Page 22 (1/2)

I suddenly smell roasted marshmallow

"Stuck on lookout duty?" a deep voice rumbles at my ear

A small yelp escapes my mouth I punch Lennon in the ar up on ive me a heart attack"

His white teeth flash in the dusk "Sounds like a challenge"

"Glad you’re so gung ho for my early demise"

"You used to like when I sneaked up in the dark"

Me out of the house to find hi behind the palm tree at the bottohing Feeling likehis arms around me

Don’t think about it Don’t answer hi Act casual

"Where were you just now, anyway?" Ithis stupid shit And I also"--he holds up a flattened s’more--"found this Never turn down toasted marshmallow That’s a sin"

"Oh, is it really?" I whisper, irritated thatBecause he startledso close that I can s so close?

"Pretty sure that’s what the preacher said last Sunday at church"

"You still go to church with Mac?" The New Walden Chapel They have service outside in a so there I think they mainly exist to feed the hos around the Bay Area; Mac used to be hoot her meals from their soup kitchen My dad says it’s not a real church, but ould he know about divinity?

"I don’t have a choice She claiet this straight Mac believes that God forgives her for selling things like"

"Cock rings?" he provides

That wasn’t et a little defensive "Yet God doesn’t forgive you reading all that gruesoory zo prepared for the zombie apocalypse is just co mentioned in the Bible," I say sarcastically

"It’s an amendment to the commandments," he says "Amendment nuun, and remember to aim for the head"

I turn away to keepup half of a marshmallow "Want some?"

His voice is dark and velvety, so close to oose bumps race down my neck An unwanted shiver chases them, and I pray he doesn’t see it "No"

"Are you sure?" he asks, voice even lower Deeper Seductive

No Not seductive What I’e See, this is where I rong before Just because one person’s feeling so doesn’t mean the other person intended it Just becausedown at me, and our eyes would lock, and--

What’s the matter with me? I have to stop For the love of God, have some pride, Everhart

"No, thank you," I saybored His arm disappears

And now I do turn to look at hi I just want to see if he really is bored, or if

His eyes aren’t onoff in the distance

"Oh, look," he says casually "Jack Kerouac is about to get busted"