Almost Perfect Read Online Free Page B

room. Despite never touching the frog, she was intently scrubbing her hands.
    Tim looked at me, then subtly gestured at Sage like shewas an unruly dog I should be controlling. I allowed myself a grin.
    “I thought she was obvious enough that even you might notice,” said Tim, placing a licorice stick in his shirt pocket like a pen.
    I looked at our lab partner, who caught my gaze and winked at me. That new tall, crazy, and, yes,
cute
girl had been flirting with me.
    “You going to ask her out?” prodded Tim.
    “I dunno.”
    The bell rang. Tim leaned over to me. “I didn’t say go buy a house with her. Take her to the movies or for pizza or something.” He was gone, leaving a trail of Fritos in his wake.
    As usual, he was right. I was out of excuses. One date. It would be fun. I looked around for Sage, but she’d already left. I’d have to catch her after school.
    Since his first day as a freshman, Jack had been trying to get a free soda from the lobby Coke machine. Three years, five detentions, and a broken finger later, he still hadn’t managed to get a free can.
    “C’mon, you son of a bitch,” said Jack, rattling the machine. “Give it up. You know you want to.”
    I sat lacing my running shoes for my solitary training. Most Boyer students were gone for the day, but I hoped Sage would pass by. I didn’t think she rode the bus.
    “Hey, Jack, tomorrow Tim’s gonna drive us out to Columbia to see a movie. You coming?”
    Jack smashed his fist into the machine’s solar plexus. “What’s playing?”
    “Dunno.”
    “Sure. I’ll see if my brother wants to come.”
    “Uh, hold off on that.” Tim’s car would only seat four (actually, we had proven it could hold twelve, but that was another story), and I had just spotted our fourth passenger.
    She was standing in front of the girls’ restroom. I guessed she was waiting for someone, because she made no move to go in.
    “Hey, Sage!”
    She turned and smiled. Her braces winked at me as she crossed the room.
    “Hi, Logan.” She hadn’t stopped smiling. Apparently, Sage had psychic brain-draining powers, because all I could see was her mouth. I had forgotten what I was going to say.
    Jack had temporarily stopped abusing the vending machine. I suddenly came back to reality and introduced him.
    “This is Jack.”
    He stared at Sage like she was a captive yeti.
    “Christ, you’re tall. Can I borrow a buck?”
    Sage laughed nervously and handed him a dollar. My only consolation was that I’d look better by comparison.
    “So, Sage.” I gathered up my courage. For the first time since Brenda, I was going to ask someone out. I almost stopped myself. It was only the memory of Sage’s hand on my arm that made me rush into no-man’s-land.
    I took the plunge. “Tim and Jack and I are going out tothe movies in Columbia tomorrow. You want to come with?”
    Sage’s eyes widened. So did her smile. Her mouth expanded and the lines around her eyes deepened. She had a look of bliss on her face, like I was on one knee, holding a diamond ring.
    “Sorry, Logan, I can’t.” The grin didn’t leave her face. I waited for her to follow up with
I’m busy tomorrow
, but she didn’t.
    Jack, who liked to slow down and watch the aftermath of highway accidents, returned to his vandalism. This was too gory even for him.
    I tried to blow off the rejection. “It’s cool. I just thought since you’re new in town …”
    Sage shook her head, then hitched up her purse. “Let me walk you to the track.”
    She trotted to the exit, not looking back to see if I was coming. I considered ignoring her. Why hadn’t I asked out Tanya? This strange new girl probably just liked teasing guys, then turning them down. But I followed her anyway.
    Sage didn’t say anything until we were well out of the building, almost to the football field. Then she stopped, took my arm, and didn’t let go.
    “Logan, I really would like to go to the movies with you,” she said sincerely.
    “It’s