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a67c511
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Room here," she says, proceeding to draw a line of the route. It doesn't look too far. I stand, taking the map from her, and manage to get out a comprehensible " ," which my says is actually pronounced . Who knew? She smiles again and everything seems to be perfect until I lose my mind and give her a slight bow. I'm in , not Asia."
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Kristin Rae |
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ac45fce
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Going?" I smile and wait for her to remove her hand before I answer. "Just meeting up with a friend." Friend. There, I said it. Must be real now. Darren and I are friends. Her expression dampens a little. "Not with Bruno?" "No. He already took me out on his boat this morning." She flashes me her teeth. "He likes you." My heart thumps like I'm standing on the edge of something very high with a long way to fall. Did he tell her that, or is th..
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Kristin Rae |
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362ebfb
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Within several minutes, we're at the front of the line. I assume we're going to keep walking, but the young English couple in front of us has me take their picture, and then they offer to take ours. I open my mouth to decline, but Bruno bursts out with a " " and unhooks the camera from my neck, handing it to the woman. He leads me to the bench and we sit, the sides of our legs touching. My stomach clenches. This is the bench. Not a single..
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Kristin Rae |
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d474cf9
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You're superstitious?" His rough voice echoes above our heads, so he leans in closer and says, "I didn't really see that coming." "I'm usually not, but I guess that got ingrained. Everyone in my circle knows not to say that inside a theater." "Bad luck, I take it?" he asks. I nod and he observes the place one more time before following me out. "Not to be insensitive to our surroundings or anything, but I think bad luck's already done its bu..
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Kristin Rae |
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74422a5
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So theater, huh? Not sure I saw that one coming either." "Why?" My cheeks are warm, but I keep in front of him and look anywhere but his direction. "The theater kids back at my high school were...a lot different than you." I laugh a little louder than necessary. "There are definitely some characters in drama club. As far as style or individuality goes, I'm not much of a standout at school." "You would have stood out to me." "I don't need an..
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Kristin Rae |
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e82ba60
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About earlier--" My attention shifts behind Darren to a little blond boy in overalls trying to push his head between the rods of the railing. Darren turns to see what I'm looking at and laughs. "You're gonna get stuck." The boy looks up at him in confusion and yells something in another language. His mother rushes over and snatches his hand, giving both Darren and me the evil eye as she drags him away. "Kids." Darren shrugs. "Do you want an..
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Kristin Rae |
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c84af03
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What was I saying before?" I can't let him get back to that train of thought, wherever it was headed. "You were about to tell me your favorite color today." "Huh?" He squints, studying me. "You said it changes every day. So which is your favorite today?" I hold his gaze and try to convey that I'm not kidding. I'd rather hear his favorite color than another version of how I'm still in high school. "Yellow," he finally says. "Let's go look on..
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Kristin Rae |
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63943bf
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I was prissy as a child. No dirt under these fingernails." "You were prissy? I don't believe it." "If you knew my mother, it wouldn't surprise you." I raise both of my hands in surrender. "But I've grown up. I'm not afraid to get dirty anymore." A lone eyebrow skyrockets and color creeps up his neck. "Is that right?" I drop my face into my hands and bump against his shoulder. "I didn't mean it like that." His laughter is warm on the nape of..
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Kristin Rae |
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fed5432
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I sit at an empty table after the lunch rush and turn to the last assignment in my journal. This one's the worst yet. The page is blank except for the instructions: DRAW YOUR SELF-PORTRAIT. Obviously, she ran out of ideas. She knows I can't draw worth a flip, and she especially knows I don't like it when this kind of art is pushed on me. A self-portrait is an interpretation. It's not the truth--not a real image. It's going to look nothing l..
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Kristin Rae |
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af072d3
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I assumed this was a fishing boat, but it's not dirty and it doesn't reek of dead fish, so I'm not sure what Mauro just used it for. Joy riding? Drug trafficking? Hopefully not for driving girls out to sea to murder them and dump their bodies. I warily eye the rope and gas can again, but dismiss my scenario as paranoia.
