Chapter 2 - part 1 page 2

"So where should we eat?"

"Mm," Mia replied. She stopped herself from saying "Mcdonalds". "Maybe somewhere nice? Red Robin?"

Jaye suppressed a yawn. "Actually, could we maybe go to a drive-through? I'm not feeling very sitty-inny right now. I mean, if that's okay?"

"Oh," Mia said. "Sure... no problem." She hoped that wasn't some kind of reference to her weight.

"Mcdonalds it is then!" Mia's dad pulled into a drive-through a few minutes down the road.

"Hmm, what's just the biggest thing on the menu..." Jaye studied the menu as they pulled through. Mia knew the menu like the back of her hand, but she didn't want to order her usual and seem piggish - especially since this was her second lunch.

"I'll have... A double quarter pounder BLT meal," Jaye announced.

"Sure, that sounds good," Mia said sheepishly.

"Alrighty..." Mia's dad put in their order as they pulled in ahead. "What kind of drink?"

"Pepsi," the two girls said at the same time.

"Oh," Jaye laughed. Mia could feel her thinking. Is that how Mia got this big? Better cut that out. She flushed a bit, smiled good-naturedly, and stayed silent.

"Yaay, New York fast food!" Jaye cheered as Dad passed back their food. He parked out front for a while to eat his own food.

"Seriously," Jaye said as she took out her burger, "thank you guys so so much for having me. It has not been fun at my house the past while. I just know you don't have a ton of space, and there's no reason to take me in just out of nowhere..."

"Hey, don't mention it." Dad waved his hand. "Anything for family." Mia tacked on a muffled "mhmm" through her first mouthful of fries.

"Well, just, thank you. A lot."

Dad pulled out and kept driving. "Oh god," Jaye said, opening her burger box. "Good thing I'm starving..."

Mia faked a laugh. "Yeah, 's a lot of food..." She was already three bites deep. She tried to slow her eating to match Jaye's pace, but she couldn't help but eat faster when Jaye stopped to ooh and awe every couple of blocks. Dad took the scenic route home, through the Lincoln Tunnel, across Hell's Kitchen, and past Times Square and the Empire State building. Mia had seen it all before, but Jaye grew up in northern Michigan, nearly in Canada - she knew it took some getting used to, but it meant that she was done with her whole meal before Jaye finished half of anything.

"Oof." Jaye sat back, watching the tunnel lights swish by with glassy eyes. "That was too much food." Mia forced another laugh.

"D'you want the rest of mine?" She gave Mia a smile. Or was it a smirk?

"No, I'm pretty full too, thanks." She hoped her lie wasn't too obvious.

"Alright, guess I'll save it for later. Mcdonalds fries get crappy when they get cold, though..."

"Really, I'm okay." Oh, she hesitated too long before she said it. Jaye definitely knew she wanted that food.

"Okay." Another smirk. Jaye made sleepy conversation peppered with yawns as they rumbled to Queens, where they cruised into the parking garage and Dad carried Jaye's bag into the elevator and down the hall to home.

"Here we are," Dad said as he led them inside. They really did not have the space for an extra person - there were two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a living room. An air mattress was laid out on the floor in front of the TV, and Mia felt the slightest twinge of guilt as the chilly air washed over her.

"Oh my god, your view!" Jaye beelined to the window. Manhattan's skyline was bright in the background, with windows twinkling everywhere you looked and the East River a shimmering band along the ground.

"Yep, that's half the rent right there," Dad said.

Jaye sank down onto the air mattress, staring out at the city.

"I think this might be just what I need," she said.