The Stillburrow Crush

That's when I wanted to cry. I got to my feet, unable to watch him. "Come on," I said, and briefly glanced down at him.

"Where?"

"Home," I said.

He shook his head.

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And I nodded mine. "Mom will get a ton of food stuffed down you, and you can get some rest. You need to tell them there's no baby, anyway."

"I will," he said. "Just not yet. Can't go home yet. I'm not even sober."

I held my hand down to him, offering to help him to his feet. "Then come to the kitchen. It can't be healthy to stay in this room. Someone should put a caution sign on the door. Beware of Contamination. I'll fix you something to eat." I smiled suddenly, thinking of Luke and the snack he'd shown me how to make. "I've got the perfect thing to feed you."

Finally, Marty let me help him to his feet. When we were both standing, he looked down at me. "Don't tell anyone what I said before. OK?"

I shook my head. "I won't."

Marty was quiet for a moment and then he said, "Let's get something to eat. What're you making?" I gri

Marty pulled up short and I glanced back. I did a double take when I saw the horror on his face and stopped myself.

"What is it?"

He grabbed my arm roughly and jerked me back inside the room. "You need to stay away from him, Carrie." I rolled my eyes and he yanked on my arm again. "I'm serious." I shook free of his grip. "I can tell," I shot back and examined my arm for fingerprint marks.

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"What do you think you're doing with that type of guy?" I paused and carefully asked, "And what type is that?" But before he could answer, I went on, "Luke isn't the type you think he is. Besides, there's nothing going on between us." I shrugged. "Not technically, anyway."

"Not technically?" Marty shook his head. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know," I said, suddenly wondering myself what it meant. So far, we'd kissed twice. No, make that three times, since the kiss at school only hours ago. We'd discussed dating, yet only ended up fighting. We'd gone on two car rides alone into the country. And then there was that whole scene at school where he'd defended me to the principal. Technically, I had no idea what that made us. I glanced up at Marty. "Just don't worry about it, OK?" That's when Marty shook me. "Haven't you learned anything from what just happened to me? I'm begging you, stay away from him, Carrie. Those type of people are bad news"

I had this impulsive urge to defend Luke. Marty was unjustly classifying him—just as I'd done. But now I knew Luke better and I was completely gone for him. Still, I wasn't sure if there was anything there to stay away from. So I only nodded.

Marty hugged me briefly, tightly. "Thank you," he said. "I know you're not going to listen to me, but thanks for trying to make me feel better."

Then he pushed me away and said he was starving. 194

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Austin followed us into the kitchen when he saw us pass, and it just so happened they had all the supplies for Luke's after-school special. I had to make a bowlful for each guy. Just as I was putting the supplies away, two more boys rushed inside the house. E.T. was followed by his twelveyear-old brother, Trevor.

"There you are," E.T. said, when he saw me. "We've been looking for you all over town." Winded, he plopped down in a chair next to Austin.

"Why?" I said, stuffing the ice cream back into the freezer. E.T.'s eyes were bright. "Haven't you heard yet?"

"We even heard about it in the junior high," Trevor said, opening the freezer to take the ice cream back out. When he turned back, he blurted, "Did Luke Carter really kiss you right there in the hallway?"

E.T. shoved him toward the table and spun around to tell me his news. "Mr. Eggrow dropped your suspension."

"What?" I leaned against the counter, facing everyone.

"Why? What happened?"

"Luke went around, asking everyone where they'd heard the rumor. And he found out who started it." E.T.'s eyes gleamed. He loved knowing something that no one else knew.

"Well, who was it?" Marty demanded. E.T. slid my brother a nervous look and then said to me,

"Sidney Eggrow."

"Sidney?" I blinked. Abby's own sister had started it? I didn't know what to say.

"Mr. Eggrow sent her home when he found out. She said she didn't mean for everyone to know. She only told one 195

The Stillburrow Crush

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friend." E.T. shrugged. "But you know how that goes. She overheard Abby telling her parents that she thought she was pregnant. And no one knew Sidney heard it so they didn't know to tell her it wasn't true. But Mr. Eggrow called an assembly for the whole school in the auditorium and explained it was all a big misunderstanding. That Sidney heard something she wasn't supposed to hear and no one knew to tell her it wasn't true because they didn't know she knew."

E.T. shook his head. "It was really confusing. But then Luke stood up and asked right there in front of everyone if Mr. Eggrow was going to apologize to you for accusing you of defamation."

My hand flew to my mouth. "He didn't." E.T. nodded and gri

"You better get home," Marty said. I was halfway down Marty and Austin's front steps before I realized E.T. had followed me out.

"Hey," he said.

"What?" I turned back, impatiently staring up at him on the top step.

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He opened his mouth and then shut it. Then he glanced down the street.

"Come on," I said. "You're making me even later." He frowned down at me. "Are you going out with Luke Carter?"

It sounded odd to hear that spoken aloud by someone. Going out with Luke Carter? It just wasn't normal. But what was normal anymore?

I shrugged, and squinted up at E.T. "I don't know," I said.

"How can you not know?"

I tried to think up some way to explain it, but there really was no explanation unless I replayed the last few weeks and told him everything that had happened between Luke and me. And I didn't have time for that, so I just said, "It's complicated."

E.T. seemed to mull it over. Finally, he said, "I guess he's good enough for you."

Now that startled me.

I had no idea E.T. cared whether I dated anyone or not, or how they would treat me. He was the only friend I had at school. But we never really discussed personal things like feelings and that kind of junk. He was just the guy I always sat by and defended. It was touching to know he thought about me enough to worry about my life.

"You're not going to start ignoring me now that you've got a boyfriend, are you?"