CHAPTER 2: Chris

I stuck a bunch of these girly pansy-a*s Band-aids on my knees after rubbing Neosporin on them. They say it feels like cold water or something but it really feels like acid. Of course I had to be nice to the lady who brought me in and donated her medical supplies to us. Andrew just sat on the other side of the couch and this Dusty girl was just sitting "Criss-cross apple sauce" on the right side of the clear glass coffee table. It was a very awkward moment until Dusty broke the silence with her shy voice. 

"You guys want anything to drink? Or eat?" 

I looked at Andrew and he looked at me. I shrugged, wincing as I dabbed more Neosporin on my elbow. 

"What do you have?" Andrew asked, not being very polite like how other people would be, declining food and asking about their life. 

Dusty tilted her head and looked into the hallway which led to what I think is the kitchen.

"Erm, we have pretzels, soda, water, tea, coffee, Ritz, bread, ham, I'm pretty sure I can make a sandwich, ice cream, and...stuff."

Andrew quickly responded to a Cola and pretzels as I pondered over the foods.

I'd have tea but what if she burns herself? I'd have a sandwich but that'd take too long...

"And you, Chris?" Andrew questioned, attempting to be fancy and polite. 

"I'll just have some pretzels..." I muttered. 

REAL SMOOTH, FISHBAG.

Dusty nodded and headed to the kitchen.

"Dude, you okay?" Andrew asked.

"Yeah, man. Putting these girly Band-aids on my face is really gonna up my popularity starting as a senior."

Andrew snorted and laughed, then he quieted down and looked in the kitchen hallway, then came back to the couch.

"So, this Dusty chick, pretty cute, eh?"

"Sure..." I mumbled, she was actually reeaallly cute. She had this tangly auburn hair that ran straight down to the bottom of her rib cage. She had chestnut eyes with no sign of eyebags which meant she was probably having enough sleep unlike us. Today she was wearing a red T-shirt with the words "LOVE IS UNFAIR" scribbled on it in black letters, and a pair of pajama pants which probably meant she didn't change. Her skin was a pale white so I suspect she isn't the sporty type. She acted real nervous around us probably because she wasn't real okay with two teenage boys in T-shirts and khaki shorts and All-Star shoes in her house.

"How old you think she is?" Andrew said, picking up a little glass panda on the table and examining the details.

"Probably a couple years younger than us, 16 maybe..."

Suddenly Andrew burst out "HEY HOTSTUFF, HOW OLD ARE YOU?"

There was a quiet moment.

"Seriously?!" I whispered to him.

"I'm 15 and a half." I heard Dusty say. Then she came out with a platter the size of a school lunch tray. 

She placed it on the coffee table and took away the panda Andrew was holding with a hasty "Donottouchthat!".

The platter had two glasses of Coca-Cola in them and one mug of Earl Grey tea, in a small orange bowl of Chex "Party mix".

"Sorry, we were out of pretzels." Dusty said with a kind smile. 

Andrew and I picked up our cups and chugged it all down while Dusty just slowly sipped her tea. We dug our hands into the orange ceramic bowl and munched loudly, while Dusty just picked one or two at a time. 

"So," Dusty said, picking up the teabag from her mug and examining the wet leaves. 

"Tell me about yourselves." 

Me and Andrew looked at each other with uneasy faces, I nudged him with my good elbow, he grunted. 

"Um, I'm Andrew." he said. Dusty smiled. "This I already knew..." she mentioned. 

"I like cake," Andrew added. "and dogs, and fish, cats too... I'm 17...like to skateboard..."

"Your turn, wiseguy." he whispered into my ear.

"OH. Um, Chris. Also likes cake." I quickly responded, in third person, no less! 

"17." I added, just to set the ground rule that I was older than her.

"So, hotstuff," Andrew said, trying to be suave with the girls, like always, but instead of swooning or fluttering her eyelashes in return like the rest, Dusty gave an unpleasant reply. "I do have a boyfriend y'know." 

"Annnyyway," Andrew mumbled, trying to change the subject. "tell us about you."

Dusty shrugged and said "Why not..."