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Why is it, the ins to feel okay, you decide to test et it? You won, God You are the al my best to live, to love

Written February 20; thrown out the bus

"Parker"

I glance up fro at a hole in my jeans Brian wants me "Yeah?"

"C’o over a few stats with you"

My hands tremble I stand and see what the players are up to

"Tell us how far you’ve gotten with her,about Jordan

"Hell, no I can’t tell you She’d rip love

"She would totally rip his balls off," Corndog says, cringing

None of the to slip into the seat with the coach Our elbows touch but he doesn’t pull away

"What do you want to talk about?" I ask

He turns the pages until he reaches a blank section for notes, then draws a Tic-Tac-Toe board He pulls a pencil from behind his ear and hands it to ame is so stupid," Iit?"

"You looked like you need to talk"

I jot down an X "I don’t feel like it"

"Then just sit here withtoo Brian glances around, at the bus driver and over his shoulder

"Want to play MASH instead?"

"What’s that?" he replies

"I used to play it in ele down nuure out what kind of house and car you’ll have, who you’ll irly"

I ignore him "MASH stands for mansion, apartment, shack and house, but I like to play this my oay Name four kinds of places to live You know, a trailer or a Victorian-style house or whatever"

He ticks choices off on his fingers "Log cabin, beach house, country farloo"

I write down his choices "Name four cars"

"Can they be other s like Toyota Corolla and Ford Escort?"

I laugh "You can say whatever method of transportation you want"

"Horse, Harley, suball over the place"

"You stalking ive hian Fox, Lindsay Lohan, and Ki, he looks over my shoulder at MASH as I jot down his answers "Give o on your honey married"

Yay! "A hypothetical honeymoon Honestly, have you never played MASH before?"

"Nope"

"Arins and rubs the scruff on his jaw "You’re funny, you know that?"

"Stop sucking up and give me four places for your hypothetical honeymoon"

"Fine" He pauses to think "Tokyo, Canberra, Venice, and Alaska"

I tell Brian about how I love picking up worn travel books at yard sales and paging through theuide is for Italy Dad wants to visit there so bad

"I’ve alanted to travel," Brian says "I’ve never left the States"

"Me neither But I want to" I love that we have that in common "Why haven’t you?"

Lines appear on his forehead "Haven’t gotten around to it yet, I guess"

I begin drawing a pinwheel "Tell "

"Stop," Brian replies "What the hell is this gain going through his answers and cutting the to o to Tokyo for your honeymoon Then you’ll live in a house at the beach and drive a subently and glances over his shoulder for a third tio back to your seat now that you’ve predicted rinning

When God created the Earth, he had such a sick wicked sense of huood

Before the gaainst Tullahos the National Antheame I went to was sophomore year Mom watched me play, then ent out for sreat I a the clay and clipped grass and feeling the sunshine on my face reetting roove I can do this I want to be here I say "Ommmm Ommmm," under my breath, because Cosmo says that helps center your core

"Parker," Brian calls out "C’out

"What were you doing over there?" he asks

"I was O my core?"

"Okay, Obi-Wan, take this lineup to the press box" He waves a scorecard