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Melissa stood up from the table and tickled Spencer’s side "I bet I knohy you’re spacey this ain?"

Spencer ducked her head She’d let slip that Reefer Fredericks, her new boyfriend, was visiting today from Princeton, where he lived They hadn’t seen each other since the cruise Today was an in-service day for both schools and the first day they were both free

"It should be fun," she said nonchalantly, even though her sto to ask him to prom?" Amelia asked

"Oh, Spence, you should!" Melissa cried "You can’t go stag in that gorgeous Zac Posen gown!"

Spencer bit her lip She did plan on asking Reefer to pro at the Zac Posen dress she’d bought on a trip to New York City with herabout how she’d look in it on Reefer’s ar Spencer had daydreaetting elected class president and giving the valedictorian speech at graduation But this year, proly normal activity in her totally abnormal life, and she didn’t want to ot romantic texts from him every day He’d sent flowers to her house and her hoht, Reefer telling her about a new strain of pot he’d created and Spencer filling hi after-school suspension hours she had to attend, the school’s punish that lifeboat

Everyone cleared the breakfast dishes, and within tenSpencer alone She tapped her fingernails on the countertop and idly watched the news, but the weather report did nothing to cal, and she shot up and checked her reflection in the toaster to make sure her blond hair was pulled into a neat ponytail and her pink lipstick wasn’t s it open Reefer was standing on the porch, a sheepish grin on his face

"Hey, stranger," Spencer said

"Hey yourself" Reefer looked gorgeous as usual, a navy T-shirt pulling tight against his well-defined shoulders, his face clean-shaven, his dreadlocks pulled back to show off his high cheekbones and clear green eyes Spencer tilted her chin up and kissed hi his butt Reefer flinched, surprised

"Don’t worry," Spencer one We’re alone"

"Oh, okay" Reefer pulled back "U"

"I have stuff to tell you, too!" Spencer grabbed his hands "So, I think I mentioned that our prom is in teeks, and--"

"Actually," Reefer cut her off, "do you et it out"

There was a strange look on his face that Spencer couldn’t decipher She led him into the kitchen and turned off the TV on the counter When she gestured for hiain and again with his fingers, trying to get all the creases out Spencer had to smile: Reefer probably hated the wrinkled tablecloth as much as she did That was just one reason they went so well together

"I got this internship I’ve really wanted," he announced

Spencer senius He’d probably been offered hundreds of internships "Congratulations! Where?"

"Colombia"

"University? In New York?" Spencer clasped her hands together "That is going to be so o to Central Park, check out a Yankees game"

"No, Spencer, not Columbia University Colombia, the country"

Spencer blinked "In South America?" Reefer nodded "Well, that’s cool, too Ibefore you come back for school" Then she noticed the stiff expression on Reefer’s face "Are you co back for school?"

Reefer took a deep breath "Maybe not It’s an a opportunity with this botanist, Dr Diaz He’s, like, a rock star in his field I’ve alanted to ith him--everyone does--but once he takes you on, you kind of can’t leave I didn’t even ot the letter two days ago offeringto defer Princeton until I get back" He brushed a dreadlock over his shoulder "Honestly, I was thinking about deferring Princeton anyway--I felt like I needed a few years to just, you know, be But then I hts zooo? They’d talked on the phone a lot in the last two days He hadn’t said a word

And two yearsThat was kind of forever

She sat back "Okay That’s still aether, right?"

Reefer picked at his thuht"

"Tonight?" She blinked hard "Can you postpone it a little while,you could co tone in her voice

By the look on Reefer’s face, she could tell he was going to say no "They really need me there now And, Spencer, I’m not really sure we shouldyou knowwait for each other"

Spencer felt like he’d just dumped a bucket of ice over her head "Wait a minute What?"