comes on.

How dare you?

Mari says.

She smacks him a good one,

catching him on the ear

and the side of his head.

The slap makes a popping noise.

One of the guys lets

out a bark of a laugh

and Cathy says,

Mari!

like she can’t believe it.

What?

Robbie says.

What? I was just telling

you there’s something on your arm.

I think it’s chocolate.

Jeez.

Chocolate?

she says.

Well, it better be,

Robbie Thorne.

Jeez,

he says again,

his hand on his face.

And with that accent,

I can’t help but like him,

if only a little.

Alex

laughs like Robbie

deserves the slap.

Then he stares right at

me across the circle

so that I can’t

quite swallow for fear

I’ll make a galunk

sound.

Light-haired

brown-eyed Alex

lifts his chin

to me

and I look away for a moment

thinking my face

might burn away from pleasure.

When I look

back he’s talking to

Cathy

and my stomach

deflates

until he glances at me again

and smiles.

97.

After the slap

after the eating

after the dancing

we gather

in the family room,

lights turned dim,

and sit in a circle.

I am across from

Alex,

not next to him

like I had hoped

and

there is so much

disappointment in my gut

that for a moment

I think,

Why should I be here?

On one side of me is Jace.

Mari is on the other.

Tell us the rules, Hope,

Mari says.

Everyone looks at me

and all the sudden

I feel shy.

But I force myself to talk

and I force myself to not

look at Alex as I

say the words,

Pass the card to the person

on your left

without using your hands,

just using your

breath and your lips.

Mari and I demonstrate,

me passing the card to her.

Then she turns to Robbie,

sucking on that card,

until his lips close in

and she drops it and

plants a big

smooch

right on his lips.

Oh!

She has so

much nerve!

The room breaks out

in whoops and hollers.

You don’t have

to pass the card,

Mari says,

and she tucks her hair

behind her ears.

Well,

Robbie says,

his accent strong.

You’ve forgiven me?

Mari smiles.

Pass the card,

she says.

And the game starts.

The whole time

me

wishing

wishing

wishing

I could let the playing card

drop to the floor

between me

and Alex Cain.

98.

I stand at the door

with Mari

telling all her guests good-bye.

Alex

leans near,

touching my arm

as he passes

into the night.

His voice is low

and I can smell

Doublemint gum on his breath.

You should have passed me a card,

he says.

What?

I say

because I could not have heard

him right.

Night,

he says.

He raises his eyebrows at me.

And then he is gone.

Oh girl,

Mari says,

I think he likes you.

She lets out a laugh.

You think?

I say.