Fallout (Crank 3)

her shoulders slump slightly. Okay,

might as well confess. I met this

guy. He’s my teacher, actually,

and he is incredible. She spits

out a list of attributes: tall,

gorgeous, smart, professional.

Then, a major ding: divorced.

Divorced? Like with alimony

and child support? How old

is the guy, anyway? Might as

well ask. “How old is he, anyway?”

I expect her to say forty-five,

maybe even fifty. So it comes

as a major surprise when she

answers, Thirty-one. I know it’s

kind of weird to think about

going out with someone

who’s younger. But stranger

things happen every day, right?

She said think about going

out with … So … “Does

that mean you aren’t going

out with him yet, or what?”

Not sure why the idea of her

dating this guy bothers me so

much. He’s not like her first

or anything. But something seems

different. No … yes … uh …

Not like real dates. No movies

or dancing or anything. Just