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True--Saas a terrific waiter, as long as he wasn’t mad at the customers

"That’s how I played the pelican," he said "The other people trying out were just bopping around in this big padded suit, walking funny I made the pelican into a character, a student at our school who gets no respect but who’s a lot sot the suit on, the first thing I did alk behind the judges and try to look over their shoulders at everyone’s scores"

I laughed "That could have backfired" Principal Chen had her panties in a wad most of the time, and the football coach wasn’t exactly open-ured I had to do so equal, would you pickover Chelsea?"

"No" But as soon as I said this, I felt the blood rush to my face, as it did so often when I was around Sawyer I’d thought of several things I would pick Sawyer for over absolutely anybody, and all of the very close to him in the dark, just like this

To cover up my embarrassan?"

"Oh" He nodded "It hen I atching the pelicans I felt like I was borrowing so fro? I know that sounds stupid"

It didn’t sound stupid, exactly, but it sounded like so up to see if I would believe it, teasingit, "But people don’t eat pelicans, do they?"

"Not unless they’re desperate I guess I was also thinking of a deer hunt I went on before I left Georgia I’ve regretted it every day" He turned to look out theat the interstate, lights and palh, that in his ia forest

I found his hand and covered it with one out of my way to touch Aidan like this He hadn’t ever tried to comfort me, either, which was probably why my three years with him seemed so sterile when I looked back at them now

Sawyer turned away from theHe tookallons of salad"

"Cereal,that coht"

I shook et your calciuuess I don’t"

It occurred to me that, except for salad at lunch, I’d never actually seen Sawyer eat anything "What did you eat before the 5K on Labor Day, when you nearly passed out?"

"Nothing"

I slid"You can’t run three , Sawyer"