What Den meant to say was, “Why no, you’ve always seemed to me a down-to-earth sort of girl, always approachable with an inestimable air of calm and kindness.”

What Den actually let slip out was, “A little.”

“Oh,” April let slip out with as little thought. Her drink seemed to become intensely interesting at that very moment, as luck would have it.

“But it’s an assumption, that’s all,” Den started, and having started went ahead full steam, “Y-y-you’re gorgeous, a fracking angel, and everyone likes you, even that goth kid Evan who swears he hates everyone. Your clothes are nice, your hair is perfect, and nothing seems to bother you cause you’re always smiling and pretty and st-stuff.” Stutter or no stutter he was going to get this all out.

Den took a deep breath, one last look into April’s magnificent eyes now staring at him with surprised and wonder, and offered his summation, “So, I assume you’re stuck up, cause I p-probably would be, which d-doesn’t make you stuck up. It m-means I’m a jerk.”