Sweet as a Strawberry

28 ~ Sour as Van Houten

Suddenly, someone slapped my hand away from my fork. "Hold up, Scooby Doo, let me in on this poutine, yeah?" Lottie smiled at me and picked up her fork.

"Scooby Doo?" I wondered. I frowned. "Was that a crack at my food eating?"

"It wasn't a crack, it was an ode."

"That was not an ode, do you even know what odes are?"

"I know that they exist," she said brightly.

I scoffed. English major, my ass. "Of course they exist, and an ode is supposed to be like a mmfmffm-" Lottie had shoved her fork into my mouth, succeeding in both silencing and almost choking me.

"I think that's the first time I have had to shut you up! I don't care what an ode is while my tummy is empty."

"How is your tummy empty? It's got to be only the size of my fist, and you've already eaten most of the cake," I said.

Lottie giggled into her hand. "What did your Miss Franny say about calling me a pig?"

My mouth opened. "Who called you a pig? Not me. Don't put words in my mouth, not where Miss Franny can hear you," I said, whispering the last part intently.

"I'm just teasing, Benny," she said cheerily, patting my cheek. "Here, want some more poutine?" She held her fork out to me, and I glanced from her fork to her encouraging expression.

"I can feed myself," I muttered, grabbing the fork from her hand. I ate the potatoes and then realised that this was the second time I'd touched her fork with my mouth. That thought made me freeze, and my movements were stiff when I handed the fork back to her.

She just regarded me with amusement. "You're weird," she said, "but sort of in a good way."

I gulped to make myself not act like such an idiot. "Sort of?" I asked, glad that my voice had its regular amount of brusqueness in it.

"Yup, only sort of." She smiled at me and ate her own forkful of poutine. I internally cringed because I had also used that fork. God, I was such a mess. Get your dumbfuck brain out of the clouds, Benjamin. "Are you full?" she asked.

I shrugged awkwardly. "Not really."

"Then stop staring off into space and eat some more, Ben."

"Thanks, Mother," I said with a roll of my eyes.

"Sassy," she said, laughing. "You're so sassy."

I pulled a plate of cheese filled pasties towards me and started scarfing them. Anything to stop me from becoming a total and utter idiot in front of this girl.

Although I was almost one hundred percent sure that she didn't care about that one whit.

***

"I think I just ate my body weight in cake," Lottie groaned, flopping backwards onto my bed.

I sat down on my chair and spun it around to face her. "Was it worth it?"

She grinned. "Yes it was."

I chuckled and turned back to my desk, opening my laptop. I had a maths assignment to turn in, and since we'd be here for a couple days, I had to do it online.

"Ben?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't have anything to change into," she whispered. "Also, I don't have anything - not a toothbrush or a towel or even a comb!"

I frowned and then stood, feeling guilty. It was my fault she was stranded here with no supplies in the first place. If I hadn't have asked her to come, she'd be at her room, happily chilling with her best friend. "We can go get some stuff if you want. I'm sure there's some markets nearby."

Lottie rubbed her arm and mumbled something. I raised my eyebrows. She grinned sheepishly and said, "I don't have any money, Benny boy."

I held up two fingers. "Don't call me Benny boy," I said, putting down one finger. "And seriously? Obviously I'm gonna buy it for you."

"I really can't let you do that," she murmured, sounding uncomfortable. "Don't you have some spares around here?"

"I can get you clean towels and toothpaste, but not any of the other stuff. Unless you wanna wear..." I trailed off and scratched my head, wondering why now of all times I had to run my mouth.

"Wanna wear what?"

I gulped and looked at her curious face. "Obviously you don't have to, I mean, it's totally your decision. We can go to Safeway or maybe BHS and see if they've got something."

Lottie giggled at my stammering. "What were you going to say before, Benny?"

I shoved my hands in my armpits and blinked hard. "Well, you can always wear my shirt if you want. And maybe we can borrow some trousers from Archer. He might also have a spare toothbrush."

It took a few moments before Lottie responded. "Well, I'm all about being cheap and avoiding paying for things," she said cheerily. "I hope you didn't sweat too much, Benny."

My mouth opened at her teasing. "Oh, shut up, Lottie."

She laughed and my frown melted off my face. "I'm shutting up."

_____________

OKAY THIS STORY HIT OVER A MILLION READS AND IM CRYING. HOW DO I THANK YOU GUYS? DO YOU EVEN UNDERSTAND HOW HAPPY I AM? I AM GOING TO KEEL OVER AND PASS OUT. SHOOT ME I JUST REACHED MY LIFE GOAL. It's taken me almost three years, but I finally made it!