“Oh.”
“Besides, feeling sorry for myself will get me nowhere. I mean, who doesn’t live with a broken family these days, right?”
“I don’t. My parents are still happily married.” I rolled my eyes as the familiar dead weight rolled back into place in my stomach. “And procreating.”
Ethan laughed. “Well you’re in the minority then, and we should all feel sorry for you.” He watched my face carefully. “You know, you never talk about your mom being pregnant. What’s up with that? Shouldn’t you be excited or something?”
“Would you be?”
“Yeah, I think so. I’m an only child, remember?”
I shrugged. “Well maybe it’s just the people who have families that are whole and untarnished that turn out sullen and angry.”
He laughed suddenly. “You’ve been hanging out with Finn too much.”
“What?”
“Nothing, it’s just you use such big words in everyday English. You and Finn are the only people I’ve ever met that do that. Though, Finn’s a lot worse about it.”
“I’m not using big words.”
“Cavalier? Untarnished? Sullen?” His eyebrows were raised and he looked at me in a way that clearly said “Oh please!”
“Those aren’t big words!” I was laughing at him now. “I hate to think of all those kids you left behind in Dallas who aren’t getting a real education!”
His face melted into a surly scowl. “Hey!”
“What?” I asked, after taking a long drag on my soda. “I’m sorry, but those are not big words. Those are average words in an average vocabulary.”
He didn’t say anything, but glared at me. For a few terrifying seconds, I was afraid that I’d offended him, but he let his guard down. The corner of his mouth twitched upwards ever so slightly. It was just enough for me to see that he wasn’t really upset about anything.
“Fine,” I said. “You can give me the cold shoulder all you like.”
He just stared at me and cocked his head to one side.
“Two can play at this game.”
He stayed silent.
“You forget that Shannon is my best friend,” I said. “I’ve gone days without breaking her silent treatments.”
He raised his eyebrows, clearly pointing out that I was still talking while he was not.
At this point, Shelly returned with our burgers. She placed them in front of us and gave us a broad smile. “Is there anything else I can get for you?” she asked, looking at Ethan specifically.
He looked back at her and smiled, but still said nothing.
“No?” she asked, turning to me now as her smile faltered. I shook my head at her. She nodded and we both watched her leave. She turned back twice to throw a confused glance in our direction.
Ethan and I stared each other down across the table. Neither one of us had touched our food. My stomach rumbled angrily, but I ignored it. Ethan looked quite comfortable where he was, still as a statue, but I was getting more and more irritated. After about five minutes, I decided enough was enough.
“All right!” I said. “I’m sorry! Can we eat now?”
“I was never preventing you from eating,” He picked up his huge burger and took a healthy bite, and I did the same. It was kind of greasy, but definitely worth the six dollars advertised on the menu.
“Sure,” I
“Besides, feeling sorry for myself will get me nowhere. I mean, who doesn’t live with a broken family these days, right?”
“I don’t. My parents are still happily married.” I rolled my eyes as the familiar dead weight rolled back into place in my stomach. “And procreating.”
Ethan laughed. “Well you’re in the minority then, and we should all feel sorry for you.” He watched my face carefully. “You know, you never talk about your mom being pregnant. What’s up with that? Shouldn’t you be excited or something?”
“Would you be?”
“Yeah, I think so. I’m an only child, remember?”
I shrugged. “Well maybe it’s just the people who have families that are whole and untarnished that turn out sullen and angry.”
He laughed suddenly. “You’ve been hanging out with Finn too much.”
“What?”
“Nothing, it’s just you use such big words in everyday English. You and Finn are the only people I’ve ever met that do that. Though, Finn’s a lot worse about it.”
“I’m not using big words.”
“Cavalier? Untarnished? Sullen?” His eyebrows were raised and he looked at me in a way that clearly said “Oh please!”
“Those aren’t big words!” I was laughing at him now. “I hate to think of all those kids you left behind in Dallas who aren’t getting a real education!”
His face melted into a surly scowl. “Hey!”
“What?” I asked, after taking a long drag on my soda. “I’m sorry, but those are not big words. Those are average words in an average vocabulary.”
He didn’t say anything, but glared at me. For a few terrifying seconds, I was afraid that I’d offended him, but he let his guard down. The corner of his mouth twitched upwards ever so slightly. It was just enough for me to see that he wasn’t really upset about anything.
“Fine,” I said. “You can give me the cold shoulder all you like.”
He just stared at me and cocked his head to one side.
“Two can play at this game.”
He stayed silent.
“You forget that Shannon is my best friend,” I said. “I’ve gone days without breaking her silent treatments.”
He raised his eyebrows, clearly pointing out that I was still talking while he was not.
At this point, Shelly returned with our burgers. She placed them in front of us and gave us a broad smile. “Is there anything else I can get for you?” she asked, looking at Ethan specifically.
He looked back at her and smiled, but still said nothing.
“No?” she asked, turning to me now as her smile faltered. I shook my head at her. She nodded and we both watched her leave. She turned back twice to throw a confused glance in our direction.
Ethan and I stared each other down across the table. Neither one of us had touched our food. My stomach rumbled angrily, but I ignored it. Ethan looked quite comfortable where he was, still as a statue, but I was getting more and more irritated. After about five minutes, I decided enough was enough.
“All right!” I said. “I’m sorry! Can we eat now?”
“I was never preventing you from eating,” He picked up his huge burger and took a healthy bite, and I did the same. It was kind of greasy, but definitely worth the six dollars advertised on the menu.
“Sure,” I
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