You Do, But Aren’t Things Moving A Little Fast?

“I mean, ‘course I do it,” you say. “Nothing more delicious than some sweet juices when you’re thirsty, if you get my drift.”

“Uh-huh,” Ruby says, leaning close to you. “So is that what you want to do right now?” Her voice is razor-quiet, and you can feel her eyes watching you closely. This feels like a test of some sort, and even though you’re not sure what the right answer is, you can guess from the context.

“If you’re down for it,” you say, “but what’s the big hurry? I’d rather… take my time and do it right, rather than sneaking something off between classes, you know?”

“Oh I know,” she says, her voice all chipper again. “That’s what I think too! Anyways, what were we talking about earlier? Oh right, food! Wait, who’s your favourite Insta foodie?”

You feel the tension lift, and feel that you’ve done something right, even if you’re not quite sure what.

“I don’t… I’m not really into that kind of thing,” you say, trying to figure out what the appropriate response here is. “But, interest me? Who do you like?”

“Oh it’s so hard to pick,” Ruby says, dramatically sighing. She pulls out her phone, shifting over so that you can see the screen, and goes through her feed until she stops at a plate of grilled veggies.

“Oh, I love this one,” Ruby says, tapping into the profile. “Skinnytaste is… like… goals. The food always looks so good, and it’s healthy too, and just… Look, it’s so beautifully plated!”

You’re a meat guy, but even you have to admit that this looks decent, or better than that. “I’m impressed,” you say. “What else has she got that you like?”

“Are you kidding me? Like… everything?” she says. But she scrolls through the feed, until she comes across a recent post. “Oh, this mushroom burger thing, just look at the sauce dripping off of it…” she stares at her plates, which are mostly empty at this point, and she laughs. “Man, it’s got me considering a third plate!”

For a girl who appears to eat as much as she does, Ruby appears to be really fit. “So what’s your secret?” you ask. “How do you keep lean, even after eating everything?”

“I have a super-routine at the gym,” Ruby says. “I think it was originally a Russian program, but it’s like, you do everything in forty-five minutes. Super efficient, super fast, and you feel so dead afterwards, but it works!”

“That sounds crazy,” you say, and the two of you chatter on, until you realise with a start that it’s time for you to head to your psych class.

Ruby +15