Amity nearly choked on her cookie and had to drop it while she searched the room for something to wash it down with.

"Here take this" Benji said placing his untouched glass of milk in her hand

Amity took it graciously and with one sip, managed to dislodge the piece of cookie from her throat.

"What was all that about?" Benji asked, once he was sure she could breath again.

"Dusty…he…Benji, is that what you think? I mean, you all think that me and Paul?"

Benji furrowed his brow as he considered her words.

"Well…a couple of people have just assumed that things between you and Paul have…"

"Have what?" Amity blurted out, failing to hide her alarm.

"Changed" Benji replied cautiously.

Amity, suddenly feeling the need to sit down, pulled out a bench stool.

How had this happened? She'd never given Paul any reason to believe that their relationship was, or ever would be, anything more than plutonic. She liked Paul but not like that! Not as a boyfriend.

"I'm guessing in your mind things haven't changed?" Observed Benji.

"Why would he think that thing's have changed?" Amity said, more to herself than to Benji.

"Well I have no idea. But right about now, I'm feeling a little bad for Paul. I mean I know he likes you, we all do. Paul isn't exactly the greatest at concealing his feelings, especially when girls are involved.

"I guess it was naïve of me Benji, but I honestly just see Paul as a friend. I just assumed that he felt the same way and now to find out that he doesn't"

"So now that you know that he doesn't, what are you going to do?" Benji asked. He suddenly seemed extremely interested.

"I don't know" Amity said, shaking her head slightly. She felt horrible.

"Well, is it really so out of the question that you and Paul…I mean…" Benji sensed Amity's eyes on him and decided he had better tread carefully.

"Is it that you're already involved…or…is there someone else…or…is it just Paul himself?"

Amity gently shook her head.

"There's no one else…and…I guess there's no reason why things between us couldn't…change" She caught Benji's eye as she delivered that last word. Benji suddenly worried that he had offended her in some way.

Amity, who had turned to gazing out the window to find solace, suddenly caught sight of something, which lifted her mood intensely. She practically leapt from her stool and after grabbing a plate from the fridge, headed out the back door.

"Where are you going?" Benji called as he tried to catch up.

Amity turned around to face him but continued moving down the steps backwards. Benji was sure that she'd fall and that worried him tremendously.

"While I was baking in the kitchen I kept seeing this stray dog hanging around your place. I'm guessing Cash's food bowl attracted him"

"And…" Benji hurried her to the point while speeding up just in case she stumbled.

To his relief she stopped and took the lid off the plate she was carrying to show him its contents.

"These are the cookies that didn't quite make the grade," She explained, holding up a deformed cookie for him to see.

Benji laughed.