We entered the mall. A bunch of teenagers was around in groups, all in bright clothes, laughing loudly. "Let's eat," Courtney suggests, pulling me into a food court.
I exhaled. "Sure."
We find our own varieties of food with me insisting on paying and sit down in the middle of the food court. "So you're from California?"
I looked up from my plate of Chinese fried rice and gave her a nod. "Yeah."
Courtney nodded, chewing on her hotdog. "Have you lived in Pensacola your whole life?"
She shook her head. "Nah. I lived in California until a few years ago when my family decided to move here because my grandmother got diagnosed with cancer. So we moved here to be closer to her."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," I said.
She smiled. "It's okay. Thanks, though." She stood up, throwing away her hotdog wrapper in the trash. "I got to use the bathroom. Will you be okay by yourself?"
I nodded, swallowing my food. "Yeah. Go."
