exciting. But I also like it when you just sit and play music and talk."
"Well, maybe I'd better do that more often," he said. Without letting go of her hand, he put his other hand on the back of her neck. Jill felt first as if her heart had stopped, and then felt it pounding furiously.
Never had she felt this way about a boy.
"I think I'm starting to be glad my folks moved to Shadyside," Gabe whispered.
"I'm glad too," said Jill.
Very gently Gabe kissed her.
I want to stay here in this park with Gabe forever, she thought. I don't ever want this moment to end.
Gabe kissed her again.
"Tumbler!" called a cracked voice. "Here, Tumbler!"
A bright light suddenly went on, and Jill blinked against it, turning her head. "What're you--oops, excuse me." It was Mr. Morrissey, who owned the deli across the street. He switched off the flashlight. "Sorry to bother you. My dog got out. Don't suppose you've seen him, have you?"
"No," said Gabe. "But we weren't really looking for him."
"I guess not," said Mr. Morrissey. He chuckled. "Well, sorry to disturb you. Tumbler!" he called, walking off. "Here, Tumbler!"
"On the other hand," Gabe said, laughing, "Shadyside is a very weird place."
Jill laughed too. The magic moment had been broken, but it didn't seem to matter.
"Hey," said Gabe, checking his watch. "It's later than I thought. I'd better get you home. Don't want to get your folks mad at me on our first date."
First date, Jill thought. That means he wants to go out with me again.
Gabe packed his guitar into its case, then picked it up, and taking Jill's hand began to walk with her out of the park.
"I've had a great time, Gabe," Jill said. "There's just one thing I want to talk to you about." She hesitated to bring up the fire game, but she and the other girls had agreed. Besides, she was a little worried about Nick.
"Sure," said Gabe. "What is it?" They were parked near Pete's Pizza, which was two blocks away.
"It's about the fire--the fire game," Jill said.
"The fire game? Is that what you call it?" asked Gabe. "Well, what about it?"
"Andrea and Diane and I had a serious talk about it, and--and, we want it to stop."
"Are you serious?" Gabe stopped walking to turn to her, the old mocking smile on his face. "Why?"
"Because it's dangerous and illegal, and we're afraid someone's going to get in trouble. Besides, I think the other boys are taking it too seriously. Especially Nick."
Gabe shook his head. "No way, Jill," he said, smiling at her. "You're the one who's taking it seriously. It's just a goof. And it's not like we're running around setting fire to everything we see."
"Well, but--" Now Jill was confused.
"But nothing," said Gabe. "If you're so worried about the other guys, ask them how they feel about it. They'll tell you the same thing I just did.
Come on, now. Chill out."
"Oh, Gabe," she said. "Maybe you're right."
"Sure I am," he said. They started walking again. The way he put it, it didn't seem that serious. She and Diane were both overreacting.
They turned the corner onto Main Street. There was a big crowd in front of Pete's Pizza. "I've never seen a line like that," said Jill. "They must be having a sale on pepperoni or something."
"I wish we had time to check it out," said Gabe.
But as they got closer, Jill saw that the crowd wasn't waiting to get into Pete's at all. "Gabe, it's a fire! Someone's car is on fire!"
Gabe saw it too. "Hey--it's my car! Hold this!" He handed her the guitar and began sprinting down the block.
"Gabe!" she shouted. Holding the guitar awkwardly at her side, she ran after him. The car was blazing furiously, the interior a mass of red and yellow flames. The crowd had started to move back from the intense heat.
"Get back!" someone shouted. "It's going to blow."
But Gabe was running directly toward the fire. "I've got to do something!" he cried.
"Gabe, no!" Jill dropped the guitar and ran after him as fast as she could. She threw her arms around him from the back. He
"Well, maybe I'd better do that more often," he said. Without letting go of her hand, he put his other hand on the back of her neck. Jill felt first as if her heart had stopped, and then felt it pounding furiously.
Never had she felt this way about a boy.
"I think I'm starting to be glad my folks moved to Shadyside," Gabe whispered.
"I'm glad too," said Jill.
Very gently Gabe kissed her.
I want to stay here in this park with Gabe forever, she thought. I don't ever want this moment to end.
Gabe kissed her again.
"Tumbler!" called a cracked voice. "Here, Tumbler!"
A bright light suddenly went on, and Jill blinked against it, turning her head. "What're you--oops, excuse me." It was Mr. Morrissey, who owned the deli across the street. He switched off the flashlight. "Sorry to bother you. My dog got out. Don't suppose you've seen him, have you?"
"No," said Gabe. "But we weren't really looking for him."
"I guess not," said Mr. Morrissey. He chuckled. "Well, sorry to disturb you. Tumbler!" he called, walking off. "Here, Tumbler!"
"On the other hand," Gabe said, laughing, "Shadyside is a very weird place."
Jill laughed too. The magic moment had been broken, but it didn't seem to matter.
"Hey," said Gabe, checking his watch. "It's later than I thought. I'd better get you home. Don't want to get your folks mad at me on our first date."
First date, Jill thought. That means he wants to go out with me again.
Gabe packed his guitar into its case, then picked it up, and taking Jill's hand began to walk with her out of the park.
"I've had a great time, Gabe," Jill said. "There's just one thing I want to talk to you about." She hesitated to bring up the fire game, but she and the other girls had agreed. Besides, she was a little worried about Nick.
"Sure," said Gabe. "What is it?" They were parked near Pete's Pizza, which was two blocks away.
"It's about the fire--the fire game," Jill said.
"The fire game? Is that what you call it?" asked Gabe. "Well, what about it?"
"Andrea and Diane and I had a serious talk about it, and--and, we want it to stop."
"Are you serious?" Gabe stopped walking to turn to her, the old mocking smile on his face. "Why?"
"Because it's dangerous and illegal, and we're afraid someone's going to get in trouble. Besides, I think the other boys are taking it too seriously. Especially Nick."
Gabe shook his head. "No way, Jill," he said, smiling at her. "You're the one who's taking it seriously. It's just a goof. And it's not like we're running around setting fire to everything we see."
"Well, but--" Now Jill was confused.
"But nothing," said Gabe. "If you're so worried about the other guys, ask them how they feel about it. They'll tell you the same thing I just did.
Come on, now. Chill out."
"Oh, Gabe," she said. "Maybe you're right."
"Sure I am," he said. They started walking again. The way he put it, it didn't seem that serious. She and Diane were both overreacting.
They turned the corner onto Main Street. There was a big crowd in front of Pete's Pizza. "I've never seen a line like that," said Jill. "They must be having a sale on pepperoni or something."
"I wish we had time to check it out," said Gabe.
But as they got closer, Jill saw that the crowd wasn't waiting to get into Pete's at all. "Gabe, it's a fire! Someone's car is on fire!"
Gabe saw it too. "Hey--it's my car! Hold this!" He handed her the guitar and began sprinting down the block.
"Gabe!" she shouted. Holding the guitar awkwardly at her side, she ran after him. The car was blazing furiously, the interior a mass of red and yellow flames. The crowd had started to move back from the intense heat.
"Get back!" someone shouted. "It's going to blow."
But Gabe was running directly toward the fire. "I've got to do something!" he cried.
"Gabe, no!" Jill dropped the guitar and ran after him as fast as she could. She threw her arms around him from the back. He
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