“Oh,” I said.
My stomach did a little flip.
I didn’t know what to say.
And I got this really ugly feeling.
Like Landon only wanted sex from me.
I knew that wasn’t fair. I knew he really cared about me. But I couldn’t help it.
That’s normal.
Right?
“Think about it,” Landon said, and kissed me on the shoulder. “Okay?”
“Okay.”
IN THE GOLDEN LIGHT
“Are you nervous about homecoming?” Mom asked as she pulled her car into a parking spot.
“Hmm?”
She turned off the car and looked at me. “Are people giving you a hard time at school?”
“Oh. No.”
I couldn’t tell Mom that I was worried Landon thought we were going to do stuff afterward.
Sex stuff.
I never wanted to talk about gay sex with Shirin Kellner.
“Hm,” Mom said, but I unbuckled my seat belt and opened the door before she could say more.
The Dragon & Phoenix Consignment Shop + Boutique (a name that sounded more suited to oolong than gently used fashion) was this huge store at the corner of a strip mall in Beaverton. The inside was practically glowing from the eclectic collection of ceiling lamps, and the scent of incense tickled my sinuses.
“Do you know what you’re looking for?”
“Not really.”
I showed her the picture Landon sent of his suit: a gray one with thin, slick lapels.
“Nice,” Mom said.
“Yeah.”
“Okay. Let’s see what they have.”
Mom wandered around, pulling nearly every suit off the rackto examine it, while I went straight for the big and tall section. I traced my fingers along the rows of hangers. Most of the suits were black, or brown, or too tall, or not big enough.
And then, as I turned a corner, I saw it.
The perfect suit.
Bright blue, not quite pastel but nearly. And it was shiny, like there was something metallic in the threads.
