As the house lights went up, Cary turned to me. "So, Mary Anne, you live on Burnt Hill Road, right?"

I nodded.

"Well, so do I, but closer to the outskirts of Stoneybrook."

"Really?" I asked. "I never knew that before."

Cary shrugged. "So, neighbor, how about a leisurely stroll through scenic Stoneybrook?"

"If it's not too much trouble..."

Cary smiled. "Nahh."

The Embassy is just beyond Cabbages and Kings (a health-food restaurant that Dawn frequents when she's in a town) on Athens Road. There are two ways to get to my house from there, one by turning onto Rosedale Road, then going on Bradford Court, going down Elm Street, and then getting on Burnt Hill Road, or simply follow Rosedale until the turn for Burnt Hill. I hoped Cary would choose the longer way, because the other involved going by Logan's house. But I didn't want to say anything, because after a year, I should be able to go by my ex-boyfriend's house.

But not every ex-boyfriend is a total pain in the neck about being broken up, and after a year, still wants to get back together.

I didn't want to have to explain all that to Cary.

Since it _was_ short, and more logical, Cary chose the Rosedale to Burnt Hill Path. I sighed.

Cary was just telling me about some amusing trouble that his younger brothers, Steig and Benson, had gotten in back in Oak Hill when I saw it. Logan's house.

And Logan was out in front, mounting his bike. "Hey," Cary called to him.

"Oh, hello," he said frostily. "Mary Anne?"

"Yeah?" I called back.

"I'll call you."

I hurried on. Cary caught up with me. "What was that about?" he said, raising one eyebrow. The patented Cary eyebrow, no less.

"Oh," I sighed. "It's Logan. He won't leave me alone."

"But haven't you been broken up for quite a long time?" he said smoothly.

I shrugged. "Makes no difference to him."

"And didn't he go out with Emily Bernstein a few times?"

"Look, I don't really want to talk about it. Let's change the subject, okay?" I closed my eyes in frustration.

"As you wish."

The rest of the trek passed uneventfully. We said goodbye at the entrance to my barn-house and I saw Sharon in the front hall, looking for something.

"What are you missing?" I asked.

"Oh, my car keys. Once again," she said, laughing a little.

"I wish Dawn were here," I said wistfully. "She seems to have a sixth sense for finding the things you misplace."

"Me too, sweetie, me too." She squeezed my shoulder. "Say, that wasn't Logan walking you home, was it?"

"Nah. That's Cary. But Logan did give me some trouble on the way."

"Forget about the car keys. I don't feel like doing the grocery shopping anyway. Why don't we have some herbal tea?" she suggested.

"That is just what I need." Before moving in with Dawn and Sharon, I'd never even given a thought to herbal tea. That's just one of the things that changed over seventh and eighth grade. One of the smallest things, really.

So I told Sharon all about how Logan just wouldn't leave me alone. "Maybe it just doesn't seem real to him yet," she said thoughtfully.

"But Sharon, it's been a year and he _has_ dated other people."

"But you haven't."

Sharon was right. Logan still felt he had some sort of hold over me.

But he didn't. Not at all.