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"Charlie, you were a good sport today," Silas says, tossing ed on his floor I catch it and shake it out to see what’s on the front It’s a camp t-shirt He doesn’t offer pants

"Is that your way of flirting withsport into your compliments?"

Silassports related?"

It’s true He see else "’You’re on the football team," I say

"Yeah, well, I don’t want to be"

"Charlie says quit the football teas open his bedroo down the stairs two at a time I wait a moment to see what he’s up to, and then shortly thereafter, he’s running back up the stairs His door swings back open and he smiles "I just told my father I quit the football teas "I don’t know I must be scared of him, because I ran back upstairs as soon as I told hi, Charlize?"

"My dad" My answer cos that stunt her e to look at me It’s a weird look One I’m not familiar with

"What?" I suddenly feel defensive

He shakes his head "Nothing It was a good thought, that’s all"

I hug my knees and stare at the carpet Why was it that when he complimented me my entire body went into overdrive? Surely his opinions couldn’t matter that much to Charlie To me Surely I would remember if they did Whose opinions were really supposed to matter in life, anyway? Your parents? Mine were screwed up Your boyfriend’s? If you weren’t dating a saint like Silas Nash, that could go very wrong I think about what I would tell Janette if she were asking this question

"Trust your gut," I say out loud

"What are you talking about?" Silas asks He’s digging around in a box he found in his closet, but he leans back on his haunches to look at ut Not your heart, because it’s a people pleaser, and not your brain, because it relies too heavily on logic"

He nods slowly, never taking his eyes off of et deep and say stuff like that So unless you want to play another round of Silas Says, you "