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I turned back to Harper "How are things with Brody?"

She eyedabouther about her relationship with her boyfriend Basically, I’d admitted I liked Saay h, she kept it to herself, as usual She said enthusiastically, "Things are good with Brody"

"Have you" I winked at her

She looked around us--with good reason Half the girls on this van had dated Brody in the past Satisfied that they were involved in their own confabs, she said quietly, "Not yet I did get on the pill, like I told you, but I still don’t think I’m ready"

"That’s okay," I assured her Harper had never dated anyone for long Suddenly becouys in school must have been a shock to the systeuilty

"You’ve what?" I insisted

"Done stuff I can’t tell you about on the cheerleader van" She raised her eyebrows knowingly

"Sounds serious"

"I guess we’re pretty serious But serious makes it sound like we’re under pressure, e’re the opposite My dates with other guys have been ex-cru-ci-a-ting So aard Now"--she shrugged--"I’ it"

"Have you thought about what you’re doing after graduation?" I asked "Will you try to stay together?"

"We’re both applying in state, ripped aht to see Brody and Noah play"

"That’s fantastic!" Brody was the best quarterback our school had scored in years Noah was the right guard who kept hiht had been tough Despite Noah’s efforts, Brody had landed on his ass a couple of times "What did the scout think?"

"He told Coach he’s iot to play for the Gators? And I’ Florida my portfolio They have a killer journaliset a scholarship out of it" She held up her hands "It o hatever happens It’s not a definite plan, like you and Aidan applying to Colu after Sawyer tonight, I still needed to ht made me a little ill

"I hear you and Aidan had a proble you’re sleeping over with et about hi the night at Harper’s tiny cottage where she lived with her e Victorian bed-and-breakfast Harper and Tia and I didn’t have es next August And if Tia and Will both got into drum corps like they wanted, ouldn’t see et to hear about Tia’s night inband with Will, her polar opposite I would hear more about theon each other If I couldn’t pry the details out of Harper, Tia would And they would ask about Aidan and ain in the student council dramabut they would be reserved with their questions I could tell their enthusiasm about my relationship with Aidan had waned over the years Kind of like Aidan’s own enthusias for all of high school Aidan and I had so term and stable Hardly anybody else in our school could say that It didn’tforever and there ht be someone better around the corner--like Sawyer, of all people That kind of search would drive a person crazy

Harper leaned towardfor you when you coine Her parents’ divorce was finally going forward, which she said was good But herthe B and B afloat There was definitely not any redecorating going on

Harper looked around the van again before she said, "Sawyer"

I felt the blood rush to oose bumps break out on my arms in the air-conditioned van "What do you mean, Sawyer?"

"You know," Harper said, "he and his dad have been living in a rental house on the saranddad"

"No, I didn’t know" It made sense that Sawyer lived near our little dohich enabled hiet drunk outside the Crab Lab, then walk to our friends’ parties and then ho anyone But I’d never given a lot of thought to where hoht with his dad a few nights ago," she said, "and he left He stayed with randdad at first They know each other because Sawyer cuts rass Anyway--"

"How could Sawyer leave?" I’d had sohts with my mother before, but it had never crossed my mind to sleep at someone else’s house because of it