Page 43 of Psync
Alice clapped her hands and broke into giggles. “Don’t make this too fun for me, Eli, or I’ll never be able to contain myself.”
“Make the attempt, Alice, or my hand might slip when I bleach your hair later.”
Her hands flew to her head protectively. “Okay, fine, but only if you let me dye your hair magenta.”
“No deal.”
“But . . .”
“No buts!” Eli shoved back from the table. “Are you finished eating?” Eli asked Haruka.
Haruka nodded and then looked pointedly at the contents of Eli’s tray.
“I’m full! You and your weird food fixation. Did you not have enough to eat when you were younger?” He froze. Eli knew nothing about Haruka. What if he grew up poor?
Instead of getting offended, Haruka chuckled. “Whatever you’re thinking, you can stop. I had plenty of everything growing up.” He stood up, snatching Eli’s backpack before he could even think about it. “Come with me, I need to go shopping.”
“I am not your errand boy!” Eli shouted, but Haruka had already walked off.
“I’m really starting to like him, Eli!” Alice called to his back as he chased after Haruka for the third time that day.
Chapter Sixteen
Eli
“Are you sure you’re a college student?” Eli asked as Haruka placed a bag of green onions in the shopping cart. “Because I’m pretty sure there’s a rule somewhere that says it’s against the law for college students to buy anything green that isn’t candy.”
Haruka ducked down an aisle, only to come back a moment later with a bag of apple-flavored gummy bears. “Better?”
“Yes, actually. If you were perfect, I’m not sure I’d be able to stand you.”
“Can’t have that.”
“Um.” Eli pulled his hood up to hide what he was certain were very pink ears. “Are you finished, or is there anything else you need?” He eyeballed the mostly full cart. How much food did this guy need, anyway?
“Nearly done. If you go get your car and pull it to the front, I’ll meet you there.”
They’d taken Eli’s car to the store because Eli wasn’t entirely sure Haruka wouldn’t decide to drive them cross-country just for groceries. Just because he acted friendly didn’t mean Eli trusted him any further than he could throw him.
“You’re not worried that I’ll ditch you?”
Haruka tapped the strap of Eli’s bag currently hanging from his shoulder. “Nope.”
The drive back to the school was filled with an intensive Q&A session—Haruka’s this time.
“What was it like growing up in Massachusetts?”
“Boring.” Which was the biggest lie Eli had ever told, but he wasn’t planning on sharing that story. To divert from a topic most likely to ruin Eli’s day, he brought up his sister. People always grabbed onto that particular tidbit when they learned he was a twin. “My twin sister was far more outgoing than me.”
“Hn. Did you ever live anywhere else?”
“I was born in North Carolina and lived there for a few years until my dad got a job up north.”
“Your dad is where your Cherokee came from, right?”
Eli nodded, not certain why he’d revealed that information earlier. He was a bit sensitive talking about it considering his extreme outwardly white appearance. He was doing a shitty job not oversharing today.
“What was that like?”
