Atty had cut his hot dog into little rounds and pushed them into a stupid cat face.
En looked away before anyone could catch him smiling.
By the time he glanced back, Atty had already eaten one of the ears, and Randy was heaping a mountain of mac and cheese onto his plate. Atty got cheese on his fingers, wiped them badly on his napkin, and went right back for another bite.
Messy. Greedy. No table manners at all.
Better than quiet.
En looked down and shoved a bite into his mouth before his face could do anything stupid.
Grandma leaned close and whispered, "If he makes himself sick later, one of us will handle it. Not you."
Across the table, Randy nudged Atty's drink closer without stopping his conversation with Noh. Atty took it without looking.
En went back to his own plate and worked the meat off the bone with the tip of his fork. Small pieces. No gristle. No surprises.
