Words wouldn’t come out. She started to stand to leave, but saw her sweater hanging on the back of his chair. “It’s just me. I … uh … ”
“It’s okay. Is there something I can help you with?”
Lisha barged into the room. “You can hep me wit this plate o cookies and milk, thas what. And I want to slap you almost everyday.” She balanced a tray with a plate of cookies and two tall glasses of milk. “Sometimes every minute.” She stopped. “Lookit your messy desk. Now, how am I s’posed to set this down?”
Clarence pushed the boxes to the opposite edge of the desk. He brushed what appeared to be crumbs to the floor.
“Thas better.” Lisha carefully placed the tray and gave Noell a napkin, patting it onto her lap, then offered the cookies.
Her stomach began to churn. “Um, no thank you.”
“What?” Lish
