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Dia continued to play around with her hair, yanking and tugging it every which way, but Haven had no idea what she was trying to do The sah Tess’s"Dia, what are you doing to the poor girl’s head?"

"I’ to French braid it"

"French braid? What is she, twelve?"

Tess grabbed a flat iron and bu, Dia plopped down on the bed as Tess undid the sloppy braid Once the flat iron ar the waves that had never before been so ta it with a clip, before unplugging the flat iron and going back to her side of the room

Dia showed Haven to the bathroolanced in theback Her hair was bone straight and shiny under the glow of the light The dress hugged her in all the right places, accentuating her newfound curves

Curves She pinched her hips with aondering where they had come from and how she hadn’t noticed the near the doorway Tess gazed in heranother coat of lipstick, while Dia slipped on a pair of black coet dressed?" Haven asked Dia as she dropped a pair of gold flats in front of her

"I am dressed"

Haven put on the shoes as she surveyed Dia’s clothes She had on a black skirt and a vibrant blue tank top with rainbow-striped tights "You are?"

"She is," Tess said "To Dia, that’s dressed up"

The hairs on the back of Haven’s neck stood on end theof being watched overwhel Self-consciously, she put her head down and walked swiftly to the soda aisle Bending down to grab a twelve-pack of Coke, her skin prickled as a presence approached

"What do you call cheese that doesn’t belong to you?"

"I’m not sure, Nicholas" She picked up the soda and turned to face hi a black suit It was the first time she had seen him without his flip-flops and baseball cap

"Nacho cheese" He grinned "Get it, nacho, not yo’? Not yo’ cheese, since it isn’t yours?"

The moment it clicked, she shook her head "That’s cheesy"

He laughed at her atteirl"

She blushed "Thank you I see you’re dressed up"

"Of course I ao to school here, do you?"

"Neither do you"

"But I have sohed dramatically "Yeah, well, so do I I may not be a pretty boy like Car of your boyfriend"

"Don’t start"

He held his hands up defensively "Hey, I was just going to say I’ you in public by yourself"

"Why wouldn’t he? I can go to a store alone"

"Can you?" The seriousness to his voice sent her nerves flaring Could she? Considering this was her first ti yes

"Sure," she said, eyeing him suspiciously Her heart pounded furiously in her chest He couldn’t know the truth Carmine would have warned her

"That’s nice," he said "You know, you have a fascinating accent"

She was taken aback by the shift in conversation "I have an accent? I think you do"

He laughed "I sound like everyone else around here, but I’ve never heard an accent like yours Where did you grow up?"

"California"

"What parts?"

She hesitated "The desert"

He nodded "No wonder I’ve never heard it You’re the first native Californian I’ve ht?"

She nodded, his line of questioning baffling her

"Well, Haven, since I rong and you can go out by yourself, you should come visit me sometime"

Her eyes narrowed at the invitation "Why are you interested?"

"You see friends"

"Do you want to be friends because you want to get to know me, or do you want to be friends because it’ll upset Carmine? Because I can’t be friends with someone ants to hurt him"