a fine line,” Nick agreed. “There are a couple of nuclear power plants within a few hundred miles, but not a single one of them puts their blueprints online.”
“Wow,” Seth said faintly. “It’s almost like they don’t want someone getting inside.”
Nick scowled at his laptop screen. “I’ll figure it out. We just have to have faith that someone made a mistake and put clear, detailed instructions online on how to break into a power plant and get a safe blast of radiation that will give me superpowers and not make my testicles explode. Should be—”
Seth’s phone beeped in his hands.
Nick looked up again.
Seth’s expression tightened. His brow was furrowed, his mouth in a thin line. He looked tougher than Nick had ever seen him before. It was … shocking. For a moment, Nick almost thought Seth looked dangerous, but that was ridiculous.
“Is everything okay?” Nick asked slowly.
Seth stood abruptly. His chair scraped against the floor, bumping into a shelf of books behind him. One of the librarians glared at them. “I have to go,” Seth said, shoving his books back into his backpack.
“What? What do you mean, you have to go? We’re busy! You’re supposed to be helping me—”
“I’m sorry, Nicky. It’s—there’s been a break—an emergency at the animal shelter. They put out a call to all volunteers. Apparently it’s a pretty big deal.”
Nick squinted at him. “An … animal shelter emergency?”
Seth nodded. “Flooding, because of the rain. They have to move all the animals, and they need all the help they can get.”
“I thought you stopped working there after school started.”
“I did,” Seth said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. “But they need me. I have to go help them. Can’t let the animals drown, right?”
Well, no, because that would be evil. “Need help?”
“Nah, don’t worry about it. I’ll handle it. Keep doing what you’re doing.”
That sounded fake, but okay. “I … guess?”
“I’m sorry,” Seth said, but he was distracted, like he was already somewhere else in his head. “I know this is important to you, but I’ve got to do this. It’s not—just stay away from midtown, okay?”
Nick didn’t understand. “What the hell does that have to do—”
“Promise me,” Seth snapped, that hardened expression back on his face. He reached down and put his hand on top of Nick’s, squeezing tightly. “Stay away. Because of the flooding.”
“I promise,” Nick said. “Because of the flooding.”
“Thanks. I’ll text you later, okay? Just … don’t go to any nuclear power plants. That idea is ridiculous, and you’ll most likely end up dead. Think of something else.”
“Well, maybe if you’d found some freaking meteors, I wouldn’t have to—”
And then the most extraordinary thing happened, something that caused all Nick’s thoughts to come to a screeching halt.
Seth leaned down and kissed his cheek.
Nick felt the quick, hot pulse of breath against his skin, the scrape of lips and then—
He turned slowly to look up at Seth.
Seth, who looked horrified by what he’d just done. “I—uh—Holy crap, I’ve got to go.”
Nick watched as Seth walked backwards, staring wide-eyed at Nick. He walked into a girl who told him to watch where he was going, and then into a bookshelf, knocking books onto the ground, much to the consternation of the librarian who looked like she was about to descend into an apoplectic fit.
Nick stared, dumbfounded, as Seth finally turned around and ran from the library. Nick couldn’t be sure he’d ever seen Seth move that fast in his life.
He reached up and pressed a finger to where Seth’s lips had been just a moment before.
“Huh,” Nick said to no one in particular.
“I will see you banned,” the librarian whisper-shouted.
* * *
Jazz and Gibby found Nick an hour later, staring forlornly at his laptop. The internet had never betrayed him like this before. He didn’t know how to handle it. From not giving him blueprints to a nuclear power plant to finding out if friends kissed each other goodbye on the cheeks if they weren’t French, it was useless.
Gibby ruffled his hair as she slumped gracefully into a chair next to Nick. “Where’s Seth?”
“Animal shelter emergency,” Nick mumbled, feeling his face grow warm.
“Animal shelter emergency?” Jazz asked, standing next to Nick, looking at his computer screen. Thankfully, he’d already closed the tab with the search what are you supposed to do when your best friend kisses your cheek. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You look very pretty,” Nick told her, because she deserved to hear it on a regular basis. She was wearing her cheerleader uniform,