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"I’ across from Adam on the hull I didn’t sit on the bow, and I didn’t want to It seeet grounded

We sailed past Mr Vader on the dock He followed us up the stairs and around the wharf He helped us pull the mast and sail and then the hull out of the water and carry the, into the warehouse, all in coht, Adam’s expression had already settled into darkness

Finally Mr Vader closed the door of the warehouse, locked it, and turned to face Adam with his hands on his hips

"It wasn’t supposed to rain tonight," Adam said quickly

Mr Vader nodded "The storm popped up"

Ada attention, thanks for co to our rescue"

"I knew you were okay I watched you" Mr Vader took a pair of folding binoculars out of his pocket

"That’s creepy," Adam said

"You knohat’s creepy?" Mr Vader asked "Two kids who are supposedly dating spray-paint their naht under a bridge during an electrical storm And they don’t fool around They just sit there"

I’d planned to stay quiet and let Adaet hiht," I piped up "That’s creep--"

"Can you believe this?" Ada to back hi He turned to me and said, "You’re a witness to this It’s probably the only time this has happened in the history of the United States I’ you"

Mr Vader took his hands off his hps and pointed at Ada like that in front of Lori Or in front of me, for that matter" Which was ludicrous, because the boys had learned all their best figures of speech from Mr Vader So had I

"Why not?" Adaht? And now you don’t want to talk about it? Maybe you’re sorry you brought it up Maybe you see now that it’s none of your business"

"It’s ame between you and Sean"

"Which one?" I asked

As if I hadn’t spoken, Mr Vader said to Ada You’re trying to et her away froine what it was doing to Ada to explode at his dad He would be grounded We wouldn’t get to ht I put entleave me a look of utter disbelief Despite how serious the situation was, I alhed

He didn’t explode, but his chest did expand, until I lost my hold around hiers, and touched the first one "Sean" He touched his second finger and said, "Stole" He tapped his third finger vigorously "My" He touched his pinky "Girlfriend"

Mr Vader hmphed and half-turned away, finished with us "It’s obvious Sean has so to ruin it Sean bought Rachel a wakeboard He gave it to her at dinner, in front of yourspecial like that" He stalked down the pier, toward the party

Ada the money he earned at the ed about it every day in the boat, like all he needed was this new trick wakeboard and he’d be nu hundreds of dollars

He’d spent that ed down the pier and stepped in front of Mr Vader, blocking his way "What about bindings?"

"Bindings too," Mr Vader said "They’re on order"

It didn’t irlfriend a wakeboard instead of buying one for himself It was a frivolous purchase ht? What Adam and I knew, and what Mr Vader knew too but clearly wasn’t ad to himself, was that this was the first ti selfless

Or so it seeiven it to her in front of his mom and dad, like he’d wanted to impress them more than her The ew factor was off the charts Parents were bad enough You didn’t go out of your way to involve the "Her birthday isn’t until March Why’d hepresentation at the dinner table?"

"Because he values her," Mr Vader said haughtily, "and he wanted to show us how much he values her"

"Couldn’t he value her out in the Volvo?" Adam hollered "Jesus!"

Mr Vader pushed past Adaoers in his yard stepped out of his way I watched hih the crowd until he disappeared inside the house I couldn’t hear over the music, but I could tell from the way people near the house jerked their heads in that direction that Mr Vader slahtfully He reached over and pinched my arm

"Ow!" I squeaked

He took ave her a wakeboard"

"I know"

"In front of my parents Because he values her" He iravity

"You could have valued her," I pointed out "You could have given her so that meant a lot to you" I nodded toward his neck