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Kami smiled up at him Amusement passed between the and Kalish class I don’t have to explain things to Angela yet!" Since the bellfrom their office any minute, Kami set off at top speed "Co We don’t want to be tardy"

He followed her, keeping pace easily as she hurried down the stairs "Look, you probably have the wrong idea about me I mean, I read books, but I do it because I want to--because it’s like an escape in et in trouble in school"

"That’s because you’re a delinquent who punches people," said Kami "Not because you’re not smart"

"I’m not smart like you are"

"You’re not dumb"

"I was put in the year below you after they took one look at my records I have to take some horrific exam called the GCSEs, whatever they may be You sure about that?" Jared ela le cat when she’s riled"

"So, esture in the opposite direction to the one they were heading

"So go to it," Ka way

Kaela and I areup at the headquarters"

"Okay," said Jared, and stopped "No, wait This hot girl with a bike She asked irl with a bike," Kami repeated It certainly sounded better than "this creepy Asian girl" Then she realized who he meant "Holly I’m an idiot" She looked up to see Jared had his ar

"She seemed different than the way you think about her," Jared said

"I iuy would see Holly a bit differently than I do, yes," Kauys love Holly"

"See, like that," Jared said, and thought, Dismissive "Like she’s not iirl with a bike’?" Kami said "That was a deep observation" She heard her own voice rise and saw people passing by on their way to class glancing at theed and scowled "I barely know her It’s just …"

Thought andthe kid in class with less h, dumber than the others

"No, wait a second," Kaht about her having less money I mean, I know she does, but I don’t think about it! It’s just she’s irl, if you knohat I mean She’s not like you"

"I should hope not, I’irl" Jared raised an eyebrow "If you’re calling her a floozy, I’ a bit of a floozy myself"

"Oh, Jared," said Kami, ell aware of his romantic experience, or total lack thereof "You are not"

"Well, I have floozy aainst the lockers now Kami wondered if she should remind him that she was actually there, and he didn’t have to pretend not to be talking to someone She also wondered how his floozy ao out But it was beco clearer by the minute that that wasn’t really what he wanted

"Maybe you could try sitting with Holly in this class, instead of letting her stick around by the door so she can watch you go off and sit with Aoing to class" She headed toward her classrooive Jared a backward glance She gave hio to class too

If you insist, Jared grumbled Kami? Try not to undress for anyone else today

Oh, hilarious, said Kami, and bumped into Holly at the door

"Hi, Kami!" Holly turned in a sunburst of curls and wide eyes She had been standing by the door, Kami noticed "I haven’t found Jared today But I asked hi if you wanted to catch us in the cafeteria, you could interview him then I mean, if you don’t have lunch plans"

"Don’t worry about it I found hiuys were having lunch together," Kairl with a bike "You could both come up to headquarters and have lunch?"

Holly frowned "Headquarters?"

"Oh, Roo it the headquarters now Well, okay, I’ it that But I’uys could have lunch together and you could do the interview yourself if you wanted? You’ve been doing all the running around after him; I think it’s only fair And I don’t want to be in the way of your lunch with the guy You said you thought he ht be fun" There She’d chosen her words carefully and well, as a journalist should Giving Holly her due and not a hint of being judg Jared with his floozy aht ere having lunch She hadn’t realized that Jared hadlunch with Holly Possibly he’d been too distracted by the thought of Holly’s hotness to make himself clear

You are just never ever happy, Ka her curls fly up as if in a sudden gust of wind "The Vale’s full of guys I’d ether Would it be okay if you did the interview? I could watch and learn how to do it right I don’t want to mess up the paper Because the paper is awesoht" Ka "Uh--do you want to sit together?"

Holly lit up as if she had a lightbulb under all that hair "Absolutely" Sheat her longingly, and he hastily went and sat beside A had a boyfriend since she was five, looked delighted Ka a floozy Of course, she felt generally glooht She made for a desk in the front, and Holly slid in beside her, still glowing

"So, what do you think about the Lynburns being back?" Kami said "My mum doesn’t seem too thrilled"

"My parents aren’t either," said Holly "I don’t blame them My uncle Edmund, I don’t know if you’ve heard about hio out with Lillian Lynburn," Kami offered cautiously

Holly nodded "He left town and left her The Lynburns did not take the insult well My dad’s not all that rational on the subject, but the way he tells it, you’d think the Lynburns made his crops fail They definitely called in debts and took a lot of our land"