Gert sighed and continued flipping through channels. "Garbage, garbage, stupid, oh of course the only news channel our parents would get is FOX, garbage, dumb, The Brain That Ate Cleveland... I think we have a winner. Or at least a participant trophy."
She'd already read everything in the Hostel except for some of Nico's parents' old grimoires, which had started moaning eerily as soon as she'd cracked the covers. The place had no internet hookup, and Chase was busy tuning up the Frog.
Gert let her hand drop off the side of the recliner and stroked Old Lace's scaly forehead. "Bored, girl? Yeah, me too."
"Heeeeey, Gert!" Molly chirped, popping her head into the room. "Guess what I made?"
Gert raised an eyebrow. "It's not in the bathroom, is it? Because I swear the last time my boyfriend asked me that, he was just showing off a giant--"
"It's not poop! Ew!" Molly laughed. "I made you a special lunch!"
"Really? Is it a special occasion?"
"Uh, uh," Molly gulped, "no occasion. I just...thought you might be hungry. So I made some stuff for you."
Gert's eyes narrowed. "In my experience, random acts of kindness usually involve a guilty conscience. Did you do something?"
"No!" Molly said hastily.
"Are you sure?" Gert asked. "Don't worry, I won't narc you out to Nico. I just want to make sure everything's okay."
"No, it's really fine! Seriously!" Molly nodded. "I just... kinda wanted to practice cooking on my own. I know how to use the stove and everything, so I don't see why I can't make other people so food once in a while without getting the third degree and stuff!"
"You're right. Sorry." Gert shook her head. "I guess I shouldn't second-guess you for wanting to pull your own weight. And for thinking of me." She squeezed Molly's hand. "You're actually a pretty sweet kid, you know that?"
Molly felt a stab of guilt. It's for her own good, she reminded herself. I gotta do this so she'll stay together with Chase! But as much as a part of her knew that, another part knew that Gert would not be happy about what Molly was planning.
Still, she's buttered her bread, and now she was going to have to eat it... or rather, feed it to Gert. She dashed off to the kitchen and returned with the lunch she'd made.
Gert blinked. "Uh, Molly? Exactly how many people do you think I am?"
Molly set the TV tray across Gert's lap. "Is it too much?" she asked innocently.
"Molly, you have two hot dogs here, and chips, and a banana, and spaghetti, and a sandwich,and milk, and two pudding cups. It's way too much, it's a big waste of food, and you know we don't have a lot of extra money--"
"You... you don't like it?"
"It's not that I don't like it, it's that it won't keep, so unless I eat all of it..." Gert sighed, seeing Molly's stricken face. "Oh, forget it. I guess it won't kill me to pig out once in a while. Just don't expect me to do any ballet anytime soon."
"Hehe," Molly grinned. Phase 1 looked like a success. Now to keep it up.
I'll let her get through the spaghetti, she decided, before I mention that I'm baking cookies too.
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