SHe'd almost looked forward to the nonsexual intimacy stage, when he'd thought he'd be able to do it with Asher.
He does his best to hide how miserable he is.
SHe'd almost looked forward to the nonsexual intimacy stage, when he'd thought he'd be able to do it with Asher.
He does his best to hide how miserable he is.
"Of course you are."
She presses her face into Lev's shoulder.
"...I'm really glad I have you guys."
— and — she's not okay, she's not going to be okay, but just for the moment. Just for right now.
On Monday afternoon, Serena enters the group therapy room late. Her voice is cold. "I found a book of matches from a gay bar in the girls' dormitory."
"One or more of you were sneaking out with Ron Parker. I want names. If you confess, I will go easy on you."
He couldn't tell Serena who was at the gay bar even if he wanted to but he's judging her competence a little nonetheless.
Nobody gives any names. Some of the girls look more uncomfortable than others, but Megan always looks uncomfortable and Graham always looks like she couldn't care less, so that's not much information.
She takes a deep breath, like she's choosing her words very carefully.
"I... realized something about myself, yesterday evening.
I have a crush."
She smiles, a little nervous, a little shy.
"...On Lev.
I've never had a crush on a boy before, but he's just, so —"
She doesn't finish the sentence; she breaks off and smiles again, a little wider, at Lev.
"Sinead, that's wonderful! I'm so glad your treatment is working. Everyone, a round of applause for Sinead."
...there's a round of applause for Sinead.
Nobody expresses skepticism, or at least, nobody expresses it out loud.
"I will deal with the matchbook issue later. Sinead, would you like to talk to Lev for a bit?"
Jan looks very apologetic!
Sinead does a lot of laughing at things he says that sound vaguely like they might be jokes, touches his arm a lot.