Chapter 7

“Yes. I’ve never eaten any animal.”

“Wow, I can’t imagine what’s it like not to have chicken. I love fried chicken, baked chicken, chicken nuggets, chicken strips.” Joshua laughed then gulped water to clear his esophagus of the grease he had swallowed. “What’s your family, like Amish or Muslim or something?”

“Not exactly. My family always believed that it was wrong to kill and eat animals for food. We’ve always had these beliefs.”

Joshua pushed the plate away so full he felt like he could burst through his shorts. He hadn’t even this much in a long time. He couldn’t figure out Eli. But he wanted to.

“So tell me about yourself, Joshua. Why are you living in an abandoned house? Where’s your mother? Your father?”