Summary: Casey starts trial number 3 of popularising string cheese dipped in apple juice. Her participant: Izzie.
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'So? What do you think?' Casey Gardner waited for the verdict as she watched her best friend eat her creation.
Izzie tried the combination carefully. 'I'll admit, there is a certain taste to it.'
'Right?'
'For sure. Who knew string cheese would match so well with apple juice?' The dark haired girl agreed as she took another contemplative bite. 'The sweet, natural taste of the apple juice hits your tongue first, but then the salty, kind of artificial cheesy flavour kicks in,' she sensed. 'And there's that one perfect moment where the cheese and the apple juice blend together before the cheese takes over your tastebuds.'
'Wow, that was like, the most elaborate answer I've ever gotten to the chapple combo,' the track runner grinned.
Her teammate made a face at her words, 'Chapple? That's the best you've got?'
'It was that or cheesle,' Casey admitted.
'Keep brainstorming,' Izzie advised playfully just as Sam Gardner joined them in the kitchen.
'This again?' He asked once he noticed the cheese and apple juice on the counter.
'Yep, and Izzie loves it,' his sister smiled victoriously.
'She's just saying that to be polite. Nobody likes string cheese dipped in apple juice,' the senior claimed with conviction.
'Nah-ah. You're just jealous you didn't think of it first,' Casey rebutted.
'Don't be ridiculous,' Sam poured himself a glass of water before directing his attention to the guest. 'If you're agreeing with Casey in order to make her like you more and to eventually become her girlfriend, you're doing a great job. Zahid told me girls like it when you agree with them, even if they're not making sense or when they're wrong.'
A pink blush covered both athletes' cheeks. 'I'm agreeing with your sister because I really do like the taste of string cheese dipped in apple,' Izzie explained as she bit back a smile at the penguin-lover's accurate observation. 'And you can tell Zahid that he's wrong. Girls like it when someone agrees with them when they're right, but we also appreciate it when someone lets us know when we're wrong and when they can make us see the situation from a different point of view.'
'Dating is complicated,' the young man frowned at her statement.
'It sure is, buddy,' Casey agreed, having been experiencing a whirlwind of confusion when it came to her love life.
'Okay. I'm going back to my room and watch the penguin cam. I should've been back upstairs by now, but you distracted me,' he stated before walking out of the room with the cup of water in his hand.
'Okay. Sorry for wasting your time, Sam,' the younger sister apologised without meaning it.
'God, what was that?' She turned to her best friend who was wearing an amused expression from their interaction.
'He's awesome,' Izzie chuckled.
'Awesomely bad at reading social cues,' the former Newton High student corrected.
'I don't know, he's getting pretty good at it. He wasn't too far off from the truth,' the Clayton Prep student teased before heading to the living room.
The Gardner sibling thought about her reply for a moment, her head snapping towards the other girl once the implications of her words set in, 'wait, what?'