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“You could do that? I mean, just let me tag along? I thought<br />

I needed training.”<br />

“You do. But <strong>no</strong>t just to come along and observe. Plus, I’m<br />

kind of high up <strong>no</strong>w. I’m an assistant director. <strong>The</strong>y’ll trust me if I<br />

say you’re okay.”<br />

“Well, I’ll think about it. Thanks for sticking your neck out<br />

for me.” I smiled and reached out for a one-armed hug.<br />

He returned the same one-armed gesture and we hugged<br />

awkwardly as two new friends do. <strong>The</strong>n I gave him a little wiggle<br />

of my fingers. “I’ll be in touch. Be safe driving home; I k<strong>no</strong>w you’ve<br />

got a long way to go!”<br />

Tucker laughed. “Yeah, I’ll do my best.”<br />

<strong>The</strong> next day, Michelle and I finally had a schedule that<br />

matched up, so at 6:00 she was k<strong>no</strong>cking at my front door with a<br />

massive pepperoni and sausage pizza from Antonio’s. I reached out<br />

like I was going to hug her but made a big show of snatching the<br />

box from her and rushing away. She darted after me, leaving the<br />

front door wide open as we ran into the kitchen. Trouble darted<br />

around our feet and barked at us as he tried to jump up at the food.<br />

“Hello, Michelle!” Gunner called. We heard him shut the<br />

front door behind us.<br />

“Hi, Gunner!” she shouted back, pulling her pin-straight<br />

butt-length black hair back into a ponytail so she wouldn’t get it on<br />

her pizza. I’d been trying to grow my own hair as long as hers for<br />

years but it never quite got past my elbows.<br />

We plopped down in front of the TV with several slices<br />

apiece and immediately turned on <strong>The</strong> Departed. Gunner came to sit<br />

down with us, but he had one of his ghost research books with him,<br />

so it was apparent that he would only be half-involved in the<br />

conversation. Trouble situated his skinny body on the floor between<br />

my friend and me, with his head resting on the couch for best crumbcatching<br />

access.<br />

“So how has your week been?” Michelle asked through a<br />

mouthful of cheese. “I feel like we’ve barely seen each other yet this<br />

summer!”<br />

32

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