“Lily, can I have a cookie?” asked Joseph, a kid in her class. “Oh, well, I don’t know, they might have nuts in them or something…” she replied, shakily. “That’s fine, I’m not allergic!” “Oh, I thought you were… weren’t you saying the other day that you were allergic to something?” “I’m lactose intolerant, if that’s what you’re thinking of?” “Oh, yeah, maybe, well, I should, you know, probably go to lunch…” “Um, we’re like 3 feet away from the cafeteria,” Joseph, said confusedly. Lily forced a laugh, “Oh! Yeah!” “Weren’t we talking about something else a second ago?” Lily looked at him strangely. “Were we?” Joseph nodded. “Yeah, cookies. So can I have one?” “Well, they might have- and maybe my friends- and what would- well… I guess so…”

Lily sat between Grace and Sheila at lunch, glancing over her shoulder every few seconds. “So,” Grace said, and one could hear the smile in her words. “I notice that you gave a certain cookie to a certain person.” “They weren’t certain cookies and he’s not a ‘certain person,’ he just asked for one and I gave him one!” Lily replied heatedly. “Then what were you talking to Joseph about for way more time than him asking for a cookie!?” Sheila said. “Uhhhh,” stammered Lily. “The weather.” “Nothing else?” Grace said, skeptically. “The weather?” Sheila said, barely smothering her laugh. “Nothing else.”

“Hey, Lily!” a voice called from across the sidewalk. She looked up and saw none other than- “Joseph! Hi! What are you doing here!” “Well, I mean I go to school here and need to walk home so…” “Right! Walking home from school.” “Anyways, I just wanted to say that those cookies were great and I’ll eat more if you ever bring in more! Oh and Brian and some of the other soccer players want some too.” Lily nodded. “Oh, yeah, um, I can make more sometime maybe if you like want or something.” “You’re the best!” Joseph walked away while Lily just stood there, watching.