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I was shocked to find he was right Erin almost hit me the second time because I was so surprised I’d completely blocked her first attempt

Don nodded "Good job"

We smiled stupidly at each other and switched assailant and victi?" Erin asked

Don shook his head and sighed "I swear, there’s one in every class Kicks will be next time" He pointed at her "And I’m makin’ sure you’re in Lucas’s line for that"

She put on her innocent face "Don’t y’all wear those padded Michelin-man suits?"

"Yes… but those pads don’t block all feeling"

"Heh-heh," Erin said, and Don quirked one eyebrow at her

I looked around the rooiggly girls "Like this?" one of the up at him like she didn’t know she’d positioned her hand incorrectly

"No…" He turned her palm around and adjusted her elbow "Like that" His voice was alhter scattered through the wide-open room Even still, I felt his words like a soft stroke down y hair, his tattoos, the pure sexuality in the way he walked and the low thru senior who said--or wrote--that my ex was a moron and teasedonme pass a class I’d have failed without him

I was attracted to the whole of hiruent with the other But the whole of him was also a liar The fact that our professor called him by a different na, too The preface of his official email address was LMaxfield No help there

He looked up and caught , neither of us looked away until Erin said, "J--pay attention! Just try to slap me" I broke the stare and turned to her She moved around to face me, her back to Lucas, and rolled her eyes "Does the concept of playing hard-to-get totally escape you?" she whispered "Let Hier"

She glanced over her shoulder and back "Girlfriend, I don’t think he knows that"

I shrugged

We practiced defensive stances and sih I felt silly at first, Erin and I were soon yelling, "NO!" along with our class the heels of our hands into each other’s chins or ha a fist (very slowly) down onto each other’s noses

"The last thing today will be ground defense We’ll watch Don and Lucas illustrate the first position and defense, and then each pair corab a mat and we’ll circulate while you practice"

Lucas lay face down on the ht My heart rate spiked andI didn’t want to be in that position again I couldn’t do it in front of a classroom of people I couldn’t do it in front of Lucas

Erin uncurled otta do this one You be the attacker first It’ll be okay"

I shook my head "I don’t want to It’s too much like--" I sed

"Which is exactly why you’ve got to do it" Before I said anything else, she squeezed my hand "Hey, help me do it, okay? And then we’ll see how you feel"

I nodded "Okay"

I helped Erin, but I could only stand to play the victied her fairly easily As an ex-cheerleader, Erin was strong, but she was no Buck I had no faith that this th

I couldn’t look at Lucas--not during this final exercise, and not as we filed out the door

"You sure you don’t wanna go? I could use you to keepon Chaz, if he has the balls to show up at this party"