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books,” Angelita observed.
    â€œI’ve got a lot of catching up to do,” Kennin said, shoving several thick textbooks into the backpack.
    â€œSince when do you care about catching up?” Angelita asked.
    Kennin held her with those piercing dark eyes, and for a moment Angelita worried that she’d made him angry. But then he grinned. “Don’t believe everything your brother says about me.”
    â€œOh?” Angelita said. “And what do you think he says?”
    â€œThat I’m some kind of goof-off slacker.”
    â€œIn school, or life in general?” she teased.
    â€œWhat do you think?” Kennin asked.
    â€œMaybe that’s not what my brother says,” Angelita said. She heard the teasing lilt in her voice but was unable tostop herself. Whenever they were alone and talking like this, it just seemed to happen naturally.
    Suddenly Kennin hung his head, and the mood changed. “I’m still really sorry about the car. I mean it.”
    Angelita understood. But as much as she missed the 240 SX, she missed his lighthearted banter even more.
    â€œIt wasn’t your fault,” she said.
    He lifted his head. “Any idea what would cause the wheel to break like that?”
    She shook her head. “I’ve stayed up more than one night wondering.”
    For a moment they were both lost in thought. Kennin suspected that she was thinking back to the day of the crash. Earlier at school things had been tense. In the band room, it seemed like Kennin had blown her off for Mariel, but later he’d said that things weren’t what they’d seemed. And then, just before the last tsuiso, they’d kissed. And that, except for the visit to the hospital, was the last time she’d seen him.
    Kennin broke the silence. “So I hear you’re graduating in December.”
    The lines between her eyes deepened. She’d only decided a few days before. “Tito told you?”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œIf I declare residency there I can qualify for the in-state tuition. It’s the only way I can afford to go.”
    â€œThen you should do it,” Kennin said. “California’s gotone of the best state university systems in the country.”
    Angelita nodded. They both knew it was the right thing to do, but part of her wished he’d ask her not to go. But if he did ask, what would she do?

5
    Kennin got to the cafeteria that he realized he had another problem. As long as he was on crutches, there was no way to carry a lunch tray. He glanced at his regular table near the window. Tito wasn’t there.
    â€œYou look puzzled.” Mariel appeared out of the crowd wearing a loose white blouse and tight jeans. She gave him her coyest smile.
    â€œTrying to figure out how to get lunch,” he replied.
    â€œSimple,” Mariel said. “I’ll get it for you.”
    Kennin looked at the table where Chris Craven and the other gearheads normally sat. While Chris usually didn’t sit with Mariel at lunch, Kennin had a feeling the guy wouldn’t be too keen on seeing them together. But Chris wasn’t with the gearheads.
    Tito was.
    â€œIf you’re looking for Chris, he’s not here today,”Mariel said. “Not that it would make any difference.”
    â€œSo you’ve said before,” Kennin replied. He was actually more curious about what Tito was doing at the gear-head table. “Only it seems sometimes that Chris would disagree.”
    â€œThat I’m helping an injured person get lunch?” Mariel said innocently.
    Was it strange to see Tito sitting with the gearheads? He was definitely friendly with some of them, like Mutt and Megs, but then there was Ian, who had a major problem with anyone who wasn’t Anglo.
    â€œHello?” Mariel said.
    Kennin looked back at her.
    â€œSo what were you planning on having?” she asked.
    â€œThey serving fries today?” Kennin asked.
    â€œTater