The Family Experiment

21)Moods(Weston)

I grabbed the menu and began inspecting it, I didn't need to. I knew this menu from front to back. Plus it didn't help that I always got the same thing. To be honest I don't know why I picked the menu up. Maybe I needed a distraction from the girl sitting across from me, staring at me looking for answers I was unable to give.

"If you keep staring I might think you like to look at me." I said.

"I don't understand you." Her voice was barely audible.

"I don't understand myself, so don't try too hard."

"Why?" She had said. There were many things she could be asking why about.

"Why what Amelie, be more specific?" I asked, placing the menu down. I stared into her eyes. Hers had gotten brighter. When we were younger her eyes were like sea glass with a sky blue around the edges. Now they were like fresh cut grass in summer, bright and vibrant with a dark ocean around the edges.

"Why come here everyday and get my order, and sit in our booth?" I was hoping she wouldn't bring it up, because quite honestly, I didn't have an answer.

"Is a man not allowed to come to a diner he likes and sit in the seat with the best view and get a meal he likes?"

"You can sit in whatever damn seat you like Weston, but the meal stuff is bull shit. You never liked strawberry milkshakes, it nearly made you puke every time, you don't like the fires here because they are too salty for you, and you don't like chicken nuggets because the processed meat scares you." All the information used to be true. I didn't love strawberry milkshakes but I survived them because they made me feel closer to her. I've grown to love the salt they put on the fries here. I'm still not sure on the nuggets but I eat them because they remind me of summer with her.

"You don't know me anymore, Amelie." I was defeated. I deflated into my seat, not able to bear sitting myself up. God I wish I could tell her. I wish I could scream to her the answers and beg for her forgiveness.

"Yeah and who's fault is that?" Mine. It was all my fucking fault. She repeated my same action and collapsed back into her seat. She crossed her arms over her chest. We stared at each other yet again, lost in another silent contest. I couldn't help but observe her. She had changed like most people do as they grow up. Her face was littered with freckles. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a single braid. Her hair was darker than when we were younger, it used to be nearly white. Now it was a golden dirty blonde and she had very slight bangs that were long but didn't quite fit into the braid she had. Her gaze was soft and gentle but if you pissed her off she had a killer death glare. She was still Lee, every bit of her was still the same person I grew up with. She was still my Lee, always and forever.

A loud cry sounded beside me and I saw Amelie flinch before closing her eyes for the briefest moment.

"I win." I uttered. Her eyes shot open with a hint of anger.

"That's a stupid win, Myers." She said as I took out the food we bought for Scout. I grabbed the spoon off the table and began to feed her the mush of squash and beets.

Myra Jane came back over and got us waters, of course telling us she'd be back over in a few to take our orders.

I gave Scout some water before setting her in the corner of the booth. Amelie still stared at me.

"What is it Amelie, if you keep staring I might just get performance anxiety."

"I doubt that, from what I've heard you go round after round." She narrowed her eyes at me, but I could see the hint of jealousy hidden within them, even if she didn't know it herself.

"Jealous much?" I smiled, even if all those stories were just stories, some people still believed them.

"Of your fuck toys?" She raised her eyebrows, "Absolutely not."

Myra Jane came back over before I could retort.

"What would yall like to eat?"

"I'll take a strawberry milkshake with fries and the nuggets." Amelie smiled at Myra Jane. I wish she were smiling at me.

"Make that two." I said and I could feel Amelie's cold glare on the side of my face.

"You guys are a much simpler order than some of the other kids that come running around here." She gave us a wink before leaving again.

She soon came back with our food, breaking the awkward silences that had stretched between Amelie and I.

Amelie watched me take my first bites. The first sip of my drink, the first fry I ate, and the first nugget. She watched it all intently, looking for a hint that maybe I wasn't so different than she remembered. I was sad that she would have to realize I was not the boy she grew up with.

We finished our dinner and Amelie went to change Scout's diaper. Coming back nearly dry heaving saying that it was the most disgusting thing ever and some lady in the restroom gave her an evil eye for Scout. I put down a fifty and stood up, Amelie gapped at the money on the table.

"That's nearly a thirty dollar tip Weston."

"Yeah I know," I said, leaning in closer to her, "sometimes if I'm feeling extra generous I'll leave a hundred." I smiled.

"You're going to go broke." She shook her head.

"You heard that my great grandfather finally died, right?"

"Yeah, Grandpa Joe, god wasn't he like a hundred." She laughed.

"Damn near close, but he left his fortunes to me. Trust me babe I have plenty that dropping fifty everyday won't make me bankrupt, and if my useless money helps keep Moods a float just a little bit more I will gladly give my money to them."

"Grandpa Joe left you his money?"

"And his vacation house in Italy." I said, making my brows jump. She rolled her eyes at me and headed out the door.

We sat down in the car and after a few minutes of silence I spoke.

"Can you make me a promise?"

"Depends on the promise." She said, staring out the window.

"Can we forget about the past and just live in the presence?"

"I can't make that promise," she sighed and looked out the window.

"Can you make me a promise?" She asked. Without hesitation I replied:

"Anything."

"Will you tell me one day?"

"One day I will answer every question that has ever crossed your mind."