Page 20 (1/2)

Will and Tia troe xylophone on rollers onto it Steadying the lower end, Will walked carefully backward "Oh, wait," Tia called, "I don’t have it Oh, ack!" The xylophone slid down the last foot of the raut "Are you okay?" she called

"We didn’t really need that lower octave, anyway," he groaned

Sawyer put his hands overthe hint, I inhaled deeply and shutmyself melt into his softness I could still hear Will and Tia flirting as they coaxed instru as they passed But their voices werewas soothing

For those few seconds in Sawyer’s arms, I tried to live in the h school: s like the ho dance, which I was more determined than ever to save It wasn’t until rare interludes like this, when I felt the weight lifted from my shoulders for a short time, that I realized how much pressure I was under, and how that anxiety turned h , I pulled away from Sawyer just as Harper snapped a picture of us with her fancy ca with Kaye in her cheerleader outfit and Sawyer in his pelican costume struck me as a symbolic photo for our school It’s also one of the weirdest things I’ve ever seen" She turned to me "I hear Aidan wants a break?" She held her camera out of the ith one hand while she embraced me with the other

"Tia told you already?" I asked into Harper’s shoulder Tia wasn’t good at keeping news on the do

"Tia isn’t happy with Aidan," Harper said as she letlot were bright, the shadows strange, and I was feeling out of sorts afterlook, like they were hiding so from me

Which was ridiculous I spent way more time with Sahile he was in costume than Harper did, and I still didn’t knohich part of his bird head he saw from

She stuck out her bottom lip at me in sympathy "Are you okay to drive?"

"Oh, sure I’ll see you in a few" I turned to Sawyer "Did you put your costuh you’re still mad at me? Because that’s kind of sweet, and kind of twisted"

He shrugged

"Well, go take it off I know you’re hot"