“I want some Hot Cheetos.”

AJ and Cia both looked at Jesse like he was crazy.

“Trash!”, she said, almost gagging at the thought.

AJ just shook his head. “I’d rather have some candy corn.  That would hit the spot.”

“Okay, y’all can’t be that high.” Cia got up. She was ready to get her jacket and leave.  Just how well did she know these two.  Really?

“You gonna make us a sandwich?” Jesse was kinda serious.

She flipped him off.

AJ and Jesse solemnly nodded at it.  Then they all laughed.

“My big granny used to say that cravings symbolized something that was vitally needed by the body.  She said that in her day, pregnant women would go out and eat the red clay dirt.”

Jesse’s eyes were bugging out.

“Talk about being high.  Who would eat dirt?  I mean, woudn’t that hurt the baby?”

“Women who need iron.  The iron in the dirt was what their bodies needed and so that’s what their mind made them want to eat.”

AJ thought about what she said.  It was kinda deep.  The mind makes you want what the body needs. He wanted Cia. But he didn’t know if it was just his body or his mind that craved her.  He’d been trying to figure it out for weeks.  Cia was the homie though.

They were all homies.  Buddies. Pals.

What does Cia crave? Who does she crave? AJ wondered how to get at her.

“So….. What do you want?”

The way AJ was looking at her made her think that there was another meaning to his question.  Other than food.  She forgot Jesse was in the room for a moment.

Cia stared into AJs eyes and saw what she desperately craved. Love.

I want love, she thought.

I want someone to love me for me and to stay by my side and hold my hand and want to marry me and have babies with and grow old and live with forever…

Then, she closed her eyes and tried to squeeze the bullshit aside.  She shook her head. AJ was not the guy. That guy did not exist. She recited her rules to herself again, and regained her composure.

“I would love ….. a Boozy Shake from Nighthawk.”

Jesse and AJ both said, “Mmmmmmmm!”

“Let’s go!”  Jesse was ready. AJ looked down.

“Nah.  I’m not going all the way out to Venice Beach tonight.  I’m going to bed.  You know we have an early day tomorrow.”

“You. Are. Washed.”

“Thank you.  And you are ugly, Jesse.”  It was far from the truth, and Jesse knew it, so he just laughed.

“What? No good night kiss?”

“You ARE washed!  Seize the day ninja!”

They were harassing her at the same time.

They were both treated to an elegant bird again as she walked out of the door.

She sat in her car in the parking lot before starting it up.

As she pictured his face, the cravings began.

“Dammit.”

She recited the rules again and peeled out of the parking lot.