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srandma only had four Sunday dinners in her repertoire – chicken-fried chicken, chicken-fried steak, pot roast and corned beef – but they were all good

His grandpa atching TV in the living roo, then went into the kitchen and hugged his grandma

She was so small, even Park towered over her

All the woe Only Park’s DNA had

That didn’t explain Josh’s hugeness, though

Josh looked like the Korean genes had skipped hiether His eyes were brown and just barely almondy – almond-flavored And his hair was dark, but not even close to black Josh looked like a big German or Polish kid whose eyes kind of crinkled when he s but Irish

Or ht that because everyone in his dad’s faot a ‘Kiss Me, I’randparents’ table without being asked, because it had always been his job When his randhbors

‘I heard fro steady with one of those kids who live over with Richie Trout,’ his grandma said

It shouldn’t surprise Park that his dad had already told his grand about Park’s girlfriend,’

his morandma said

Park pretended to read the newspaper ‘You shouldn’t listen to gossip, Grandrandma said,

‘if you’d just introduce us to her’

He rolled his eyes Which made hi them about her, just so he’d have a reason to say her na in that house,’ his grandood He smashed out our mailbox while your dad was in the service I knoas hihborhood with an Ell Carew up in that little house, you know, until his parents , I think it was They probably et away from him’

‘Tishhhh,’ his mom said Grandma was a little sharp for his ht he’d moved out west, too,’ she said, ‘but now he’s back with an older ho looks like a movie star and a whole house full of red-headed stepchildren Gill told your grandpa that they’ve got a big old dog living there, too I never …’

Park felt like he should defend Eleanor But he wasn’t sure how

‘It doesn’t surprise randrandfath-er was in love with a redhead Lucky forto do with hirandmother say if he did introduce her to Eleanor? What would she say to the neighbors?

And ould his mother say?

He watched hisas her ar stonewashed jeans and a pink V-neck sweater, with fringed leather boots There was a gold angel char froirl on the bus He couldn’t i anywhere but here

Eleanor

She’d never lied to heriht, while Richie was at the bar, Eleanor told her o over to a friend’s house after school the next day

‘Who’s that?’ her mom asked

‘Tina,’ Eleanor said It was the first nahborhood’

Herout in the oven If she took it out, he’d be pissed that it was cold But if she left it in, he’d be pissed that it was tough

‘Okay,’ she said ‘I’ friends’

CHAPTER 21

Eleanor

Would he look different?

Now that she knew that he loved her? (Or that he had loved her, at least for a h to say so) Would he look different?

Would he look away?

He did look different More beautiful than ever When she got on the bus, Park was sitting tall in the seat, so she could see him (Or maybe so that he could see her) And when he let her in-to the seat, he sat back down again against her

They both slouched do

‘That was the longest weekend of hed and leaned into him

‘Are you over s like that That she could ask hi way

‘Yeah,’ she said ‘Over and over and over’

‘Yeah?’

‘Yeah, no’

She reached into his jacket and slipped the Beatles tape into his T-shirt pocket He caught her hand and held it to his heart

‘What’s this?’ He pulled the tape out with his other hand

‘The greatest songs ever written You’re welcoainst his chest Just barely Just enough to make her blush

‘Thank you,’ he said

She waited until they were at her locker to tell hi She didn’t want anyone to hear He was standing next to her and purposely bu his backpack into her shoulder

‘I told o over to a friend’s house after school’

‘You did?’

‘Yeah, it doesn’t have to be today though I don’t think she’ll change her mind’

‘No, today Come over today’

‘Don’t you have to ask your moirls in my rooirls in your roo?’

‘Oh, yeah,’ he said ‘You know ht to herself, not really

Park

For the first ti in his stoh of Eleanor to keep hi Now that he was actually introducing Eleanor to histo

His mom was a beautician who sold Avon

She never left the house without touching up her ht Live, his otten upset – ‘Why she want to look likeher sharkskin suit jacket and an old plaid cowboy shirt She had randpa than his mom

And it wasn’t just the clothes It was her

Eleanor wasn’t … nice

She was good She was honorable She was honest She would definitely help an old lady across the street But nobody – not even the old lady – would ever say, ‘Have you irl’

Park’sand ss Eleanor sucked at

Also, his et sarcas She just didn’t get it She called David Letterly, mean one on after Johnny’

Park realized that his hands were sweating and let go of Eleanor’s He put his hand on her knee instead, and that felt so good, so new, he stopped thinking about his ot to his stop, he stood in the aisle and waited for her But she shook her head

‘I’ll uilty As soon as the bus pulled away, he ran to his house His brother wouldn’t be hoood