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Now I did look up ―But she was uess that didn‘t make any difference to them,‖ he said, carefully ―I think they were in love and didn‘t care I think they felt that loving each other wasto follow the rules?‖ I whispered I honestly didn‘t knohat answer I wanted

―We probably should‖

I closedmy tears not to fall ―I killed Matt All his e-‖ I openedin his face changed and then he took a step forward and then another He was close enough to reach out for me, but he didn‘t Instead, he stretched past, pulled his office door shut--and locked it He took the book and then the bag of scones froers and carefully squared both next to the coffeepot Reaching around, he eased my knapsack from my shoulders and let it slide to the floor, and then he peeled offover my wrists He drapedhis eyes from mine, felt for the la My heart was pounding He was so close we could‘ve touched in that tre darkness, but I couldn‘t h mine and my pulse jumped

His voice drifted out of the dark ―Co Heshelves of cheed, and then down the short hall to the old forgotten darkroom he‘d shown me in what seemed like another century The door was open, but he didn‘t step inside Instead, he paused, my hand still in his--and waited

In the ruddy blush of the en, I spied that cot where he must sometimes take a nap or rest after a run The air sh: still Dove and him but, also, the round warm scent of vanilla

Noas the moment to decide which rules mattered There were choices I had the power I could turn around I could leave There was no mystery here Once I stepped into that roo a line

―I haven‘t been able to stop thinking about you‖ When I turned, he cuppedonly you, but now I think I‘ve been struggling to help myself, too But you have to understand how serious this is, Jenna No one can know You can‘t tell anyone I could end up in jail‖

―We‘ve been out together We‘ve been places together‖ I realized, belatedly, that after Adelaide, Mr Anderson had been careful to go where no one would know either of us

―We run together‖

―And we can keep doing those things, within reason I‘m your teacher Your parents know me I‘ve been to your house I‘m no different fro We can be friends and that would be fine II care about you, Jenna The last thing I want is to hurt you I won‘t force you I want you to want me‖

They felt like words I’d wanted--waited for--my whole life ―I do want you‖ My body was liquid, ree and I would burst into flame ―And I kno to keep a secret, Mr Anderson, I promise‖ He nearly, nearly smiled ―I think that when it‘s just the two of usyou can call me Mitch‖

We didn‘t talk after that Not ords, anyway

37: a

― Where is Danielle?‖ Mr Anderson planted his fists on his hips His words rode on breath clouds the wind tore away ―We start in five Don‘t tell ether, ja the cold-girl two-step We were in Wausau on a Tuesday and a week before Thanksgiving for the last cross-country iving, with state the week after that The weather was crap, the te--kind of typical for north-central Wisconsin this tiround The weatherht inches on the way, and everyone was saying that winter was going to be early, long, and hard

The as steady The air sh ht to the bone I‘d tried to keep as war up I needed to be running already

―I‘ll get her‖ When Mr Anderson gave a curt nod, I jogged past the clutches of parents huddling together in the cold (notmaniac hours) David and a couple other stalwart boyfriend-types were there, too; when I trotted by on my way to the visitors‘ locker rooed and--

Oh, what‘s the matter? Is widdle Bobby mad? Like, wait a , Bobby-o, a blow-by-blow? Every ht, short and sweet: yes, this meet was about a month later I‘d run in threecoy here; I just don‘t see that it‘s any of your business) I‘d done okay: third inthe team seemed to have lit a fire under Danielle Maybe that‘s what Mr Anderson had counted on If so, it had worked She‘d poured it on the last three races

But I would catch her soon, and I knew it Her splits ay off, and e did flat courses on the treadmill, I could punch up a six-otten surlier and ed in the handicapped shower--I overheard how she and Davidup; how her older brother, as in the local university extension and had suddenly taken to showing up to take her hootten in David‘s face the other week I could believe it The way her brother acted--wedging hiuy, even Mr Anderson when he was just coaching--you‘d have thought he was her boyfriend

Stuff like that

But with h My teaionals after all, even state Mr Anderson--Mitch--was psyched Me, too I kneas only a matter of time until I really came in first--not just first on our team, but for the race