“How do you expect to do that?",I asked,"Do you have some sort of get-out-of-Hades-free card?”

“You're not seriously going?" Troy asks."Of course I'm going," I say. "What other choice do I have?""Um...not going.”

“You'll do fine.""What, you're psychic now?""Didn't you know?" he asks seriously. "Must be an aftereffect of the bond.”

“How do you always know just what to say?" I ask. His laugh rumbles through me. "Practice, I guess."I pull back and give him a quizzical look."I spent three years imagining what I would say to you if you were mine," he says, tugging me close. "I should hope I know what to say now that I've got you.”

“You’ll get over being mad at me.”“Not likely.”Step, step, step—“I promise not to gloat about it when you do.”“I won’t.”Step, step, step—“Because I want to be with you so badly I don’t care if you’re screaming at me the whole time as long as I’m with you.”I stop dead in my tracks.”

“To: [email protected]: [email protected]: If I could do it over......I wouldn't treat you so badly. I'm sorry.Today wasn't about the bet.Give me another chance.GJust like him: brief, cryptic, and full of crap.”

“All right," Shannen says slowly, tucking a lock of dark brown hair behind her ear. "Why did you glue that dolphin upside down?" Okay, so I'm a little distracted. "He's doing the back stroke.”