OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy Page B

don’t get to eat it enough.”
    There were a few laughs.
    But not from Mrs. Lee. “Why not?”
    He spiked a hand through his hair. “Because my mom thinks it’s bad for me.”
    â€œDo you disagree with her?” she asked. “Do you feel her health concerns are unwarranted?”
    He leaned back, stretching his shoulders in an exaggerated shrug. “My granddad grew up eating chicken-fried steak and mashed potatoes. How healthy was that? I think it’s a double standard.”
    â€œOkay.” She stood and faced the rest of us. “What do you think, class? Are there larger themes here?”
    I raised my hand. “Has there always been some kind of junk food? Was it any better than what we eat today?”
    Mrs. Lee nodded. “That would make a good informative oratory. What else?”
    â€œIs comfort food healthier than fast food?” Peter said.
    â€œWere the good old days really so good?” I said, then added, “And if food is so unhealthy now, why do people live longer?”
    Mrs. Lee turned back to Devon. “What do you think? Something there to interest you?”
    â€œYeah.”
    She smiled and tapped his desk with her knuckles. “Good.” She checked the clock. “It’s almost time for lunch. I’ll give you the rest of the afternoon to continue brainstorming topics. You’re welcome to work at your desks, or if you’d prefer to brainstorm with a group, you can find a table in the lab. In fact, work wherever you like, as long as you’re not disturbing other classes. You can use the next few minutes to arrange groups or organize your notes. By the end of today, I want everyone to have a topic and a list of potential issues to research. Tomorrow, I’ll want to see your thesis statement.”
    Around me, everyone started moving. Sarah shifted back to talk to Tammy, and I heard Andrew behind me talking to Kim. I shut my notebook and just sat a minute, feeling a mix of relief and excitement. I had a kick-butt topic. Nish-kosh-eh , as Zeydeh would say— Not so bad . It had potential for humor, plus a serious side. I shut my eyes. Benedict’s, here I come.
    â€œYou asleep?” a voice said. His voice.
    I opened my eyes as a ripple of warmth worked its way up my neck. “Just thinking.”
    â€œYou mean celebrating.” Devon sat on the edge of Sarah’s chair. “That’s a great topic.”
    â€œIt is, isn’t it?” I couldn’t help smiling.
    â€œSo you working with anyone this afternoon?”
    I blinked. “Uh … not yet.”
    â€œYou want to work together?” He shrugged. “You already have so many ideas on my topic, I won’t have to come up with my own.”
    The ripple of warmth turned into a flood, and I let my hair fall over my face, hoping to hide the blush. “Well, normally I don’t like to help the competition,” I said lightly, “but since you’re in such sorry shape …”
    He laughed.
    I got a whiff of orange a second before Peter appeared next to Devon. “Ready?”
    Devon nodded. “We’re going to grab some lunch. Where do you want to work?”
    â€œI don’t know,” I said. “The lab?”
    â€œHow about the hall?” he said. “The window seat. Mrs. Lee said anywhere.”
    â€œOkay,” I agreed. “Great.”
    After he left, I sat there a minute longer. Not because I was still thinking.
    Because I wasn’t sure my knees would hold me up.

CHAPTER 18
    I got there first.
    I wasn’t going to—Megan said not to. Anna said definitely be late—make him wait. Then Megan added that if Devon got there first, he could watch me wiggle my hips on my way down the hall. That convinced me. I had no wiggle. I had no sexy hip move, no hair flip, and no eyelash flutter. And I didn’t see why I needed to point that out to Devon Yeats.
    So I was waiting for him when