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Since last night, so between us had eased It wasdesperately at opposite ends of the saether Last night had beenhonestly, I wasn’t even sure if it had really happened In the irl that I loved slipped intosimple, stupid terms It had been difficult She was beautiful We’d both been frustrated She’d said ain All I kneas that I didn’t want us to fight anymore I didn’t want to try to kiss her, either Not until I understood it--us--better I wanted to exist in this stasis as long as we could, this place where ere tentatively getting along

The thing was, since it was the two of us, our not-fighting looked a lot likefighting

"I took French," I reminded her "I’ve taken French for years You met me outside of French class almost every day this fall"

"I did not Surely I’d remember that"

"You did You know you did, too You’re just being difficult"

"I have an i toto me in French A phrase? A word?"

"I can, but I won’t"

"See? My point You can’t say a word--"

"Hors d’oeuvres," I said, and snagged a pair of blintzes fro waiter’s tray "Do you want one?"

Beneath the wig, beneath the Coke-bottle glasses, despite every fight we’d had in the past feeeks and the ridiculous plasticat iven ht, and I didn’t knohat that meant

"‘Give e "August told you that?"