Free Mr. Fahrenheit by T. Michael Martin Page B

feels embarrassed to be next to her. He’s noticed girls before, of course; he’s even liked a couple In That Way, the feelings like flickers of heat lightning in his belly. But this girl makes his blood glow.
    â€œBadass tuxedo,” she says, and inexplicably doesn’t seem to be making fun of him. “Is that for the show? I’m gonna draw something on the overhead projector; I don’t even know what yet,” she says, talking rapid-fire, leaning in, like she’s sharing something urgent and secret, “but I think it’ll be good—Oh my God, is that a top hat ?”
    She grabs the hat, which he’s been turning over in his hands, and puts it on. “Do I look dumb?” she says. In fact, nothing in history has ever looked less dumb. “Can I wear it when I go on?I super swear I’ll give it back. Hey, what’s your name?”
    â€œBenji Lightman.”
    She smiles so wide that the skin at the edges of her eyes crinkles. With a clarity of thought and emotion he’s never felt in his life, Benji thinks: I love you.
    â€œI’m Ellie. I’ll tell you my last name if I can borrow the hat after you’re done, Benji Lightman. Deal?”
    It was. He gave a flawless performance that day because of how good and special she had made him feel. That was their perfect beginning. How could it not have a happy ending?
    â€œHey, Ellie Holmes,” he said as he reached the RustRocket.
    With a jerky nervousness, she glanced up from her phone, then brushed her bangs off her brow. Her forehead was wrinkled in a way that let Benji see what she would look like when she got a little older. She was going to look great.
    â€œHow’s life?” Benji said. He couldn’t quite suppress anymore the giddiness he’d tamped down most of the day. “Read any good books lately? See any good movies? Shoot down any good flying saucers?”
    Usually his bad jokes got her to smile. But not now.
    â€œYou okay?” Benji said.
    â€œUmm, well, that remains to be seen.”
    â€œYou still want to go to the quarry, right?”
    â€œCR and Zeeko said to meet them at the front gate,” she replied, which didn’t really answer the question. As she had at the quarry last night, Ellie seemed so uncharacteristically uneasy. He waited for her to go on.
    Finally, she said, “I’m not exactly sure we’re up to this task, Benji.”
    â€œWhat? Why?”
    â€œI’m not trying to be mean, but . . . Look, it’s because of you.You’re worrying me a bit. Last night, you just seemed . . . it was like you didn’t understand how ridiculously serious this whole thing is.”
    â€œNo. Ellie, I’m taking this extremely seriously.”
    â€œThen why aren’t you freaking out?” She half laughed.
    â€œBecause . . .” No words came. “It’s hard to explain. Here.” He lay back on the hood, pointing his index finger skyward. “Do you ever lie on your back outside when it’s snowing at night, and the snow just looks like white streaks zooming past, and even though it’s sort of silly, you pretend they’re stars and you’re flying at light speed?”
    After a moment, Ellie leaned back, too, and looked up. “Yeah, of course,” she said. She put her hand close to his on the hood.
    â€œAnd you know how the night sky feels like . . . like pure possibility?” Benji said. “Just totally beautiful, like anything can happen. And you look at the stars and it’s like your past doesn’t define you. It feels like you are looking at The Future. Like the sky is a time machine.”
    â€œWell, when I was a kid, anyway.”
    That made Benji uncomfortable for a reason he didn’t quite understand, but he went on. “Ellie, I’m scared, but only a little, because the saucer makes me feel like the sky does. Everything feels big and possible, and I just don’t accept