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Bemused, he says, "What the hell is a sock hop?"

"It’s like a dance, like in Grease" Peter looks back at ht Never irl until you had a pin"

"A pin?" Peter repeats

"Yes, a felloould give a girl his fraternity pin, and itsteady But you weren’t official until you had the pin"

"But I’m not in a fraternity I don’t even knohat a fraternity pin looks like"

"Exactly," I say

"Wait--are you saying you want a pin or you don’t want a pin?"

"I’, don’t you think there was so cool in the way it used to be? It’s old-fashioned, but it’s al? "Postfeuys?" He doesn’t sound upset, necessarily, just confused

"No! I justI’ an observation I think it would be cool to bring back casual dating There’s so sweet about it, don’t you think? My sister told et so heavy with her and Josh You said yourself how you hated how serious it got with Genevieve If we break up, I don’t want things to ever get so bad that we can’t be in the saether I want to still be friends no matter what"

Peter dismisses this "With me and Gen, it’s complicated because of who Gen is It’s not like with et all flush again I try not to sound too eager as I say, "Like different how?" I know I’ for a compliment, but I don’t care

"You’re easy to be with You don’t et all crazy and worked up; you’re" Peter’s voice trails off as he looks at ht and stiff No girl wants to hear what he just said No girl A girl wants to get a boy crazy and worked up--isn’t that part of being in love?

"I ood way, Lara Jean Are you mad? Don’t be mad" He rubs his face tiredly

I hesitate Peter and I tell each other the truth; that’s how it’s been since the beginning I’d like it to stay that way, on both sides But then I catch the sudden worry in his eyes, the uncertainty, and it’s not so on hiether a couple of weeks, and I don’t want to start a new fight when I know he didn’t mean any harm I hear myself say, "No, I’m not mad," and just like that, I’oing too far too fast with Peter Maybe it’s a good thing he doesn’t get crazy and worked up over me

The clouds in his face clear away instantly, and he is sunny and bright again That’s the Peter I know He gulps at his tea "See, that’s what I et it"

"Thank you"

"You’re welco ice off his windshield when I run out to my car Daddy’s already scraped the ice off ine and turned on the heat By the looks of Josh’s car, he’s not going to make it to school on time