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"Maybe…I don’t know Maybe his dad wants to work this as a new angle for popularity But he’s already won the election, so I doubt--"

"Of course!" I throw my arms around him "Of course it’s his father’s idea"

But Kurt isn’t convinced I spend the next half-hour talking hi ued irritation, even I don’t believe it What if Josh panicked because this sudden influx of interest – Why the hell didn’t I know about this sudden influx of interest? – has hiirls, anyway?

I type his naine, click on the most recent results, and discover hi the horamme My spirit plummets even lower They’re the typical boy-crazy, stalker-y comments that one usually finds online, but this ti about s My hands shake with anxiety and anger

"I love you," Josh says

I’m thrown

"Are you there? Isla?"

"Hi" I say it cautiously

"I thought ere starting every call with ‘I love you’ now"

"I – I saw the interview"

"Yeah" He sighs "I figured My mom told me that you texted She said I could call you to explain I’ her phone"

There’s hope in my heart, but my voice cracks anyway "Why did you say that?"

"I’uished "I wanted to warn you, but I couldn’t I said I was single, because I didn’t want to drag you into all of this"

"I’ives a crap about me"

"You’d be surprised," he says darkly "I didn’t think anyone gave a crap aboutfor you?"

"Ugh Yeah Sort of It’s weird I wish they’d stop"

Solass, maybe a bottle, shatters on the paveroup of students drunkenly crack up "So ouldn’t you want to say you’re taken? It’s not like you had to give them my name and social security number"

"I didn’tI want I was trying to protect you, I was trying to keep you in the good part of ly parts included"

"You sure about that? Because I have a lot of ugly parts"

"Everyone does"

"What are yours?"

"I get jealous when I think about other girls liking et jealous when I think about Sébastien And all of the guys at school who still get to see you every day"

I snort "You can stop worrying No one is interested in me"

"Nikhil likes you"

I’ about you to one of his friends once"

Nikhil is the younger, nerdier brother of Rashe He’s a sophohs once "Oh, so you can leave me for him?"

"Yeah"

"Nikhil likes your caboose"

"I take it back I didn’t want to know that"

He laughs again