idea."
Anxiety hit her like a rock. "What? You did it on purpose?"
"Yeah, wellâ¦" Zelda shrugged. "We won't do it again. It was just, Gavin has been through a lot, you know. He's an attractive guy. A lot of the cheerleaders and other girls at school are after him. He's always ignored them. Then one day he comes to school raving about how adorable his next-door neighbor is and how she's the most amazing person he's ever met. Bo may act like an idiot, but he looks out for his friends. He's like a dogâa little goofy and not always the smartest, but loyal as anything. He just wanted to make sure you weren't somebody who would hurt Gavin. It sounded like an okay idea, so Mute and I went along with it. I should have figured Gavin wasn't stupid and wouldn't choose a bad girl to like."
Zelda's words eroded her anxiety. So this was what real friends did. They protected each other. Suddenly, Fawn couldn't help but feel envious. She wanted relationships like Gavin. She wanted a group of people to have fun with who would protect her at the same time. "I see." Fawn stole a glance at the laser tag arena. "You wanted to protect him. I understand."
"I like you, though." Zelda grinned and took a slurp of her coke. "I think Bo and Mute do too. I thought you might throw a fit or something when we showed up, but you seemed pretty cool about it. That's what I meant by we won't do it again. Though I would love it if you came with us this Saturday to a show."
It took Fawn a moment to realize what Zelda was doing. Zelda was reaching out to her, giving her a chance to enter her world. A world of friends. If it meant having people to be with, she would have gone rat hunting at the stroke of midnight.
"I would love to." Her heart pounded in excitement. "What kind of show? An art show? My mom talked about a home show once."
Zelda snorted and dark cola spilled from her nose like a pipe, dousing the table. As Fawn winced, Zelda continued to laugh even as she placed her fingers over her nostrils and her cheeks became blotchy and red.
"I was going to suggest we come up with a nickname for you," Zelda said when she had finally recovered from her bout of laughter and her nose explosion. "I think Fawn fits you just fine, though. You are like an innocent baby deer. Where did you grow up, with the Amish?"
She tried to hide her nervousness with a smile and shook her head.
****
That night when Gavin walked her to the door, Fawn noticed his hands shook. When he saw her looking, he buried them in his pockets and hung his head. She went the last few steps and then lingered. He glanced down at her with a grin on his face. His cheeks were a bright pink as he ran his hand through his hair.
"I'm sorry. Today didn't go as planned." Gavin blew out a sigh. "I got so caught up in laser tag I left you all alone, too. I am such an idiot. I would understand if you never want to go out with me again."
"No." Fawn quashed him quickly and watched his face fall. "What I mean is, no, I would love to go out with you again. And I like your friends. They're nice."
Gavin appeared surprised. "You think so? The kids at school have other names for our group. We're a bunch of oddballs."
"Your friends love you, Gavin." Fawn cocked her head. "I think a person who has friends who care about him so deeply is a person worth having around. You have to be a good friend to have them."
"Hmmm. For someone who doesn't remember anything but the last couple of months, you sure are wise." Gavin touched her arm.
She shrugged. "It was just something I noticed."
With a grin, he glanced at his apartment door. "Well, I better start heading back. It's such a long walk back home."
"It might take you all night to walk." Fawn agreed. "Be careful. Walking so far at night you could get mugged."
Both of them looked at each other, then laughed. Gavin's expression sobered almost at once, though.
"But seriously, Remy will kill me." He moved his hand from her arm to her cheek. "I should
Anxiety hit her like a rock. "What? You did it on purpose?"
"Yeah, wellâ¦" Zelda shrugged. "We won't do it again. It was just, Gavin has been through a lot, you know. He's an attractive guy. A lot of the cheerleaders and other girls at school are after him. He's always ignored them. Then one day he comes to school raving about how adorable his next-door neighbor is and how she's the most amazing person he's ever met. Bo may act like an idiot, but he looks out for his friends. He's like a dogâa little goofy and not always the smartest, but loyal as anything. He just wanted to make sure you weren't somebody who would hurt Gavin. It sounded like an okay idea, so Mute and I went along with it. I should have figured Gavin wasn't stupid and wouldn't choose a bad girl to like."
Zelda's words eroded her anxiety. So this was what real friends did. They protected each other. Suddenly, Fawn couldn't help but feel envious. She wanted relationships like Gavin. She wanted a group of people to have fun with who would protect her at the same time. "I see." Fawn stole a glance at the laser tag arena. "You wanted to protect him. I understand."
"I like you, though." Zelda grinned and took a slurp of her coke. "I think Bo and Mute do too. I thought you might throw a fit or something when we showed up, but you seemed pretty cool about it. That's what I meant by we won't do it again. Though I would love it if you came with us this Saturday to a show."
It took Fawn a moment to realize what Zelda was doing. Zelda was reaching out to her, giving her a chance to enter her world. A world of friends. If it meant having people to be with, she would have gone rat hunting at the stroke of midnight.
"I would love to." Her heart pounded in excitement. "What kind of show? An art show? My mom talked about a home show once."
Zelda snorted and dark cola spilled from her nose like a pipe, dousing the table. As Fawn winced, Zelda continued to laugh even as she placed her fingers over her nostrils and her cheeks became blotchy and red.
"I was going to suggest we come up with a nickname for you," Zelda said when she had finally recovered from her bout of laughter and her nose explosion. "I think Fawn fits you just fine, though. You are like an innocent baby deer. Where did you grow up, with the Amish?"
She tried to hide her nervousness with a smile and shook her head.
****
That night when Gavin walked her to the door, Fawn noticed his hands shook. When he saw her looking, he buried them in his pockets and hung his head. She went the last few steps and then lingered. He glanced down at her with a grin on his face. His cheeks were a bright pink as he ran his hand through his hair.
"I'm sorry. Today didn't go as planned." Gavin blew out a sigh. "I got so caught up in laser tag I left you all alone, too. I am such an idiot. I would understand if you never want to go out with me again."
"No." Fawn quashed him quickly and watched his face fall. "What I mean is, no, I would love to go out with you again. And I like your friends. They're nice."
Gavin appeared surprised. "You think so? The kids at school have other names for our group. We're a bunch of oddballs."
"Your friends love you, Gavin." Fawn cocked her head. "I think a person who has friends who care about him so deeply is a person worth having around. You have to be a good friend to have them."
"Hmmm. For someone who doesn't remember anything but the last couple of months, you sure are wise." Gavin touched her arm.
She shrugged. "It was just something I noticed."
With a grin, he glanced at his apartment door. "Well, I better start heading back. It's such a long walk back home."
"It might take you all night to walk." Fawn agreed. "Be careful. Walking so far at night you could get mugged."
Both of them looked at each other, then laughed. Gavin's expression sobered almost at once, though.
"But seriously, Remy will kill me." He moved his hand from her arm to her cheek. "I should