Monster Plantspage 3 / 3
"And very fresh."
"Yum, fabulous beans," Ruth said. She lifted a forkful. The ends waved slightly. "It's so nice of you to share this with us. I'm glad you moved here. We're going to be such good friends."
"Aren't you going to eat?" Katie asked. "There's nothing wrong, is there?" She glanced down at her plate, and a frown dangled across her lips.
"No," Judy said, quickly. "Nothing's wrong. Nothing at all." She plunged the lettuce into a puddle of dressing, covering the leaf completely, then lifted the food to her mouth.
"Let's do this again tomorrow," Ruth said. She dabbed at the corner of her lip with her napkin.
Judy took a deep breath, then swallowed the lettuce whole. She wasn't sure, but it seemed to wriggle as it went down her throat. She shuddered, but at least she was pretty sure that, with the help of lots of dressing, she could get through this one lunch. Then it would all be over. She clamped her teeth shut tightly as a wave of nausea shot through her stomach. You can make it, she told herself.
"Let's do this lots," Katie said as she stabbed a forkful of beans. They let out a squeaky little scream as the pointed metal pierced them. "I could eat fresh vegetables like this every day. They're wonderful. Can we come back tomorrow?"
"Yeah," Ruth said, snapping a carrot stick in half. A spray of juice splattered across the table. "Is tomorrow okay?"
Judy nodded, not trusting herself to open her mouth.
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