“Waiter, this is not the policeman I ordered. I wanted one with a lot less sauce.”

“My brother is a very bad policeman. So . . . you’re coming to school, right?” Doug“Nnnnnnno.” Zoey“Come so you can be around people,” Doug coaxed. “I don’t think you should be alone today.”“I think I definitely should.” Zoey “Come so I won’t worry about you.” Doug ;]”

“I turned to the clarinets. They were a resourceful lot.”

“Adam found a break through the thicket and up the hill. He turnedaround and extended his hand to help me up.I froze, staring at him in the thick heat, leaves tickling my legs. Boys did not help girls. Not in my experience, anyway. When I was one of the boys, they tromped aheadof me and never once looked back to see if I was still there, much less in need of assistance. Boys had helped me only recently, when they wanted something.No, this walk through the woods would not be innocent.Taking his hand, I said, “Fank woo.”“Hm,” he laughed with his mouth closed.”

“But first I had to get through the ironing. It took a lot of patience. I had none. It took forever, and then I had to press the whole shirt again to get out the creases I’d pressed into it.”

“I could have explained that I wanted to walk without Doofus to get some air. But it would be pretty unusual-one might even go as far as to say unheard of-for me to take a hike on a winter night when I was exhausted from boarding all day.”

“I understand I can’t have you. But I want to know you’re in the world with me.”