Page 34

“Oh. What was it?”

“What was what?”

“What was stuck in your throat?”

“Um. A… waffle.”

Nick frowned. “A waffle.”

Seth cleared his throat. “Yep. Breakfast for dinner. You know how it goes.”

“Your aunt doesn’t make waffles. She said she doesn’t trust food with uniform divots.”

“She, uh… got over that?”

Then Nick had a terrible thought. “Are you on a date?”

“What?No! Why would you think that?”

Nick looked at the remains of his lasagna. He wasn’t very hungry anymore. At least his headache was already starting to fade. “I don’t even know. It’s been… I’ve had a weird day.”

“I’m not dating anyone.”

“Oh. That’s good.”

“It is?”

Nick shrugged, though no one could see it. “I guess. But it would explain a lot if you had a secret boyfriend or girlfriend for all those times this summer when you disappeared randomly and didn’t answer your phone.”

“I told you. I was volunteering at the animal shelter. And don’t you say what I know you’re going to say—”

“You’re far too precious for this world,” Nick said. “You’re like a Disney princess except real.”

Seth sighed. “You’re so annoying. Now why are you a damsel in distress or whatever?”

“Because Gibby and I were attacked by a group of super soldiers in an evil alley who wanted to take my virginity, and Shadow Star swooped in and saved us, and I played it cool and got his autograph, but then someone recorded it, and it was on the news, and Rebecca Firestone was being so freakingsmugabout it.”

The longest pause of all, followed by the loudest “What?”

“Right?” Nick groaned. “I finally had Shadow Star standing right in front of me, and I swear to god, Seth, I was trying to play it cool, but then I spazzed out and accidentally kissed the side of his head, and it went downhill from there.”

“I don’t know what to do with any of that.”

Nick scowled. “Well, you need to figure it out! Seth, I told him about thepillow.”

“Yeah,” Seth said. “I bet that didn’t come off as creepy or anything.”

Nick slumped dramatically in his chair. “Right? But you know how I am around people I like. I get—”

“Stupid?”

“Hey!”

Seth snorted. “You did the same thing with Owen. At lunch, earlier.”

“That’s because he was freaking me out!”

“About what? You don’t get like that with me.”