Even Through the Storm

31. A Pizza Pie

"Let's do something different today," Ash says as I buckle my seatbelt.

"What do you mean?" I ask. "Like, get gummy worms instead of a chocolate bar?"

"No, let's, let's do something really different. Let's go to a restaurant." The construction crew have all left Ash's old house, including Dri and my dad. The only ones left are Ms. Reynold's, Ash and I.

"Oh, um, okay. What restaurant?"

"Let's go to that Italian place. Marco's."

"You mean that one that has the make-your-own pizza?"

"Yeah. I think we need the change. I mean, we've seen twenty-seven movies."

"Wow, that many?"

"Yeah. Shall we get going?"

"Let's go." We drive to Marco's, a restaurant that's in another town. We get a table for two and order the make-your-own-pizza and a strawberry milkshake each.

"I have a challenge," Asher says.

"What?"

"We make each other's pizza. I make yours and you make mine. Then we have to eat as much of it as humanly possible, even if we hate it."

"If I say yes, will you purposefully make it disgusting?"

"Not if you don't."

"And can we put on parmesan and stuff afterward?"

"Yeah. This is a date, not an assignment."

"Okay. Let's do it." The server gives us each a milkshake and a make-your-own-pizza kit which includes dough, tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella, pepperoni, mushrooms, green pepper, sausage, and pineapple, along with a rolling pin. I roll out the dough and make sure the crust is thin. Then I add the sauce and mozzarella. I put the green pepper slices into a heart and fill it in with the pepperoni. After Ash is done with mine, he gives me his pineapple chunks and I give him my mushrooms and eat the chunks.

"Are you ready?" The server asks.

"Yeah," Ash and I say in unison. We give him the two pizzas-to-be along with the leftover toppings that we won't eat. "So," Ash says when we're alone again. "Have I told you when the trial is yet?"

"You haven't, but let's not talk about that right now."

"Okay, what do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know, this is a date, ask me how my day went or something."

"But I was with you all day."

"Okay, then ask me what my favorite color is."

"I know it. Purple."

"Okay, favorite animal."

"You have two of them. Koala, and panda, with dolphin as a close second."

"We spend too much time together."

"Or I'm just a good listener."

"We spend too much time together."

"Well, I did live with you for a week."

"More like two. Your mom and Linda seemed to get along semi-well today," I say changing the subject.

"Yeah, 'cause they didn't speak a word to each other."

"True, but it was a start." The server comes back with our pizzas, but this time, they're cooked.

"Need anything else?" He asks.

"No, thanks," I say.

"Okay," Says Ash when the server leaves. "On the count of three, we switch. Ready? One, two, switch!" I hand Asher his pizza and he hands me his. He made me my favorite. A deep dish with pepperoni and extra cheese. The pepperoni is shaped into an 'L', and there is cheese in the crust. I slice it with a pizza cutter and take one.

"Ash," I say with my mouth full. "This is amazing."

"This is great too. It's crunchy, and aw, so good." We finish our pizzas in silence, with an occasional 'ooh' or 'ah'. "New tradition?" Ash asks when our plates are cleared.

"A hundred thousand percent yes."