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"Shit wagon, where the hell are you?" Nate yells down the hallway I told hiht I left in the dryer I’ve been gone longer than it takes to look for a shirt

"I’ Quit the da my phone back into my pocket before our door comes into view

"I found your stupid shirt It was under your bed," Nate says, throwing the gray McConnell T-shirt at reen shirt overit, just to keep upit tothe sharp edges of the band Kelly’s watch

"Dude, what ti the tio You know Mo to be there, she calls for the flare guns," I say

"No kidding And I don’t want the a pink Barbie pillow into the corner, on his bed

"I don’t know…it’s all kinda growing on et ideas for ways to get the girls back for their painting stunt But I’ve got to give theood to top So we decided to eo full sparkle and shit Our room is now accented with Barbie blankets, ponies, fluffy pillows and rainbows Mom will love that we blew the hundred bucks she sent in the card on teenage-girl shit at the Target Well worth it, if you ask me

Nate locks up the roo toward us Rowe is beautiful She’s alearing jeans or shorts and T-shirts, but she went full out for this, and her legs…damn My brother is in trouble

"Pick up your chin, bro Your girl is s like a fool

At the elevator, I reach for Cass’s hand As good as Rowe looks in her blue sundress, Cass is all I’ht She looks like sunshine--like real, actual sunshine--caught in a bottle for old of her hair is twisted in a braid on top of her head, sod that skin, so golden, so soft…I can see tiny bu at her like this

When the elevator opens, I pull her onto htly "I had to see if you s the inside of her neck I let my lips suck in the bottom of her ear away from Rowe and Nate, and she takes in a sharp breath when I do "You are lovely"

"Lovely?" she giggles "When did you drop into a Cary Grantlike sunshine," I say, and she blushes

"I like that Sunshine," she says, her lip finding its way in between her teeth as she tucks her head into the space near my shoulder and chin My sunshine Careful, Cass, or I’ll trap you in a bottle and keep you forever

It doesn’t take us long to get to the stadius about McConnell’s ca is close When you depend on your forearet you places on time, proximity is important

Somehow, Cathy Preeter always finds a way to stand out We’re more than two hundred yards away, but I can spotsetup within the sea of McConnell red and gold

"Why do they do that?" Nate asks, shaking his head at the overboard display of school pridehalfway is like getting an F She’s an A student, bro Besides, don’t worry I’irl, that should pretty ht--and blow her freakin’ h for nize our approach

As I suspected, Mom’s eyes laser in on Cass I puther nerves "They are going to love you," I reassure her, and she nods once with big eyes I love that she’s not sure they will I’ve never been surer about anything though

"What is all this?" Nate asks, breaking the ice right away He gestures to all of the McConnell things my parents have set up--chairs, a tent, cups, plates What’s funny is we have the same stuff in our rooht makes me chuckle