Wells here?”
I quickly separate myself from my group and hurry toward him.
“It’s okay,” I assure Dr. Kilgore. “This will just be a minute.”
“Well, hurry back,” Gillian says, her brows knit with disapproval. “We still need to process what we’ve learned about ourselves here today.”
Yeah. Like how much I hate you? No need to process that, I already know.
I tilt my head toward the door, indicating to Gavin that he should join me outside, in the hallway. He does so, barely able to hide his amusement.
“What the hell is going on in there, woman?” he wants to know, as soon as we’re safely outside. “Some dude gets a bullet in his head and you all go completely cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs?”
“Gavin.” I quickly close the library doors. “We are trying to help each other process through our grief. What do you want?”
“By playing cowboys and Indians? And who’s the hot babe with the boobs?”
“Her name is Muffy. Seriously, you’re gonna get me in trouble. What do you want?”
“ Muffy? ” Gavin shakes his head in disbelief, as if now he’s finally heard it all. “Okay. Well, here’s the deal. I thought you’d want to know. There’s this chick on my floor, Jamie?”
I shake my head. “Yeah?”
“Well, I guess she had some meeting with Veatch or something this morning?”
Comprehension dawns. “Oh, right. Price. Jamie Price. Gavin, seriously, I don’t have time—”
“Whatevs!” Gavin holds up both hands in an I-surrender motion. “You know, she told me nobody would care. But I told her, I was, like, listen, Heather is different. Heather cares. But if you’d rather go back in there and play cowboys and Indians—”
I glare at him. “Gavin, what is it? Just tell me.”
Gavin shrugs. “Nothing. Just…well, I heard this Jamie girl…she was in her room, crying, right? And her roommate comes out and says she won’t stop, right? And I go, Let the Gavinator have a try at her, you know what I mean?”
“Gavin.” I seriously can’t believe my day. I really can’t. Andit started so early. Six in the morning! Only to be followed by pain—my pain—and okay, then sex. But then bloodshed. And now this. “Do you want to die right now? Because I will—”
He drops the gangbanger routine.
“Okay, seriously. So I go in there, and I ask her what’s the matter, and she says to go away, and I say, No, really, I can help, on account of—” Here Gavin has the grace to look embarrassed. “Well, that part doesn’t matter. But anyway, she goes—”
“No, Gavin,” I say. “That part does matter. What did you say?”
“No, it doesn’t. It’s not an integral part of this narration. Okay? So she goes—”
“Gavin. I am turning around and walking right back in there if you don’t tell me—”
“Itoldhermymom’sagynecologist, okay?” Gavin is blushing now. “Look, I know it’s stupid, but…chicks’ll tell you anything if they think your mom’s a gynecologist. I don’t know why.”
I stare at him. It’s a shame, actually, that Gavin is a film major, because he would be a true asset to our nation in any of its security agencies.
I can’t think of anything to say except “Go on.”
“So, anyway, I’m thinking she’s gonna tell me…you know, that she’s got VD, or whatever. That’s what I’m hoping it’s gonna be, anyway, because that means, you know, that she likes to get nasty—”
I sigh. “Oh, Gavin,” I say, looking toward the ceiling. “And I thought your love for me was pure, like freshly driven snow.”
“Whatevs.” Gavin’s blush returns, but this time he rocks a little on his Nikes. “A man’s got needs. And, you know, she’s kinda…well, Jamie, she’s kinda hot. You know. In a…well…like you. Sorta.”
“Okay,” I say. “Now I’m gonna be sick. Gavin, I swear, if you dragged me out of that meeting to hit on me—”
“I didn’t!” Gavin looks too indignant to be lying. “Heather! Come on!”
“ Then what is
I quickly separate myself from my group and hurry toward him.
“It’s okay,” I assure Dr. Kilgore. “This will just be a minute.”
“Well, hurry back,” Gillian says, her brows knit with disapproval. “We still need to process what we’ve learned about ourselves here today.”
Yeah. Like how much I hate you? No need to process that, I already know.
I tilt my head toward the door, indicating to Gavin that he should join me outside, in the hallway. He does so, barely able to hide his amusement.
“What the hell is going on in there, woman?” he wants to know, as soon as we’re safely outside. “Some dude gets a bullet in his head and you all go completely cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs?”
“Gavin.” I quickly close the library doors. “We are trying to help each other process through our grief. What do you want?”
“By playing cowboys and Indians? And who’s the hot babe with the boobs?”
“Her name is Muffy. Seriously, you’re gonna get me in trouble. What do you want?”
“ Muffy? ” Gavin shakes his head in disbelief, as if now he’s finally heard it all. “Okay. Well, here’s the deal. I thought you’d want to know. There’s this chick on my floor, Jamie?”
I shake my head. “Yeah?”
“Well, I guess she had some meeting with Veatch or something this morning?”
Comprehension dawns. “Oh, right. Price. Jamie Price. Gavin, seriously, I don’t have time—”
“Whatevs!” Gavin holds up both hands in an I-surrender motion. “You know, she told me nobody would care. But I told her, I was, like, listen, Heather is different. Heather cares. But if you’d rather go back in there and play cowboys and Indians—”
I glare at him. “Gavin, what is it? Just tell me.”
Gavin shrugs. “Nothing. Just…well, I heard this Jamie girl…she was in her room, crying, right? And her roommate comes out and says she won’t stop, right? And I go, Let the Gavinator have a try at her, you know what I mean?”
“Gavin.” I seriously can’t believe my day. I really can’t. Andit started so early. Six in the morning! Only to be followed by pain—my pain—and okay, then sex. But then bloodshed. And now this. “Do you want to die right now? Because I will—”
He drops the gangbanger routine.
“Okay, seriously. So I go in there, and I ask her what’s the matter, and she says to go away, and I say, No, really, I can help, on account of—” Here Gavin has the grace to look embarrassed. “Well, that part doesn’t matter. But anyway, she goes—”
“No, Gavin,” I say. “That part does matter. What did you say?”
“No, it doesn’t. It’s not an integral part of this narration. Okay? So she goes—”
“Gavin. I am turning around and walking right back in there if you don’t tell me—”
“Itoldhermymom’sagynecologist, okay?” Gavin is blushing now. “Look, I know it’s stupid, but…chicks’ll tell you anything if they think your mom’s a gynecologist. I don’t know why.”
I stare at him. It’s a shame, actually, that Gavin is a film major, because he would be a true asset to our nation in any of its security agencies.
I can’t think of anything to say except “Go on.”
“So, anyway, I’m thinking she’s gonna tell me…you know, that she’s got VD, or whatever. That’s what I’m hoping it’s gonna be, anyway, because that means, you know, that she likes to get nasty—”
I sigh. “Oh, Gavin,” I say, looking toward the ceiling. “And I thought your love for me was pure, like freshly driven snow.”
“Whatevs.” Gavin’s blush returns, but this time he rocks a little on his Nikes. “A man’s got needs. And, you know, she’s kinda…well, Jamie, she’s kinda hot. You know. In a…well…like you. Sorta.”
“Okay,” I say. “Now I’m gonna be sick. Gavin, I swear, if you dragged me out of that meeting to hit on me—”
“I didn’t!” Gavin looks too indignant to be lying. “Heather! Come on!”
“ Then what is
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