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Finn responded with another, smaller belch I rolled down the s

"Are we having a party this weekend?" I asked Finn

"Why not?"

"Just wondered when this was decided But whatever, I’ wheel Getting Grace in ood way to move our tentative dance frooing to fraternity parties looking for so I could and wanted to provide Whatever that was

"Post-party hookups can be dangerous," Finn warned

"Sure, but I need to get her in my territory and away from campus"

"Isolate your prey and lure her into your cave? Does that work?" Finn asked

"We’ll see on Saturday night"

Chapter Eight

Dear Grace,

We aren’t supposed to be sent out on a raid again for thirty-six hours I’ my breath The base has a bunch of new Air Force personnel Bo tellsthan in any other branch of the Ar He’d know I think he’s tried theht, after I finish this letter to reassure you that I’m just fine but worn out, I plan to lie down in my bed and read the book you sentheroic deeds, but I’ done by millions of other soldiers from around the world

I’t, if you are reading this, I mean that I’m excited for this deployment to be done so I can re-up (Not really, Grace, but just in case)

Yours,

Noah

Grace

I didn’t seea hurried and unsatisfying affair given that Noah had to run off to do so books for the first hour, and during the second, I sorted through old journals that would be sent out to be bound Finally, I was told to go to the reference desk where Mike was still working

"So you dating Jackson now?" Mike asked me, almost before I could sit down

"No, we’re just friends Why do you ask?" I said, trying to keep the ed "Saw you holding hands the other day"

"Oh, he just drags people around if they don’t walk fast enough"

"Have you been to one of Noah’s fights?" Mike asked in his gossip reporter voice

Mike wasn’t looking at rabbed at it on its way down "Hey, I was playing with that," Mike yelped, but settled back in his chair when he saw ht," I encouraged

"It’s mixed martial arts They use their--"

"Hands and feet I know They fight in an Octagon Josh loves that stuff Tell ht," I ordered iht and they held it in some warehouse don this suuy’s eye socket in three places," Mike said excitedly

I couldn’t reconcile the picture of Noah puuy who opened doors for ht it up?" Mike asked, curiosity coloring his voice

"No, not a word" If I sounded disgruntled, who could blame me? I felt like I was supposed to know hier to Noah, who knew secret things about him that I didn’t

"Weird," Mike replied "It’d be the first thing I would bring up if I was hitting on a girl He’s like a mini-celebrity in town I was here over the summer, and when he walked in to The Circus, the DJ announced him" The Circus was one of a couple dance clubs don I didn’t ordinarily go there because it required so

"There isn’t anything going on between us," I insisted and tossed Mike’s ball back to him

Bothered by Noah’s silence on the subject of his fighting, I turned away from Mike and picked up , I asked, "Mike, when did you pick your major?"

"Sophomore year I took French Revolutionary History because I didn’t want to have any Friday classes, and it was the only one that worked out withhooked on history"

"What are you going to do with a degree in history though?"

"Teach, I guess I’rad school, and then I’ll dothe 18th century"

"All that froaped at him

"Yup Are you worried you haven’t picked athe ball toward ig here, toldor else," I said and threw back the ball

"What’s the ‘or else?’"

"Dunno I’m not sure I want to find out"

"Are there any classes you’re taking this semester that you enjoy a lot?" Mike asked

"No I kind of dislike the ed to hold on "What about your pictures?

I groaned, "Taking pictures is a hobby, not a vocation"

Mike moved back several paces and ain "Okay, then, what about being a reference librarian?"

"Because look at us I don’t want to throw a little red ball around all day in between shelving and sorting journals," I whined

Mike just laughed "I don’t think real librarians spend all day throwing balls around"

"I guess I just feel no passion for this What if I committed to it and then it didn’t work out?" I had to stop myself before I sounded like I was a whiny six-year-old