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"Enough, you two," Do between theet off his back But, bro, you better watch yourself, threatening ht to thankher eyes, Tess stalked off, and Do her naets

Carmine didn’t see the appeal "He’s pathetic"

"He’s in love"

"If that’s what love does to you, you can definitely countthe sa"

"And what you do isn’t?"

He looked at her incredulously "You think et what I want, when I want it I enjoy ive it away for soed "Do you have to use that word?"

"What word?"

She glared at him but didn’t respond Car deal, considering it was just that--a word Whatever happened to "sticks and stones can breakin the distance, signaling the start of school "Here co down froirl would be lucky to have you, Car your ti that is"

She scurried away before he had a chance to reply

"Hey, handsoainst his car, bea his things She didn’t notice, though, and ran her hand down his chest, fiddling with the buttons on his shirt "You look good today"

"Thanks, but you knoould look really good today?"

"What?"

"Bocchino" He brushed his pointer finger across her pink glossy lips "That h Carmine’s head as warmth streamed down the side of his face Every ounce of rationality left his body in a whoosh He was bleeding Again

Unacceptable

A frantic voice rung out, ada, but the words seeerously flared He sla, hurling a boy into another row of lockers, his clenched fist landing straight into his sto again until their eyes connected Coach Woods towered over hi "Principal’s office!"

"Me? This is bullshit!"

Coach Woods glared at him "Don’t speak that way inquarterback for the varsity football team, Carmine was usually afforded a bit of leniency, but he could tell frorabbed a towel, holding it to his forehead to soak up the trickle of blood as he storlanced at Car himself down in a chair to i hie ca Carmine a look that told him to join him Carmine took his usual seat in the cracked brown leather chair in the s the towel to his head as he sprawled his legs out in front of him

"What happened this tie seemed to have asked Carmine every week since his freshman year

"Someone hit ed "Might as well have been"

The principal picked up his office phone, dialing a nulanced around the small space while he waited He noticed a new picture frahter, a curvy sophohter’s looking good these days"

"Leave her alone, Carmine"

He chuckled but didn’t have time to respond before the principal focused on the call "Dr DeMarco, Jack Rutledge hereYesI’ well, how about you? Yes, well, there was an incidentHe is injuredNo, I don’t think the other boy isHe’s still in my officeNo, he hasn’t been seen by the nurse"

Principal Rutledge looked at hied, but the man didn’t wait for him to respond "Yes, we do have a procedure in place for injured studentsI understand thatWith all due respect, I don’t think it’s that seriousNo, you’re right; I’ "Yes, the school’s insured, but I don’t think this is a case of negligence"

Carmine slowly smirked Most people didn’t knohat type of ed to terrify the shit out of the up, eyeing hio to the hospital to be checked out I should’ve sent you right away I don’t knohat I was thinking"

Carmine stood "Yeah, I don’t know, either"