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"Why are you so annoying?" I shriek, throwing my hands up in exasperation. What is making me so irritable you may ask? Two words, Cato Hadley. He's the biggest brute you'll ever meet...and my science partner. Right now, he's following me home. Even though I told him not to. But it doesn't matter what I say. He assumes that because he is a year older and a foot taller, he can just follow me everywhere and annoy me to pieces.
"I'm not annoying; I'm charming. There's a huge difference, sweetheart." He teases, leaning up against the telephone pole in front of me and blocking my path.
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"Don't call me sweetheart." I snap, glaring at him.
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"You know you like it." He taunts, winking at me.
For a reason I don't know, warmth floods my cheeks. I shake my head and clear my thoughts. No, Clove, don't be one of those girls. He's just another immature teenage boy who's in your way.
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"No, I don't. Now move; I don't want to spend my whole afternoon walking home from school." I try to dodge past him and stomp off, but he grabs my hand. "Cato! Let go!"
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I try to pull my wrist away out of his grip, but he doesn't let go, grinning at my feeble efforts to be free of him.
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After about five minutes of struggling, he does let go. But of course, I didn't expect him to. So I trip over my own feet and prepare to fall flat on my back. I must be about a foot off of the ground when a pair of arms circle my waist, and I'm pulled back up. When I open my eyes, there's Cato's smug face just inches from mine.
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"You're just falling over your own feet for me, Clover." He laughs at his joke, looking down at my disgruntled expression.
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I cross my arms. "I hate you."
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"Oh, but Clove," Cato leans down and presses his lips against my cheek for a brief moment. "I love you."
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