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I spent the next day, Sunday, inside, worried and exhausted fro seein theth to leave my home, and at this point I wasn&039;t sure if I should I used the tiroup and hope that my lack of presence would ensure no one was harreeted by the student body as if he were a hero The story that floated around the hallways, locker rooms, and classes, and took on a life of its oas that Nash had saved me from the wolf and was bitten in the process He held out his bandaged ar the acclaim Brandon deserved Both times It was Brandon who&039;d saved me from a wolf pack when I was lost in the woods, and it was Brandon again who&039;d saved Nash froot the credit But I kneasn&039;t a good idea to tell anyone what really happened - especially that Brandon was a olf

"Brandon saved your life," I said to Nash later that day

"How are you so sure? Maybe he was the one who sent the wolf out there"

"How can you even think that? The as stalking a deer Brandon helped you!"

"And how can you be so naive? You saashe&039;s not hu I kneas his pride that kept hi the truth: that because he didn&039;t believethreatened, attacked hiot to class "Celeste called me from the hospital"

Nash flashed his bandaged arm like a medal

"I can&039;t believe you were bitten," Abby said, exae

"Maybe it really was a olf," Dylan added

"A picnic in the woods," Ivy said "How romantic But no wonder you came across a wolf Haven&039;t you ever heard of a restaurant?"

"Maybe Nash should stick to ht there and then that it was Brandon who had saved us from the hen azes with irls continued to coo over Nash&039;s wound as Nash turned back to Brandon and gave hiestured for athered my books and toldfor me underneath the staircase

"My dad left today for Europe," he said "He&039;s going to try tohi do you think it will take?"

"It will take a while, but he said he&039;d check on "

"That&039;s terrific!" I said I snuggled up to Brandon I iether without the threat of his transfor Nash," I said "They don&039;t have to knohy or how you saved him, only that you did"

"It&039;s over with now I&039;lad you&039;re okay - and that he is, too"

Brandon&039;s caring nature made my love for him even deeper It was then I knew I couldn&039;t keep the secret any longer

I found Ivy and Abby at a round table in the library Ivy was fiddling with heron ho the to tell them it was him who I was interested in - not Nash How could I continue to keep this a secret whento explode with love every tiht of him? And to see Nash parade himself around school as a self-proclaimed hero when in fact he&039;d have been torn to shreds if it hadn&039;t been for Brandon? I was sure Nash wouldn&039;t tell them that it was a olf that saved him, but I knew that my fore Brandon now There were titnesses Saturday night who kneho&039;d really saved hi wolf And Nash hadeveryone he wasn&039;t the hero than Brandon had in Nash proclai the Westsider was a olf It was ti in my chair when Abby looked up fro the table," she said "You&039;reto tell you," I said intently

"Wow, Celeste," Abby said, "you look like you haveher compact in her purse

"It&039;s about Brandon," I said

"Brandon?" Abby asked

"You want us to invite hiain?" Ivy asked "I think we&039;ve done enough babysitting Besides, Jake is getting really freaked out that we&039;ve been including hi to worry about, though - as if!"

Ivy was"No," I said "It&039;s not that"

"Then what?" Abby asked

"I have a confession"

"Oh" Abby said "Sounds serious What is it?"

"Did you paint Brandon&039;s Jeep?" Ivy asked

"No!" I said

"Then what is it?" she said, waiting for details

"I likeuhI"

"Just spill it out!" Ivy ordered

"I like Brandon!" I exclaimed There it was I&039;d laid out ht off of me I only had to wait now for their response

"Brandon?" Ivy asked, shocked

"Duh," Abby said

Ivy and I were surprised by Abby&039;s response

"What?" we both said

"You talk about hi to invite hio"

"So you knew?" I asked

"This is the secret Dr Meadows toldfrom me!" Ivy screeched "I can&039;t believe you told Abby first!"

"She didn&039;t," Abby said in a huff "It was intuition - I just knew"

"I haven&039;t told anyone," I proclaiet crushes on people And I guess I can see why you&039;d feel sympathy for your pet project It&039;s only natural I think you&039;ve got that Stockhol"

"It&039;s irls gasped

"What?" Ivy said "What do you mean? You&039;ve - "

"Kissed Brandon Maddox?" Abby asked

"Girls, keep it down over there - " the librarian admonished us

I nodded

"I don&039;t believe you," Ivy said

"I do," Abby said "He&039;s hot - except for being a Westsider and all"

Abby sh her and, though she&039;d never be seen dating a Westsider,to her

"I can&039;t believe this," Ivy said, trying to process the inforht away We can help you now"

"So when did this happen?" Abby asked

"Uha few o?" Ivy asked, shocked again

I nodded

"And you didn&039;t tell rade?" she asked

"I&039;m her best friend, too!" Abby said

"I can&039;t believe you!" Ivy said "You&039;ve been secretly dating Brandon Maddox and you didn&039;t tell your own best friend?"

"Best friends," Abby reiterated

"I wanted to - in fact I even tried"

Abby had a hard tiuess you don&039;t think that much of me, do you?" Ivy asked with disappoint a word You obviously don&039;t think anything of our friendship - or me"

Ivy was mad - or, rather, disappointed

"But you always teased him" I defended myself "How could I?"