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Kristin Rae |
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f1f8beb
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Pippa," Dad chimed in with the even tone of a mediator. "If you don't want to go--" "Oh, she's ." Mom straightened as tall as she could get, towering over him with her power. "Arrangements have been set." She turned to me again, still in giantess form. "Do you have any idea what it took to make this happen?" "Apparently your firstborn," I muttered. She heard me. Yeah, it all went really well. I'd definitely be grounded right now if I were..
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Kristin Rae |
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833c752
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Matilde leads us into one of the apartment's two bedrooms, obviously belonging to Bruno and Luca. Bunk beds are stacked in the corner and the walls are covered in soccer posters. "You can have the bottom bed, Pippa," Chiara says. "You seem to have a problem with steps." I snatch a pillow and whip it at her, but she ducks in time, the pillow knocking over a stack of sports magazines. "Girls same as boys." Matilde laughs as she turns back to ..
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Kristin Rae |
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dec46d6
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I look around to find Darren since I assumed he was walking along with us. He's not. He's still at the bottom of the hill, near the tunnel entrance, jaw slack. Panic. Why isn't he following us? Then I remember Nina. I wonder where she is. Maybe he has to go back to her. Of course he does. He didn't come here for me. He didn't even know I was here. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm one
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Kristin Rae |
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55136da
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We stop at the gate to the apartment, but Bruno's still hanging on to me. "The key," he says, swaying his hips. "Pocket on left." "So put me down and get it out." He lowers his lips to my ear. "You get it for me?" Goose bumps. All over. I may have decided I want his attention, but that's a little much."
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Kristin Rae |
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b1528f7
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We stop at the gate to the apartment, but Bruno's still hanging on to me. "The key," he says, swaying his hips. "Pocket on left." "So put me down and get it out." He lowers his lips to my ear. "You get it for me?" Goose bumps. All over. I may have decided I want his attention, but that's a little much. I remove my hands from his neck and push my legs down against his arm, making myself as heavy as possible. He gives in and lets me slide off..
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Kristin Rae |
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745f64d
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I open my makeup compact and set it on the table next to the vase of flowers and let my mechanical pencil hover over the page. I adjust until I can see most of my face in the tiny mirror and start drawing an outline of the compact itself first. Seems easier than tackling an eye right off the bat. "Drawing hearts in your diary again?" I perk my head up, pulse racing. "Darren!" Instinctively I stand and he rushes to me, opening his arms and p..
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Kristin Rae |
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1b5ec1e
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What's going on? Who is he?" She pulls in another deep breath, then bites her bottom lip. "Mauro." "Mauro?" I ask, attempting to roll my tongue to pronounce it correctly. "Is that his name or an insult?" Her expression turns from worry to surprise. "Listen to you! Sounding like "
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Kristin Rae |
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c7e1f30
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Were you spying on someone?" Darren asks, finally sitting in the chair next to me and pointing at the open compact on the table. "What? Oh, no." I laugh, snapping it shut and pulling it and the journal closer to me. "It's nothing." "You're awfully secretive with your diary." He says the word with a childish tone to it, as if the cover of mine has a picture of Hello Kitty emblazoned on it. "What are you hiding?" He reaches for it but I'm f..
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Kristin Rae |
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f96f7d3
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This Darren," Chiara finally says as we approach Riomaggiore, still huddled under the bright umbrella. "Is he the same boy you told me about in Roma? The one you saw times two?" "Two times," I correct, "and yes. Same guy." She stops in her tracks. The rain's still sheeting down, so I stop with her to keep as dry as possible. I slide my hand over my tote bag to check it. It's just a little moist, not soaking wet. Yet. We really need to keep ..
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Kristin Rae |
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88c9e9d
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Just the idea of seeing the ruins of Pompeii in person makes me ache deep inside. Then there's Darren, no longer off limits. When an opportunity like this falls into place, you don't hesitate. You GO. And take millions of pictures.
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Kristin Rae |
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94806c4
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So tell me about yourself," I say, mentally rolling my eyes for sounding like an interviewer. "Where'd you grow up? What's your favorite color? Biggest fear? All the basics." He laughs, kicking at a cluster of broken flower petals on the ground. "I'd hardly put my biggest fear in the basics category." "You know what I mean. I feel like I don't know that much about you, in the broad scheme of things." "Well, in the broad scheme," he begins, ..
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Kristin Rae |
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6f804b9
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You're so tan." "Spent a lot of time outside," I say slowly, fingers crossed that she doesn't want to talk too much about my summer of lies."
