chapter
1
“Ow—stop. You’re hurting me!” Eric Fraser loosened his grip on Becka Norwood’s shoulders.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to.” His face reddened. He stared at the snow-covered windshield.
Becka slid away from him until her shoulder bumped the car door. She adjusted the collar of her
coat.
Why am I sitting here kissing him? she thought. I’m going to break up with him.
Big, wet snowflakes continued to fall. The windows were completely blanketed now. It’s like
being inside an igloo, Becka thought, shivering.
Turning his dark eyes to hers, Eric leaned forward, reaching for her.
She raised her arm to block him. “We have to talk,” she said, not meaning to sound shrill.
“Talk?” He giggled for some reason. Becka realized that she hated his giggle. It always burst
out at the wrong time.
He stretched his arm around her shoulders and tried to pull her closer.
“No. Really,” she insisted, twisting to get out from under his arm.
He acted hurt. “What do you want to talk about?”
Becka chewed the tip of her thumb, a nervous habit.
Here goes, she thought. Her stomach felt feathery. Her throat tightened.
She realized she always felt jumpy around Eric. They’d been dating since school started in
September. More than three months. But she never felt comfortable with him.
He was so ... so needy.
She stopped chewing her thumb, clasped her hands together in her lap. “I think we need to talk
about—things.” It was cold in the car, parked beside the woods, the engine off, no heater.
She shivered again.
Eric rolled his eyes. “Why do you always want to talk?” His voice revealed more than
impatience. He sounded angry.
“Why don’t you ever want to talk?” she demanded. Her voice trembled. The feathers in her
stomach turned to stone.
Don’t cry, she instructed herself, biting her lower, lip.
It’s not the end of the world. You’re just breaking up with him. You haven’t even been going
out with him that long.
He turned away from her and gripped the steering wheel with both hands. “Why are you on my
case?” he asked. “You said you wanted to come here.”
“I know.”
“So why do you want to start a fight? I said I was sorry. About holding your shoulder too
tight. It was an accident.” He ran a hand back through his short, brown hair, smoothing it.
Becka’s heart was pounding. She shifted uncomfortably in the seat. Outside, the wind roared,
piling more snow up against the windshield.
Don’t cry, she told herself again.
Be cool. For once in your life, be cool.
“I think we shouldn’t go out anymore.” There. I said it.
“Huh?”
She turned to see his startled expression.
“You heard me.”
He giggled. That hideous, inappropriate giggle again. He moved his hands on the steering wheel,
circling them around and around.
“I think we should start seeing other people,” Becka added, her voice shaking.
Don’t cry.
“Okay,” he said. His face became a blank—no expression at all. “No problem.”
She suddenly felt she had to explain. “I think you’re a great guy, Eric, but—”
He raised a hand to stop her. His expression remained a blank. “I said no problem. I’ll take
you home, Becka.”
He raised the collar of his leather bomber jacket. Then he turned the key in the ignition. The
car hesitated a second before starting up.
He’s certainly being cool about this, Becka thought, chewing the end of her thumb and staring
straight ahead.
I’m a nervous wreck.
You’re always a nervous wreck, she told herself.
If only her heart would stop pounding so hard. She could feel her pulse throb at her temples.
He switched on the wipers. They pushed the light fresh snow off the windshield, allowing the
blackness of the night to fill the car. The headlights cut a tunnel through the darkness,
illuminating the large, falling flakes.
“I’m sorry—” Becka started.
“No problem,” Eric repeated. He lowered his foot on the gas pedal, and the car slid out onto
the snow-covered road.
Does he have to keep saying that?
He doesn’t seem hurt at all, Becka thought, more than a little disappointed.
She had hoped it would go easily. But not this easily.
She didn’t want a fight.
It seemed that they’d done nothing but fight for weeks. Every discussion turned into a fight.
Every time they went out, they found themselves arguing. Or just bickering.
That was one reason Becka decided to break up with Eric.
