Alanna was leading the betting this hand and cautiously put in a second snack, forcing everyone but Ricki to raise and leave themselves with only one snack left. I was next and squinted at Alanna, trying to judge her reaction, but she just batted her eyes at me and made our roommates laugh.

"I call," I said, tossing in one of my chocolate bars.

Malena, on my other side, folded. Ricki casually tossed in another bag of chips, her mound of winnings daunting on the floor beside her. Little Beth, her eyes darting from the pot to the hand of cards in front of her, played her tongue over her...