"Bird me," I said.
Josh grinned and weighed our plates down with tons of food. Once he had everything he wanted, he dumped a ladleful of gravy over all of it, even the roll. He watched me as I covered only the meat in gravy.
"Wuss," he said.
"I just like it the way I like it."
"So, what're you doing later?" Josh asked. "I don't know about you, but I was bored
off my ass today."
"What did you do?" I asked.
"Painted a little. Called my parents. Called my brother. Called my aunt's house and defused an argument between Tess and Tori having to do with sleeping arrangements," he said. "They're twins. Thirteen-year-old female twins with opposite personalities. It's no fun."
"What was the argument?" I asked.
"My aunt put them in the bunk room, as always," he said.
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"They were fighting over who got to sleep in the bottom bunk. Three years ago they were fighting over who got to sleep in the top bunk. I don't get girls."
"We are a mysterious people," I said.
Josh laughed, his eyes shining in the candlelight.
"You must be a really good big brother," I said. "Most guys wouldn't bother trying."
"Just hoping to save the world from nuclear meltdown," Josh said. "Do you have any siblings?"
"Just my brother, Scott," I said. "He's older."
"What's he like?"
"I have no complaints," I answered.
"And where's he this weekend?"
"Home with the parents," I said. "Actually, if I were looking out for him, I'd be there too. Although he's better off there alone than I would be."
"Volatile situation?" Josh asked.
I froze. How had I let a detail like that slip? I never talked to anyone about my home life. Except Thomas.
"Nothing out of the ordinary," I said, then filled my mouth with potatoes.
Josh watched me for a moment, and I had a feeling he was going to ask me something, but instead he changed the subject.
"So, do you want to hang out after this?" he asked.
I glanced around to see if anyone at the faculty table had heard
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him. They were all too involved in their meals and their hushed conversation.
"I don't know. How would we get past Lattimer?" I asked.