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“Oh my god,” Gibby muttered behind them. “I honestly thought it couldn’t be more awkward. I was wrong.”

“Young love,” Jazz said with a sigh. “Remember when we were like that?”

“We were never like them,” Gabby snapped. “We’re queer women. We havesomesense of decency.”

Nick ignored them, his heart stumbling all over itself as he watched the boy in front of him.

“Hi,” Seth mumbled.

“Hi,” Nick managed to say. “Um. It’s… nice to see you?”

“You too.”

“You look good.”

Seth blushed harder. “Thanks. So do you.” He shuffled his feet some more before saying, “I brought you something.”

“You did?”

“It’s nothing big,” Seth warned, pulling his backpack around to his front. He opened the pocket on the side and pulled out a plastic package. He shoved it into Nick’s hand.

Nick looked down to see watermelon-flavored Skwinkles Salsagheti. He didn’t know that Mexican candy could make him feel like flying. “I got you something too.”

Seth perked up. “What?”

Nick shook his head. “You have to close your eyes.”

He did it without hesitation.

Nick stepped forward, his Chucks bumping against Seth’s penny loafers. He leaned forward and kissed Seth on his lips.

It was brief, this kiss—barely scraping his lips against Seth’s. It wasn’t much, but he gave it his all.

He felt Seth’s smile.

He decided right then and there that smiling while kissing was the greatest thing in the world.

He pulled away first. Seth’s eyes were sparkling. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Nick said. He wanted to do it again immediately.

But before he could, Gibby said, “Okay, as sickly sweet as this is, we’re going to be late. We gotta go.”

Nick rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Way to ruin the moment, Lola.”

“Don’t make me punch your good arm, Nick. How do you think Seth will feel when you can’t useeitherhand?”

Seth squeaked.

Yeah, Nick was pretty sure this was love.

And without even thinking too hard about it, he took Seth’s hand in his own. Their fingers interlocked, and Seth smiled so bright, it felt like fire.

“Let’s go,” Nick said cheerfully. “I need to get to school in time to tell as many people as possible that some of the rumors goingaround about me might be somewhat true. Especially the threesome one, because that makes me sound awesome.”

“Nicky,no,” they all groaned at the same time.

“Nicky,yes,” he crowed, and led Team Pyro Storm toward the stairs.