Page 47 (1/2)

"Codi, I couldn’t believe it when you said you’d come up here with me I couldn’t even believe I asked"

I sat forward, letting the point ofinto my knee "I can see what itwhat I did"

He spoke slowly "I’ve been looking forward to this ever since Labor Day Not because I thought we’dNot for any one reason I just wanted to come here with you"

I looked at hi at all to say

"I don’t blame you if you’re still pissed off at h school"

My heart lost its rhyth a jerk"

"You re question He said, "I have a lot of reasons in my mind for the way I was, but they don’t make much difference I hurt a lot of people"

I looked at him carefully "In ay exactly do you think you hurt ed "Well, maybe I didn’t Maybe you didn’t care But still, I could have been a lot nicer We went out those couple of tiood-tiirl twice"

I breathed out Nobody knew, so Loyd couldn’t, but for one minute I’d been afraid I didn’t want him to kno much of a e him to one of twoact I leaned over and kissed hih School Honcho for being a red-blooded boy"

"Plain Janemine "I like you a lot A real, whole lot You buy that?"

"I’ll buy it Just don’t try to sell ht into my eyes "I’m serious, Codi"

"Okay," I said "Sold" I laid ently strokedcoaxed, reluctantly, into dreas jerked helplessly,You see it?"

"No I’ll help you look in arabbits," Loyd said