Only the Moon Watching

Chapter 22: The Answer

If you could invite anyone living or dead to dinner – don't say who it would be – what would you feed them?

Breakfast for dinner, scrawls Steak. You can tell a lot about someone by what they eat for breakfast. And, you can wear your pajamas, be comfortable together.

"That's a good one," says Shiv. "That's really smart, he's sensitive."

I'd make pancakes from scratch, not a box. And have maple syrup, jams, and lemon curd sauce. I've always wanted my own powder sugar shaker, like we're at a diner.

"Aww that's sweet!" I confess. Heads together, we can the rest of his letter. Every one of his answers is thoughtful, revealing, and adorable:

Blue.

Water-bender.

Pokemon.

People probably think anyone in jail is a Slytherin, but Slytherins wouldn't have gotten caught. I'd say I'm Gryffindor, ask your roommate what I've done. I think it was pretty selfless, definitely reckless and brave. I did it for the greater good – I hear that's the villain's motto in the spinoffs, but I haven't seen them yet since I've been locked up.

I don't know what my star sign is now that there's a thirteenth one. That changes things. (And I believe in free will, anyway. I hated Interstellar because it wasn't about the humans saving themselves – I don't like when there's divine intervention: aliens or God or a deux ex machina saving the day. When I get myself into a mess I want to get myself out out of it.)

Spring – because I like the smell, best. Fresh flowers and easter candy, baseball.

Favorite TV show – Lie to Me – but I don't think you can tell by looking at me whether I'm mad to be in jail or mad to have a cute girl looking at me while I'm in jail and haven't had a decent haircut in months. People are nuanced – and we're also not.

Favorite book isn't Vonnegut. You might find that surprising, but I read every YA book I can get my hands on. I want to hear about normal teenagers doing normal things. I want to imagine my biggest problem is who's going to invite me to prom.

He ends the quiz with a note:

I hope my answers are (or were better than) what you were expecting. Sorry it took me so long to send this back, I wanted to answer thoughtfully. I only have one question I want to ask you back: do you think you could like me, yes or no? Or I guess: do you like me enough to keep talking? Knock once for no and twice for yes, if you hear a lot of thumping and jumping, that's me celebrating – or throwing things, depending on your answer. (Just kidding, I'm a nonviolent offender!) Let me know.

I knock twice on the bowl.