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"I can prove it," I insist and take a drag froarette

She looks me over with inquisitiveness "How?"

"Name a random band--one you think I’ll never know--and see if I do"

Her eyes briefly wander to the ceiling as she considers "

I s," she says, and her blue eyes sparkle

"Fine" I sit up and put the cigarette out in an old soda can up on the dresser "But if I win, then you owe "

She sticks out her hand "You have a deal, Quinton…" She trails off "What is your last na my people my last name That way if I decide to bail out of their lives, it s easier because itthrough the last year introducingthem as little detail about me as I can And no one ever asked me to offer more "Carter," I say "My naht, Quinton Carter" She pushes her hand at me "You have a deal"

I placeand thin her fingers are "Okay, you have a deal, Nova Reed Now givehands, but I don’t try to let go I’ll give us this little moment until it’s over and then I’ll walk away from it forever, because that’s what I need to do, at least that’s what the good side ofa hard ti between the two at the

"Brand New," she finally says

I stare at her stoically, so she can’t read my expression I know the band, but I want to make her think I don’t "Brand who?"

"New," she enunciates, and I can tell by the pleased look on her face that she thinks she’s won

I fake uncertainty for a few rin spread at my lips "Oh, Brand New"

"I know you don’t know theainst her hand "I checked your iPod and they weren’t on there"

"That’s because you didn’t check the playlists" I slip ers out of her hand, and her lips part as I climb off the bed and walk over to the dresser I pick up the iPod, scroll to the Hidden playlist, cos I used to listen to when I ith Lexi I hesitate, knowing that there’s a good chance that turning it on is going to fling me down memory lane But I want to win, to prove that I know music, to prove to her that I listen to the same music as her, and honestly because I love the idea that she’ll owe , even if I probably won’t ever act on it With an unsteady finger, I tap er on the Brand New section and hit Play on "Me vs Maradona vs Elvis" The song clicks on, and I shut my eyes with my back to Nova as the soft lyrics and nearly soundless tune takes o, when my life had direction and purpose

"What would happen if I ran away?" Lexi had asked as we sat inout at the town below the cliffs We’d driven up to the turnout, a place where teenagers went to make out, which we had done plenty of, but then Lexi went into thinkingabout life

"Well, I hope you won’t run away froh hers as I pulled the visor down to block out the piercing pink glow froround, turned down quiet enough that we could talk without yelling, but loud enough that it was known it would be forever linked to that molanced down at our hands entwined together "But what if I wanted to run away froe part of that, Quinton, so if you ca away"