Starcrossed (Starcrossed 1)

I?d even kissed another boy since the disaster with Matt in the

closet in seventh grade. Third, and probably most important, I was

never as close to Gretchen as I am to you. You?re my best friend,

Gig.? Helen squeezed her until Claire gave in and smiled. ?I?ve

been strange lately, I know it, and I?m really sorry. Some weird

stuff is going on with me. I want to tell you everything about it, but

I can?t because I don?t understand it yet. So please, please just stay

on my side, even if I am angry and miserable all the time.?

?You know I?m always on your side, but do you want me to be

completely honest?? Claire stopped again and turned to face Helen.

?I know I?m supposed to say that this is nothing, and that it will all

work itself out, and feed you all that supportive nonsense, but I

can?t. I don?t think this is going to get better on its own, and I?m

worried about you.?

After track practice, Helen went to hold down the store. She had

offered to give Louis the night off so that his marathon weekend

manning the store while Kate and Jerry were in Boston would start

on a full night?s rest.

Customers were still looking at her funny as news of her meltdown

made its way to every year-rounder on the island, but she

had too much to do to get bent out of shape about it. By the time

she was done cleaning and setting everything up for Louis in the

morning it was after midnight.

There was a moment while she was locking up and walking to the

Pig when she was alert and listening for danger, but it passed by

the time she was backing out and on her way home. She had been

cautious, but that didn?t matter. It was after she had parked in her

driveway and was walking toward her house that she got jumped.

The first thing she felt was gratitude. At least the Delos clan had

waited until Jerry was safely out of the way before they came to kill