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fake it, and it sounds horrible, but nobody cares.
    After the song, James lifts me in the air and gives me a big kiss. Right on the lips, right in front of the whole party.
    I’m a little embarrassed but not really. Everyone’s acting kind of wild.
    The Chavezes put on a tape, a dance mix. James and I are forehead to forehead, slow dancing even though the music is loud and fast. James is smiling. I can tell people are staring at us. It feels great.
    “It’s a beautiful night,” James says. “Want to go outside?”
    I say yes, and we walk out into Rico’s backyard. From all around the neighbourhood we hear yelling and music and noisemakers. A cool breeze makes me shiver, and James holds me tight. I smell lemons in the air, from the trees in the yard. A few lights are blinking above, and I’m trying to figure out if they’re stars or airplanes.
    Then I can’t see them anymore because James’s face is in the way. He pulls me close and kisses me. I can tell he wants to really kiss me, deep kiss me. Then I remember the funniest thing: Dr. Scott examining my teeth and saying, “Did you know that jaw muscles are among the strongest in the human body?” (Is this weird or what, Nbook? I’m outside alone with a guy on a crisp night, and I think about my dentist?)
    Anyway, Dr. Scott is right. I have no trouble keeping my jaw closed. The kiss, to tell the truth, is pretty wonderful anyway. But I start feeling self-conscious so I pull away. I mean, come on. Mami and Papi are right inside. Besides, I am not ready for that kind of kissing. First things first. Let’s get past the ankle bracelet dilemma.
    James pulls away. He’s smiling, but he looks a little puzzled. “Is this all right?” he asks.
    “Is what?” I ask back.
    “You know...sneaking outside?”
    I nod. “Yeah.”
    We stand there, silent, for awhile. Then James says it.
    “You know, I really love you.”
    I cannot believe this. I am stunned. So I just say, “Huh?”
    “I said, I—I like you a lot,” James replies. His voice sounds nervous and I can feel he's shaking a little.
    Now, maybe my ears are playing tricks, but I know—I know, Nbook—that he did not say like.
    But I take his word for it. “I like you too, James,” I say.
    We stare into the sky, and I'm thinking, What next? when we hear a car horn blaring in the driveway.
    Caught in the headlights! Just like a Hayden Blume movie. James puts his hands in the air and says, “Don't shoot!”
    It's the Blumes, who've come to pick up Maggie. Well, they're not driving, their chauffeur is. Which is good, because neither of them looks in any condition to drive. Especially Mrs.
    Blume, who can barely walk. She comes out of the car, wobbles a little, holds on to the roof ledge, and calls out to us, “Uh-uh-uh! Inducent piblic display of afflection!”
    James shoots me a look. I can tell he's about to laugh.
    We follow the Blumes inside into the garage. Mrs. B is slurring her words, and I'm worrying the whole time that she's going to blow chunks all over the floor.
    Poor Maggie. She looks embarrassed as she says her good-byes. But we all act as if nothing's wrong.
    After that, the party spirit is kind of spoiled. But it's late, and we're all exhausted anyway.
    People start going home. Everyone makes me promise to send copies of my portrait. I say good-bye to Justin, who's there with his parents. Then Ducky starts kissign all the girls and saying dramatic farewells. He's driven to the party alone because his parents are overseas on business and his older brother went to a different party. When he reaches me, he thinks he's morphed into Fred Astaire and starts swinging me around the garage, singing “Auld Lang Syne.”
    We're all laughing as Ducky breaks away and dances off by himself, blowing more
    kisses. The Big Exit. That is so Ducky.
    I see Mami and Papi are already putting on their jackets. Mami says she's concerned about Isabel, who has gone to a party at Big Tooth Lover Boy's house. So we say a