26 Pickup Sticks

Hobi’s heart fell all the way to his shoes.  How could this beautiful girl have no friends?  His thoughts made their way out of his mouth.  “How is that possible?  You’re beautiful.  You’re sweet.”  Was she?  Why…

A few minutes later, Sakura found herself seated in the same seat in Hobi’s rental car that she had woken up to discover herself in earlier today.  His friend was sitting…

A few moments later, Sakura emerged from the bathroom.  She saw Hobi instantly.  His face was stretched in a wide smile as he said something to his friend.  Sakura felt her heart lurch.  The…

Sakura ate every bite.  She didn’t relish the idea of Hobi having to carry her anywhere.  He was a super slender guy.  He didn’t need to be weighed down by her large self.  She…

“All right,” she conceded.  “One meal.”Hobi slipped out of the car and walked around to her door.  He opened it and held his hand out to her.  “Come on.  Let’s find you more than…

Had she passed out again?  Hobi glanced at her before he pulled out into the street.  Her eyes were closed, and she was breathing so heavily that he could see the rise…

Why?  Why had she just blacked out?  As he sat pondering that question, his arms still wrapped around her, he remembered the way she’d avoided eating her slim breakfast.  Was she slowly starving…

She was stuck in a memory.  She thought maybe it was the reason she’d been so suspicious of him last night.  It was a day back in high school.  She’d been surrounded by…

Like brain cells.Sakura continued to eat her eggs.  She sighed.  Today was not going well.  All she’d wanted was a little quiet time to herself.  Then she had run into this guy at the…

Just then the waitress came back.  She was carrying a little strawberry shortcake.  She set it down in front of Hobi.  The girl sitting across from him eyeballed the cake and quirked a…