“How wasyour weekend? Did anything exciting happen?”
At the question, Calebstartled, wondering if Ginny knew about Franco. Or maybe he wasjust paranoid. His brain still refused to think about anything elsebesides yesterday afternoon. Itwas noontime now, and he and Ginny were merespecks among the milling crowd of students out in the sunshine, ontheir way to lunch
“It wasokay,” Caleb said slowly. With the way Ginny’s eyes were shining,she was obviously excited about something. He decided to deflectthe question. “How about you?”
“Oh, Cale,” she breathed.Caleb felt the tension drain from his body. It wasn’t abouthim.
Face flushed, Ginnycontinued, “Last Saturday, I saw Noel online, so I saidHey and he saidHey back. Then we talkedabout Wordplay, about how I felt like I was getting cramps eachtime I tried writing my poem. That got us talking about athletes.You know that Filipino ice skating champ—the one who got the goldmedal at the Asian championships? Turned out he was Noel’s cousin!So he asked me if I skated, and I told him no. Before I knew it, wewere making plans to meet at the mall so he could teachme.”
Ginny pressed her fingerson her cheeks, as if feeling the warmth of the blush that hadspread there. “Right now, my arms and legs hurt like hell, but Idon’t care.” She beamed up at him. “We held hands and he put hisarm around my waist as we went around the rink. It’s crazy, butit’s like I’m still there—in that moment. Even my hands thinkso.”
She reached up to pressher palms on his cheeks, and Caleb flinched at their icy touch.Ginny nodded, smiling. “It’s like I can’t accept that our date isjust a memory now.”
Caleb clasped her arms,looking deep into her sparkling eyes. He wanted to tell Ginny thathe knew exactly what she meant. The words dripped at the edge ofhis tongue.
“Oh, myGod. It’s him!” Ginny yanked her palms off his cheeks.
For one crazy moment, hethought she was talking about Franco. Caleb twisted his neck tofollow her gaze.
“Noel! Hey, Noel!” Ginnyskipped away, face split open by a smile. Reluctantly, Calebfollowed and heard Ginny ask, “Want to have lunch withus?”
Noel’s eyes briefly metCaleb’s before looking away.
“Sorry, but I have to, um,go to the library.”
“You’re skipping lunch?”Ginny asked in disbelief. “Eat with us! It won’t takelong.”
“It’s cool.” Noel’s gazeflickered away. “I’ll grab a bite to eat on the way.”
The sound of loud ringingsliced through the air. Caleb unzipped his backpack and dug out hisphone, its screen flashing angrily like a toddler begging to bepicked up.
“Hello?”
“Have youeaten?”
At the sound of Franco’svoice, Caleb’s heart jumped up his throat. He turned away fromGinny, pressing his ear against the speaker.
“Meet me at the parkinglot? There’s this nice cantina a few minutes away. Cheap butawesome food and . . .” Franco broke off as if a thought suddenlyoccurred to him. “Are you good? What time’s your nextclass?”
Caleb promptly replied, “Ihave time.”
“Cool. See ya.”
Caleb tapped Ginny on theshoulder. “Sorry, but I suddenly have a lunch meeting.” He paused.“Super urgent.”
“Seriously?” She threw herhands up in the air. “Both of you are bailing out onme?”
“Sorry,” Caleb repeatedbefore addressing Noel. “I think you should go with Ginny and eatlunch. You need to keep your strength up if you want to continueteaching her how to skate. You’ve seen how she sucks at it. Right,Gins?”
Ginny gaped at him.“Yeah,” she squeaked out when she recovered. She pouted at Noel. “Iexpected better judgment from my skating instructor.”
Noel scratched the back ofhis neck, which had turned red. “Okay, sure. I guess the librarycan wait.”
Caleb laughed. “Foodalways comes first—or is that family? I get mixed up.” Ginny wasgiving him a strange look, but Caleb couldn’t help smiling like afool, feeling like King Midas. Everything he touched or said turnedinto gold. In fact, he was feeling golden himself.
On his way to the parkinglot, he couldn’t help the bounce in his step, couldn’t help smilingover everything he passed. Birds flitted through trees. A couplewalked, holding hands. A clump of makahiya edged thepavement.
Caleb halted to take acloser look at the tiny leaves unfurled toward the sunshine. Howlovely the makahiya looked when its leaves were open like that. Free. Forthright.Receptive. Briefly, Caleb raised his face to the sun before he wenton his way.
* * *
“You’renot wearing a bowtie,” Franco pointed out as he unwrapped his steakburrito. “You also weren’t wearing one yesterday.”
Caleb paused, a nacho chiphalfway into his mouth. “You noticed.” Ginny hadn’t even noticedthat about him earlier. Embarrassed, he shoved in the chip andmunched furiously.
“Oh, I’mstarting to notice things about you, Caleb.” Franco shot him a grinthat he felt down to his curled up toes.
“Is that all you’rehaving?” Franco gestured to his nacho plate. “I’m starting to thinkyou have food issues.”
“Bigbreakfast,” Caleb lied. How could he possibly concentrate on foodwhen Franco was right there, saying things that liquefied hisinsides? Besides, Caleb wasn’t a fan of Mexican food.
They ate in silence for awhile, surrounded by the pleasant buzz of diners. It was Caleb’sfirst time to have lunch outside the university. In fact, Caleb hadbeen experiencing a lot of his firsts with Franco.
“So I’m thinking we shouldcontinue celebrating.” Franco grinned, running his palm against hiscropped hair, which was starting to grow out. “Coming out partypart two.”
“Sure. I have no plansthis weekend,” Caleb replied.
“I firmly believe thatthere’s no time better than the present. Sometimes you’ve got totake risks.” He leaned across the table. “Have you ever cutclass?”
The question took Caleb bysurprise. “Uh . . . no.”
Franco grinned, spreadingout his arms, making his shirtfront stretch on the contours of hischest. “Well? There’s a first time for everything.”
* * *
They ended up at thecinema. Caleb wanted to see the new Chris Hemsworth flick, butFranco had insisted on watching a sci-fi movie that involved alienshell-bent on spewing out body fluids through theirorifices.
Caleb didn’t have anythingagainst movies, but it didn’t exactly make room for eye contact andconversation. He had expected the continued celebration to be morelike yesterday’s—crazy and intimate. Inside a cinema, two hourscould be easily wasted without any sort of conversation takingplace.
During an action sequence,Franco dipped his head toward Caleb and murmured, “There’s a
