Relief began to settle in as Ashley waved away Charlie's worries, only to be abruptly halted at the words [b]“it's not every day that a pretty girl invites me to have food”[/b]. She froze for a moment, the tip of the straw resting on her bottom lip, to absorb the compliment. Her cheeks flushed once she realised, as they often did whenever someone said something like that, and she tried to hide the blush behind her hands, pretending to rest her chin in her palm. 

Considering she was usually covered in paint, dirt, and wearing some old clothes, hair up in a messy ponytail, she would never describe herself as pretty. Charlie forced herself to stop obsessing over the word and focus back on the conversation. She eyed the passing elderly couple, glancing at Ashley – did she know them?

[b]“If my mom knew I was drinking this sprite or ordering Chinese food, she would nag at me for days about all the weight I'm going to gain.”[/b]

What she could derive from Ashley's explanation follows; she lacked proper friendship, she was in the closet at least to her “friends” and family, and her parents were idiots. Well, that last part was mostly opinion on Charlie's part. She found herself frowning as her imagination took over, painting Ashley's parents as evil diet-obsessed nag monsters. Unable to help herself, she sat up straight and spoke up.

“You know, a healthy diet actually requires a certain amount of sugary and greasy foods.” She launched into a lecture that would make any college professor jealous, using her hands to accompany her words. “Your body needs something from each food group on a regular basis, and as long as you don't each any of it in excess, all of it is used to keep you alive. The glucose in sugary foods is the only source of energy your brain can use, and it's important for your muscles too. It's only when we eat too much sugary foods that it becomes unhealthy. A sprite now and then is good for you.”

Only when she finished her lecture and sat back did she realise that maybe Ashley hadn't wanted to attend a class in nutrition. 

To make up for it, Charlie quickly added, “you're nineteen, anyway, and you look great to me, so don't worry about putting any weight on. Wouldn't matter if you did, you'd still look great.” It was the kind of sentence that could have done with a “so [i]there[/i]” added onto the end, but that might have been pushing it. Her rambling only served to make her blush worse.