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           Hewaited,guardedbutcurious.

           "Ijustwondered...ifyoucouldwarnmebeforehandthenexttimeyoudecidetoignoremeformyowngood.JustsoI’mprepared."IlookedatthelemonadebottleasIspoke,tracingthecircleoftheopeningwithmypinkiefinger.

           "Thatsoundsfair."HewaspressinghislipstogethertokeepfromlaughingwhenIlookedup.

           "Thanks."

           "ThencanIhaveoneanswerinreturn?"hedemanded.

           "One."

           "Tellmeonetheory."

           Whoops."Notthatone."

           "Youdidn’tqualify,youjustpromisedoneanswer,"heremindedme.

           "Andyou’vebrokenpromisesyourself,"Iremindedhimback.

           "Justonetheory-Iwon’tlaugh."

           "Yes,youwill."Iwaspositiveaboutthat.

           Helookeddown,andthenglancedupatmethroughhislongblacklashes,hisochereyesscorching.

           "Please?"hebreathed,leaningtowardme.

           Iblinked,mymindgoingblank.Holycrow,howdidhedothat?

           "Er,what?"Iasked,dazed.

           "Pleasetellmejustonelittletheory."Hiseyesstillsmolderedatme.

           "Um,well,bittenbyaradioactivespider?"Washeahypnotist,too?OrwasIjustahopelesspushover?

           "That’snotverycreative,"hescoffed.

           "I’msorry,that’sallI’vegot,"Isaid,miffed.

           "You’renotevenclose,"heteased.

           "Nospiders?"

           "Nope."

           "Andnoradioactivity?"

           "None."

           "Dang,"Isighed.

           "Kryptonitedoesn’tbotherme,either,"hechuckled.

           "You’renotsupposedtolaugh,remember?"

           Hestruggledtocomposehisface.

           "I’llfigureitouteventually,"Iwarnedhim.

           "Iwishyouwouldn’ttry."Hewasseriousagain.

           "Because...