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"I can’t believe it," Lucy said

"Yeah, it’s pretty cool up here," Bart said "That Geek, Lane, you met, could only hook us up for a little bit before the show starts, but I figured it’s way better than the sa about, but she was happy to keep it light "Definitely," she said

"I love heights," he said "When I was little I was pretty sure I could fly"

Lucy laughed "Really?"

"Yeah, one day I flapped my arms so hard I dislocated my shoulder My moing to, like, my knees"

Lucy covered her rinned "The next week I built a pair of wings out of tree branches and bed sheets I ju"

"Shut up," Lucy said, snorting a laugh

Bart nodded, his grin getting bigger

"What did your mom do?" Lucy said

"She just left me in the yard for a week Said it was the only way I’d learn my lesson"

"What?" Lucy said

"Honk Sucka Nah, she took hed at her She didn’t talk tospaz when I was little"

"I would’ve never guessed that You’re like the most chill person I know"

"My dad helped ineer Ia lot of people did when they talked about their fa designs for real planes It’s what I’onna build one faster than the X-43," he said Like he meant it Like it was a fact

Lucy didn’t knohat the X-43 was, but just the fact that Bart was so sure of what he would do in life, or that he would even have a life outside, was impressive

"Maybe you’ll takehim playfully

He shook his head "You’d die"

"Huh?"

"I mean, it’ll be too fast It’ll have to be unmanned"

"Oh," Lucy said "Now I knohy you went Nerd"

Bart laughed That laugh she loved He touched her knee The glow of a blue stage light cla above theleam

"Want to make out?" he said

"Uh …," Lucy said, a little surprised It made her wonder if all of this, the catwalk, his plan to build jets, was all an equation in Bart’s head that equaled "make out" It probably was What boy didn’t have a plan when it came to that?

"Yeah, okay," she said

They leaned toward each other at the saood at it They scooted closer to each other, and he put one warh and one on the back of her neck Every move he made was steady, the ruave in to the pleasure of their kiss It had been too long since she’d felt the rush of lips on lips Long enough for it to feel brand-new and exciting It hat she’d wanted the other night at the bonfire, but he’d never made a move Maybe that was part of his plan too