Lexie had really, really missed being like this. Optimism had come so naturally to her before this past summer, and it had been... strange for Lexie to feel so down. For a girl who wasn’t used to much sadness, the sudden onslaught of gossip, misjudgment and general misfortune that had befallen her had shaken her more than it would have affected other people on the island. But as far as she was concerned, all that was over now. Or at least, mostly so. She’d still have to deal with her past mistakes - David in particular - but now that she was out of the hospital and starting to get back on top of things, Lexie had decided that she’d missed her old, happy self too much not to start embracing optimism once again. Besides, it was much easier to be optimistic when things were going so well.
“I sure can,” Lexie assured him. “I can even teach you to make them, if you want! I can teach you to make cranes and then you can get a wish. I don’t know if it’ll actually come true but I can only assume that Katie’s did.” She gave him an amused look when he talked about cooties. “You’re scared of cooties, huh?” she asked. “Here, let me protect you.” Taking his arm, she pushed up his sleeve a little and drew two little circles on his skin and then lightly poked him twice. “There. Now you have your cootie shot. There’s a rhyme to give it to you for life, but that costs extra. And also I don’t remember it.”
With that, she brushed back her hair and took a bite of Eisen’s creation. “Mmmm...” her eyes fluttered closed as she savored it, and when she opened them again they were full of light. “Are you sure you don’t want to change your major from linguistics to cooking? I’m certain you’d excel.”