As the twins introduced their friend Mary, Rose felt herself growing slightly uncomfortable. The girl sported a dark tan and chocolate brown eyes. Her straight, jet black hair hung below her shoulders and she wore a faded T-Shirt, a worn �Good Charlotte� logo screened onto the front; and lastly, in her eyebrow rested a piercing that bore a striking resemblance to the ring that hung from Benji�s lip. Her eyes darted around the room, seemingly taking in every detail. �I�m Rose,� Rose introduced herself, interrupting Mary�s surveillance by offering her hand. Mary shook it gently, offering a small smile and introducing herself in return. Daisy chattered on with Joel as Benji sat with Mary on the couch, one arm draped over her shoulder casually, the other fiddling with the remote control, flipping through the channels without leaving the opportunity to see what was on. Mary seemed bored with the entire situation, though she seemed to pay close attention to Benji�s reactions to Daisy�s giggles and antics. The two of them seemed completely un-nerved and by the time Rose had set the table, she was already ready for them to leave.
�OK, dinner�s set!� she called from the kitchen and Daisy was the first to jump from her seat, tugging Joel eagerly behind her, pulling a chair out for him, before sitting across from him. This action forced Benji next to her, Rose next to Joel, and Mary smooshed awkwardly between Daisy and Rose.
A sly smirk spread across Mary�s face as she eyed the chicken. �Is this�tofu?� she inquired, an eyebrow quirking.
Rose and Daisy exchanged a quick look. �Um�no�why? Are you a vegetarian?� Rose asked slowly.
�No,� Mary replied, allowing enough of a pause for Daisy and Rose to breathe a sigh of relief before adding, ��but they are.�
Rose�s cheeks turned a bright shade of red, her blood growing warm with angry embarrassment. She moved her gaze from one twin to the next, her eyes narrowed. The color had drained from both Joel and Daisy�s faces and Joel looked terrified. Rose grit her teeth together, her mind racing, her initial instinct to tell them all to get out. The long moment of awkward silence was finally broken when Rose took a deep breath, swallowed her pride and said �Well�I feel like a jackass��
Daisy let out a relieved giggle and Joel followed her lead. Benji ran his long fingers through his thick hair, grumbling something in Mary�s direction and she huffed in response, flipping her hair off her shoulders.
�No biggie,� Rose insisted, trying to take control of the situation quickly. �Daisy, order Benji and Joel whatever they want from wherever they want. Mary�is chicken still OK for you?� Mary nodded her response and Rose sighed heavily, wiping her now sweaty palms on her jeans, sliding her tongue over her lips, only to be met by the taste of her rarely used raspberry icing lip gloss. �Well, I made seasoned green beans and cinnamon apples for side dishes, so those should still be OK with everyone, right?� she scanned the faces of her guests, each of them quietly nodding in agreement. �OK then,� she said, sitting down uncomfortably. �Everyone is also welcome to anything else we have in the kitchen. Daisy and I went shopping today so there are plenty of snacks and things�� her voice trailed off.
Daisy glanced over at the twins, her cell phone in her hand, waiting for their order. Benji and Joel exchanged a glance before Benji stated firmly, �I want a veggie pizza.� Joel shrugged in response, looking to Daisy for approval. Daisy turned away from them, quickly placing the order as Rose dished the meal onto everyone�s plate, excluding the meat from both Benji and Joel�s plate. The meal started in silence, a thick tension still hanging in the air among them.
Daisy broke the silence after a few moments, a satisfied sigh escaping her pursed lips as she chewed. �Rose!� she whooshed. �This is so good! It�s like mama�s here and made it herself!�
�It is really good,� Mary agreed softly, catching the eye from Benji.
Joel chimed in, �Hell yeah, these green beans are the shit. What�s in �em?�
Rose could not help but smile as she, too took her first bite of chicken. �It�s seasoned with garlic and almonds, a little soy and salt and pepper�� she sampled her green beans next, nodding in satisfaction at her own work.
�Do you like them?� Daisy asked Benji expectantly.
Benji looked up from his plate, a green bean resting between his lips and he sucked it quickly into his mouth. �Uh huh,� he said simply.
�Good,� Rose smiled at him, not expecting one in return and not receiving one. She quietly went back to eating before lifting her head to meet Joel�s gaze and asked, after only a moment�s hesitation, �Why didn�t you tell me you were vegetarians?� Her tone was more curious than angry, but she had a tendency to sound forceful without meaning to.
Joel shrugged his shoulders lightly, �I�m sorry I just��
�You�re just a jackass,� Benji interrupted with a snicker. Joel�s face fell and a sincere look of guilt fluttered across it. �I�m really sorry he didn�t warn you,� Benji said sincerely, much to Rose and Daisy�s surprise.
�You could have said something too, ya know,� Joel countered sharply.
�I wasn�t the one over here until all hours of the morning doing God knows what,� Benji shot back quickly.
�Man, I TOLD you, all I did was help-� Joel�s argumentative response was masked by a sharp rap on the apartment door. Daisy and Rose both bolted from their seats, eager to escape the uncomfortable kitchen. They reached the door simultaneously and paid the pizza man quickly.
Upon their return, Benji was on his second helping of green beans and Mary had nearly cleaned her plate. Joel greedily grabbed the box from Rose�s grasp, sliding two pieces onto his plate and digging in. Benji took only one piece, obviously filling up on the abundance of green beans he had already consumed. Mary also accepted a piece, and Daisy and Rose finally began to make a dent in their own dinners.
�So, when did you guys meet Mary?� Daisy asked between bites, her tone genuine.
Benji smirked, wiping his mouth with a napkin, and Mary had a similar smile on her face. �You wanna tell �em?� he offered her.
�On the playground. Fourth grade,� she began, her eyes trained on Benji, a reminiscent smile resting on her lips. �I�m in the middle of jumping rope, and Benj comes along and says he wants to give it a try, right? So, being the sweet young thing that I am,� Benji snorts at this comment before allowing her to continue, �I let him borrow the rope�and what does he do!?! He fuckin� takes off with it!!� Benji bursts into laughter, openly remembering the incident as she speaks. �So, of course, I chase after him, screaming at the top of my lungs, �YOU LITTLE ASSHOLE!!��
��you were such a little potty mouth!� Benji cut in, the first time Daisy or Rose had seen his teasing appear affectionate.
�Yeah, yeah,� Mary responded before continuing. �So, when I finally catch up to him, he�s got Joel and he�s workin� on getting the rope around his waist.� By this time, Benji and Joel are both laughing so hard that they are forced to stop eating, and Mary has developed a minor case of the giggles as well. �So, Benji is on top of Joel, and I jump on top of Benji, and none of us can tell who is who, so we�re all just swinging at each other�after about a minute, one of the playground ladies��
��Mrs. Lincoln! That BITCH!� Benji added through his laughter.
�Mrs. Lincoln!� Mary agreed. �She tears us apart and we all land our asses in detention for three days straight. I was so pissed, but by the time those three days were over, we were all attached at the hip��
�You were attached to OUR hips,� Benji teased her.
�Whatever,� Mary said, rolling her eyes and taking a sip of her water.
Daisy�s face was red from laughing and Rose had been gripping the side of the table so hard she had to flex her fingers before she could feel them again completely.
�Man, that story never gets old,� Benji, said, shoving aside his now clean plate, resting his elbows on the table before him, still grinning.
Chapter 2| Chapter 3 Part 2