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private driver's ed class with Derek.
    Derek. I couldn't stop thinking about kissing him. Even when I thought I wasn't thinking about it, all of a sudden my stomach would drop into my knees and I'd have trouble catching my breath, and I'd feel his hands roaming all over me and his tongue twining around mine.
    When the bell finally rang, Kaia grabbed my hand and practically dragged me out of the gym. "Okay, listen-"
    That was all Kaia had a chance to say before a guy's voice interrupted her. "Mary! Hey, Mary, wait up!"
    Kaia snickered and stopped in the hallway. She pulled me to the side as the rest of the cheerleaders walked past us, oblivious to the fact that I was the one Grady Carrico was trying to catch up with. He jogged up to us and stood there, smiling, his hands curled loosely at his sides.
    "Hey Grady," I said.
    "Hi Mary. I saw you this morning. I tried to flag you down, thought you might like a tour guide, but I lost you in the crowd."
    "Oh, too bad," Kaia said. "I know I could have used one. You know I actually stumbled into a janitor's closet this morning? Can you imagine?"
    Grady laughed. Since he was looking right at me, I couldn't shoot Kaia a dirty look, so I ground my toes on top of hers. I guess she got my email .
    "I hear those things are pretty small and stuffy," Grady said.
    "I don't know about that," Kaia said. "I can tell you it was definitely hot."
    I pressed down even harder on her foot and she jerked it out from under mine, making me lose my balance. Grady grabbed my elbow to steady me and grinned his thousand-watt smile. How many teeth did an average person have anyway?
    "So Mary, I know it's short notice and everything, but do you want to go with me to youth group tonight? Should be good fellowship, first day of school and all." He kept his hand on my arm, his touch light and hopeful.
    I moved away. "Oh, man, I'm sorry but I'm really busy tonight, I'm riding with Kaia and we have cheer stuff and everything." I flicked my skirt, like that was proof.
    "Shoot!" Kaia gave an exasperated sigh and oh my god did she seriously just hit herself on the forehead? "I totally forgot to tell you. I'm reading to old people at my grandma's nursing home tonight so I'm not gonna be able to drive you home. Mary, you should totally go with Grady."
    "Great, it's a good thing I thought to catch you after practice. Jesus doesn't shut a door, he opens a window, right?"
    "Darn tootin," Kaia said. "Have fun Mary. But hey listen, you need to call me."
    Before I could say anything else, Kaia scampered down the hall and I was alone with Grady. I would so get her back for this.
    Grady and I walked together, heading for the parking lot. I hiked my backpack over my shoulder and decided not to worry about dropping anything off at my locker. It was kind of nice walking with a senior. Even though he wasn't into sports, people seemed to know who he was, and they made room for him. Between that and the "power" of my cheerleading uniform, the crowded hallways were easy to navigate.
    Grady kept up a pretty one-sided conversation, but he didn't seem to mind that my answers were short and noncommittal. I'd actually forgotten that Kaia had parked in the senior parking lot until I spotted her car up next to the fence that surrounded the football field. My brother Joe sat in the front passenger seat, his nose in a book, and Kaia stood half in and half out of the car, talking to … oh, crap .
    I turned my head to the side and became instantaneously engrossed in whatever it was Grady had been saying, in the hopes that Derek wouldn't notice me. Don't make eye contact. Don't make eye contact.
    We trotted down the stairs to the parking lot, and I kept my head turned away. Thankfully Grady's car was at the opposite end of the lot from Kaia's. He must have shown up just before the bell, not way early like we had.
    "Holy cow, you drive a Lexus?" Forgetting about Derek, I stopped and admired the silver car that Grady unlocked with his keychain, a