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"Mike’s s stretched out on the purple blanket He tosses a pebble into the water, his blond ainst the brisk afternoon breeze "She can get blue hair dye out of yellow T-shirts"

"And lava cake out of white carpet," Mike says to Shawn, and Shawn chuckles as he coughs into his arrass stains out of zebra-print boxers!" Adaarette at the side of the dock, and all four guys crack up laughing at some private memory they share

"Shewith the ive him her smile "Do you remember that?"

"For your sixteenth birthday," Mike recalls, and Danica practically squeals at his jogged ave it--"

"You said you hated that scarf," he interrupts, and Danica’s smile vanishes

"I did not"

"Yes, you did," Mike says, his voice devoid of all the nostalgic waro

Indignant, Danica begins to argue, "I would never--"

"You said you’d never be caught dead in it, but it s"

My jaw drops open, and Danica’s expression changes Her eyes widen, her lips unpurse, and she shakes her head wildly because she knows she messed up "I wouldn’t--"

"You would," Mike says "You did I wouldn’t forget so like that, Danica"

My cousin’s expression hides nothing as a h her head I have no idea how she’s going to get out of this one, and I’ to say," Dee reh Mike doesn’t owe it to Danica to come to her defense, he does It’s the chivalry in him, and I should know by now never to expect less

Orover my cousin’s shoulder at Dee, and with stark clarity, I can see it happening: I can see all of Dee’s Yoko predictions coe in the band This is the moment she’ll come between Mike and Dee, and Mike and Joel, Mike and everyone

"Danica just puts her foot in her mouth sometimes," I blurt "I’rees, even though I’m sure no one believes her, because I sure as hell don’t

"Why are you defending her?" Dee snaps, and I shrink under her steel gaze