QUOTE : Whoa! Where’d your black eye go?” she asked as I set my tray down and sat beside her.<br />“Tiffany covered it up for me.”<br />“I’ll say. I hate to think how much she damaged the ozone with all the hairspray she must have used on your hair.”<br />“Thanks, Bird. You look nice this evening, too,” I said.<br />The waitress dropped off a basket of hot rolls. I grabbed one and started slathering butter on it.<br />“Sorry. It’s just a shock to see you looking so…”<br />“Pretty.”<br />“You’ve always been pretty.”<br />“Oh, please. Can we move on to another subject?” I glanced over to see Jason eating and talking with Brandon.<br />“Yeah, I think we better. I’ve heard of head injuries changing people’s personalities--”<br />“Bird, you don’t live with a beauty queen, okay? I know when it comes to appearances, I’ll always fall short. And if you want to know the truth, I’m a little self-conscious about the whole makeover.”<br />“Sorry,” she said.<br />“Subject change?”<br />“Right.” She looked around as though searching for a subject.<br />I hated being so irritable, but I just didn’t feel like me tonight.