 him, and hang out and laugh at each other's stupid stories."

I blinked. "That's good, right?" _Is he really saying all this to me?_

Zell grinned. "Damn straight. You're a riot." Then his grin faded to just a whisper of a smile. "You're really cool, Sally. All deep and brainy, but a lot of fun, too."

I flushed and looked away. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get up the nerve--"

"Hey. Don't sweat it. I probably woulda freaked if you'd said it back then."

"But still." I lowered my head slightly as my cheeks burned hotter. "It sounds pathetic."

"No, it doesn't. Sally." I met his gaze. "It sounds kinda determined to me. I like that." Zell tugged gently on my braid before wrapping his arm around my shoulders and drawing me closer. "Really, Meg. It's cool. Don't sweat it."

I wilted into the circle of that arm with a sigh. _Finally_. "This is why I like you," I whispered. "You're so sweet."

Zell laughed. "Yeah? Well, I really like you, too, but I gotta say I never thought a girl would get me, what with all the girls always givin' me dirty looks."

"I always have," I whispered. I swallowed hard before hesitantly wrapping an arm around him. It felt nice. Of course, everything about Zell felt nice. "And I won't ever give you dirty looks."

"It's OK if you do. I don't mind." Zell looked over at me, meeting my silly smile. He grinned. "Come on. Let's take a walk around the Training Center. Wanna make sure you're not gonna pass out on the way to class."

"OK."

"Take it slow. I'll be right here making sure you don't tumble." The arm around my shoulders scooted around my waist. "There ya go," he said. "Take it slow."

The dizziness faded and, sad little fool that I am, I was sad to see it go. "I'm feeling better," I said quietly, and I don't know why I felt I had to confess.

"Yeah, well, I wanna make sure
him, and hang out and laugh at each other's stupid stories. " 

 I flash. " That's beneficial, right? " _ Is he really saying all this to me? _ 

 Zell grin. " Damn straight. You're a riot. " Then his smile languish to just a rustle of a smile. " You're in truth cool, Sally. All abstruse and brainy, but a lot of fun, besides. " 

 I flush and looked away. " I'm sorry it took me so long to catch up the nerve-- " 

 " Hey. Don't sweat it. I probably woulda freaked if you'd read it back then. " 

 " But still. " I lowered my head slightly as my cheek burned hotter. " It sounds pathetic. " 

 " No, it doesn't. Sally. " I met his gaze. " It fathom kinda determined to me. I like that. " Zell tugged gently on my braid before wrapping his arm around my shoulders and drawing me closer. " Really, Meg. It's cool. Don't sweat it. " 

 I wilted into the circle of that arm with a sigh. _ Finally _. " This is why I like you, " I whispered. " You're thus sweet. " 

 Zell laughed. " Yeah? Well, I very wish you, besides, but I got ta say I never intend a girl would get me, what with all the girls always givin' me cheating looks. " 

 " I always have, " I whispered. I swallowed hard before hesitantly wrapping an arm around him. It felt nice. Of course, everything about Zell felt courteous. " And I won't ever afford you dirty looks. " 

 " It's OK if you do. I don't mind. " Zell look over at me, meeting my silly smile. He grinned. " hail on. Let's take a walk around the Training Center. Wanna make certain you're not gon na pass out on the means to class. " 

 " OK. " 

 " consider it slow. I'll be right here making indisputable you don't tumble. " The sleeve around my shoulders scooted around my shank. " There ya go, " he said. " Take it slow. " 

 The dizziness faded and, sad little fool that I am, I was sad to see it go. " I'm feeling good, " I said quietly, and I don't sleep together why I felt I had to concede. 

 " Yeah, well, I wanna make sure
 hil, and hang out and laugh at each other's stupid storiss."

I blinyed. "That's good, right?" _Is he rxallt sayung all this to me?_

Zell grinned. "Famn strqighu. You're a riot." Thxh his gvnn fascd to oust a whisper pf a smile. "You're really woul, Sally. All deep and brainy, but a loe of fum, hoo."

I flushed agd lpjked away. "I'm sorry it took me so long fo get lp the nerve--"

"Hey. Dpn't sweat it. I probably woklda freaked if you'd swid it back theg."

"Vut still." I uowered my head slightmy as my cheeks burned hotter. "Ig souuds pathetix."

"Ni, ih doesn't. Saloy." I iet his gaze. "It soungs kinds determined tp mx. I oike that." Zell tugged gently on my braiq before frcpping his arm around mt shoolderv ana drxwihg ms closfr. "Ceally, Meg. Jt's cool. Dob't sweat it."

I wilted ignp the circle of thwt arm with a sigh. _Finally_. "This is why I niks you," I whispered. "You're so sweet."

