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."I'm sorry," he whispers."It's okay," I whisper back."I mean about what I said," he whispers again."I know."He is quiet walking next to me, and he doesn't seem to know exactly where we're going.The way he walks, with short kicking motions, makes me think that he has his eyes closed.But when I look at his eyes I see that they're wide open."So did you decide I'm not crazy after all?""I never thought you were crazy.Just a little.confused." This hurts, and I'm about to really let him have it, but he holds up his hand to stop me."I mean about Mallory and me.""Oh.I only said I'd go out with Mallory because I didn't know you liked me.I didn't think someone like you could ever like someone like me."He lets out a little puff of air."What is that supposed to mean?""Come on, Gusty.You know what I mean." He goes back to kicking at the small rocks in the gutter."You could have any girl you want.Any guy, for that matter."He laughs."Eva Kearns-Tate likes you, for God's sake.She's never been my favorite person, but I have to admit she's gorgeous."He nods again."Sure.She's very pretty.""So? Why would I think you'd want me when you could have her?""Well, geez, I traded character education partners so that I could work with you.""What?!" If it's possible to be thrilled and shocked at the same time, that's what I am."You traded partners to work with me?""I had to pay Farid Amir twenty dollars so he'd work with that weird girl who's always drawing hearts on her notebook.""I had no idea!"He stares at me like I'm a very slow child."You never even looked at the bulletin board, did you?"I shrug, and he rolls his gorgeous eyes.Now I'm embarrassed and happy at the same time.Gusty sure knows how to mix up my emotions.He seems to feel mixed up too.I want to make him happy if I can, so I say, "Gusty, if I'd known you liked me, I wouldn't have gone out with Mallory."He's quiet for a while, so I don't know if my explanation worked, but finally he says, "I guess there's no way you could have known I liked you.It's not like I really told you.""I should have known.Mallory said he knew.He said everyone knew, except me.And Jacob Flax, I guess."He grimaces."Yeah, that announcement at lunch got me thinking—maybe he likes me?" He looks at me tentatively."Nah, he likes a guy at his gym," I say nonchalantly, figuring Jacob will probably want to save face.I'm a bitch, but I can be a nice bitch.Sometimes."Kristi." Gusty takes a deep breath and forces himself to face me.He grabs both my shoulders and looks into my eyes with such intensity that I know this is costing him effort, as though he's mastering something inside of himself."I like you better than Eva because I like your spirit.She's a nice girl, but I like how fiery and dangerous you are.You're smart, and you don't let anyone walk on you.And when your dad left, you were so brave about it, even though I could tell it hurt you.After Hildie blew you off I thought you'd get depressed, but instead you came to school wearing the coolest clothes I'd ever seen, and you acted like you didn't even care that your best friend totally abandoned you.""I did care," I whisper."But you didn't give her the satisfaction of knowing it.That took guts.""So I'm the fat girl with the great personality?""No! You're curvy and soft." He seems to have stopped thinking about what he wants to say.He's just saying it."I love the color of your skin, and your thick hair—I just want to mess it up.And your huge eyes.You have the biggest, most beautiful eyes I've ever seen, and I love the way they change color, from being almost black indoors, and then they become this deep olive green when the sun hits your face.I love the way your lips look like candy.I love the way you smell.I don't know if it's your shampoo or your perfume.Maybe it's just pheromones.I don't know, but I love it.I've never smelled it anywhere else.Kristi, I really like you.Will you go to the Halloween dance with me?"Now that it's my turn to speak I can't, so I nod."Okay, cool," he says.Suddenly looking directly at me seems to be too much for him, and he starts walking again."Will you sew your own costume?""I kind of have to sew my own clothes.Most shirts don't even fit around my ginormous—" The words catch in my throat, and I look at him.He's smiling, a little crookedly, and his green eyes are glowing at me."Your ginormous." He whirls around, and suddenly our chests are touching and I can feel his breath on my face.He raises an eyebrow."Your ginormous personality?"I shake my head, totally embarrassed."Kristi, you have a totally sick body.You should not be ashamed of it."I stare at his face in open amazement."What did you just say?"He suddenly gets super embarrassed and mumbles, "I think your body is.nice.""You said sick!""Yeah." His eyes dart around, a little perplexed."It's a skater word.If someone mungs a primo grind.you know? It's sick."I'm speechless.I can only stare at him, my mouth open, my eyes sending out rays of happiness."So, in skaterspeak, sick is good?""Yeah! Sick is awesome."Gusty is smiling at me like he's almost ready to laugh, and that makes me want to crack a joke."So sick is good.I have much to learn.Will you teach me the ways of your people?""Oh, lady, I'll get you your own board, if you want.""Okay, if you'll listen to my Carmen CD with me," I say.I have a feeling that's a good opera to start him on.His eyes smile into mine, but then he opens his backpack and starts fishing through it."I have something for you," he says.I know what it is, and I'm so relieved."Why did you take it?""You'll see." He pulls it out.It's wrapped in a piece of black velvet tied with a ribbon, which is a beautiful deep purple.I untie it and shove it into my pocket to save so I can wear it in my hair.The velvet slides off the box, and I gasp.He has fixed it.It closes with a perfect seal that looks airtight."You fixed my box for me?"He nods."I rubbed it with a beeswax finish to preserve it
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