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He laughs at , and it makes me smile a little because happiness looks so beautiful on his face "That bad, huh?" he asks, and I nod Sliding his hands across the table, his fingers seek the bowl "Mind if I try it?"

I gesture at the uest"

He looks way too happy to be receiving rabs the bowl, and relaxes back in the booth, scooping up a spoonful "Bottoms up," he says and elevates the spoon to his lips I’m fascinated by the way he sucks it off the plastic spoon, deliberately, like he’s savoring every taste of it A little drips froue slides out of his mouth to lick it off, and for a second I picturethe movements of his lips and throat

Then he takes another large bite, nearly devouring it, and I scrunch ht be because he’s stoned Landon would soh, like for caraht out of the jar or cherries on a peanut butter sandwich "So how is it?"

He stares up at the ceiling thoughtfully, then takes another bite "Delicious, but I’ve always kind of had a thing for e, crossing ht out of the freezer when it’s so frozen you have to stab the spoon into it"

He puts another spoonful into his mouth and then looks at me with a puzzled, amused expression as he points the plastic spoon atperson, Nova, which by the way can I say isa sensitive subject Not just with the mention of the car, but with --or quirky--instead of weird like everyone else

"You’re not weird," Landon had said once when I’d came home from school upset after Nina Ramaldy told me I was a freak who no one would ever want or understand "You’re interesting and…" He’d tapped the end of his pencil on his chin "Entertaining"

"Is that a good thing?" I’d questioned doubtfully

"It’s a beautiful thing, Nova," he’d replied with one of his rare smiles "It’d suck if you were normal You’d be no fun"

I shake the memory away and concentrate on Quinton and his honey-brown eyes "Are you seriously going to eat all that melted ice cream?"

He puts another spoon full into his mouth and some of it drips down the back of his hand "You know, melted or not, ice cream is just ice creah

"No way," I disagree "Ice cream isn’t meant to be warm"

He hesitantly stares down into the bowl as he scrapes the spoon around the edge, then peers up at e chunk of cookie dough in it with very little ice cream "Try this part It’s not so bad"

I shake my head and wrinkle my nose "No thanks You can eat it"

He tries to look annoyed, giving"Nova, you have to have souilty for eating all of your ice crea when he’s not buzzed--I wonder if I’ll ever get to find out I over draather my hair behind my head and lean over the table Hehis lips to suppress a grin as I suck the chunk of dough intoback, I chew on it

"So," he says as he takes another bite hi on my mouth "It’s not so bad without the h and let go of

He licks so ain For a second I wonder what his lips would taste like after he’s eaten all that ice creauilt creeps over uy I’d ever really wanted to kiss The calm bubble that discreetly for the tiles on the floor around our table, searching for an excuse to get up Then a shadow casts itself over the table

I glance up and I’ next to the table She has a cone in her hand, along with a napkin "Hey," I say to her

"Hey," she replies, givinglook, then her eyes wander to Quinton as she sticks out her hand "Hi, we haven’t really met yet I’m Delilah"

Quinton sets the bowl of ice cream down on the table, wipes his hands off on the front of his shirt, and shakes her hand "Quinton"

"Yeah, I know," she says, letting go of his hand There’s so in her tone--insinuation,about hiht?"

His hands twitch as he balls them up and folds his arht his knuckles are turning white and I wonder what he left back in Seattle Or e of the booth "I have to go" He gets up, swings around Delilah, and then hurries for the door