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My eyes were probably as big around as saucers ―What did you do?‖

―After my heart stopped? My other friend and I stayed on our boards and hauled ass, screas out‖ At the expression on rim smile ―I don‘t have a death wish, but the reality is that a shark won‘t go for ets They‘re coines of death Besides, I had a knife I alore one just in case ot there, the shark had Ken by one leg up to h‖

Like that scene in the movie, where the shark has Quint I shuddered

―I think the only reason Ken didn‘t die was because that shark was still young His h Anyway, my other friend jabbed with Ken‘s board, and then I stabbed the shark right behind the dorsal fin and ripped I guess if I‘d been in the water, I would‘ve gone for the eye, but‖ He ran a hand, wet froo and then we tugged Ken out of the water and onto our boards Blood was gushing fro, but there was all that blood and you could see the color just draining out of Ken‘s face So I grabbed ht That stopped the blood The lifeguards finally got there, but there wasn‘t room in the Jet Skis forit back to shore with Ken, and we‘re still in the water with all that blood‖

I gasped ―Oh no‖

―Oh yes Maybe a ht for us, and I thought, oh boy, one But that‘s when I realized they were bottlenoses‖

―What did they do?‖

―The whole pod circled us and our boards, and then they followed us until ere in the shallows Pods are always led by the do us out to make sure we made it Once it saere safe, they left And that,‖ he said, handing ot interested in dolphins‖

―Wow,‖ I said again ―So why aren‘t you studying them now? Even if you were at Madison, you could‘ve found a way‖

―Maybe If I‘d been smart--as in brave But I wasn‘t I was pretty spooked after Japan My dad was a cheineer and he wanted me in the family business God, he threatened to cut me off I don‘t knofordrea That kind of real destructive crap To be honest, I think he was just as happy that the experience kind ofbroke me, you know? A person can only stand so much pressure

So I did what he wanted I caedhandful of wet cutlery onto the drain board, ―I gotPark, the sun was nearly gone and the woods were black Mine was the only car in the lot As Mr Anderson pulled up alongside, I unbuckledood tiht, I couldn‘t make out his expression, but he sounded sincere ―So are we running toe, though We‘ll save huge for a couple days from no many tempo runs you done in the last ood Endurance is great, but you ought to be doing tempo runs to improve your speed How about we do that toic words: endurance, speed, te Never too late to join the tea the crappiest season of her life Well, why not? The season o-thirds over; I needed the exercise; Danielle could suck it up ―Okay‖

―Excellent I want to clock you at peak for a 5K You do ith that, we‘ll go to an interval run day after Of course, when school starts back up‖

―I join the team for workouts‖

―That‘s the idea We‘ll move indoors when the really bad weather hits, but I run outside erous If you want‖ He hesitated then continued, ―You could keep running with ination, or did I hear a note of worry, that I ht refuse? ―Okay‖

―Good‖ He sounded the tiniest bit relieved ―So, how about toht? I‘ll pick you up and we can have breakfast after Proo to a café I know The pancakes are to die for‖

―That would be great‖ I popped the door The do the interior of the Prius with light Scooting out, I turned back to lift my pack from the footwell, except Mr Anderson had bent and was already handing it up Our gazes met I don‘t knohy, but we both went still Neither of us looked away, and there was so there I know he felt it because I saw soone so dry, I had to slick o of my pack ―Thank you‖

He waited until I hadoff at his house the way I expected but staying with ot out okay, or that nothing happened We met no other cars on the road and I went slowly,around once the sun went down and the ten for the interstate, it was full dark and the deer were out, their eyes bright as green coins in hts Mr Anderson honked once and then I watched inaround and headed back for his house I sloatching the twin red eyes of his taillights until they were out of sight

Then, I got mad at myself Like, okay, obsessinto ically appear

He didn‘t