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Because Logan Pines was the last pseudovision in Central Florida-- or at least the last one I knew about--I had placed so le dead-end street with a flashlight, I saw no tent No cao At the end of the road, I found a single concrete foundation dug into the dirt But there was nothing built atop it, just the hole cut into the earth like a deadup all around If she’d wanted me to see these places, I could not understand why And if Margo had gone to the pseudovisions never to come back, she knew about a place I hadn’t uncovered in all my research

It took an hour and a half to drive back to Jefferson Park I parked the ed into a polo shirt and my only nice pair of jeans, and walked down Jefferson Way to Jefferson Court, and then took a right onto Jefferson Road A few cars were already lined up on both sides of Jefferson Place, Radar’s street It was only eight-forty-five

I opened the door and was greeted by Radar, who had an armful of plaster black Santas "Gotta put away all of the nice ones," he said "God forbid one of them breaks"

"Need any help?" I asked Radar nodded toward the living room, where the tables on either side of the couch held three sets of unnested black Santa nesting dolls As I renested them, I couldn’t help but notice that they were really very beautiful-- hand-painted and extraordinarily detailed I didn’t say this to Radar, though, for fear that he would beatroouest bedroo Santas into a dresser "You knohen you see theether, it really does ine our myths"

Radar rolled his eyes "Yeah, I always findoddamned black Santa spoon"

I felt a hand onin fast- "We kissed Like, she kissed o On Radar’s parents’ bed"

"That’s disgusting," Radar said "Don’t ured you’d already gotten past that," I said "What with you being such a pi"

"Shut up, bro I’ at ood"

"At what?"

"At kissing And, Ithan me over the years I don’t want to suck so bad she du you," he said to irls as "girls in thefor advice"

I was te up all Ben’s endless blather about the various ways in which he would rock various bodies, but I just said, "As far as I can tell, there are two basic rules: 1 Don’t bite anything without perue is like wasabi: it’s very powerful, and should be used sparingly"

Ben’s eyes suddenly grew bright with panic I winced, and said, "She’s standing behind ue is like wasabi,’" Lacey oofy voice that I hoped didn’t really reseue is like sunscreen," she said "It’s good for your health and should be applied liberally"

"I just threw up in my mouth," Radar said

"Lacey, you just kind of took awaythat," Radar said

I said, "The very idea is so offensive that it’s actually illegal to say the words ‘Ben Starling’s tongue’ on television"

"The penalty for violating that law is either ten years in prison or one Ben Starling tongue bath," Radar said

"Everyone," I said

"Chooses," Radar said, sether

And then Lacey kissed Ben in front of us "Oh God," Radar said, waving his arms in front of his face "Oh, God I’m blind I’ the black Santas"

The party ended up in the for room on the second floor of Radar’s house, all twenty of us I leaned against a wall, my head inches from a black Santa portrait painted on velvet Radar had one of those sectional couches, and everyone was crowded onto it There was beer in a cooler by the TV, but no one was drinking Instead, they were telling stories about one another I’d heardstories and first kiss stories--but Lacey hadn’t heard any of the

I stayed raduate?"

I smirked "Naked but for our robes," I said

"Yes!" Ben sipped a Dr Pepper

"I’ clothes, so I don’t wuss out," Radar said

"Me neither! Q, swear not to bring clothes"

I smiled "Duly sworn," I said

"I’uys got behind the idea The girls, for soela, "Your refusal to do this makes et it," Lacey said "It’s not that we’re afraid It’s just that we already have our dresses picked out"