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“What’s so funny?” Caleb asks.
I let my face reset to its natural unamused state. “It doesn’t matter.”
He tilts his head, peering at me with his deep brown eyes. “Sure it does. I want to know what makes you laugh.”
I take out my pb&j sandwich and a bag of chips. I open the sandwich to put some of the chips on it and fold it back up. “Does cringe come naturally to you, or do you rehearse it?”
He sucks in a breath. “You caught me. Every morning, I practice in the mirror for aminimumof twenty minutes. Otherwise, everything that comes out of my mouth is perfect, and I can’t have that.” He stares at me blankly, waiting for a reaction.
I lean closer with a stone cold face. “You thought that was going to make me laugh, didn’t you?”
He leans in too and lets a moment pass before saying, “No.” Then, he takes a bite of his hamburger to mask his smile.
CHAPTERELEVEN
I beatthe boys to the car this morning, waiting by the passenger door for them to stroll out of the house.
The sun is poking through the clouds, making today look slightly less gloomy than normal. A brisk breeze grazes my cheeks.
Jordy comes out first and scowls when he sees me.
“Good morning to you too,” I say.
His eyes land right on my pants, which happen to have paint stains on them. “At least we aren’t going to be late,” he says, passing me and getting into the car.
The stains aren’t that bad. There are only a few strokes of blue and purple, blending into the jeans themselves. Most of my clothes have paint on them by now, so it’s practically impossible to avoid.
I copy Jordy and get into the car.
The quiet is heavy, somehow becoming more uncomfortable than small talk. “So, did your parents like Star Trek?”
“Why?”
“Because of your name. There’s a character named Geordi on that show. It’s spelled differently but still.”
“I sure hope not.”
The driver’s door opens, revealing Caleb in his black jacket.
“Come on, it’s a good show. It’s a classic,” I say. “It would be a privilege.”
Caleb gets in and smiles at the two of us. “What show?”
“Star Trek. The older series.” I look him dead in the eyes. “You’ve seen it, right?”
He cringes as he reaches up to adjust his mirror.
I gasp. “No.”
“Sorry.”
“But it’s one of the best shows of all time. Have you been living under a rock?” This is utterly unacceptable. Everyone and their mother have seen this series. I realize it’s not something from this generation, but it’s a staple of TV. A must watch.
Caleb puts his hand on the back of my seat as he backs up the car. “Should we watch it?” he asks.
My gaze follows his hand and how close it is to me. My shoulder is only inches away. The proximity sends goosebumps rippling up my arms. I slide further to the side, but it’s not his fault. I’m not a touchy person. I’ve never been someone that wanted to hug or cuddle my parents very much growing up. High fives are even a stretch.
“We? I thinkyoushould. I’ve seen it a million times.”
