"Whatever," I said.
"Okay, question one. Favorite sound?" Tolliver glanced at me. "You really think they're going to ask that?"
"They could."
"Hmmm. Well, I already know yours."
I crossed my arms, thinking he'd say the violin or something else obvious yet wrong.
"Wind blowing through the leaves," he said, and my jaw fell.
"How could you possibly know that?" I asked.
"You told me."
"When?"
"A few days ago," he said. "We were reading and got to that part with the storm. Lady Odette said rainy days were the perfectreading weather. But you said, they always get that part wrong. I asked what you meant. And you said sitting under a blanket as wind moves through the leaves. That's your favorite sound and the perfect reading weather because autumn's the best season."
"Good memory," I said.
Tolliver looked smug, and I crossed my arms.
"Well, I bet I know yours too."
"Bet you don't."
I studied him a beat. "It's something special to you."
A nod.
"A sound you'd want to hear over and over."
"Nice reasoning," he said, "but I still think you'll get it wrong."
After a second, I smiled. "The slap of your stick hitting the puck and the buzzer going off."
Tolliver looked surprised. "How'd you know?"
"When you drove me to PT, you said there's nothing like scoring a goal, hearing that buzzer sound. You said a close second is the absolute quiet right before the sun rises—which I still think you made up."
"It's true, Kent. Pure serenity. You should watch it sometime."
"Maybe, I will," I said.
"Still can't believe you got that."
"I think I deserve bonus points for knowing your second favorite sound."
"Overachiever."
I shrugged. "I listen to you, Tolliver."
"You saying my name could've been first too," he said.
"Yeah, right."
He shrugged. "Next question, who's your celebrity crush?"
