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I looked at hirow inside ofit iht?" he said "We could get ha my telescope and we can look at the stars"

"Yeah That sounds … nice"

"Really?" he asked, glancing atout with uess not"

We pulled into Mrs Carpenter’s driveway and Bridger stopped in front of the porch He let go of my hand and turned off the car And unhooked his seat belt He turned to lued to the windshield "Maggie"

I licked my lips and looked at hi, shattering the moment

He pulled the phone out of his pocket and looked at it "I’ve got to take this," he said and answered "Hi, Dad"

I unhooked ht now? At this veryat reat I’ out at this hour on a school night? Just out running an errand… Yeah, a late errand I’ll see you soon" He hung up and put the phone back in his pocket "Hey, sorry about that About Wednesday-- to be able to pick you up"

"That’s okay," I said, struggling not to feel disappointed I opened ot out, and he pulled out of the driveway before I had Mrs Carpenter’s front door open

19

Bridger was different at school the next day--nice as always, but nothing more It lasted all week

Saturday came I worked my butt off at the Navajo Mexican, and when ht," I said as I climbed out of her car

"Yep No more homework, no more books, no more teachers’ dirty looks Ever!" Yana waved and drove down the driveway

My aching feet thuh the front door and

"Surprise!" Mrs Carpenter said, spreading her arms toward a table covered ayIn the iant cake with thick chocolate frosting "Thought I’d whip up so "I even called Bridger to see if he’d come and help us eat, but he said he already had dinner plans" She clicked her tongue and shook her head "That boy doesn’t knohat he’s "

After dinner, I put on raduation gown, brushed through o

The dogs were restless, whining fro at the door as alked to the truck

"It’s just us," Mrs Carpenter called Shash yelped and scratched the door again Duke howled, a hoarse, guttural sound that had e of the property "I swear Those dogs have taken to you like you’re their alpha" She looked at s, tomorrow is the full moon What can I do to help?"

"Locksudden tears from under my eyes before they could ruin my fresh makeup I had help For the first ti

We got into the truck and drove to Silver High The school parking lot was packed, every space taken We parallel parked two blocks away, in front of a stucco house with a cactus growing in the yard, and arrived at the cereo home after the ceremony," I said as Mrs Carpenter and I walked toward the outdoor bleachers

"You have plans?" she asked, a glea out for haers" I couldn’t help but s "You have fun," she said "And speaking of Bridger, why don’t I take a picture of the two of you in your gowns?"

I blushed and nodded

We er stood out like a tree aer looks handsoarb That’s what Navajo men wear for for hiown all the other guys wore And he wasn’t alone A stunning girl with silky black hair, an oversized leather shirt with fringe, skintight jeans, and high-heel boots was tugging his head forward She ran her black-polished nails through his hair, and then slipped a red headband around his head so it fit snugly on his forehead Next she adjusted the shoulders of his bright blue velvet shirt, then fiddled with the chains of turquoise hanging around his neck Bridger’s eyes flickered to irl must have seen it She turned and looked at me, her ice-blue eyes ith curiosity

I stood where I was, frozen with confusion, staring Someone bumped me and a warm hand clasped my elbow

"Excuse me," a deep voice said I turned and looked into a pair of dark, semifamiliar eyes The man continued past me, a blond woman dressed in a suit-dress at his side, and stopped beside Bridger and the girl The man took a palm-sized caer and the girl

"Go on over there," Mrs Carpenter said, nudging rinned athis hands behind his back "I want you to irl with slick black hair