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Sterns shrugged "All I know is, you are in serious trouble, young lady I was talking to your dad at first, but then your ot on the phone" He shut the door

"Okay," Sawyer said soothingly, but I was already gasping for breath, trying not to cry and failing miserably "Kaye," he called over my sobs He was the one with his hands behind his back in cuffs, trying toit because I’d gotten him into this

"On a happier note," he said, "I think I’ve solved the proble and laughing at the sa the tears from my cheeks, I said, "That is of absolutely no use to me in jail"

"You could hold the dance here," Sawyer said anyway "People could leave their cars along the road and walk down here, and we could have it on the beach Or maybe the city would let us leave our cars over there in the lot at the public park if we told them ahead of time We could even hold it on the city’s part of the beach Just have everybody kick their shoes off, string soh the trees--"

"We can’t have it off campus," I said "Remember? Ms Chen already shut that idea down Too much liability"

"Then what if we ested "String so in sohts overhead--"

"I thought of that, too," I said "Iit look like the beach, but I already suggested having the dance in the stadiurass and killing it Grass is expensive and more important than our happiness" I sniffled

"Then we hold it in the parking lot right outside the stadiuet back in their cars and drive after the game It’s on school property There’s plenty of room We just cordon off a section--say, where the away teaone by dance tih the palm trees that are already there It’s not supposed to rain No hurricanes in sight If the school says no to that, they just don’t want us to have a dance, and they should ’fess up"

I gasped "Sawyer, that is a great idea"

"Soment, please, that I caly accused, in h, which was ive you all the acknowledgrinned ether was so romantic, up to a point," I said "We could recreate it for the dance"

"Would we ask the police to come and handcuff people?"

"Only if they’re into that sort of kink We could use it as a fund-raiser for the prolanced out the windshield "Here they co to create a diversion We only want to get out of trouble, so be hu but ‘Yes, sir,’ and ‘You’re absolutely right’ "

Twoback across the city beach and onto Harper’s granddad’s beach, hand in hand Sterns had told ht home I don’t knohat my mother had said to Sterns, but he’d seemed afraid for me