Standing By

Covering For Friends

(Scott)

"Something quick," Kevin was telling us. "And, ideally, portable."

"Pffft!" Kirstie spat out a large mouthful of water and tossed a water bottle aside. "Ugh! That's nasty!"

"Grossss," Mitch groaned, dancing out of the way of the Kirstie fountain.

"Portable—and potable," I giggled, watching her still sputtering. "What's the deal with that, anyway?"

She made a face. "I took a giant drink of it but it tasted like soil. Like plant water. Like it had just been extracted from a flower pot."

"You going to start spouting roses now?" I cracked, making Mitch giggle.

"I got to get that taste out of my mouth," she was groaning. "And, yes, I feel roses, daffodils, daisies, and tulips coming out of my nose, mouth, eyes, ears, belly button, ass, and—"

"Turkey!" Avi hollered out at us hurriedly. "Ham! Chicken! Sandwiches at the cantina!"

"Sounds like a lot of carbs," Mitch grumbled.

"Carbs aren't going to kill you," I pointed out, then wrapped my hands around his slender waist. "Need some meat on you anyway."

He snorted disdainfully, then turned his nose up at each of the sandwiches we offered him.

"Mitch," Kevin said firmly. "You need to eat. Which of these sandwiches do you want? Ham, turkey, or chicken?"

"Don't they have any wraps? Or salads?" Mitch was saying, half in the refrigerator, with just his ass (a very small ass, I might add) sticking out. "They have nothing here!"

"Mitch, just take a sandwich." Kirstie tossed a ham sandwich at him. He made no movement whatsoever to catch it, so I reached over and caught it before it fell on the floor.

"If you really can't deal with bread right now, just eat the meat and veggies off of it," I told him, trying to move the cellophane aside to show him. "Look, it's got plenty of—Mitch, are you listening to me?"

"Huh?" He peered at me from under the glass shelf in the fridge.

"I said, just eat the meat and veggies off the sandwich," I repeated.

He made a face and finally climbed out of the fridge. "Lemme see."

I showed it to him, pointing to the fixings on it. "See, it's got ham, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, cucumber, and I think I even see a carrot." I raised it eye level and squinted at it to double check.

"It's a salad on bread, Mitch, eat it," Avi ordered, taking his turkey sandwich and water bottle to the counter, snagging a bag of chips on the way.

Mitch took it from me and turned it over in his hand. He was still examining it after Avi, Kevin, Kirstie, and I had bought our food, and Kirstie was already halfway through her new water bottle. Rolling my eyes, I just yanked it from his hand, grabbed a fruit cup and a water bottle from the fridge, and tossed it all on the counter.

"Quit thinking about it; just buy it and eat it," I told him.

Grumbling, he made his way up to the counter and handed over the cash for it. He grabbed a fork from the basket and came over to the three of us—three, because Kevin had gone back for a bag of baked Lays. Then Avi spied Mitch's fruit cup and had to run back for one of his own.

"Oh, crap, forgot napkins," Kevin mumbled, darting over to the napkin dispenser and loaded up. By the time he got back, Kirstie needed another bottle of water.