Then, she stopped and stared at Rain, then at Sunny. After a few moments, she asked:
"Who's your friend?"
Sunny rubbed his face.
"Eat as much as you want. And this girl lives in the neighborhood. She was just passing by."
Rain nodded.
"Nice to meet you, ma'am. I, uh… am very sorry. I was just on my way home from school, and made a mistake. You see, what has happened…"
Effie grinned, then gestured for her to stop talking.
"Let me guess… this one right here was zoning out with a nasty expression on his face, and then looked at you and said something wildly inappropriate?"
Rain blinked a couple of times, then said:
"Yes! I mean, no… he didn't say anything. It was me, I said something inappropriate!"
The former huntress shook her head.
"Then you're lucky! Sunny here is a bit special. One of a kind! The things that sometimes come out of his mouth…"
Sunny stared at her in outrage and hissed:
"The things that come out of my mouth?! You're the one to talk!"
She sighed, then looked at Rain with a hurt expression on her face:
"You see how he bullies me? Ah, that's no way to treat a guest, Sunny. So ungracious! What will this nice neighborhood kid even think…"
Rain energetically shook her head.
"No, no! I won't think anything. I… have to go home, actually. It's been nice meeting you!"
With that, she hurriedly turned around a made a step to walk away.
Effie raised her voice a little:
"Bye! Nice meeting you, too! If you feel guilty about the misunderstanding, you can stop by any time! With food! All will be forgiven!"
Sunny stared at her with wide eyes, not quite believing what he was hearing. Finally, when Rain's figure disappeared behind the green fence, Effie turned to him and smiled.
"...It's almost like there's a factory somewhere in the city releasing whole batches of tiny, pale, bony teenagers. That girl is almost as pale as you, Sunny! I can't believe it…"
With that, she shook her head, turned her wheelchair, and went back inside to continue her dinner.
Leaving Sunny alone, flabbergasted and trying to determine if he was currently awake.
'...What was that? What just happened?'
Of all the countless scenarios he had in his head of how his first meeting with Rain would go…
This was definitely not one of them!