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Kristin Rae |
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a7026b5
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Too bad it was buried before Shakespeare," Darren continues. "This stage never saw the likes of Romeo or Macbeth." I whirl around to face him in horror. "No no no no no, don't say the word!" "What word? Macbeth?" "'Angels and ministers of grace defend us,'" I mutter, turning from him and heading for the exit. "Pippa, what are you doing?" he asks, right on my heels. I stop inside the tunnel and he bumps into me, clutching my elbows to st..
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Kristin Rae |
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32af89e
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There you two are," Nina calls. She offers a smile almost identical to Chiara's when she's up to something. Nina drops Tate's hand and presses the power button on her point-and-shoot camera. She motions for Darren and me to get closer together, but we're like rocks. "Come on, I want a picture," she prompts. Darren doesn't move, so I walk over to him and leave a few inches between us. Nina huffs and reaches for Darren's arm, wrapping it beh..
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Kristin Rae |
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18ab226
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I wouldn't go through high school again if someone paid me a million dollars." He snorts. It's a joke, but his tone is laced with pain. We're getting dangerously close to hitting a nerve. Maybe the same one Nina keeps tempting. "A million, no," I say. "You'd still need a job with only one mil. What if it were two?" His smile looks forced. "Not even for two." I swallow, staring at his eyes though he's not looking at me. "Must have been some ..
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Kristin Rae |
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06b1886
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I wouldn't go through high school again if someone paid me a million dollars." He snorts. It's a joke, but his tone is laced with pain. We're getting dangerously close to hitting a nerve. Maybe the same one Nina keeps tempting. "A million, no," I say. "You'd still need a job with only one mil."
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Kristin Rae |
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9bfa03c
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Darren," I begin, swallowing the lump in my throat and forcing myself to keep eye contact. I need answers. I can't go back home without knowing exactly what there was or is between us. "Why did you come back here?" No response. "Why did you ask me to go to Pompeii with you guys? Why did you get so upset you couldn't even talk to me when you saw Bruno kiss me good-bye? Why did you completely freak when Nina took our picture together? Why did..
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Kristin Rae |
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0d7c7d3
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Darren just kissed me. As many times as I've imagined him kissing me, the shock of it as a reality sends a quake through my entire body. "I don't believe it." I straighten and stare at his chin, his cheeks, his sharp jawline. He almost gets knocked over by a wave that slams in the chest. "What?" "You shaved! How did I not see that earlier?" "Finally she notices!" He laughs. "I went through great pains to smooth out this face for you. Even ..
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Kristin Rae |
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af2374a
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You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?" He smirks, resting his hands on my waist. "Hoped." My cheeks ache from smiling, but I don't care. I don't care about anything but Darren and him kissing me again. I trace the smooth skin around his mouth. "You better be careful," he says, kissing the tip of my finger with each word. "I've been known to bite." We laugh and he tightens his hold at my waist and pulls me against him, pressing our ..
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Kristin Rae |
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3377f5f
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I get it now. This is what kissing is really supposed to be. Any others before were merely run-throughs with understudies. Darren is a leading man.
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Kristin Rae |
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b96689a
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Darren spreads out the beach mats and drops his backpack on top of one. As soon as he crosses his arms and grips the hem of his shirt with both hands, I know what's going to happen. I should look away but I can't. Abs reveal themselves. One. At. A time. His chest isn't exactly lacking for hair, but given the amount on his face and head, I expected that. Not that I actively thought of what his chest might look like. Not often, anyway. As he ..
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Kristin Rae |
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8c317ff
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I should probably head back for Luca's birthday dinner. They want me to lead the 'Happy Birthday' song to him in English for some reason." "Oh, right. Yeah, it's getting late." He lets go of my hand and reaches for his T-shirt. I watch his abs disappear, then pull my tank top over my head. "I'm sure you could come if you want." He frowns. "Won't Bruno be there?" "It's his brother, he'd better be." "Uh, I'll pass." I grab his shirt near the ..
