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"1:41," he replies "It’s not coives his son a weird look

I wave to Jack, dismount, and whisper to Star that he did a wonderful job But the second I pass Star off to a hot-walker, the horse starts whinnying and slapping his tail around Instead of going to get Echoes of Summer, I rush back over to Star, relieve the hot-walker, and cool the horse down myself Star nickers and nips at my face as alk in circles over and over

I only have five days to get this horse ready to race

What’s wrong with him? Why does he only respond to , Rory drivesinto his new screenplay

"But this doesn’tthe script "Your character just o Why would she sleep with him?"

"True love She saw hiuys two uy’s drea one hand on the wheel, Rory taps his other hand on the paper "That’s why this script will sell Men will love it"

"Well, I wouldn’t pay for a lad I met you Nobody else wants to read my screenplays"

"I’m sorry no one wants to read your porn," I tease

"Hey, now It’s high-brow porn"

My heart starts thu lot, where Rory says the seniors park in the back corner I peer out the truckat a sunken area of concrete filled ater, weeds, andlot?"

"Because the school spends all its money on the football tea lot The Swamp, and for some unknown reason it’s cool to park there

I hop down out of the truck, and Rory links roup of smokers and then the skaters He helps me check in at the office and points out the cafeteria and the bathroom, but then abandons me at my homeroom because he absolutely has to meet up with the drama teacher He swears this will be the year the teacher finally agrees to produce his original play, Call Me When Your Mom Is Back in Town

After hoate through the crowded hallway My first class of the day is Crucial Life Lessons, a required course for seniors, where we’ll learn, you guessed it, "Crucial Life Lessons" Is that stuff like how to balance our bank accounts, warnings not to sign up for credit cards, and the difference between 87 and 93 octane gas?

I enter the classroorab a seat toward the back The name Coach Lynn is scrawled across the whiteboard Vanessa Green coht in front of ht," she says "I think I have a sparkler addiction now"

"I had fun too--"

Jack Goodwin appears in the doorway

"Oh shit," Ito speak to him and lazily drops into the desk next to h, and shakes his cowboy boot I guess he isn’t allowed to wear a cowboy hat in school; his hair curls around his collar

"You did fantastic thisthat lopsided smile "I know Star’ll do well this weekend at Keeneland I know it"

"Thank you" I s my head a little

"So you and Whitfield, huh?" He drapes his arms across the desks in front of and behind hi in

"What?" I reply

"I saw you walking in the parking lot with hiot a thing going on"

"Naw He’s too tall He’d break his neck trying to kiss azes into onna bring up the alht"

That’s when Rory enters the classrooht in front of Jack

"Hey, Ror," I say "Jack thought that we’re dating"

Rory screws up his face "The other night after the party? S fell asleep on the drive ho"

"Hey!" I say

"A troll, huh?" Jack whispers topinker than Strawberry Shortcake her daht blond hair

As Coach Lynn begins to take roll, Jack leans across the aisle toward ht us real life lessons," he whispers

I open et ready to take notes, which is ridiculous because I hate taking notes "What kind of lessons?"