The Boarding House - Sarah

 "I've been waiting for you," her smile was open. Maybe she was a fool, after all. She remembered Pensley asking if she was a Sarah with or without an H.

Naturally, she told her, either way. Sarah wondered if that meant something else now. As usual, she was overthinking and she would say something strange like that to Fitz.

He backed into the fridge as if he might want to hide in it.

"The leftover pizza is over here," she pointed to the kitchen counter. She hadn't put it away yet. The others had filled up on pepperoni. Of course, the veggie hadn't been touched, but there was plenty of cheese. 

"You're not afraid of me, are you?" Sarah said so daringly before she would decide not to.

"What?" His voice cracked. 

She loaded his plate up with the cheese and veggie pizza to warm in the microwave. She knew he was starved. Maybe for a lot of things.

She chuckled, hoping she didn't sound like a vampire. "Look, I'm around men most of the day." 

She wanted him to know she wasn't easily intimidated. "I have a professor who keeps calling me Cali."

"Why would he do that?" Fitz's frown was small, but he came closer with a canned soda pop from the fridge. He stood there as if he didn't want her to wait on him, but she didn't mind.

"I get he thinks I'm a little ditzy," she shrugged. "I'm not even from a California beach. Maybe it's my ADHD."

She laughed. He laughed. Finally, something they possibly had in common. She put the paper plate of steaming pizza on the table. Immediately it stuck to the old table.

Shit. It was as if they would both be in trouble. He got a potholder from the drawer near the sink. It was then she had a feeling he came to the kitchen at off hours. Could he possibly be doing something with Miss Olivia that she didn't know about?

Sarah cringed at the thought. She hugged herself.

He picked up a slice and dropped it back on the slices of towering pizza. It was too hot to eat, but he didn't scold her. He kept his eyes on the pile of slices for a moment. Finally, he looked at her.

"What's the matter?" He pointed to the seat across from him. She finally took a seat as if they might start an interrogation, but he got up and got her a Bubbly. It was as if he noticed she didn't drink Zero Sugar drinks.

"I don't  know, I'm..just-" Sarah couldn't help to be closed mouth. She knew she wasn't pretty with her fretting. God knows, she looked at herself in the mirror a lot, and did her best to be a Happy Girl.

"Hey, how long have you been out of high school?" His grin was open, but not for long. He began to stuff his mouth with the cheesy pizza. He might as well have been a starved dog, but it was good to see he enjoyed eating. She was always so cautious wondering what others would think. Most were certain she lived off salad. However, she loved big cheesy burgers only she rarely had a chance to eat them. Her stomach had other ideas. It was a bad idea for her to over-eat. 

Sarah propped her elbow on the table and put her fist under her chin as if she might be ready for an eightie's close-up photo shoot. She finally told him, "Long enough."

"Yeah, right," Fitz chuckled, mentioning that was the best time of his life on the football field.

She wondered if he was younger than her. Or were they the same age? She wanted to say she had a boyfriend, but she couldn't.

"Do you want to meet Harry?" She looked at him blankly. She'd let Harry decide if he should go or if he should stay in her life.