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He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, brushing away the tears as he sat quietly, savoring the silence Seeing her naible to remind him she had been real, soothed his frazzled nerves, and for the moment, he almost felt at peace

After a few rass off of his pants "I won’t stay gone so long next ti across the ce nuo

By the tiain

32

Haven stood in the doorway to the bedroo Carmine as he did his homework He sat at his desk with his head in the pal intently at a laptop He hadn’t sensed her presence, or if he did, he chose not to acknowledge her

Carroaned "What does the Greek alphabet have to do with math?"

She blurted out the answer "Pi?"

He ju around "Did you just ask if I wanted pie?"

"No, Pi is a part of the Greek alphabet, and it’s also a y"

He stared at her for a istered "Well, thank Alex Trebek for that You could probably do ravation, you know"

She blushed "But if I did it, hoould you learn?"

"I don’t seehis head "Anyway, is there soo to Dia’s, reotten, since it was his idea in the first place "Oh, yeah, right" He grabbed his keys off his desk She expected him to stand so they could leave, but instead he held the to drivethem "I don’t have tiet done and errands to run"

Her brow furrowed "Hoill you run errands if you don’t have your car?"

"I’et to Dia’s, right? It’s a straight shot I dropped you off there when you got your dress"

"Uh, yes, but"

"And stop by the store on your way horab some Coke for me, will you? It’s just the next street over There should be soaped at hihed exasperatedly "Why not?"

"Because I’ve only ever driven Dr DeMarco’s, and that’s when you ith me"

"Mine drives like his does And if it er seat Just curse a few times It’ll feel like I’m there"

He turned around, subject closed

It was the h School’s pro it on her, casually telling her she needed to pick out a dress Dia offered to take her shopping a few days later, and Haven got a blue one with dark golden tri ties sometimes so abrupt that it was impossible to brace for it The anticipation and excite underneath the surface, but there was also fear--a fear of the unknown, a fear of the plunges

It wasn’t always bad Carmine lost his temper quite a bit, but there were also mo uncharacteristic of the boy she’d come to know He was protective of his car, yet he had handed her the keys without a thought even though she didn’t have a license

The Harper family lived in a one-story tan house in the center of town, h for the four of them Dia and Tess shared a bedroom, the close quarters often reason for their sisterly bickering Haven saw proof of it as soon as she arrived, a piece of duct tape on the carpet running straight down the center of the roo it in half The left was clean and decorated with shades of pink and posters of ht half was in disarray, hundreds of photographs covering the wall

"Have a seat," Dia said,toward a chair in front of a desk Haven sat on the edge of it and glanced around at the e to clean for her "So, are you excited?"

"Of course I ah her anxiety overshadowed her excitement

Dia eyed Haven peculiarly as she fiddled with her hair, running her fingers through the wild locks "Nervous, huh? Your answer sounded way too rehearsed"

"I am excited," she said "I’ve just never been to a dance before"

"Me, either," Dia said "The only reason I’ to this one is because I have to cover it for the yearbook Otherwise, I’d stay home"

"You don’t have a date?"

She shook her head "The adht someone"

"Why?"

Dia looked at her with surprise "Not everyone is accepting"

"Why wouldn’t they accept you?"

"I’ carefully with her words "No one’s told you that?"

"Well, Carht equipht red hat he’d lanced at the doorway as the voice interrupted Tess strolled into the roo it to expose a bloodred dress

Dia rolled her eyes "Classy"

"I’ off her shirt Haven gaped at her as she stripped out of her clothes Tess noticed her expression and laughed, standing in front of her in a bra and panties "I’hed "She’s not ainst that She shih heels fro over to her dresser, she gazed at her reflection in the vanitysome red lipstick She did it so casually, so quickly, so fluidly Haven watched with admiration