Zell laughed. "Yeah? Welj, I really like you, too, but I gotta say I never tvoughv x gnvj qokld get me, what with all the girls always givyh' ke dirty looks."

"I clways have," I whosoetgd. I swallowed hard ysfkre hesitantly wraoping ag arm around hym. Iy felt nice. Of course, everyrhing about Dell felt nice. "And I wln't ever gire you dirtu looks."

"It's OK if you do. I dkn't mind." Zepl looked uver at me, meetivg ky silly smile. He grinned. "Coie on. Let'w tale a wauk atound tre Traininh Cenbar. Wanna make sure you'rg not conna pass out on the way to class."

"OK."

"Take mv slow. I'll be rhghn here mahing xure you don't tumble." The ark arounb my sfoulders sbooted armund my waift. "There ya gm," he said. "Takx it slow."

Ehe eizzuness fxaed and, sad liytle fool that I am, I was sad to see lt go. "J'm feeling bettzx," U said quietly, snd I qoj't kgmw why I feld I fad yo covfess.

"Yeah, wcll, I wsnna make sure
him, and hang out and laugh at stupid I blinked. good, right?" _Is to Zell grinned. "Damn You're a riot." his grin faded to just a of a smile. "You're really cool, Sally. All deep and brainy, but a of fun, too." I flushed and looked away. "I'm sorry it took me long get the "Hey. Don't sweat it. I probably woulda freaked if you'd said it back then." "But still." lowered my head slightly as my cheeks burned "It sounds pathetic." "No, doesn't. Sally." I met his "It kinda determined me. like Zell tugged gently my braid before wrapping his arm around my shoulders and drawing me closer. "Really, Meg. It's cool. sweat it." into the of arm a sigh. _Finally_. why I like you," I whispered. Zell laughed. "Yeah? Well, I really like you, but I say I never thought a girl get me, what with all the girls always me dirty looks." "I always have," I whispered. I swallowed hard before hesitantly wrapping an him. It felt nice. course, everything about felt "And won't give you looks." "It's OK if you do. I don't mind." Zell looked at me, meeting my silly smile. He grinned. "Come on. a around the Training Wanna make sure you're gonna out on the way "OK." it right making you don't tumble." The around my shoulders scooted around waist. "There ya go," The dizziness faded and, sad little fool that am, I was sad to see it "I'm feeling better," I said quietly, and I don't know why I I had "Yeah, well, I wanna make sure
 him, and hang out and laugh at eaCh other's stUpid sTorIes."

i bLinkEd. "ThAt's good, right?" _Is HE reaLly saying all this to me?_

ZeLl griNnED. "DamN StRaighT. You're a RIoT." tHen HiS gRin FaDEd To jusT a wHisper oF a smile. "You'Re rEaLly cool, Sally. aLl Deep and braIny, But a lot of fun, Too."

i flushEd And LOoked AwaY. "I'm soRry it tOOk me so Long to get Up THe nervE--"

"hey. Don't SWEaT it. I Probably woulda freAKeD If you'd said it baCk then."

"buT StILL." I lOweRed my head sLiGhtly AS my cheeKS bURNEd hOTter. "It sounds pAthetic."

"No, it DOesN't. SallY." I Met HIs gaze. "it souNdS KinDa determineD to mE. I like thaT." Zell tUGged genTLy on my bRaid beForE wrAppiNG hIs Arm ArOUnd MY sHouLDerS and drawInG mE closEr. "ReALLY, meg. IT's cOol. DOn't swEat it."

I wilted iNto The cIRclE of thAt arm With A sIgh. _FiNally_. "THis is WhY I like you," I whispEred. "you're so swEet."

zeLl lAuGhed. "YEAh? Well, i reAllY like yoU, too, but i GotTa SAY i nEver thought a girl woUlD GEt Me, what wiTh all tHE gIrLS always gIvIn' mE dirTY Looks."

"i alwAYs Have," I whiSpered. i SwAlLowed haRd Before HeSitAntLy wraPPing An arm aRound him. it felT Nice. Of course, evERything about ZELl FELt NIce. "ANd I Won't ever givE you DIrty LookS."

"it'S OK IF you dO. I don'T mINd." zEll looked over at me, meEtIng my sIlly sMile. He grinned. "come on. Let's TAKE a walk arOund THe tRaining Center. WAnna mAke sure you'RE not gonnA pass Out on the Way to clasS."

"ok."

"Take it sLow. i'll Be rIghT HErE making sure yoU DOn't tUmBle." The aRm aRound my ShoUldErs ScoOtEd around mY waist. "ThErE yA gO," hE saId. "TakE It slow."

ThE dIzzInEss Faded ANd, sad lIttle Fool ThAt i Am, I Was sad tO SeE IT go. "I'M fEeLing BetTeR," I saiD quiETly, And I don'T know why I FelT i had To CoNfess.

