Grim though the subject was, as well as in bad taste, Maddie still found it funny. It was easier to laugh at something that hadn't yet happened. “Yep. And losing the game on purpose. That's the ultimate torture right there.”
“And a sock for every day of the month, hopefully.” It was gross how the guy with the ugly furry coat went a month without changing his socks (and probably other pieces of clothing, too). She certainly hoped conditions never got bad enough that they all had to resort to that. The trip from Memphis to New York had been as close as she'd gotten to living that kind of life.
Maddie wasn't sure which reaction she preferred – the genuine hesitation or an alternate response where Caitie jumped at the chance. The latter wasn't happening, but this reaction wasn't any easier to face. Part of her wished she hadn't offered. Maybe it was a stupid idea. Maybe it was giving her friend with wrong idea, after all. Maybe it would just make both of them uncomfortable.
She remembered the rumor. She couldn't forget the rumor. But no one was around. No one ever barged into their room without knocking first. She and Caitie would be the only ones who'd know about this. “If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't have offered.” Not spoken with her usual rudeness, but she couldn't hold Caitie's gaze for very long.
“And I'd rather not wake up looking at feet, so...” Maddie patted her mattress. “It's okay.”