almost like he could sense my presence , his eyes snapped open the second i took a step toward him . the classroom was as still as a tomb , the only sound was her heart thumping rapidly in her ears . then the words spilled out , like they always did when my pulse was racing . jeff shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on the heels of his running shoes . `` where do you come up with your nonsense ? '' nothing had prepared her for that . 