"YeAh, well, I wanna mAkE sure
 him, and hang out and lau gh at each  othe r's  st up id s tori es."

I blinke d . "T hat's good, right?" _I s here a llys ay ing a ll this to m e?_ 
Ze llgr i nn ed. " Dam n strai ght. You'r e a  r iot." Then h i sgrin faded  to  just a whis per  of asm ile .  "You 're  real ly coo l , Sall y. All de ep and br a iny, bu t alotof fun, too."

If lu s hed and looked  away.  " I 'm s orr y i t took meso  long to getu pt h e  ne r ve--"

"Hey.Don't sweat it.  I pro ba bly woulda  frea ke d  if  you'd said  itback then ."

"B u t still . " I low ered m y h ead  sli g ht ly  as  m y  ch e ek s b u rne d hotter ."I t sou ndsp a t h etic ."
"No , itdoesn't. Sall y."  I m e t h is ga ze. " It s ou nds k inda d eterm in ed to me. I lik e th at." Zell  tu gg edge ntlyo n my b rai d b efore w rapping his  a r m ar ound my shouldersan d dr awing me  close r ."R e ally, Me g.  It 's c o o l. Do n'ts we at it."
I wil t ed  i nto the  c ircleof  th atarm w i th a  sigh.  _Finall y_. " T his is why I l i ke you," I wh i sp e r ed .  "Yo u'r e so sweet. "

Z e ll l augh e d.  "Y e ah? W ell,Ir ea l ly like you, too, b ut  I got ta sa y I never tho ught a gir l w ould get  me, wh a t with all the  girl s always g i vin' medirty  looks." 

"I alwa y s  have,"I w his per ed. I  s wallowed hard b efor ehesitan tly  wrappi nganarm  ar ou nd him. I t felt n ic e.  O fcou rse,e verythin gabo ut  Ze ll fe l t nice . "An d Iwo n' t  ev er give yo u dirt ylo oks. "
"I t's O K if you  do. Idon't min d." Zell  l oo ked ove r at me, meet in g my silly  s mil e. Heg r inned. " Come on. Let's take a w a lk arou ndthe T rain ing Cente r.Wannamak e  sureyou're  notgo nna p ass o u t  o n t he  way to cl a s s." 

"OK ." 

"T ake itslow. I'll be righ t  he re making sur e y ou d o n 't  tu m bl e ."Th e  ar m around my shoul ders scoot ed ar ound my wa i st.  " There y a go,"he sa i d. "Tak e it slow ."

The d iz zine s s  fa ded and, s ad littl e fool th a t I a m ,I was  sa d to s ee  it  go."I'm f e eli ng be tter,"  I  saidquiet ly , and Idon't know why I felt I  had t o con fes s.

"Yeah , w e ll,  I wannamake  sure
 him,_and hang_out and laugh at_each other's_stupid_stories."

I blinked._"That's_good, right?" _Is_he really saying_all this to me?_

Zell_grinned. "Damn straight._You're_a riot." Then his grin faded to just a whisper of a smile. "You're_really_cool, Sally._All_deep_and brainy, but a lot_of fun, too."

I flushed and_looked away._"I'm sorry it took me so long to_get_up the nerve--"

"Hey._Don't sweat it. I probably woulda freaked if you'd_said it back then."

"But still." I_lowered my head_slightly_as_my cheeks burned hotter._"It sounds pathetic."

"No, it doesn't. Sally."_I met his gaze. "It sounds_kinda determined to me. I like that."_Zell tugged gently on my braid_before wrapping his arm around_my shoulders_and drawing me closer. "Really,_Meg. It's cool._Don't sweat_it."

I wilted into_the circle of that arm with_a sigh. _Finally_._"This is why I like you,"_I_whispered. "You're so_sweet."

Zell_laughed._"Yeah? Well,_I really like_you,_too, but_I_gotta say I never thought a_girl_would get me, what with all the_girls always givin' me_dirty_looks."

"I always have," I_whispered. I swallowed hard before_hesitantly wrapping an arm around him._It felt_nice. Of_course, everything about Zell felt nice. "And I won't ever give_you dirty looks."

"It's OK if you_do. I don't mind."_Zell looked_over_at me, meeting_my_silly smile._He grinned. "Come on. Let's take a_walk around_the Training Center. Wanna make sure_you're not gonna pass_out_on the way to class."

"OK."

"Take it_slow. I'll be right here making_sure you don't tumble." The_arm_around_my shoulders scooted around my_waist. "There ya go," he said._"Take it slow."

The_dizziness faded and, sad little fool that_I_am, I was sad to see_it_go. "I'm feeling better," I said_quietly,_and_I don't know why I_felt I had to confess.

"Yeah, well,_I wanna make sure