dangerous to you. It wouldn’t hurt you.”
“How did you know that?” Kayla asks as they climb the stairs.
They return to the kitchen, and Jackson takes the pizza from her. He
flips it over to read the directions. “It was in the food last
night. Couldn’t you tell?”
Shaking her head, Kayla whispers, “No, we eat it so often I barely notice it
anymore. My parents are lucky you guys didn’t have a reaction.”
“We wouldn’t. Anyway, I knew it was safe for you to eat, Kayla. I
would never let anything happen to you.”
Slightly taken aback, Kayla says, “Really?”
Quickly spitting out a response, Jackson seems to cover up his words.
“Well, if you kick the bucket, I would become valedictorian by default, and
that’s not as much fun.”
“You know what, you have a redeeming quality for like a nanosecond, and then
you open your
into the kitchen. Kayla rolls her eyes and thinks about how weird he is.
Following Jackson, she throws her backpack on the counter and asks, “Are you
hungry or thirsty?”
“Both, actually.”
Walking over to the fridge, Kayla opens it and looks inside. “There’s
leftover lasagna or we have frozen pizza downstairs.”
“Pizza would be good.”
“All right, I have to go get it.” She runs down the basement steps and to the
freezer in the back. Kayla grabs a pizza out of it. When she turns
around to walk back up the steps, she passes the side room. Movement
catches her eye. Kayla screams, “No! ”
Jackson spins toward her as he puts the leaf in his mouth. “What?”
“Spit it out! Spit it out right now!” Kayla shrieks.
With a raised eyebrow, Jackson continues to chew. “Why?”
“It will make you sick, and it’s really dangerous!”
Jackson scoffs at her and swallows. “Kayla, calm down. I eat this
every day.”
Kayla squeaks in bewilderment. “You do?”
“Yeah, where do you think your parents got it
from?”
“Oh, do you know what it is?” she asks, since her parents still haven’t told
her.
Jackson takes off another leaf and offers it to her. Kayla studies him
and then opens her mouth. With a smirk, Jackson gently places it on her
tongue. “It’s called Kiej.”
“Is that Chinese?”
Jackson shakes his head. “No, it’s not from China. Is that what your
parents told you?”
“Yeah. So where is it from then?”
“Are you sure your parents have never mentioned us before?”
Kayla looks off to the side. “I think I would remember that my parents
had friends who had a son my age.”
“Mmm, well, Kiej’s origin is kind of a family secret. Let’s just say it’s
from really far away from here.”
“My parents put it on everything. I don’t mind; it tastes kind of good.”
Jackson puts his hand on her shoulder and guides her toward the basement
stairs. “It’s what was in those brownies.”
“But you said there wasn’t anything dangerous in them.”
“Not dangerous to you. It wouldn’t hurt you.”
“How did you know that?” Kayla asks as they climb the stairs.
They return to the kitchen, and Jackson takes the pizza from her. He
flips it over to read the directions. “It was in the food last
night. Couldn’t you tell?”
Shaking her head, Kayla whispers, “No, we eat it so often I barely notice it
anymore. My parents are lucky you guys didn’t have a reaction.”
“We wouldn’t. Anyway, I knew it was safe for you to eat, Kayla. I
would never let anything happen to you.”
Slightly taken aback, Kayla says, “Really?”
Quickly spitting out a response, Jackson seems to cover up his words.
“Well, if you kick the bucket, I would become valedictorian by default, and
that’s not as much fun.”
“You know what, you have a redeeming quality for like a nanosecond, and then
you open your
Similar Books
