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"Thank you," she said, pulling the ends of the tie even and looking down at theiant sweater dress, son with amatches your sweater," he said "You look like a Christ"

"I feel like a really colorful Muppet," she said "One of the fuzzy ones"

"I like it," Noel said "It’s a feast for the senses"

She couldn’t tell if he was ed the subject "Where did Pony go?"

"Over there" Noel pointed across the roo casually near Siht strikes"

"So he can kiss her?"

"Indeed," Noel said "On the s said, fiddling with the ends of Noel’s tie

"Kissing?"

"No … kissing is fine" She felt herself blushing Fortunately she wasn’t as pale as Noel; it wouldn’t be painted all over her face and throat "What’s gross is using New Year’s Eve as an excuse to kiss so it as a trick"

"Maybe Simini does want to kiss Pony"

"Or s said "And she’ll do it anyway because she feels like she has to"

"He’s not going to "

"What eye contact thing?"

Noel swung his head around and s He raised his eyebrows hopefully; his eyes went all soft and possible It was definitely a face that said, Hey Is it okay if I kiss you?

"Oh," Mags said "That’s really good"

Noel snapped out of it--and ood I’ve kissed girls before"

"Have you?" Mags asked She knew that Noel talked to girls But she’d never heard of hiirlfriend And she would have heard of it--she was one of Noel’s four to five best friends

"Pfft," he said "Three girls Eight different occasions I think I kno tothan Mags had ain He was standing near the television, studying his phone Si to her friends

"Still," Mags said, "it feels like cheating"

"How is it cheating?" Noel asked, following her eyes "Neither of thes said "More like … skipping ahead If you like soet to know the person--you should have to work for that first kiss"