"It's Puroko," Kim clarified for them as she left the room.
Mitch shrugged and went to the kitchen to make herself a huge hoagie sandwich.
Kat ran over to the vid-phone. "Hey, Puroko!? Why are you calling me? Do your parents know you're calling?"
Puroko giggled and shook her head. She was a pretty hyper kid and she was bouncing up and down in her chair. "Did you really make friends with my big sister, huh? Huh? Huh?"
"Uh, we're�."
"Angel says you're going to pay for dinner. Gee, that's nice of you. You must be a really good friend." Kat blushed. "I don't know why, it's just Angel. But you're so nice, Kat! Or I think you're real nice. You gave me coffee ice cream, and Angel says it's your favorite. Is it really? I didn't know that. That's why I called. I wanted to thank you for sharing 'cuz I never did thank you 'cuz I didn't know it was your favorite 'til Angel told me just today."
Kat couldn't help but giggle at the eight-year-old who looked a little sheepish, but was still bouncing up and down.
"Are the two of you going to dance with boys at the dance? Are you going to kiss them?"
Kat realized that Angel must have mentioned that the two of them were going to hang out at the dance to her family. She sighed in relief. That meant that she expected to continue hanging with Kat beyond the dinner where Kat was paying for the car.
"Are you, huh?"
"Oh, uh, what did you say?"
Puroko sighed. "Are you going to kiss a guy?"
"You know, Puroko, is Angel there? Can I speak to her?"
"She's out right now. She's a lot more excited about the dance now� oops!" Puroko looked upset. "I wasn't s'posed to say that. Don't tell her I did, 'kay? 'Cuz she doesn't know if you�. 'Kay being quiet now."
Ok, that cinched it. Angel wasn't just going to let Kat pay for dinner and then abandon her. She wanted to be friends with her. And she had talked about it with her family, no less. *But she probably thinks that I won't want to hang with someone who's not my age. Or maybe she's worried that one of her friends will disapprove because I'm so young. Or she�*
She realized Puroko was looking at her expectantly. She was even pouting a little. *Now why is she so upset?*
"Kat! Are. You. Going. To-"
"Oh!" Kat had forgotten the question again. Puroko sure had a one track mind when she wanted. She had probably waited forever to use the vid-phone as soon as she heard that Kat had shared her favorite ice cream. She blushed. "Um, well, that- that depends on, whether there are guys that, uh, like us and� well, Angel might even have a different answer ."
"Oh, ok. Should I ask her then?"
Kat was horrified. "No! Don't tell her we talked, ok?" She put her finger to her lips. "Because I wasn't supposed to, you know." She hoped that Puroko would pick up on the trade of favors.
Puroko smiled. "'Kay!"
"But thank you, Puroko, for calling me. I really am glad you called, otherwise I might have been a little confused before the dance."
