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After Peter and I hang up, I text John ame It’s at his school I ask if he’s sure he doesn’t et et taken down I’et lost on the way there

After school on Friday, I rush hoht blue T-shirt, white shorts, white and light blue striped knee socks, a blue ribbon in15 on my cheek and outline it hite eyeliner

I run outside as soon as John pulls into our driveway He’s wearing his faded old Orioles baseball cap, pulled do He eyes , John says, "You look like a rally girl"

I tap him on the bill of his hat "You used to wear this, like, every day that one surins like he has a secret It’s contagious Now I’ too, and I don’t even knohy "What? Why are you s," he says

I jab him in the side "Come on!"

"Myof suain after that" He checks the tia up and down inthis off, I knoill

We get to John’s school in under half an hour, and there’s still tiet us snacks out of the vendingof salt-and-vinegar chips to share

He hasn’t been back long before a tall black guy in a lacrosse unifor over to the car He calls out, "McClaren!" He bends down and puts his face up close to the , and he and John bu to Danica’s after this?" he asks

John glances over at me and then says, "Nah, I can’t"

His friend notices me then; his eyes widen "Who’s this?"

"I’o here," I say, which is dumb, because he probably knows that already

"You’re Lara Jean!" He nods enthusiastically "I’ve heard about you You’re why McClaren’s hanging around a nursing hohs an easy sort of laugh "Get outta here, Avery"

Avery reaches over John and shakes my hand "Nice to meet you, Lara Jean See you around" Then he runs off toward the field As we sit and wait, a few more people come up to John’s car to say hi, and I see it’s just like I thought: He has lots of friends, lots of girls who adirls walks by the car, toward the field, and one in particular stares into the car and right at me, questions in her eyes John doesn’t seeoing to do for spring break in April, suo to Korea