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It’s currently upside down at the bottom of the same drahere I’ve hidden my dad’s stupid photo book I wanted to throw it away after we stopped speaking, but I couldn’troute he drew? It’s where the Great Experi could lead to heartbreak?

Out of curiosity, I screw on a loer eyepiece and hesitantly aim my assembled telescope toward the Mackenzies’ duplex Just for a quick look It’s not as if I usually spy on all the neighbors I quickly focus on Lennon’s room It’s empty Thank God After an adjustht beyond it, his reptile terrariums The last time I was in his roo on shelves and one big floor le up in there

I scan the rest of his room He has a TV and a million DVDs stacked precariously, out of their cases Probably all horror s over his desk A map of what, I’m not sure, but it’s professional, not one that’s he’s drawn hi routes Silly even to think it could be

A shadow catches s open and closes Lennon walks into view One by one, I watch hihts and heat lae of his bed and begins unlacing his boots

That’s my cue to bail

Only, I don’t

I watch him take off both boots and chuck thes up his shirt and pulls it off Now he’s bare-chested, wearing only black jeans I should definitely look away before this turns X-rated But holy et allbuilt? IHe’s too lean to be buff But he flops on his bed, lying on his back with his ar at hi

There are now ger Is he lifting weights? No way That is not him at all He hates sports He’d rather hole up with a comic book in the dark

At least, I think he would I suddenly feel like I don’t know him anyed

I’ve changed Only, I haven’t, or I wouldn’t still be looking at so that should be off-limits

When I sharpen the focus, I ho down his stoain And--

I pan to his face He’s staring this way

Not in , I jerk back from the telescope and lurch to the floor Smooth move Like he didn’t see me do that If I had just kept a level head and shifted the telescope to the sky, I could have played it cool and pretended I wasn’t really spying on him But now? My humiliation is total and co Wishing I could take back the last fewthat’s gone wrong today Andromeda jumps off the bed and lickstrip--and to the star party on Condor Peak--if it killsdad Away fro next door to a sex shop And far, far away from Lennon

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"Oh, check out this one It will look great on you," Reagan says in a loud, raspy voice as she pulls a Barbie-pink backpack off a hook We’ve been inside this specialty outdoor gear store for all of tencart with enough hiking gear to outfit the Donner Party The store’s owner is probably counting up the total in his head and putting a down payave her a credit card and told her to go wild