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Jake nods "Center Got it Where will you be?"

"Nowhere special"

"Nowhere special" is a pretty apt description of the boys’ changing rooe- painted lockers and square s that filter weak rays of real light into the rooht that’s prohts overhead

And it s on the bench closest to the door when I sneak in There’s a binder resting beside him--math homework At least it better be

"What if someone cos the bench to the tiny alcove where the door is and wedges it in such a way that no one should be able to get in There was definitely a tiht us in here--and we’d been caught a few times--but now he’s with Becky and those days are dead

"So" I clear es of math will this be worth?"

He nods to the bench I sit He sits besideI’ve ever done

I try to ignore how it starts with his hands carefully coers are in s his face close, forehead against uilty, I think I think ht about the ly close to mine and he pauses

"Do you even miss me?"

"No," I say

He finally kisses ainstme and I won’t have it I make him really kiss me, full on the mouth, and force his lips apart withyou felt about ain and stops before anything can happen "I would’ve stuck it out You wouldn’t let me help you"

"I didn’t need your help"

"Yes, you did You do Everyone got through it together but you You’re so perfect, you just couldn’t handle it--"

"You’re as bad as Jake," I say "You talk too et it because it’s not worth your homework for me to sit here and listen to you nitpick the past"

That kills it After a second, he presses his binder into my hands

"Take it," he says, before I can ask "Have it back to "

"Oh, come on Afraid you won’t respect yourself afterward?" I study hi to tell Becky"

"I just wanted to kiss you again"

"Stop it"

"You could’ve said no," he says, standing He pulls the bench out "You know I’m not over you You could’ve said no and done the hoht," I say "You knohat? You’re absolutely right Call it a momentary lapse of sanity"

He opens the door

"Or ain, too"

I roll my eyes

EIGHT

Bailey’s developed this weird attachment to me He follows me from roouard in the living room for the two hours it takes me to copy Chris’s math homework My parents can’t shut up about how cute it is, so three guesses for how I feel about it, and the first two don’t count

"Maybe you could take him for a walk, now that your foot is better"

Moestion andwith it because I want out I throw s back and forth excitedly--and escape

"Hey, Parker!"

I’ve been walking a good forty minutes when I hear my name Somehow I took a turn that landed me on Victoria Street, where the traffic is kind of heavy and I cross the paths of more people than I nor Maybe I didn’t hear it after all I keep walking

"Parker!"

Daing fro a plastic DVD case in his hand He jogs over

"Didn’t figure I’d see you before tomorrow," he says

"That makes two of us"

"Who’s this?"