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Kristin Rae |
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8d3167d
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Do you want me to get your back for you?" Cringe. "No, I'm fine." "Okay, then could you get mine? I don't really want the striped look you're going for. A little too trendy for me." He laughs, snapping the lid shut on his sunscreen bottle. He shakes it hard to force the lotion to the end, every muscle in his body tensing, releasing, tensing, releasing. My jaw goes slack. He asked me a question. What was it? The cliche come to life? I hesita..
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Kristin Rae |
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e1bcbbd
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The short pieces of his black hair are spiked out every which way. The poor lighting from the singular bulb on the ceiling over the shower exaggerates the dark circles under his eyes. He looks rough. And why I find it incredibly hot is beyond me. "Late night?" I ask. I'm staring. I shouldn't stare. Biting back a smirk at his disheveledness, I pull the band out of my hair, pretending that I need to redo my ponytail. Really, I just need a dis..
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Kristin Rae |
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24137c2
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His little gray swim bottoms are probably smaller than mine, potbelly hanging over the top of them. I lean toward Darren and whisper, "Take a picture of that. Five euros." We both look back at the man just as he sheds his bottoms, revealing, well, everything. "Oh, sick ," I screech, shrinking down and looking for something to hide under. I've seen a few sets of breasts on the beach so far--which is a little uncomfortable, though Darren doe..
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Kristin Rae |
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dd9d4df
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Darren, this is Chiara, the friend I was telling you about. Chiara, this is my--this is Darren." I don't know what I was going to stick in there after Friend? Can you be friends with someone if you don't even know their last name? Darren finally unfreezes, extending his hand, which Chiara takes in both of hers and squeezes. "Darren Ledger." Ledger. Darren Ledger. Pippa Ledger. Darren and Pippa Ledger. STOP!"
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Kristin Rae |
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250ca5c
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Chiara," Darren finally says. "Everything okay?" Greasy Guy looks Darren up and down with narrowed eyes and spits out what I'm guessing is a question. Darren responds, calmly, in Italian. It's the most I've ever heard him say in Italian, and I can't even tell if his accent's right, but it's seriously hot. They go back and forth a few times, Chiara chiming in once in a while. I pick out a word here and there, but I mostly make up what I thin..
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Kristin Rae |
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aa22bab
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Do you want to be a professor too?" He shrugs. "Maybe one day. I'd like to travel more first though, work on dig sites in places like Greece or Central America. Ancient civilizations are buried everywhere. It's, like, no matter where you walk, you never know what could be under your feet. I want a job that lets me see all the things I want to see before I get stuck behind a desk." "I know what you mean. I can't wait to see the world and doc..
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Kristin Rae |
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04004e7
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So tell me about you. Who is Pippa, in the broad scheme of things?" He winks. I return the smile. "Well, I'm an only child, born and raised in Chicago--" "Ah, Chicago. That's the accent." "I told you before, I don't have an accent." "To ears you don't." He laughs. "But it's definitely there to the rest of us." "Is that a bad thing?" "No," he says. "It's cute." Oh, I might die. A boy used the word "cute." And when describing something abou..
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Kristin Rae |
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9792cbe
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You really didn't see me trying to push him away?" "You did?" Darren scratches along his jawline. "I guess I was too angry to notice that." "You were?" So it was more than awkwardness. He was angry. The butterflies are back, flapping their stupid little wings in my chest. He nods and looks away from me, eyes focused past me to the sky as it wanes into a deep-blue blanket dotted with pulsing stars. Bells from a church ring out in the distanc..
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Kristin Rae |
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1e007e6
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ASSIGNMENT NUMERO NOVE: THE PERFECT MAN We talk about boys a lot. Especially who's hot, who's not, and why. But if the movie actors of old have taught us anything, it's that good looks go away. The perfect man needs more than a cute face and big biceps, because even those muscles will one day shrivel. But good character, hopefully, will not. List five attributes of the perfect man: 1. loyal 2. trustworthy 3. smart 4. funny 5. real
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Kristin Rae |
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2353b91
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Quietly as possible, I unzip my backpack at the foot of my bed and feel around for my journal and the tiny book light. Keeping on my stomach and facing the end of my bed, I clip the light onto the cover of the journal and turn to my next assignment. In my periphery I see Darren's feet move. I quickly press the button on my book light, straining to listen as he wrestles with his sheets, presumably to get comfy. "What are you doing?" he whisp..
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Kristin Rae |