She grabbed my arm and put it against hers to compare.

“Like I said earlier, we’re both brown, but different kinds of brown. I find us to be illuminating.”

I think that was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to me. I didn’t even try to hide my smile. I gave in to her tug on my chin, and she kissed me. She kissed my face, and every time she did was a reminder of how awesome it was to be alive. It made me feel as if things were going to be okay.

After a horror movie and its sequel, it was six in the evening. Mel picked up my head from her lap and said, “Time for that pizza, babe.”

She grabbed her phone and placed the order. As we waited, she opened another bag of chips and ate a handful.

That was it I guess. I was committing to a cheat day with Mel. I put a handful of chips in my mouth while feeling super guilty. It had been awhile since I ate any junk food, and the sweetness was stuck in my mouth.

“The pizza should be here in about twenty minutes,” Mel said as she left my room to grab the cola.

The chips, chocolate, and cola that surrounded me made me feel nervous. To be honest, I didn’t think I wanted to eat any of that food. Thinking about eating it scared me.

Mel came back in with the cola in one hand and the ice cream container and two spoons in the other.

“Let’s get to business.” She grinned.

I forced a smile. “Sure thing.”

Mel opened up that ice cream container and went at it. It looked good, and I wanted to eat it. But habit kept me hesitant until she said, “Come on, man, don’t make me be that person who’s eating a jug of ice cream alone.”

I managed a hesitant laugh and took a spoonful. The brown ice cream with chocolate chips poking out the top looked dreamy. I thought of it as a nightmare? I put it in my mouth and let it melt away. I took another spoonful, and another, and another.

Before I knew it, the doorbell rang. “Pizza’s here!” Mel got up and ran for the door. “Don’t worry, it’s on me.” She grabbed her wallet and went downstairs. I couldn’t help myself. I kept eating spoonful after spoonful of ice cream. Mel opened the door with a pizza box in her hands and sat down on the bed beside me. She turned up the volume of my TV and began the third part of the horror movie. This time it was a whole new cast with not one, but two black characters this time.

Mel grabbed a slice of the pineapple pizza and put it close to my face. “See? It’s not that bad.”

“Get that abomination away from me.” I swatted it away.

“Fine. Bask in ignorance, ignorant boy.”

“Ignorant boy?” I laughed. “I like traditional pizza. Like pepperoni.” I picked up a slice of my half and bit into it. It was warm, and I could feel the sauce and grease on my tongue. Wow. I missed pizza. It didn’t take me long to eat a slice, then another slice, and another slice. Before I knew it, my half of the pizza was gone. So was Mel’s. And we laid in my bed, bellies full. So she opened up the chocolate almonds, and we let ourselves feel fuller.