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me blush harder.
“So,” we say simultaneously. We laugh awkward, self-conscious laughs and then laugh
at ourselves for being so very awkward and self-conscious.
“Where is that guidebook?” he asks, finally breaking eye contact and making a show of
looking around the room. He grabs my backpack and digs around, but pulls out The Little
Prince instead of the guide.
“I see you brought the essentials,” he teases, waving it in the air. He climbs onto the
bed and begins lightly bouncing in the middle of it. Murphy’s springs protest noisily.
“Isn’t this your favorite book of all time?”
He turns the book over in his hands. “We read this sophomore year. I’m pretty sure I
didn’t understand it.”
“You should try again. The meaning changes every time you read it.”
He looks down at me. “And how many times have you—”
“A few.”
“More or less than twenty?”
“OK, more than a few.”
He grins and flips open the front cover. “Property of Madeline Whittier.” He turns to
the title page and continues reading. “Reward if Found. A visit with me (Madeline) to a
used bookstore. Snorkel with me (Madeline) off Molokini to spot the Hawaiian state
fish.”
He stops reading aloud, continues silently instead. “When did you write this?” he asks.
I start to climb onto the bed, but stop when the room sways a little. I try again and
another wave of vertigo unbalances me.
I turn and sit, facing away from him. My heart squeezes so painfully in my chest that it
takes my breath away.
Olly’s immediately at my side. “Mad, what is it? What’s wrong?”
Oh, no. Not yet. I’m not ready. “I’m light-headed,” I say. “And my stomach—”
“Do we need to go to a hospital?”
My stomach growls loud and long in reply.
I look up at him. “I think I’m—”
“Hungry,” we say simultaneously.
Hunger.
That’s what I’m feeling. I’m not getting sick. I’m just hungry.
“I’m starving,” I say. In the last twenty-four hours I’ve had a single bite of chilaquiles
and a handful of Nurse Evil’s apple slices.
Olly starts laughing. He collapses backward onto the bed. “I’ve been so worried that
something in the air was gonna kill you.” He presses the heels of his hands to his eyes.
“Instead you’re going to starve to death.”
I’ve never actually been this hungry before. For the most part I’ve always eaten my