BooksBarbecue
Back Counting Down with You Save as PDF
Chapters (64)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Praise
  4. Booklist
  5. Dedication
  6. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  7. Part 1
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. Part 2
  28. 20
  29. 21
  30. 22
  31. 23
  32. 24
  33. 25
  34. 26
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. 33
  42. Part 3
  43. 34
  44. 35
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. 44
  54. 45
  55. 46
  56. 47
  57. 48
  58. 49
  59. 50
  60. 51
  61. 52
  62. 53
  63. 54
  64. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I contemplate flipping him off, but Cora drags me away before I have a chance.

11

T-MINUS 24 DAYS

I don’t even bother waiting for Ace to show up in the library. I have ninth period free when I don’t have gym, so I make my way to the chemistry wing, a scowl on my face. Cora had to ask a friend of a friend, but I eventually found out Ace’s locker is right near my old AP Chem classroom on the second floor.

Nandini and Cora screeched in my ear all through lunch. It was mostly confused screeching, but still screeching. Rumors have spread through the junior class quickly, and everyone in my grade keeps looking at me as if I’m some kind of alien who randomly landed my UFO on top of Midland High.

No matter how much I want to, I don’t say, What are you looking at?

Nandini does it for me a few times, though.

I was prepared to wait for Ace, but he’s already sitting there, earphones plugged in and head leaning against the wall. His eyes are closed, which is good, because I just stand there for a moment and stare at him.

I’ve been trying to figure out all afternoon why he sat next to me in English, and I haven’t come up with a single answer. Ace is supposed to be this broody bad-boy delinquent who doesn’t give anyone the time of day. He’s still kind of all of those things, but he’s also so much more. He’s ridiculous and mischievous and smiles more than I ever imagined he could. He’s also a pain in the ass.

The longer I stare at him, the more fired up I get. I run with that metaphor, imagining my nonconfrontational exterior melting off like a second skin, heated by the fire inside me and pooling at my feet in a disgusting puddle. It doesn’t make a lot of sense, but it works for me.

Finally, I walk over and wrench the earphones out of his ears with more gusto than I would with anyone else.

Ace immediately opens his eyes, his gaze flashing with irritation. “What the fuck—?” He cuts himself off when he sees me, and his eyes light up with recognition. “Ahmed.”

That one moment of animosity is more in tune to what I’ve heard about him than anything I’ve personally seen. But now he’s back to the Ace I know, his expression relaxed. It’s strange and perplexing.

“What were you doing today?” I ask, voice hushed. The hallway is void except for the two of us, but classes are still ongoing down the hall, and someone could step out at any moment to use the bathroom or water fountain.