Bill Planter was the other reason.
chapter 1 “Ow—stop. You’re hurting me!” Eric Fraser loosened his grip on Becka Norwood’s shoulders.“Sorry. I didn’t mean to.” His face reddened. He stared at the snow-covered windshield. Becka slid away from him until her shoulder bumped the car door. She adjusted the collar of hercoat. Why am I sitting here kissing him? she thought. I’m going to break up with him. Big, wet snowflakes continued to fall. The windows were completely blanketed now. It’s likebeing inside an igloo, Becka thought, shivering. Turning his dark eyes to hers, Eric leaned forward, reaching for her. She raised her arm to block him. “We have to talk,” she said, not meaning to sound shrill. “Talk?” He giggled for some reason. Becka realized that she hated his giggle. It always burstout at the wrong time. He stretched his arm around her shoulders and tried to pull her closer. “No. Really,” she insisted, twisting to get out from under his arm. He acted hurt. “What do you want to talk about?” Becka chewed the tip of her thumb, a nervous habit. Here goes, she thought. Her stomach felt feathery. Her throat tightened. She realized she always felt jumpy around Eric. They’d been dating since school started inSeptember. More than three months. But she never felt comfortable with him. He was so ... so needy.She stopped chewing her thumb, clasped her hands together in her lap. “I think we need to talk关于 — — 事情."天冷在车上,旁边的树林,关闭发动机,没有暖气停了。她又哆嗦了一下。Eric 转了转眼珠。"为什么你总是想说话?"他的声音显示更多不耐烦。他听起来很生气。她要求,"为什么不要你想谈谈吗?"。她的声音颤抖着。在她的羽毛胃变成石头。别哭了,她教导她,咬她的下嘴唇。它不是世界末日。你只想跟他分手。你甚至还没去和他那么长的时间出去。他转身紧紧握住方向盘用两只手离开了她。"你干嘛对我案例?"他问。你说你想要到这里来。"知道"。"所以为什么你想打架?我说我很抱歉。关于太抱着你的肩膀从紧。这是一次事故。他跑一只手穿过他短的棕色的头发,平滑它。Becka 的心跳。她在座位上不舒服地动来动去。在外面,风呼啸而过,打桩工程更多的雪和挡风玻璃。别哭了,她再一次告诉自己。很酷。一次在你的生活,会很酷。"我认为我们不应该继续交往下去了。那里。我说。"是吗?"她转身看见他吃了一惊的表情。"你听说我。他咯咯地笑了。丑陋,不合适再傻笑。他移动他的手放在方向盘上,它们盘旋着周围。"我认为我们应该开始看到其他人,"Becka 补充说,她的声音颤抖。不要哭。"好吧,"他说。他的脸变得一片空白 — — 根本没有表达。"没有问题"。她突然感到她不得不解释。"我认为你是一个伟大的家伙,Eric,但是 — —"他举起一只手去阻止她。他的表情仍是一片空白。"我说没问题。我会带你回家,Becka。他提出他的皮夹克的衣领。然后他转动钥匙点火装置。的汽车犹豫了一秒钟前启动。他当然是拇指的关于此,Becka 认为,咀嚼结束了她,盯着很酷一直往前走。我很紧张。你总是紧张,她对自己说。她的心要是停冲击太难。她能感觉到她在她的太阳穴跳动的脉搏。他打开刮水器。他们推了挡风玻璃,新鲜小雪允许漆黑的夜晚填补这辆车。车灯暗挖区间隧道在黑暗中,照亮大,落片。"我很抱歉 — —"Becka 开始。"没问题,"Eric 重复。他降低了他的脚在油门踏板和汽车滑出上雪覆盖的道路。他有口口声声说呢?Becka 认为,比有点失望,他看起来没有一点伤害。她原本希望它去很容易。但不是这样简单。她不想打架。看来他们没有做任何但战斗几个星期。每一次讨论变成了一场战斗。每次他们出去的时候,他们发现自己争论。或只争吵。那是 Becka 决定要和 Eric 分手的原因之一。条例草案播种机是另一个原因。
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