chapter nine

A break-through snowboard date —excuse me, day— and a small hint from the suspicious Kim Jongin.

        Saturday morning, Sehun and I hopped onto the chairlift and pulled the protective bar down, then sat in comfortable silence as we were whisked to the top of the mountain.

Comfortable silence. Even I can't believe it. But for one day of snowboarding and something fundamental between us had shifted. Sehun was awesome on his board, lithe and skilled—the kind of boarder who mesmerized everyone on the slopes. And I had impressed him as well, I think. He hadn't overtly complimented me, but his jaw had dropped on my last jump. I had a feeling Sehun was seeing me in a whole new light, just as I was him.

He hadn't even said one rude word to me all day and, much to my surprise, he had said "please" and "thank you" at all the appropriate times. He was like a different person once he let you get close.

Of course, there's a one-in-three chance that he's a drug dealer, Lulu, I reminded myself. Sheesh. I really had to get a grip here.

I looked down at the skiers below, the variegated colors of their gear dotting the slopes, and took in the tranquil atmosphere. My face was warm from exertion, and he cool air felt invigorating against my skin. Last night, I had lain awake in bed, fretting over what Yixing might have been thinking about the conversation between me and Donny Burke's mother, but he had said nothing to me about it this morning. So I had decided to let myself have some fun—while working on Sehun, of course. I would deal with Yixing if and when I had to.

Sehun's friends Taeyong and Johnny shouted and whooped from the chair behind us, and Sehun and I turned around to roll our eyes at them.

"They're a couple of meatheads," Sehun said, by way of apology.

"They're cool," I answered honestly. "They're definitely different from anyone else at Hereford."

Unsure of what to expect in Sehun's "rough crowd" friends, I had resolved to go into this day unbiased, and I hadn't been disappointed. Taeyong and Johnny may have been inane, but they were hilarious and very sweet. They definitely balanced out Sehun's characteristic melancholy. If this was what the Hereford administration considered to be a rough crowd, I shuddered to think what they would do if they were dropped in the middle of an inner-city school.

Probably run screaming.

"Yeah. That's why I like them too," Sehun said, gazing off toward the horizon.

"This place is totally unaltered from the last time I was here," I said lightly.

"I thought you'd never been here," Sehun said, eyeing me.

My face burned with embarrassment. Snagged again! Damn that comfortable tongue of mine! When was I going to learn?

"Oh...well...I thought I hadn't, but now I think this might have been the place my dad took me when I was little," I babbled. "I know we went skiing out here at least once..."

"Oh, well, then he definitely would've brought you here," Sehun continued, "If you're gonna ski in Connecticut, this is the place."

He had that right. I had spent every other weekend on this mountain for the past five years, and dedicated skiers made the pilgrimage here from all over the Northeast.

I let out a relieved sigh. Another flub covered well. I hope.

A few minutes later we hit the top of the slope and slid away from the lift. Taeyong and Johnny came up behind us.

"Ready for another run?" Johnny asked, pulling his goggles over his eyes.

I glanced over my shoulder at the lodge. A plume of smoke rose into the air from the chimney, dissipating into the blue sky. It looked mighty welcoming.

"I think I'm gonna go for some hot chocolate," I said, hoping Sehun would surprise me and come with. "I'm sort of beat."

"Dude, you can't quit now. This is the single most beautiful day in the history of Evergreen Mountain," Taeyong said. One thing I'd learned about him on the ride up here—Tae was definitely given to hyperbole. It was a beautiful day, but the most beautiful day in history? That was overstating it a bit.

"Nah, you guys go," Sehun said. "We'll meet you up there."

I blinked, incredulous. Sehun was coming with me! Yay! This would be a perfect opportunity to pump him for more info, gain a little insight into who he really was. I unstrapped my board, and we started on the trek up to the lodge. Unfortunately, I couldn't think of a thing to ask without inciting his temper. Sehun was, as I originally predicted, a tough nut to crack. He'd been so cool and uncharacteristically benevolent all day, I was apprehensive about saying anything that might cause him to bridle again.

We were silent until we got to the snack bar in the lodge and ordered our hot chocolate. The lodge was nothing luxurious—just a simple wooden floor and scattered sofas, chairs, and tables here and there, but it was definitely cozy. We found an empty couch near the fireplace and staked our claim.

I sat back in the comfy cushions and sipped at my cocoa, wondering what to talk about. I felt like such a ingénue. What kind of detective was I if I couldn't even initiate a conversation with my suspect?

"So, listen, I wanted to apologize for being such an the first time we met," Sehun said unflinchingly.

I was so surprised that my cocoa almost went down the wrong pipe—for real this time. "The first few times, you mean."

He scoffed. "Yeah, well. I guess I misjudged you."

"Misjudged?" I asked. "Why? What did you think when you first met me?"

"I just figured you were another one of those Hereford guys," he said with a shrug. "Conceited, condescending. But you're not."

"God, I hope not," I said.

"Yeah, well, I figured you must be different if you were actually trying to be friends with me. That doesn't happen very often," Sehun said. "But I guess I just have a problem with trusting people. I don’t know. Maybe people sense that."

Wow. He was very forthright once he got talking.

"Are you implying that I'm untrustworthy?" I asked, raising my eyebrows and feeling sort of hypocritical. I was untrustworthy after all. He didn't even know who I really was.

"No. Not at all," he said simple. "I'm just not a people person."

"Color me shocked," I said with a smile. I cleared my throat and tried to get back to business. "Anyway, I accept your apology," I said, feeling magnanimous. He had been a serious jerk.

"Good," Sehun replied.

"So...how long have you been going to Hereford?" I asked.

"Forever," he replied, sitting back with a sigh. "When I first got there in seventh grade I used to pretend I was just transient—just passing through. You should see my journal from back then. I was totally delusional—coming up with escape plans and all this stuff. What a moron."

I stared at him. A journal? The word "transient"? Who knew the gruff exterior was hiding a latent intellectual?

Drug dealer, drug dealer, drug dealer...

"What?" he said, looking skittish.

"I've just never heard you string so many words together at once," I replied.

"Won't happen again." he laughed, and his smile illuminated his face. I felt my heart thump in response, and I looked away. What was I doing? I could not develop a crush on a suspect. Especially not such a sketchy one as Oh Sehun.

Drug dealer, drug dealer, drug dealer...

"So, if you're so transient, where do you want to be?" I asked.

Back home running your drug cartel? I wondered, wishing it would be that easy—that someone would just come right out and confess.

"I just want to get to college,"