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Or I can be same ole, same ole

I take a bite of celery sans peanut butter

Will opens the front door, and the edges of his rin Those blue eyes drop to mine, and he invites me inside the far like five generations "Bo’s finishing dinner," he says, taking ry?"

I wave a hand "I’ainst the doorframe "Rory went to a movie, and Trey’s at a friend’s house"

"So it’s just rabswith his food, dipping chicken nuggets into applesauce

He scrambles out of his chair and intoin his srins to hi up Bo’s dishes

"Hey, Bo," he says "Want to show Parker your birthday party stuff?"

I act surprised "When’s your birthday?"

Bo looks to Will for help

"You turn five on April Fool’s Day, right?" Will says, and his little brother nods "When Moht she was kidding and ay late to the hospital I stayed in the delivery room until he rushed in at the last h I’m kinda envious of his family

"My birthday’s on April fifth," I tell Bo "Our birthdays are in the sa dishes and follow Bo to his roo on invitations "You’re having a baseball and dinosaur themed party?" He nods, and shows me dinosaur streamers and baseball party favors Cute

Bo plops down on the rug to play with Matchbox cars, so I kneel with him and drive a yellow racecar up onto his bed and back to the rug and then up s and arms His mouth forms an O as he watches me

Will appears in the doorway "How about a movie?"

"Is that what you want to do?" I ask Bo, who nods He sure does a lot of nodding I read online that people with Asperger’s usually have repetitive quirks

Will brings apple slices and cheese, and I carry Bo down the steps to the base School of Rock, ’cause Bo loves the ee-tar" over and over

Will sits on the cushion right next tohis cheese and apple, he proainst Will’s side

"He’s adorable," I say, gentlyon the screen "I love him"

Bo lets out little snores "I can see why"

"You’re one of the only people he’s ever spoken to"

I touch Bo’s tiny hand and study his fingers "That’s so sad"

"Molances reat That’s gotta count for a lot"

"You’re pretty great yourself," he murmurs, but I pretend not to hear This afternoon, he told Brian I’m not his type Would he lie about that? He doesn’t know aboutabout me and Brian, to keep Will away from me?

No No way Dreould do that I want to ask Will what he’s thinking, but I can’t betray Drew So we sit here with only a little boy separating us My life is a twisted pretzel

"You’re going to Vanderbilt, right?" Will asks

"Yeah"

He chews on a thumb "Remember how you said on the way to church, how you wished we had been friends before now?"

"Ime I mean, I’m a dork and you’re beautiful but you were always so nice–"

"You’re not a dork" I take in his blue eyes "I stopped talking to you because of Laura She liked you, and I didn’t want to get in the way of that"

Will’s mouth falls open "Naw, I know she didn’t like me Not really"

Da to?" I ask, changing the subject "Harvard, right?"

He kisses Bo’s head "My great-grandparents started a trust fund forthe o to therapy and a special school"

"What? Can your parents, us have been hard on the farm lately Gas and water prices are up and sales have been down…It was a hard winter I’et a full ride instead"

"You’re all right, Will Whitfield"

That’s when he slides an arht I’d be close to the farm and my parents and Bo…and you’d be there too"

"Yeah," I say before thinking, glancing at his face, which is focused on me Holy seriousness He irl like er "It would be nice having a good friend on campus," I add quickly

Will’s hand is warm on my shoulder He rubs the side of ood I shuta sound And then I’in and how I’d love to learn whatlove feels like with him, as friends, as partners, with someone who listens to me and cares We’d do it in our own time

As soon as the movie ends, I make my excuses and ride es fro where I am and if he can come over

The irony I finally found a boy, Will, a boy I’