Dara

My pencil immediately stops moving. I try and concentrate on my calculus equation, but I can’t focus on anything on the page. Nobody who wasn’t a speech therapist has ever come right out and asked me about my stuttering before. I’m not prepared to answer, especially because I don’t know why I stutter. It’s just who I am, how I was born, and everything in between.

Before jiyong asked about my stuttering, all I could think about was our almost-kiss. His hot breath seared my skin and made my stomach do flips. But he was just teasing me. I knew it and he knew it. So as much as I wanted desperately to turn my head and find out what his lips felt like on mine, I didn’t want to humiliate myself.

I shove everything into my backpack, then sling the bag onto my back and head down the mountain.

I walk fast, hoping he’ll fall far enough behind he’ll have to concentrate on keeping up and not ask more questions. I made a huge mistake by bringing him here. It was impulsive and stupid. Worst of all, I didn’t expect to want to kiss him more than anything in this world right before he confronted me about my stuttering.

I cross the bridge and head for my car. I reach in my backpack for my keys, but then realize Jiyong still has them. I hold my hand out.

He doesn’t give me the keys. Instead he leans against the car. “I’ll make you a deal.”

“I don’t make deals.”

“Everyone makes deals, Dara. Even smart girls who stutter.”

I can’t believe he brought it up again. I turn and head for home on foot. Jiyong better drive my car back, because they’ll tow it if it’s parked there all night.

I hear Jiyong swear again. “Come back here,” he says. I keep walking.

I hear my car tires spin on the gravel behind me. Jiyong drives up next to me. He’s got his shirt back on, which is good because I get distracted when he’s half .

“Get in, Dara.”

As I keep walking, he inches the car forward. “You’re gonna get in an accident,” I say.

“Do I look like I give a ?”

I glance in his direction. “No. But I do. I love my car.”

Someone beeps at him from behind. He doesn’t flinch and keeps the car moving slowly beside me. At the first bend in the road, he screeches ahead of me and cuts me off. “Don’t test me,” he says. “If you don’t get in right now, I’m comin’ out there to get you.” We stare each other down, the muscle in the side of his jaw twitching in determination. “If you get in, I’ll wash your car.”

“I just washed it.”

“I’ll do your chores for a week, then,” he says.

“I don’t . . . I don’t mind doing chores,” I tell him.

“I’ll let your brother get a goal off of me and I’ll play with his G.I. Joe dolls.”

Every day Sanghyun has been trying to get a goal off of Jiyong, with no luck. My little brother would love to beat Jiyong. “Fine,” I say. “But I drive.”

He slides over the center console and hops in the passenger seat while I get behind the wheel.

When I glance at him, I can’t help but notice the look of triumph on his face.

“You know what your problem is?” I’m not surprised he doesn’t wait for me to respond before he goes into his assessment of me. “You make everythin’ a big deal. Take kissin’, for example. You probably think if you kiss someone it’s supposed to mean somethin’ monumental.”

“I don’t just go around kissing people for fun like you.”

“Why not? Dara, didn’t anyone tell you that life is supposed to be fun?”

“I have fun in other ways.”

“Oh, please,” he says in total disbelief. “You ever smoke weed?” I shake my head.

“Take Ecstasy?” My top lip curls in disgust.

“Have wild on top of a mountain?” he questions.

“You have a demented view of fun, Jiyong.”

He shakes his head. “Okay, Girl. What do you consider fun? Walkin’ up mountains? Doin’ your homework? Watchin’ So