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and Gracie has stories about what life is like with her grandmother living in their house.
    But all I keep seeing is Noah running his fingers through his hair. When he pulled his helmet off at the end of the scrimmage, his face was all pink and flushed from the workout. He had been unexpectedly elegant sliding across the ice, despite all of that big, clunky gear. The players were like elephants flawlessly performing ballet.
    I begin to strategize how to run into Noah again.
    “Lindsey?”
    I snap out of my reverie. I look around the table. I don’t even know who called my name.
    “Earth to Lindsey.” Gracie grins. “Randy’s talking to you.” She smiles even bigger. “I know that faraway look.”
    “She’s thinking about Noah!” Emma squeals.
    “Noah?” Randy asks. “Noah Hornung? I was just trying to get you to pass the rolls, but this is even better.” Raven’s brothergives me that all-knowing look and raises his eyebrows.
    Even Mr. and Mrs. Mack laugh.
    “Busted.” I blush for the millionth time today. “Don’t tell, Pleeease?”

CHAPTER FOUR
    T he next day in the cafeteria, I’m picking pepperonis off my pizza. I love pizza. It’s hard for even the school cafeteria to mess it up, but the pepperonis have suspicious pools of grease floating in them.
    “You don’t want those?” Emma asks.
    “No.” I grimace.
    “I’ll take ’em.”
    I shrug and start moving them one by one with the tips of my thumb and pointer finger onto Emma’s tray.
    “Hey, Lindsey.” The voice is so deep and familiar, but I can’t place it. I look up. Towering above me is Noah.
    “Hi,” I manage to say.
    He grabs a chair and turns it around backward. His long legs straddle the back of the chair as he thankfully lowers himself to eye level.
    “Hi, Raven,” he adds.
    “Hey, Noah. You ready for Saturday’s game?”
    “I hope so. Wexley’s a tough team.”
    “Y’all can do it.”
    “I’ll do my best.” He ruffles his hair.
    “So, Lindsey.” He turns back to me. His long-sleeved, gray T-shirt looks so soft, I want to feel it for myself. He looks medirectly in the eyes. I can’t remember anyone speaking to me with such focus, ever. “I was wondering if you were going to youth group on Sunday.”
    I look to Emma and back at Noah. “I don’t know for sure. I mean, I don’t go to church there or anything. I just usually tag along with Emma. I really like Pastor Ed. I think he’s — ” I twist my lips looking for the right word. “Real, you know, not over the top or anything.”
    “Yeah, he’s cool.” Noah unfolds his body from the chair. “Well, if you go, I’ll see you there.” He places his enormous hand on my shoulder and kind of uses me to push himself to standing. He turns and winks — that same secretive wink from the day in the hallway — and then lumbers away like a giant through a field.
    My entire body goes cold like when I first step out of a hot shower into an air-conditioned bathroom. I’m freezing except my shoulder, which is fiery hot.
    My friends are silent for about two minutes, which never happens but it’s perfectly fine by me. I am frozen like a mannequin. I don’t dare watch where he went.
    Eventually, it’s Emma who breaks the silence. “I guess Randy didn’t keep it to himself?”
    “He’s never been good at keeping secrets,” Raven tries to say seriously, but a snicker sneaks from her lips.
    We all burst out laughing — so uncontrollably, the whole cafeteria seems to notice. Warm tears trickle down my cheeks. I try to catch them with my fingertips and wipe them upward from where they came, so my mascara doesn’t smear.
    When the giggles finally work their way out, I turn to Emma. “So, how about youth group?”
    She starts to open her mouth, but instead of words a cackleswirls out like a puff of smoke from a chimney. And the laughter erupts all over again.

    I spend days planning my outfit for Sunday night. I pull clothes out of drawers and lay them on my white