Chapter 18: Favorite Food

Eery silence blankets over us, feeling uncomfortable with the entire situation I try to rack my brain on how to divert the attention somewhere else but my brain seems to be in a shamble and I come up empty.

Luckily, it seems like Arden hears my inner thoughts and clears his throat diverting the attention to him when he asks,

"I am in a mood for some italian food. What about you guys?"

"Italian sounds good to me."

I say, for obvious reasons.

My mother is an Italian woman and I am in for Italian food everyday all day. Not to mention The Arcade is owned by an Italian couple and they serve authentic Italian food and not some fusion that I absolutely dislike.

"Me too. Soms Bruschetta and Carbonara for me, please."

Laura quips.

"I'd like some Spaghetti and meatballs and arancini. Aslan will pay for me, Thank you!"

Arnold notifies, smirking at me.

Arden turns his attention to Amira who seems to have all her attention on her hands in her lap.

Laura lightly nudges Amira and her head snaps up.

"What?"

She says, clearly not having heard anything said in the past minute.

"What would you like to eat? Arnold is going to order food for us."

Laura informs her.

And before Amira speaks, I already know what her answer is going to be.

"Oh, I am not really hungry. Thank you for asking."

She says, proving me right.

Whenever we are going out to eat or even during lunch breaks at school, that's her standard reply. God knows she needs all the food there is in the world seeing her extremely petite body.

There was a time when she didn't have a care in this world and simply loved eating anything and everything. She had chubby cheeks (that I loved and always wanted to keep touching just to see how soft they were)  and it'd become even chubbier when she'd fill her mouth with more food than her mouth could contain, always ate in a hurry as if the food would disappear from in front of her, which resulted in making a mess of her. But that never stopped her from eating whatever she was eating and she laughed out loud and carefree. It was a lovely sound, her laughter.

But then one day, out of the blue, it seemed like a switch turned off. She  started behaving weird, she stopped stuffing her mouth with whatever she wanted to eat, she no more created a mess but ate small morsels of food (a little too small if you ask me) she started faking her laugh like that of a well mannered lady. Small and gentle.

I know that's how one is supposed to be behave in public but it was weird for me because that's not who my Amira

What?! wait a second, that was a glitch!

I meant Amira, yes, just simply Amira.

She laughed hysterically and ate messily and she was loud and carefree and that is what made her, her. And then she stopped behaving like that and instead

I mean like a well-mannered lady, but she seemed weird to me when

and then soon, her rosy chubby cheeks started disappearing, instead her cheekbones became sharp and jawline more prominent and defined.

"I won't take no for an answer. You have to eat something."

Laura affirms.

A flash of embarrassment passes through her face but disappears quickly and in an extremely low voice, she murmurs something in Laura's ears.

Laura's face morphs into that of pure shock at whatever she hears from Amira.

"Are you seriously kidding me?"

She exclaims to her best friend,

"You are not ordering anything because you forgot your wallet at home? Can't you see all your friends here? God knows paying for one meal of yours is not going to make a hole in any of our pockets. God, for someone so smart you sure act like a dummy, you dummy! Now order something before I get mad."

She threatens and folds her hand over her chest for good measure.

Amira surrenders and says,

"I'll have a caprese salad, Thanks."

This tiny girl has got nerves to order some measly salad after being threatened by her rather stronger bestfriend. Especially when Italian is her favourite cuisine.

"That does not pass as actual food."

Laura says.

My thoughts exactly.

"It does."

Amira argues.

They start bickering back and forth when Arnold interrupts them and addresses to Arden,

"How about you just order something for her from the menu?"

Amira is about to argue but when everyone looks at her with narrowed eyes she thinks better of it and resigns.

"Okay. And you?"

Arden asks me for my food preference.

"I'll come with you."

I inform him.

We move to stand in line to the counter.

"I don't know what else to get for Amira. Any suggestions?"

Arden asks for my opinion while still scanning the menu board.

"One shrimp alfredo and calzone."

I answer with ease,

"And I'd like to have a chicken penne pasta, please."

Arden is still scanning the board most likely to see what he should order for dessert and my eyes fall on the menu board too and a specific dish catches my attention.

Should I order it too?

It's her favourite food. And she definitely needs some meat on her skinny bones.

Damn it! Why do I care?

After deliberating for a second, I think hell with it,

decide to just order it too.

"Should we have a creamy garlic tuscan shrimp and some foccacia bread for everyone to eat?"

I hear myself say.

Arden smirks at me knowingly, and says,

"Yeah, of course. We should definitely get some garlic tuscan shrimp for everyone to eat."

His emphasis on the word "everyone" confirms my suspicion and lets me know that I am busted.

But I don't take the bait. It's my favourite food too, As kids, she and I used to eye the each other's plate like a hawk, when Ma served us and complain that the other person has more and Ma would shut us up saying she'd serve us more once we finished what was already in our plate. We'd eat like maniac to finish first so that we could eat more than the other person but then Amira didn't just stop fighting for more food but she started serving her own self and eating less and less and would politely refuse Ma when Ma would try to serve her more.

and I am really hungry. I say to myself.

"What about desert? Tiramisu for all."

I ask, trying to divert his attention when I realise what I just said and mentally face palm myself.

What an idiot I am!

"Yeah, we should definitely have some Tiramisu. Five Tiramisu as well."

Arden agrees, indirectly calling me out, his pale face turns red as he tries to control his laughter.

He reaches for his wallet when I interrupt him.

"Get aside, you doofus. It's on me."

I tell him,

he doesn't argue because this time his laughter spills out, his open way of calling me out a third time and letting me know that he knows exactly what I am onto.

"I'd like one bruschetta, one arancini, one carbonara, one spaghetti and meatballs,  a caprese salad and one shrimp alfredo and calzone, a chicken penne pasta, a creamy garlic tuscan shrimp, some foccacia bread and...."

I drag my answer, signaling for Arden to fill in his order of choice.

"One rissoto, and five Tiramisu please. That would be all, thank you."

Arden fills in the rest of the order.

I pay the bill with my black card.

"Your order will be delivered to your table in a while, young men. Bon appetite!"

The middle-aged woman behind the counter says with a smile. She seems like a warm and kind person. Someone who makes everyone feel welcomed. She must be a new employee since it's our first time seeing her here.

"Thank you, ma'am."

I say, giving her a thanks with a smile of my own.

"You're welcome."

She says.