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Chapter One

Gant

“I’ it,” I tellat me like I killed the non-existent cat

“Pretty please?” Caro places her hands under her chin and bats her eyelashes Ordinarily I would kill for my baby sister, but this ask is too far I shake my head no

“It’s for charity,” huffs my mom Her delicate hands wave in the air “How can you be so Scroogelike?”

“First, I’ checkbook That would be you” I tiphandrew her business, and her kids, into a h school history teacher,” I remind them

“Tell him that this is painless,” pleads Caro

“It’s painless,” her fiancé, Ben, repeats dutifully but behind her back he gri Caro senses this betrayal and jabs hiut with an elbow

“You said it wasn’t bad,” Caro accuses “Tell him”

“Yeah it’s fine, man,” he says but I see the fear in his eyes

“If you had a girlfriend, of course I wouldn’t ask this of you,” le, I don’t see how this is a probleht even be fun”

“Are you punishing le?” I say

“How can giving back to your co money for sick children, be a punishment?” Mom’s finely tweezed eyebrow arches into her forehead

“Yeah, don’t be a kid killer,” Caro chied He did it for five years, and he’s perfectly fine”

Barely, he mouths

I fake a cough to cover a laugh

Ben pushes away froars frohter’s cat Gave a couple to me Want to test them out?”