Picture This ACSS

Author: Sarah Dessen

Title of Book: This Lullaby


Dexter and I were unloading some groceries he'd bought for the yellow house- peanut butter, bread, orange juice, and doritos- from my car. He grabbed all his bags, then was about to shut the trunk when he stopped and leaned over.
"What's this?" he asked, pulling out a white plastic shopping bag, knotted neatly at the top.
"Nothing," I'd said quickly, trying to take it from him.
"Wait, wait," he said, holding it out of my reach. "What it it?"
"Something I bought for myself," I said curtly, grabbing for it again. No luck. He was too tall, and his arms too long.
"Is it a secret?"
"Yes."
"Really?"
"Yes."
I glared at him, and he handed it over, as if now he didn't want to find out.
"If you must know," I said as if it was absolutely no big deal whatsoever, "It's just plastic ware."
He thought about this. "Plastic ware."
"Yes. It was on sale."
"Plastic ware. like knives and forks and spoons?" he asked slowly.
"Yeah, I guess. Just the basics, you know?" I replied.
"Did you need plastic ware?" he asked.
I shrugged.
"It's so funny, because I need plastic ware. Badly."
He looked at the bag again, then at me. And then, slowely, the smile I knew and dreaded crept across his face. "You bought me plastic ware, didn't you?"
"No." I growled.
"You did!" He hooted, "You bought me plastic ware beacause-"
"No." I said loudly.
"-you love me!" He grinned.
"It was on sale" I told him, as if this was some excuse.
"You love me." he said simply.
- - - -

Why I like this scene: I really like it because I think it's really cute. The girl in the book does not beleive in love and she never gets boyfriends anything that might be a meaningful gift- but when her new boyfriend, Dexter, finds plastic ware in the trunk of her car he realizes that she loves him. He's in a band and living with his bandmates in a yellow house. They currently shared one fork until Remy, the girl that loves him, buys him the meaningful gift of forks. I just like how something so little can make such a big statement.