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WHEN WE PULL UP IN my driveway, Kitty runs out of the house and over to the car. “Spider-Man!” she shrieks. She’s still in her ninja costume, though she’s taken the mask off. “Are you coming inside?” #2 в контекст | | |
I glance at Peter. “He can’t. He has to go condition.” Peter spends an hour a day conditioning for lacrosse. He’s very dedicated to it. #3 в контекст | | |
“Condition?” Kitty repeats, and I know she’s imagining Peter washing his hair. #4 в контекст | | |
“I can hang out for a little bit,” Peter says, turning the engine off. #5 в контекст | | |
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“Kitty, no.” The dance is something Margot and I made up when we were bored one night a few summers ago at the beach. Let’s just say neither of us is particularly talented at choreography. #8 в контекст | | |
Peter’s eyes light up. He’ll take any opportunity for a laugh, especially at my expense. “I wanna see the dance!” #9 в контекст | | |
“Forget about it,” I tell him. We’re in the living room; each of us has our own couch or armchair. I poured us iced teas and put out a bowl of potato chips, which we’ve already finished. #10 в контекст | | |
“Come on,” he pouts. “Show me the dance. Please, please show me the dance.” #11 в контекст | | |
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I wave my hand in his Handsome Boy face. “That. I’m immune to your charms, remember?” #14 в контекст | | |
Peter lifts his eyebrows like I’ve dared him. “Is that a challenge? ’Cause I’m warning you, you do not want to step into the ring with me. I’ll crush you, Covey.” He doesn’t take his eyes off mine for several long seconds, and I can feel my smile fade and my cheeks heat up. #15 в контекст | | |
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I blink. Kitty. I’d forgotten she was still in the room. I scramble to my feet. “Cue up the music. Peter just challenged us to a dance-off.” #17 в контекст | | |
Kitty squeals and runs to turn on the speakers. I push back the coffee table. We take our places in front of the fireplace, backs turned, heads down, hands clasped behind our backs. #18 в контекст | | |
When the bass kicks in, we jump and turn around. Hip thrust, swivel, then move into our knee slides. Then the running man, then this move Margot made up called the treadmill. The music stops, and Kitty and I freeze in our crunking positions—and then it starts up again, and we’re doing the butterfly, then back into the knee slides. I forget what the next move is so I sneak a peek at Kitty, who’s shimmying and clapping her hands. Oh yeah. #19 в контекст | | |
Our big finish is splits, with our arms crossed for emphasis. #20 в контекст | | |
Peter’s bowled over, laughing his head off. He claps and claps and stomps his feet. #21 в контекст | | |
When it’s over, I try to catch my breath and manage to say, “Okay, you’re up, Kavinsky.” #22 в контекст | | |
“I can’t,” Peter gasps. “How do I follow a performance like that? Kitty, will you teach me that pop-and-lock move?” #23 в контекст | | |
Kitty gets shy all of a sudden. She sits on her hands and looks at him through her lashes and shakes her head. #24 в контекст | | |
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Kitty finally caves in—I think she just wanted to make him work for it. I watch them dance all afternoon, my little sister the ninja and my pretend boyfriend Spider-Man. First I laugh, but then a worrying thought comes out of nowhere—I can’t let Kitty get too attached to Peter. This is temporary. The way Kitty looks at him, so adoringly, like he’s her hero. . . . #26 в контекст | | |
When Peter has to leave, I walk him out to his car. Before he gets in, I say, “I don’t think you should come over anymore. It’s confusing to Kitty.” #27 в контекст | | |
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“Because . . . because when our . . . our thing is over, she’s going to miss you.” #29 в контекст | | |
“I’ll still see the kid around.” Peter pokes me in the stomach. “I want joint custody.” #30 в контекст | | |
All I can think of is how patient he was with her, how sweet. Impulsively I get up on my tiptoes and kiss him on the cheek, and he jerks back in surprise. #31 в контекст | | |
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My cheeks feel scalded. I say, “For being so nice to Kitty.” Then I wave good-bye and I run into the house. #33 в контекст | | |
