“Are you going to put on your old cheer uniform?”Ryan was a little too excited by the thought of me in a costume, so I squashed that idea, and fast.“In your dreams.”“Not exactly.” Ryan grinned wickedly. “In my dreams you’re usually dressed like Wonder Woman.”Ugh. I wondered how long it would take for him to start in on the superhero crap. Obviously, not long. I was not amused, but Ryan seemed to thinkhimself hilarious. I could also tell by the look on his face that he was quite confident he’d have me in costume one day. “Never gonna happen,” Iassured him. “Ever.”And of course he responded with that classic, cocky smile. “Just like you were never gonna be my girlfriend, right?”

“Sometimes I wonder if I've changed so much, my wife is even gonna recognize me whenever it is I get back to her, and how I'll ever be able to, tell about days like today. Ahh, Ryan. I don't know anything about Ryan, I don't care. The man means nothing to me; he's just a name. But if, you know, if going to Rem"al, and finding him so he can go home, if that earns me the right to get back to my wife, well then, then that's my mission.”

“When I got to school the next morning I had stepped onlyone foot in the quad when he spotted me and nearly tackled me to the ground. “Jamie!” he hollered, rushing across the lawn without caring the leastbit about the scene he was creating.The next thing I knew, my feet were off the ground and I was squished so tightly in Ryan’s arms that I could barely breathe.“Okay, Ryan?” I coughed in a hushed tone. “This is exactly the kind of thing that can get you killed.”“I don’t care, I’m not letting go. Don’t ever disappear like that again!” he scolded, but his voice was more relieved than angry. “It’s been days! Youhad your mother worried sick!”“My mother?” I questioned sarcastically.Ryan laughed as he finally set me back on my feet. “Okay, fine, me too.” He still wouldn’t let go of me, though. He was gripping my arms while helooked at me with those eyes, and that smile… You know, being all Ryan-ish. And then, when I got lost in the moment, he totally took advantage ofhow whipped I was and he kissed me. The jerk. He just pulled my face to his right then and there, in the middle of a crowded quad full of students,where I could have accidentally unleashed an electrical storm at any moment. And okay, maybe I liked it, and maybe I even needed it, but still! Youcan’t just go kissing Jamie Baker whenever you want, even if you are Ryan Miller!“Ryan!” I yelled as soon as I was able to pull away from him—which admittedly took a minute.“I’m sorry.” Ryan laughed with this big dopey grin on his face and then kissed me some more.I had to push him away from me. “Don’t be sorry, just stop!” I realized I was screaming at him when I felt a hundred different pairs of eyes on me. Itried to ignore the audience that Ryan seemed oblivious to and dropped the audio a few decibels. “I wasn’t kidding when I said this has to stop.Look, I will be your friend. I want to be your friend. But that’s it.We can’t be anything more. It’ll never work.”Ryan watched me for a minute and then whispered, “Don’t do that.” I was shocked to hear the sudden emotion in his voice. “Don’t give up.”It was hopeless.“Fine!” I snapped. “I’ll be your stupid girlfriend!”Big shocker, me giving Ryan his way, I know. But let’s face it—it’s just what I do best. I had to at least act a little tough, though. “But!” I said in theharshest voice I was capable of. “You can’t ever touch me unless I say. No more tackling me, and especially no more surprise kissing.” He actuallylaughed at my request. “No promises.”Stupid, cocky boyfriend.“You’re crazy. You know that, right?”Ryan got this big cheesy smile on his face and said, “Crazy about you.”“Ugh,” I groaned. “Would you be serious for a minute? Why do you insist on putting your life in danger?”“Because I like you.”His stupid grin was infectious. I wanted to be angry, but how could I with him looking at me like that?“I’m not worth it, you know,” I said stubbornly. “I have issues. I’m unstable.”“You’re cute when you’re unstable,” Ryan said, “and I like your issues.” The stupid boy was straight-up giddy now. But he was so cute that I crackeda smile despite myself. “You really are crazy,” I muttered.”

“Calm?” I screeched. “Calm? Ryan, I nearly killed you! How could I possibly be calm?” Ryan studied my face for a minute and then rolled his eyes.His smile turned to a frown. “You’re not going to let me kiss you ever again, are you?” It wasn’t really a question.“And you say you’re not that smart.”

“Forget Ryan,' Heidi said dismissively. 'He's a tool.''I thought you liked him!''I did--until I saw how little convincing he needed from me to cheat on you. And then I realized, Ryan Dano is a tool.”

“According to Mr. E., all of this was my fault,” Ryan explained. With a little too much amusement if you ask me. “For making you fall in love with meand ruining everything.”“Why did that ruin everything?”Ryan was quiet for a moment, and I couldn’t believe it when his grin changed into that infamous cocky smirk. “You just said you love me!” heaccused with excitement.Again, I gaped at him, temporarily speechless. Of course I denied it. I had to; it was my natural reaction to his ego. “I did not!”“Did too.” He grinned. “You said, ‘why did that ruin everything.’ Meaning you agree that it happened. You said it. Can’t take it back. You love me.”Learning to control my powers was child’s play compared to keeping a straight face right then, but I couldn’t give in to his smugness. He was just sosure of himself. “Do not.”“Do too.”“Do not.”“So do too.”