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“Action ”

I sit down and look out theIt’s October now Time to find a perfect red leaf and iron it between two pieces of waxed paper Or stick cloves into a crisp apple, the juice running all over your fingers Or scoop the sliuts out of a pumpkin and roast the seeds until they nearly explode But raduation on the roof of the dairy barn

It’s a grand tradition around here Every fall, a fewclass scrawl their year on the roof of the barn behind the school It’s always some boys who do it But this year, The Mouse and I decided we should do it Why should the boys have all the fun? Then we got Lali involved Lali was going to bring the ladder, and The Mouse and I would get the paint Then Maggie wanted to coie is fairly useless in these kinds of situations, but I figured she’d be good for booze and cigarettes Then Maggie spilled the beans to Peter I told her to un-tell Peter, but she said she couldn’t do that, and now Peter’s all excited about it even though he says he won’t actually be participating Instead, he plans to stand there and direct

After calculus, I head out to the barn, where I take a good look at the structure It’s at least a hundred years old, and though it looks sturdy enough, the roof is higher and steeper than I’d iined But if we chicken out, next week the boys will probably do it, and I don’t want that to happen No more missed opportunities I want to leave soh, so when I’raduation on the old barn out back” Lately, high school hasn’t been bugging oodoveralls, Converse sneakers, and a red and white checked shirt that I got at a vintage store in honor of the occasion I also havea strip of rawhide around my head

I’ up at the roof, when I’m suddenly overco my best John Belushi Animal House iet back to where I started, Sebastian Kydd is there, looking at arette out of a pack of Marlboro Reds

“Having fun?” he asks

“Sure,” I say I should be eirls are supposed to be eo that I just wouldn’t do it “What about you? Are you having fun?”

“Relatively”

I’ht at The E He never called, never caet are bemused looks from him when he seesout here at the barn I tell myself it’s just as well; I don’t need a boyfriend anyway—but it doesn’t preventout of control every ti twelve—worse, I reht to know better by now

I glance at Sebastian, thinking it’s a good thing he can’t readovertheir way up the hill in high heels, like they’ve never walked on grass before Their appearance is not surprising The two Jens have taken to following Sebastian everywhere, like two sboats “Ah,” I say “Your fan club is here”

He looks atIn reat and perceptive thought But in reality, I don’t know a thing about him

Lali picksWe’re dressed in black turtlenecks, black jeans, and sneakers There’s an enormous harvest moon Lali hands me a beer and I crank up the radio and we screa to be the best thing we’ve ever done I’ to be a real Senior Moment—A Moood reason

“Fuck Castlebury High,” Lali says “Fuck the Pods”

We pull into the driveway of the high school going about eighty rass We try to drive straight up the hill, but the truck gets stuck, so we decide to park it in a dark corner of the parking lot While we’re struggling to get the ladder out of the back, I hear the telltale sputter of a fully loaded V-eight engine, and sure enough, Sebastian Kydd pulls up beside us

What the hell is he doing here?