"Oh, God, no, only — only if you wind up saying something to him first," Beverly says quickly, shaking her head. "If you don't, I'll never say a word, I promise." She wouldn't have considered it anyway, but it seems worth putting it into words. Jamie's trusting her with something like this, she doesn't want to take for granted, and she definitely doesn't want him to worry that he's made the wrong decision in telling her. She's never really had a lot of friends. Before that last summer back home, she wouldn't have said that she had any. Things are different here, and she doesn't want to jeopardize that when she thinks it will probably always seem like everything could so easily go back to the way it used to be.

"Just, you know, if you do, I could mention that I think you're really cool, or something."