"Tristan, my protocols will not allow me to heal the Sicceian."It took a moment before Tristan realised what the avatar had said. "Cassiopeia, you hav... to be fucking joking!" Tristan felt anger rise from the pit of his stomach threatening to overwhelm him. "Heal her NOW, you stupid bitch."The avatar backed away from him and shook her head. "I'm sorry, I can only act on a Guardian or another if a Guardian's life is at stake." Then scan her! You can do that?" Yes but..."Tristan clenched his fists. My little basketball recruitment prediction came true even sooner than I expected. The way one of the other players told it, Coach Geiger called Smokey in the next day. The Coach had a reputation for being tough. No one had ever dared to say no to him."Yeah," Blake Warner said, filled with his own self-importance, "the Coach and I talked to him for a half an hour. He kept claiming he liked basketball, but he had to protect his fingers. I think he plays guitar or something. Anyway, the Coach is. He was mesmerized and, without thinking, kissed her “Spider-Man-style”, kissing her deeply upside-down. Her lips were even softer than he had imagined and for a moment, he couldn't breathe. Finally turning her chair around, Ariel gazed hungrily into Jacob’s eyes. She had never seen someone look at her the way he was in that moment. His gaze was like blue fire engulfing her, surrounding her in its embrace. It was a look of wanton lust and emotion without words. After only the briefest of. Now I was taken aback. The ease with which she’d agreed surprised me. I might not have been so surprised if I’d known she’d been taught to masturbate by her big sister.I looked at Rudy and Sam.“You guys will be a couple,” I said.“Of course,” said Sam. “But I think he wants more than one couple and a threesome. I think we’re all going to have to do stuff with each other.”“Like what?” asked Val. “What, exactly, do you think we’re going to have to do?”Rudy had obviously given this some.