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I’ and if I don’t hurry lish class There are bags under et dressed in torn jeans, grey combat boots, and a black vest over a striped T-shirt Raven textset ur own ride 2day

I halt at the bottom of the stairs and text back

Me: Why? Is so?

It takes her a second to answer

Raven: I got things 2 do 2day Can’t b late

Me: Just hold on I’one

Raven: FYI the news said Laden disappeared the night of the party

Me: … that makes no sense I saw him outside the house

Raven: whateva u say U would kno he died though U saw it re out with hi

Raven: If you say so But anyway gotta go C u in Biology :)

I throw et to class I’ve alreadyIan up for a ride, but then I’d have to explain what happened to Dad’s car And I’m not ready for that yet The only other alternative is to take the overly crowded public bus that is crammed with unavoidable death o on a Pop-Tart in the kitchen doorway

"Nothing" I snatch my house keys off the table "I’ to you last night?" he asks "Likeher ?" I snap, shoving my keys into my pocket

Ian holds up his hands and backs up "Sorry I was just asking a question But I guess I’ll keep ize, but he turns back into the kitchen, shrugging rab my jacket off the banister and step outside I slip on my jacket and stare at the end of the street at the bench in front of the bus stops Walk or ride the bus? God, I have no clue

Cameron’s Jeep suddenly appears beside the curb He rolls down hisand crooks his finger at me

I start to walk over, but then hesitate

"I promise I don’t bite" He dazzles me with an exquisite smile "Unless, of course, that’s what you want"

I start to pant,My feet trot down the steps and across the grass on their own accord and I stop inches away froaze skiet to class," I tell hi at me makes me feel naked and I’m not sure if I like it or if it makes ht uneasily

"Hop in" He nods at the passenger seat "I’ll give you a ride to the college… I was headed down there anyway to enroll for next se to walk" I adjust the handle ofof a deal"

He shakes his head and laughs, sliding his sunglasses off "Hop in, E you a ride Trust aze for a lance at the corner of the street where a line of people wait for the bus "Okay… Thanks" I walk around the front and hop into the passenger seat The inside of the car sne Cameron waits for lasses up, and drives down the road He’s wearing dark blue jeans and a black button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled to the elbows His hand rests on the shifter and his fingers tap to the h the stereo The coers with his nearly devours me

"So are you always this quiet?" he asks after minutes of silence drones by

I turn my head away fro unless there’s soe "Okay, sorry for asking"

I fidget with my leather bracelet "Sorry I didn’t h "

He nods and proceeds with caution "But I’ to say, so the question is, do you want to say it or should I?"

"I wasn’t expecting you to put it out there," I say, shocked "But okay"

"The first thing you should know about me is that I hate secrets They are pointless and request too y fros pain to someone" His lips move like they are a poet’s pen on a sheet of paper

"Okay, so ere you digging up a grave in the ceht?" I lay it on the table

His grin enhances with amusement "To see if they really do put dead bodies in coffins"

I’m unsure how to respond "I’m pretty sure they do"

"See, that’s why I think you and I can get along," he remarks cleverly "Most people would have jumped out of the car with that response"

I tuck otten in the car in the first place"

"Excellent point" He flips on the blinker and turns onto the school road "I was doing randfather--or Old Man Carey as your weird friend calls him--owned a jewel that had a lot of sentieneration to generation But no one can find where randfather put it, so they sent me to check in his coffin, just in case he requested to be buried with it and never told anyone except his friend who handled ements"

For some reason, his story reminds me of a 1980s Tom Hanks movie I watched once--The Burbs "Did you find it?"