Black or White

Chapter 2 )( Left Her Cheese Dust On the Carpet

   Plum Girl's only reaction was a short pause mid chew then she swallowed like it never happened.

"I have literally no idea what you are talking about. That's an interesting conversation starter though, I'll give you that." Dan paused the show.

"I mean the day we first met, the guy whose bagels I stole, grimy looking sack of meat. He died after eating your bagels. Kind of assumed since then that your bagels caused it." Dan put down the chip bag, kept his gaze ahead of him.

"Well, dear host, I do not remember you, so that's going to make this harder. To humor you though, if some guy died eating bagels that I sold him, which I highly doubt, maybe he choked. I don't know, did you know him beforehand? Suppose he was a junkie who'd overdosed when you came by, you said he looked 'grimy'." Grimes choking had been something that had ran through Dan's mind whenever he thought about the incident; drug abuse had never come to mind. "I know I'm suspicious, I technically-" Dan coughed, she spoke over it, "-broke into your apartment during dead hours, but I am no killer," she huffed out something similar to a giggle, "It's cute that you think I'd poison a guy with bagels. I don't bake."

Dan knew there was something wrong with her story, but that was based on gut feeling and his own diamond recollection of what had happened. She was also misfortuned to have a pretty face, anyone would want to remember her. Although, the look of certainty on her face made Dan consider that, maybe, she didn't bake the bagels.

He hummed. With that part of his curiosity partially satisfied, he moved on.

"So, why did you sneak into my apartment at peak zombie hours? You wanted to see the new episode of 'Keeping up with Corporate' too?" The little joke brought his sister's comment on how sometimes he '..said things dumb enough to be funny..' to the forefront of his mind. While he humored her and never responded, he did not agree with her. Still, sometimes people did laugh when he spoke.

Plum Girl laughed a little, short and husky. Her chip heap almost eaten away in the bowl, Dan picked up his bag and began munching again, her ear twitched at the sound of him.

"By the way, are these popcorn chips? With white cheddar?" She asked while holding one up. Her phrasing made it sound like they had been talking about something much more 'movie night with friends' appropriate, like food.

"Yeah, they are. I saw my neighbor buy some the other day, maybe you could sneak over into his apartment and grab us another bag." It was another joke, this time no laugh followed. The room got silent and stayed that way for some time.

"I already told you I'm not a thief."

"Why are you in my apartment?"

Plum Girl turned bodily to him, chip bowl empty on her lap. She looked like she was about to speak; a breath whooshed past her lips instead and her eyes focused on his face with intent that it lacked before.

"Ah, you know what. I do remember you. The asshole that got me shut down for good by the police." Her hands let go of the bowl, she folded them across her chest and straightened her posture. "I still stand by that I didn't poison anyone. The only wrong I did to that man was emptying his wallet. Good thing I did it too, paid for that ticket you got me."

"Pretty sure you got that because you were an unlicensed food vendor."

Plum Girl pursed her lips as if she would not respond; which is what she did. She reached forward, towards his chip bag, Dan pulled it behind him.

"You said it would be cruel to steal from a lamppost looking dude like me. Don't touch my chips." She retracted her hand, leaned back a bit.

She stared at him for a while, the darkness from before shrouding her face like it did her figure earlier.