Alice grabbed the chocolate cake and took off the plastic wrap.“Dr.Alice says you can eat the cake now.You deserve it after being here for a week.”
Alice reached for the fork, but Mom grabbed it.
“Um, I think maybe we should save the cake for later,” Mom suggested.“Or at least until the doctor clears her to eat.”
Alice quirked her lips.“Am I being too pushy?”
Mom finally smiled.“I think you’re just being you, and I am going to be me right back.”
Alice tipped her head to the side.“I mean, I can respect that.”She nodded to Clove.“Just make sure you eat this before Carnie gets here because she slaved over it, right, Clove?”
Clove waved her hand at us.“Please, Mom makes at least two cakes a week.I don’t think she’ll be offended if the doc says Star can’t eat it.”
“If you’re not going to eat it, I’ll eat it,” Ender offered.
Clove glanced at him and blushed.“I’m sure there is more at the house if you want it.”
“I don’t have time to run over to your house, Clove.”Ender moved to grab the piece of cake, but Karmen cut him off.
“Boy, keep your hands off that cake if you know what’s best for you.Go get some from Clove’s if you want it,” Karmen scolded.
Clove blushed uncontrollably and shifted her weight.
Ender scoffed and glared at Karmen.
I looked from Ender to Clove and couldn’t help but feel that there might be something more going on under the surface.Though I might have been the only one to see since everyone else didn’t feel the connection between the two.
“I’m on watch for the rest of the day, so I’ll have to take a rain check on the cake.”He tipped his head to my mom.“I’ll be around.”
She nodded.
He turned on his heel and walked out of the room.
I wrinkled my brow.“He’ll be around?”
“You’ve got a Lord on you until they find the guys who jumped you,” Karmen said as if that was something normal to say.
“What?Don’t I get to have a say in that?”I asked.
“It was kind of hard to ask you since you just slept for seven days,” Alice laughed.She reached out and patted my arm.“I can see that crease in your forehead, and just let me say, it’s best to just accept what is going to happen the next couple of weeks.It’s just easier that way.”
I shook my head.
“Star,” Mom called.“It’s okay, honey.They’re just making sure nothing else happens to you.”
“You guys really think those ballless losers are going to come after me again?”I asked.And I found it hard to believe that Mom was okay with the Lords telling us what to do.It had been just me and Mom for as long as I could remember.
“No, because we won’t let them get close to you,” Karmen promised.
“They’d have to be very stupid to try to come after you again,” Clove pointed out.“I wouldn’t worry about it.”
I wasn’t so much worried about it as I was a little irked that I was not involved at all in the decision to have the Fallen Lords watch over me.
“Wrecker and the guys will have it taken care of in no time,” Alice promised.She reached for the TV remote and started flipping through channels.“Why don’t we see what’s on TV while you try that chocolate cake?”she asked.
“That would be wise so Ender doesn’t try to steal it,” Clove laughed.
The girls stayed for about an hour, flipping through the channels trying to find something to watch, and just chatted about things I didn’t really get because it was all about the club.I knew everyone in the club, but I didn’t know all the inner workings.I knew having the ol’ ladies and kids hanging around meant it wouldn’t be long until I knew everything.
