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Prologue

A different time, a different place

D arcy Tre But neither had she expected it to be the beginning of a lifelong night a total jerk

She wasn’t sure what started their argu that he didn’t intend to speak to her again until she apologized She told hiain ever then, because she hadn’t the least intention of apologizing She hadn’t done anything, other than suggest that despite the fact that he had been given an award in dra lady quite so long, or so deeply, in the auditorium, in front of the world Or their sh school When he left her house that afternoon, she assumed that he’d call her and be the one to say that he was sorry

The call never ca lady, Cindy Lee, to the proe in soued with herself all afternoon Hunter was going to head straight out to California after graduation and try toto NYU, and she had been ecstatic about her acceptance there and the so Eventually, living across the country from one another, she and Hunter would have most probably fallen apart She should have accepted the fact long ago that Hunter had an eye for other girls He was young So was she They should spend some time without commitment

But she didn’t really want to split She had been in love with Hunter since ninth grade They had shared the years since Very long, good years, or so it had seemed

In the end, Hunter did call her He was so sorry He’d ruined everything, but he couldn’t get out of going to their proy with a maturity her mother assured her was beyond her years And it was her ested that she ask her friend, Josh

"Josh!" she’d said with surprise

But it was only enius with computers, hted when she wanted to try out a song, a dance ue on him They had lived down the street from one another in their rather rural area for years, and had long ago become friends They didn’t run in the same social circles, but Darcy had steadfastly maintained her friendship with hiht Over the years, soly, Josh had been able to warn her about ht have encountered in life Go with Hunter tonight for ice creao alone And she had done so, and Cindy Lee had been there, flirting with Hunter, until she had realized that Darcy ith his He’dto the store one day when it turned out that his brakes were bad Both her folks listened to Josh She had learned to do so, too

Other people, she kneere frightened by some of his predictions He had knohen Mrs Shumacher down the street was about to die of cancer He had knohen Brad Taylor was going to break his leg during a football game A lot of the kids called him a freak But despite her little spat with Hunter, she had always held her own in school She could bring Josh to the prom, and he’d be accepted, because he’d be with her Oh, they’d talk about her--and him--behind their backs, but what did she care? Hunter had already hurt her just about as badly as she could be hurt; she was cut right to her eighteen-year-old heart

And besides, the whole high school thing was over A new life was about to begin

Josh hemmed and hawed at first, skeptical "Darcy, I’ll just look like the geek you dressed up and brought along"

But she’d laughed and assured hireat eyes, and if you don’t ether But if you’d feel unco that night Ito keep me company"

He’d smiled at that "I’d rather be in your company than anyone else’s, that’s for sure But you don’t have to take o with you"

"That’s doubtful and it doesn’t o"

At that, Josh had given her a strange so to the pro you"

To her ah he usually dressed like a couch potato hiood eye for clothes Hand in hand they went shopping together They ran into a nuhted to see their eyes widen at first, and then seem to focus more deeply on Josh He was able to help Cissy Miller with aaround for days, and over tacos at the food court, he found a new friend in Brenda Greeley, a really beautiful girl, and the head cheerleader