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He sauntered off, pulsing open his car and roaring off

Sophie turned around and faced the group We all stared at her and she shrugged nervously "What?"

"That was a cluster," Tiff said, wading into the conversational fray as usual

Bry shrugged "People need to go out ho they want We can’t pick e’re attracted to"

Tiff turned on him like a barracuda "Oh, and that worked out so well for you last year with Barbie," she voiced with dripping scorn

Bry flinched and Mia gave a s time I wonder what the skank was up to?

So did Jonesy "Yeah, what’s gorgeous bitch up to now?" He looked around the group with interest His focus was shifting to soroup notched down It was definitely a safer topic than Jonesy and Sophie’s issues

Mia shrugged and said, "We’re in the sarade and I see her around but" she looked down at her shoulder, deliberating Her expression took on a made-up-her-mind look "I hear she still likes Bry"

All our faces swung to Bry and John said, "No way Weller"

"Yeah man, what Terran said," Jonesy said and Bry narrowed his eyes on him

"I don’t listen to you about chicks, Jones," Bry said

"That’s gives rin

"Whatever," Tiff said with a swift eye roll

"Okay," I said, holding up et the kinks out I kneas in pain froy and stamina As if on cue he said, "Did you re, let’s get in the hideaway and not stand out here for the world to notice"

John was already thuate and pushing it open

The rest of us trooped after hireat bundle of food

Once inside the hideae laid out the banquet and sat around on thewhen Sophie (Jonesy keeping a safe distance while covertly staring at her every other second) began talking about her AP class

She shrugged, her zebra top undulating with the movement and Jonesy kept pace, yes indeedy "It’s like I said, the drug will be tested on us Astral Projection peeps then it will go frohtfully "Has that been FDA-approved?" He directed the question at Sophie but it was Alex that answered, "Yes All the right-wingers are freaking out about the ’sleep potential’ for paranorent chuckle, hitching up his glasses, which didn’t belong on that face any that had become a swan It was just like the fairy tale

"Jones, re to shoot us up with to safeguard the mundanes e slept?" He quickly looked at John and clarified, "Nulls excluded"

John rolled his eyes "Right, thanks I was really unclear on that point"

Alex smiled "Anyway it would stop the numbnuts of the world"

"Like Carson," Tiff interjected helpfully Alex nodded, laughing

"Froed his shoulders to his ears,like the Alex that I ree was lost like s a thumb toward me

"Hey!" Tiff yelled

Jonesy leveled a stare at her "Cool it, Tiff"

Bry glowered "Knock it off Jones or I’onna beat some manners into ya"

"Try it, Weller"

Bry stood

What was this shit? Testosterone Central?

Jonesy stood as well, his emotional net still poised to snap "I can’t tell your sib to put a lid on it without you tearing another hole outta ht about it "No I can do it but you can’t"

Tiff said, "I forgive you, Jonesy" She gave a look to Bry "Chill Bro, I’ll live I’ in all the corners and I don’t wanna clean up his mess"

Wow, did Tiff have a ords

Jade had a stunned look and Sophie began again in the led conversation "Anyway, there’s a reason why they’re beginning with us"

She had a Tone, Mom would’ve spotted it a y I looked at Sophie, really looked at her Beneath the careful artifice of her make-up lay circles under her eyes

I watched as Jonesy recognized it too and struggled to appear indifferent

Jade walked over to Sophie and knelt down in front of her, she was careful not to touch bare skin She rubbed a jean-clad knee "What’s going on, Soph?"

Sophie had been looking down at Jade but lifted her face to the group and all of us sucked in a breath at the standing tears in her turquoise eyes

"The police are after a rapist," she whispered into the roouy tensed, our collective breath trapped in our lungs, the girls’ eyes like saucers

Jade recovered first, "That’s terrible but, how does this affect you and what does it have to do with the drug?" she asked, trying to make sense of the pattern

Sophie looked at everyone and said souys calad that you haveover to her

"I don’t hate you, Soph," he said, more serious than I’d ever seen him

"I know," she whispered

He put a hand on her shoulder, so black against the zebra print of the shirt "Is so to hurt you, Soph?" he asked in a low voice Every guy there heard the threat in his tone, the menace

"Buddy?" he said, not able to rein in the clench of his free hand that didn’t touch her

Jade’s eyes got wide and she looked at Jonesy So pretty good on her I walked over and stood next to Jade where she still held onto Sophie’s knee in a death-grip

She shook her head, her soft hair flying around her face Jonesy unconsciously stroked her shoulder

"Then what?" he asked so softly everyone leaned in to hear