Thomas to talk about it?"

 

She pursed her lips. "Look, just forget it for now. Let's pretend we're a couple

of normal people.

 

We're out for a drive, and we're watching the ocean, and it's nice to be

together."

 

I could tell something was bothering her, but she put on a brave smile. The

sunlight made her hair look like fire.

 

We'd spent a lot of time together this summer. I hadn't exactly planned it that

way, but the more serious things got at camp, the more I found myself needing to

call up Rachel and get away, just for some

 

breathing room. I needed to remind myself that the mortal world was still out

there, away from all the monsters using me as their personal punching bag.

 

"Okay," I said. "Just a normal afternoon and two normal people."

 

She nodded. "And so . . . hypothetically, if these two people liked each other,

what would it take to get the stupid guy to kiss the girl, huh?"

 

"Oh ..." I felt like one of Apollo's sacred cows — slow, dumb, and bright red.