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Back Lovesick Falls Save as PDF
Chapters (34)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. WELCOME TO THE LILY PAD,or A Brief Introduction to Power Jam
  5. FULL CELIA GILBERT,or the Tragic Fate of My Tennis Racket
  6. THE CREATION OF THE CHORE WHEEL,or Why You Should Always Travel with a Hammer
  7. GO, SOUL CRUSHERS,or My Mother’s Take on Power Jam
  8. A PARTY,or Why I Don’t Eat Tuna in Front of Touchstone
  9. The Story of Ros, Part I
  10. A TRIP TO THE TOWN,or the Victor of the Great Flamingo Debate
  11. TAKING MEASUREMENTS,or the Tale of Oliver Teller’s Sprained Wrist
  12. THE LAST SUPPER,or the Structural Unsoundness of Veggie Burgers
  13. The Story of Ros, Part II
  14. VOYAGE TO THE TOGSHOP,or a Brief History of the Doublet
  15. LOVE SONG FOR A COPEPOD,or My Mom’s Take on My Tennis Coach
  16. The Story of Ros, Part III
  17. AVIAN DEMISE,or Bruised Tailbones and Lost Sunglasses
  18. NEEDLE AND BONE,or On Losing My Voice
  19. The Story of Ros, Part IV
  20. FRYING AN EGG,or a Compendium of Shirtless Blade Scenes
  21. The Story of Ros, Part V
  22. THE DROPPED ACORN REVISITED,or French Words That Start with W
  23. MASTER CLASS: THE BODY IN MOTION
  24. THE TRIUMVIRATE REUNITED,or Planning a Party
  25. DINNER THEATER,or a Crash Course in Limes
  26. EIGHTEEN COURT LANE,or Dog Therapy
  27. The Story of Ros, Part VI
  28. RETURN TO THE LILY PAD,or the Hilarity of a Bologna Sandwich
  29. THE YETI COSTUME,or Power Jam, Season Three
  30. JUMPING IN,or On Waiting for Guys
  31. A CHANCE ENCOUNTER,or Lessons I Have Learned
  32. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  33. Discover More
  34. About the Author

With that, he took his leave.

Footnotes

6 Though I did scour the internet, I was sadly unable to find a copy of this poem.

7 While hot and spontaneous in the moment, this backfires wildly: She turns out to be a spy for the other team, which threatens Blade’s new, cautious standing in the group. Naturally everyone blames Blade when their coach’s playbook is stolen and winds up in the hands of the Enemy—only it turns out it’s not Blade’s fault at all, but his father’s, whose arc at the end of the second season goes from manipulative to straight-up diabolical.

8 Oliver actually sustained a wrist injury during this scene. It still clicked when he twirled his wrist.

THE LAST SUPPER,
or the Structural Unsoundness of Veggie Burgers

The Lily Pad smelled amazing that night when I got home around six—like fresh cilantro and feta cheese and just the faintest hint of smoke, smells that indicated dinner was going to be a real step up from the meals we’d been having—no offense to Ros, who was responsible for most of the cooking. Also a step up: our dinner conversation. I was excited to have juicy Oliver Teller gossip to report. Ros and I had been hungry for it since my first run-in with him.

“Hey!” called Ros. Their voice was bright and happy. They were in the kitchenette with Touchstone (who’d gotten a ride home with Audrey), tending to something smoking in a frying pan. “Can you pass me the pepper?” they called.

“What are we making?” I asked.

“Black-bean burgers and roasted potatoes,” Touch said, passing Ros the pepper.

“Where’s the recipe?” I said, eager to help pitch in.

“No recipe,” Ros said. “We’re winging it.”

The kitchen looked like they’d been winging it—it seemed as if every single utensil and every single piece of dishware had been recruited to make this dinner. Even so, it was fun to see them cooking together. While I was an okay baker, both Ros and Touchstone had a deep appreciation for food—gourmands, you might have called them—and would occasionally cook us elaborate feasts back home: buttermilk-brined chicken, gluten-free pasta with feta cheese and cherry tomatoes. I was glad to see them together now in the kitchen—it felt like some order had been restored.

“I bought sparkling apple cider,” Ros said. “It’s in the fridge.”