what's a friend to do

 "Let's go out to eat," Vanna said as she was staring at Brandon and leaving Koda a little skittish.

"What?" Koda was here to pick her up from work and she was with Izzy and Brandon. Heck, Vanna was surrounded by food. Why did they have to go out to eat?

"The four of us." She was dead set on it, evidently.

"Right now?" Koda looked at her as if he knew the last twenty in his wallet was for gas. They had plenty of food at home.

Had she forgotten they were poor? He looked her over. But she had her arms crossed as if this was severely important.

"Look," he drew a blank. He hardly knew Izzy (were they even friends?) and this guy Brandon, well he was new. He got her turned around so their backs were to them. "What are you doing?"

"I have to do this for Izzy." She whispered.

"You have to?" He squinted with a sigh, knowing he had to follow orders or it would be hell to pay.

"Hey, how about you guys just come over and.. and have dinner with us in an hour or so," Koda smiled with a nod. Of course, Brandon nodded and Izzy just smiled. It was evidently a date.

"When did you become this.. I dunno." Koda didn't know what to say as he hurried Vanna along.

"We need friends, couple friends." She informed him on the drive home alone.

"Are.. are they even a couple?" He held on to the stirring wheel wondering what in the world to feed the four of them within the hour.

"Well, she wants them to be," at least, Vanna knew this much.

"I dunno." Koda shook his head, no. It seemed like a perfectly bad idea to him. First, their space was so small and Vanna would have to do some cleaning while he did some cooking. She usually liked to take her clothes off as soon as she got home which meant that other activity they usually did before the cooking ever commenced. Did she forget about that?

"I just.. I just want to be a good friend," she wouldn't even look at him. "I know.. I know Izzy's so hurt after what happened with Brick. And I know she wants something to happen with Brandon."

"Brick?" The first he'd heard of him.

"Oh, you don't know  him." She fretted as if it was all her fault they'd ever gotten together. "He's this really skinny kid. I dunno what Izzy was really expecting, you know." She sighed. "I knew it wasn't going to end well. I mean, she's graduating, you know. "

"You know her?" Koda winced, thinking Vanna never talked about anyone but herself and sometimes, about Jay but that was less and less these days.

"I'm trying OK." She puffed a frown.

"OKAY." Koda nodded. Friends were good. Now if he could just get her to like his friends. He'd make pasta of some kind.