Physically, anyway.

Mentally? Emotionally? It’ll be harder on him.

Because this love thing is foreign to Cabel. And now that he has found Janie, he’s becoming increasingly protective of her. There is no man in the universe he wants to have to share her with. Especially a creep.

Even if it unearths a scandal.

Of greatest proportions.

The biggest scandal Fieldridge High has ever seen.

10:49 p.m.

Janie stays over.

“Are we okay?” she asks softly.

After a silence, Cabel whispers, “We’re okay.” He wraps his arms around her in bed, and they talk quietly, like usual.

Janie brings it up first. “So, spill it. All As, right?” He squeezes her. Closes his eyes. “Yeah.”

“I got a B+ in math,” she finally says.

He’s quiet. Not quite sure what she wants to hear. Maybe she just wants to say it and be done. Get it out there, so it can float away and not be so painful.

He waits a moment. And then murmurs, “I love you, Janie Hannagan. I can’t get enough of you. I wake up in the morning and all I want to do is be with you.” He props himself up on his elbow. “Do you have any idea how unusual, how important that is to me? Compared to some stupid test you took under extreme duress, twice?” He said it.

It’s the first time he said it out loud.

Janie swallows. Hard.

Understands what he means, completely.

Wants to tell him how she feels about him.

Problem is, Janie can’t remember saying “I love you” to anyone. Ever.

She burrows closer into him. How could she have gone so many years without touching people? Hugs? Arms wrapped loosely in slumber, like a tired Christmas package whose ribbon hangs on, even until the last moment.

They confirm their plans for tomorrow under the covers. Opposite schedules unlike last semester, because they need to make a broader canvas through the school. All different teachers, too. This time Cabel set up his schedule with Principal Abernethy after Janie got hers, without Abernethy knowing why he picked the classes, teachers, and times that he chose. Principal Abernethy knows about Cabel’s job. But he doesn’t know about Janie’s, and Captain wants to keep it that way.

Cabel agreed with the schedule setup, except for one thing. His only insistence with Captain was to have study hall at the same time as Janie. So he can cover for her, in case anybody ever sees what happens to her in there. Captain agreed.

Last semester, Janie and Cabel had identical schedules. Which Cabel insists was a fluke.

Janie doesn’t believe him.

Or maybe she wants to believe that he found her on purpose. Even Janie can have her dreams.

They drift off to sleep. And when Cabel starts to dream, she startles awake, fights it off, and slides away from him, closes his door, and finishes her night’s rest on the couch.

January 3, 2006, 6:50 a.m.

She wakes up to the smell of bacon and coffee. Her stomach growls, but it’s normal hunger, not the famished, about-to-pass-out feeling she sometimes has after a night of falling into others’ nightmares.

Janie doesn’t want to open her eyes, and then he’s there, on top of her and her blankets, kissing her ear. “Next time, kick me out of the bed,” he whispers. The weight of him feels amazing on her body.

Maybe it’s because she’s numb so often.

Or because she was so numb inside, before she let him in.

She opens her eyes slowly. It takes her a moment to adjust to the bright kitchen light, shining in her eyes. “Can we rearrange the furniture this weekend?” she asks sleepily. “So when I sleep out here, you don’t shine all of Satan’s fiery hell lights in my eyes first thing in the morning?”

“Awww. Don’t be grumpy. We’re going into the best time of our lives.

Be excited!”

He’s joking.

Everyone who is heading to college knows that the best semester comes in four more years. Although this one will probably be easier.

Awake now, she shoves him off her, even though she’d rather lie like this all day. “Shower,” she mumbles, shuffling off in that direction. Her muscles ache from working out. But it’s a good ache.

When she emerges, breakfast is on the table.

She’s finally gotten used to eating here, at this table.

After Cabel’s nightmare about the knives and all.

And then she has to go.

Back to her house to check on her mother and get her car.

She clings to him.

She doesn’t understand why.

Except it makes her happy.

He kisses her.

She kisses him.

They kiss.

And then she goes.

Out the door, crunching through the crust on eighteen inches of Michigan snow. Runs into her house. Makes sure her mother has food in the fridge. And grabs money for lunch.

She and Cabel accidentally park near each other at school, which makes Ethel very happy, Janie thinks.

7:53 a.m.

Carrie whaps Janie on the back of the head. “Hey, chica,” she says, her eyes dancing, as usual. “I’ve hardly seen you over the holiday break.

You all better?”

Janie grins. “I’m good. Check out my cool-ass scar.” Carrie whistles, impressed.

“How’s Stu? Did you have a good Christmas?”

“Well, after the whole jail experience, I was pretty bummed out for a few days, but hey, shit happens. We had our court thingy yesterday, and I did what you suggested. I got my charges dropped, but Stu had to pay a fine. No jail time, though. It was a good thing he didn’t do any coke.” She whispers this last bit.