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malpractice suit against her orthodontist if I were her parents.
    â€œHey,” I said warily.
    â€œSo, a new guy was asking about you.” She said it with a thick layer of amazement in her voice. Like the fact that a boy asked about me was something she wasn’t able to wrap her wee brain around.
    â€œYeah?” I said, trying to play it cool. “Who was he?”
    â€œHis name is Warren,” Carol said. “He’s new to town. Just started school.”
    Warren! Now I had a name. “Who is he, though? What’s he look like?” I asked. “Not that I’m shallow or anything. I just want to be able to spot him.”
    She frowned and then said, “Oh, you know. He’s tall. Kind of good-looking.”
    â€œRight,” I said. “I’ll keep my eyes out for a tall, good-looking guy. That’s very helpful, Carol.”
    â€œYeah, well,” she said, pointing down a side hall, “I gotta go to Algebra.”
    Algebra, for God’s sake. She was a senior and hadn’t even mastered domain and range yet. Enjoy your career in the service industry, Carol!
    I waved good-bye and headed off to class feeling only slightly like a bitch.

    Waiting for my dad to go to bed that night was like special torture. We had leftovers and watched a TV show about a cop who was trying to catch a serial killer who used zombies to commit murders. Then I did homework while Dad stayed up forever working on something or other for his work. Dad taught psychology at the local community college, so I guess he was grading papers, or building a wire mother, or something? I didn’t ask him—I was too busy trying to psychically will him to go to sleep. Finally, after eleven, he stood and stretched and yawned, his potbelly straining against his polo shirt.
    â€œI’m hitting the hay,” he said. “Don’t stay up too late, okay?”
    â€œI’m going to be right behind you,” I said. Which was technically true. I was going to my bed; I just wasn’t going to sleep.
    Dad went off to his room and closed his door and I did the same. I texted Phil that we were on. As quietly as I could, I dressed for the night—black jeans, my Dr. Martens, and a black sweatshirt. I lay down on top of my covers to wait for Phil and Cody to show.
    The next thing I knew, a tapping noise woke me and my heart was beating a million times a minute. I had absolutely no clue where I was. I wiped drool from my chin and squinted at the window above my bed. Phil stood out there, fist raised, ready to knock some more. I climbed up and slid the window open.
    â€œYou were really out,” Phil said. I looked past him and saw Cody hanging out of the rear passenger window of the car. “I’ve been knocking for a while.”
    â€œYep,” I said. “I guess I passed out. Back up.”
    He did as I asked and I crawled out the window. I gave him a quick hug and felt his body tense up. He was still getting used to the idea of being touched, I guess. I hoped he’d start to like it.
    â€œLet’s go,” he said.
    We walked through the yard, and Phil held the chain-link gate open for me. Ever the gentleman, I suppose. Cody waved at me, excited. If he was a dog, his body would be shaking with the force of his wagging tail. I gave him a curt beauty queen wave in return.
    After we got ourselves in the car and pulled away, Phil asked me, “Were you dreaming?”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œWhen I looked in at you, you were sort of thrashing around,” he said. “I figured you were dreaming.”
    â€œHow long were you peeping in at me, you perv?” I said.
    Cody cackled in the backseat. “Perv!” he repeated.
    â€œDon’t change the subject,” Phil said.
    I sighed. I usually liked how straightforward he was, but every once in a while, it was a pain in the ass.
    â€œYeah,” I said. “I was