Friends

Elsie panicked as she struggled in fear, "Eliot, what's wrong with you? I'm scared. Please stop."

Eliot let go of her, then picked the knife to continue peeling the apple. "You changed the tender, didn't you?"

Elsie fixed her eyes on the knife as she violently shook her head, "I, I, I don't know what you are saying. I haven't even heard of it. What tender? I don't understand...."

"I was wondering why you had a copy of the tender," Eliot cut the apple in half and handed one to her. "It's because you have a helper at home."

She didn't dare to take the apple, shaking all over.

Until she met his fierce gaze did she take it with her trembling hand?

Eliot continued, "Mom cooked a midnight snack for me that night." After a pause, he looked up at Elsie, "Why do you think she suddenly cared so much about me?"

Elsie's voice quivered with fear, "Maybe, maybe she thought you looked tired."