Josh had spent the whole weekend wondering what would happen today, if Cindy would talk to him, look at him, notice him. He'd had to put in two long days at the station and arrived home exhausted each night. And somehow, each time he'd reached for the phone, he'd frozen. What would he say? What would she say? What was going on?

He hadn't dared hope that he would even see her before class, but she had been leaning against his locker when he came around the corner.

"Josh, you know what I liked best about Friday night? Do you?"

"The beautiful moon?" Wonder of wonders. She had just started talking, just as if Friday night was still happening.

"And?"

"The beautiful beach?"

"And?"

"The revised law that lets dogs hang their heads out the window and howl at the moon?"

"More than that. More and more and more. I liked best that you kissed me." She moved a step closer.

"Yum, yum!"

"No." She backed away. "I liked that you kissed me once. On the beach. And once when you dropped me off. It scared me some. And it made me feel all, all strange inside. Down where that knife used to be. But the knife was gone. And it just felt all warm and wonderful."

"Like poetry?"

"Different. Or maybe like real poetry. I don't know if I can ever write the same again. Shall we try? Let's describe Friday night in poems, and then see if we come up with the same words, the same lines, the same rhymes? I'll bet we do."

"And read them in class?" A mischievous grin rolled across his face.

"You jerk. I'm serious."

"I tried to write a poem after I dropped you off. And I couldn't do it. Nothing came. Not even a moon, spoon, swoon sort of thing. Nothing. Maybe I can only write good stuff when I'm suffering."

"So I've ruined you? Good. No. Wait. You still haven't figured out what I liked best." She had put her hands on his shoulders.

"The kiss? I thought it was the kiss."

"Yes. No. Well, look. You know why I invited you to my house? When, like, my parents weren't there? There I was, a maiden undefended. And you know what you did? When I kissed you?"

"Oh, yeah. I freaked. And then you freaked. And then I freaked again. And then you freaked. And then you hung your head out the window and howled at the moon. I hoped you'd forgotten all of that."

"I've got it all etched in my heart. Every quirky thing you did. You have got to be the weirdest lover anyone has ever had."

"Lover?" He started.

"Wait. That's what I wanted to talk about. I. . . ."

"Listen. What I'd like best of all is lots of nights just like the other night. I'd like to spend my days just sitting around with you, just like this. Just talking."

"I thought you wanted wild sex?"

"You were the one who invited me to the empty house."

"Yeah, but. . . ."

"So we agree?"

"You are the weirdest boy I have ever rolled around on the beach with, under a full moon."

"In April? How many have there been?"

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