Of Giants and Ice

Chase nuzzled the carpet with his cheek. “You’re my new best friend.

I don’t know what surprised me more: the part where Chase completely gave us away, the part where he got mad at his dad, or the part where he called me his friend.

Wow.” Chase looked pleased with himself. “If I had known that teaching would get you to listen to me, I would’ve tried this much earlier.” “Well, you’re a better teacher than Hansel,” I said. “Can you tell Hansel that?” Chase grinned. “Can I be there when you tell Hansel that?

Rory, are you okay?” Lena asked. “Yeah, you’ve been sighing a lot.” Chase was so concerned he even put down his fudge. “Do you have a crush on me too?” I stared at him incredulously, not sure I had heard him right, and Melodie said, “You are remarkably self-involved.” Chase looked insulted. “Adelaide sighed a lot right before she said she had a crush on me.” “She had to tell you?” Lena said, surprised. I snorted. “That’s totally it. It was the paint on your face. ‘My heart awakens in sight of your green skin/as clean and warty as a toad’s has ever been—’” I said in my best reciting voice, and we all laughed.

Go,” Chase said. “Crawl under the door. I’ll try to buy you some time.” Obviously, someone woke up in a self-sacrificing mood.

I’d been to ten schools in the last three years.