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BOBS

How about an endless supply of popcorn?

I have no idea what he’s getting at He’s already typing out another text—a er one—which I hope explains the odd questions Does he want to catch a ? Why doesn’t he just come out and say it?

“You’re a tough one to catch, Ji”

I jump, startled, fuirl in a pair of black army boots, faded black jeans with holes at the knees, a red flannel shirt tied at her waist like a skirt, and a loose white V-neck that plunges down enough to show off her sets from her mother’s Mexican side of the family Her black hair is short and choppy, styled in that I-don’t-give-a-fuck way, squished by a gray hat turned backwards She’s got a nose ring now and wears that pernize all too well

It’s the permanent bad-ass smirk of Camille Randall, just the same as I remember it

“Daotta creep up on me like that after two years? Sheesh, you scared the marbles outta me!”

Calibly “Billy letsoet in the middle of all that”

“Yeah They have …” She looks really good “They have a lot of shit goin’ on right now Business stuff Draood “How’ve you been?”

“Oh, sa much to report Your room smells like an armpit, by the way”

“No, it doesn’t”

“It’s alright The French boy I dated last semester smelled worse” She throws a totally “bro” chin-lift at ht She said she invited you at CJ’s party”

I shovemy phone like a weapon “Yeah, well, when’s the last ti’ invites?”

Camille chuckles dryly at that and shakes her head “Airls have chased your nuts for years You can’t blame the horny bunch of theh school dance classes with them as foreplay”

That earns a genuine laugh from me And she still has that saossiped plenty about ht”

“Sure, probably” She glances at her fingernails—painted as red as that flannel shirt around her waist—and shtfully “Not that I was paying any attention to it The girls could use a little ti you … if you stay in it too long”

I study her, fidgeting with my phone “Is that how you felt?” I nod at her “Trapped?”