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look different," Josh
said.
    "You look weird," Dorian
added.
    I sighed and focused on the television.
    I was engrossed in a murder mystery
movie with the boys, when headlights shone through the window. As I gave myself
a final check in the mirror, Bram flew through the living room and out the
front door.
    "Bram, no!" I called, running
after him. But it was too late, he was already off the porch. I followed him.
Hunter was stepping out of his pick-up truck.
    "Hey, man." Hunter offered
Bram his hand.
    Bram slapped it away.
    "Bram!" I cried, embarrassed.
    Hunter took a step back. "What the
hell is your problem?"
    "You are my problem. My sister's
not allowed to date, and she's not going anywhere with you. So get right back
in your truck and disappear."
    Hunter looked at the house. "You're
not her father. If Naomi wants to go to the movies with me, she can."
    Bram looked at me. "Tell him you're
not going."
I shook my head. Hunter grabbed my hand and led me to the other side of the
truck. I felt uneasy again, knowing the danger of physical contact with the
opposite sex. I climbed in, and he shut the door for me.
    Bram stood back, breathing heavily. I
imagined he was counting to ten like Mother advised him to do when he got
angry. Hunter got back inside and backed the truck out of the driveway. Bram
just stood there watching. I was surprised he had given in so easily. Surely there'd
be hell to pay when I got home.
    We saw a horror movie, which I found
hilarious. The entire time I hoped Hunter didn't have the urge to put his arm
around me. Thankfully, he didn't.
    "You know, you have a real sick
sense of humor," Hunter said after the movie. "But I kind of like
that."
    We drove away from the movie theater,
but not toward the house.
    "Where are we going?"
    "A really nice place to look at the
stars. Don’t worry, I'm not trying to put the moves on you."
    We rode for twenty minutes before
turning down a dark road. There was nothing but one lane with trees on either
side. Hunter made a right and then stopped. We got out and he helped me get
onto the hood of his truck. We lay there, looking at the stars. The moon was
bright enough for me to see him clearly.
    "This is my thinking spot. I come
here a few times a week actually," he admitted.
    "Yeah? What do you think
about?"
    "Life. Where I'm going. Where I
want to be."
    The moon shone so brilliantly and I
couldn't take my eyes off it. "What do you mean?"
    "I'm not going to be a deadbeat
like my dad. I have to make something of myself. I'm going to do whatever I
have to do to take care of my mom and sisters. My mom works so hard. She has
three jobs. I want to make it easier for her. I just don't want to be like him .
That's my greatest fear."
    I looked at Hunter. His eyes were
closed. "Whatever you turn out to be, it's going to be something
great." A knot formed in my stomach then. I thought about the 148 kids who
weren't going to get that chance. It didn't seem fair. "You can be
anything you choose." There was a pinch of jealousy in that statement
because I didn't have that choice. I had to be a Grim whether I wanted to or
not.
    I wanted to ask him about Ashley. I had
been sure not to tell the girls about our plans earlier. "So, you used to
date Ashley?"
    A sigh came from Hunter's direction.
"Yeah, that was the biggest mistake I ever made."
    "What do you mean?"
    "Ashley was cool and everything,
but then she got crazy possessive and borderline stalkerish. I just couldn't
take it. Even after we broke up, she didn't stop. It's been four months, and
she still thinks I belong to her."
    "That sucks." She had a lot of
nerve trying to claim Hunter while throwing herself at my brother at the same
time. I definitely didn't feel guilty about our date. Ashley didn't deserve
Hunter.
    "Yeah. If I were your brother, I'd
be less worried about you and more worried about Ashley. Once she sinks her
claws into him, she won't let go."
    I doubted Ashley would be sinking her
claws into Bram.
    "Anyway," Hunter