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"Then caht in it, suddenly there was just one group: the outcasts Or the losers, or the freaks, or whatever you call people that the rest of the world wishes would go away Like I said earlier, aited alot one, cliques didn’t seeether, so why make life hard for each other? In my school now, I’m friends with kids I never would have spoken to back in Revere Most of my classmates are zombies, but there are soht? Deadtown High: Zo

"And you knohy? Because noant to learn stuff Not just from our classes, but fro about co hs and scattered applause "My best friend, Jenna, she’s an awesoument she couldn’t resolve My other friend Sharon, who’s a olf, is into finance andpredictions about the stock market People come to me for fashion tips, which you’d expect"--she twirled to show off her outfit--"but also to learn how to get rid of their personal demons Because kids have their own demons to wrestle with And I learned about demons from the best demon slayer in the business, who, by the way, happens to be a shapeshifter"

My doubts about Tina as de expert were squashed by the lump in s about being previously deceased well and truly suck But for , and that’s the ability to look past stupid, ether to support and learn from each other And if us kids can do that at the DA-1 school, we can all do it" She looked around, as if expecting applause, but the audience was silent, every face watching her "Souo, unity!" As she pu with cheers and rinned and clasped her hands above her head, like a prizefighter Then she skipped to the edge of the stage Kane, standing, shook her hand, before she went down the steps Kane went to the e of the crowd and caught up with Tina a couple of minutes later When she sawthat nearly broke ain "The audience loved it"

"Yeah, they did, didn’t they? I practiced, like, a gazillion times Kane said not to say ‘like’ and ‘you know’ and ‘stuff’ and, you know, other stuff That was hard But I think I did okay"

"You did great"

"Thanks" Tina grinned, still riding high on the applause "Anyway, I’ve gotta go I’ interviewed It’s just PNN, so it’s not like anyone atch, but hey, TV is TV"

"You never knoho est audience was in Deadtown, but it was available nationwide "Have fun"

"I will" But she didn’t move away She bit her lip and looked al"

"That’s right We picked her up at the airport tonight"

"Did she" Tina glanced around "Did she couess sheacross the ocean and all"

"She did have a very long day We’ll watch for your interview on PNN tomorrow"

"Awesome They’ll probably show part of my speech, too" The shy look returned "Um, do you think it would be okay if I came over to see her? You know, to say hello and whatever"

"I’m sure Mab would love to see you Just call first"

"Really?" She bounced on her toes, looking more like the Tina I knew "Cool Okay, I’ll call to, and she disappeared into the ain I checked for cracked ribs

SEVERAL MORE SPEAKERS, ROUSING BURSTS OF MUSIC FROM an all-paranore All of Deadtown’s roups were represented: zombies, olves, and even vaetherness Mostwas Clyde, who’d traded his doorman’s uniform for a cleric’s robe "I know that ue," he said "Certainly, I’ve struggled with my own Despite that, or perhaps because of it, I’d like to offer a simple prayer Even if you don’t believe, I hope you’ll listen to the spirit that nified appeal to heal breaches and bring people together, I iping tears from my cheeks The female zombie beside me put an arm around my shoulder If zombies could cry, there wouldn’t have been a dry eye in the audience

Then it was Kane’s turn He praised the speakers and thanked the audience for co to secure paranor to talk about winning this fight," he said "Fighting, warfare, battles--those are the wrong ht, ill lose We will lose in more ways than one First, we possess neither the weapons nor the numbers to win an actual war The forces that oppose us would smash our homes, our businesses, take ahat little freedo, is that ould lose our ability to define ourselves ‘Look at them,’ the powers-that-be would say ‘They’re monsters All they understand is violence We have to destroy theive us no choice’"

A couple of shouts caht? Hecklers? Fro on Kane stared in that direction for a ht," he said, "but it is a struggle Think of the difference Any thug can pick a fight"