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I stop at the archway leading out, my back to him “Yes?”

“Come here”

I turn around He’s facing me with that pained, weird look on his face There’s only two reasons hea weird emotional moment he isn’t sure how to process, or he has to fart

He clears his throat and gestures at ht?” I nod He shrugs and spreads his hands “Well, look, let oin’ on today Want me to drive you? I can drive you”

Who the hell is this guy? What kind ofto cope? “I can walk Thanks, though”

“Don’t worry, Toby I’ve got our fa the idea that he was actually expecting“No matter what life throws at us My boss, he’s a donkey’s ass He’ll probably change his o to some other …” He waves his hand off soin’ in ot nothin’ to worry about”

I wasn’t worried I have income My mom has income Lee will pick up his winter job at the ive ht and nod “Thanks, Carl” And as I turn to leave, I find Lee standing there by the front door already having witnessed soood day, son,” Carl calls out at us, and I’ives him a, “Thanks, Dad,” before the pair of us head out the door together

Halfway down the street, Lee asks, “Was he tryin’ to hug you earlier? And as that about offerin’ to drive us to school …?”

“No idea,” I confess “It felt like your dad was one step away fro h so loudly, claps of his deep laughter reverberate through the trees around us, likely waking every neighbor in sight

And for the first time, e reach the school, Lee doesn’t do his usual abandoning me as fast as he can In fact, we don’t leave each other’s side even as we head straight for the entrance of the high school full of chatter and gathering faces I findSpruce High alone This et the ied froether works in both our favors Suddenly, I’o smoothly

Until Lee stops dead in his tracks “What the …?”

I stop as well, alar lot At first, I don’t see what he’s seeing There is a car in the spot where Vann usually parks his -sleeved flannel shirt, Wranglers, and boots has just gotten out of it It takes me a second to realize I’ve never seen this random just-stepped-off-the-ranch hunk before