BooksBarbecue
Back The Infinite Noise Save as PDF
Chapters (70)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  69. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  70. Newsletter Sign-up

“What? No. No, Caitlin’s great,” I rush to say. No need to have other people dragged into this weird mess.

Mr. Collins is ready to pounce and ask another question and I feel the orange concern squeeze me just a little bit tighter.

“She was asking me to the Sadie Hawkins dance,” I blurt out, panicking slightly. “So I guess I was just thinking about that.”

The worry loosens its hold on me and I feel like I can breathe again. Mr. Collins straightens from his lean and his face breaks into a smile.

“Ah, I see.” He smirks. “Well, I understand that it can be fun to daydream, Mr. Michaels, but please at least try to pull your mind from Ms. Park and focus on the lesson next time.”

I open my mouth to correct him, a bit embarrassed by what he’s suggesting, but he’s emitting this pat-on-the-back understanding that’s overtaken the concern completely, so I decide to cut my losses and roll with it.

“Right. I’ll do that, Mr. Collins.” I nod.

“I was a teenager once, you know. I get it. Just don’t let it happen again.” He mock wags his finger and moves around to behind his desk, effectively dismissing me. I bolt.

16

ADAM

“Okay, so the topic is same-sex schools.”

“And we have to build arguments both for and against, right?” I ask, as Caitlin effortlessly twists her hair into some sort of updo. I’m sort of mesmerized by the movement. Sometimes I think girls have a completely different understanding of physics. Or maybe it’s something that anyone with long hair can do. I’d be tempted to try it for myself if my hair didn’t grow straight out, defying all laws of gravity.

“Yep,” she confirms, “although no pro arguments are immediately leaping to my mind.” She shudders at the horror of it all.

“What, you wouldn’t want to go to an all-girls’ school?” I ask.

“God, no,” she scoffs. “My older sister went to one—a Catholic one at that—and the stories she would tell…” She lowers her voice and looks around as if there’s anyone else in the library (there’s not, of course). “Drugs, sex, rock and roll—the whole thing. Except, you know, not rocking and rolling. Terrible hazing and mean pranks and stuff. It sounded like a nightmare.”

“Yikes,” I say truthfully, “that does sound rough.”

“Yeah, she was pretty happy to graduate.” Caitlin’s eyes go wide as she digs in her bag for a pen. There are two ballpoints sitting on top of my notebook, but I can’t bring myself to offer her one. I’m still grinding my teeth over having to watch that awful courtship ritual between her and Caleb. Before she started talking to him, I could have sworn …