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The poor are sad they’re poor, Adam had once mused, and turns out the rich are sad they’re rich

And Ronan had said, Hey, I’m rich, and it doesn’t bother ood school We play the game We make up a new life for you"

Adaan to wipe between each greasy finger "I would have to find jobs, too This didn’t happen overnight Do you kno long it tookin the carport outside his father’s double-wide That was merely a chore Adam held down three jobs, the most important of which was at the trailer factory just outside Henrietta

"I could cover you until you found so silence as Adaers He didn’t look up at Gansey This was a conversation they’d had before, and entire days of arguments were replayed in the few h that they didn’t need to be said again

Successto Adam if he hadn’t done it for himself

Gansey tried his best to keep his voice even, but a bit of heat crept in "So you won’t leave because of your pride? He’ll kill you"

"You’ve watched toonews, Adaht? He’s offered twice now Heand draped it back over a toolbox There was a lot of stuff in the carport New tool racks and calendars of topless wos Mr Parrish had decided were more valuable than Adam’s school uniform "Because then he will kill un"

Gansey said, "Christ"

Laying a hand on the mutt’s head -- it drove her insane with happiness -- Adam leaned out of the carport to look down the dirt road He didn’t have to tell Gansey what he atching for

"Come on, Adam," said Gansey Please "We’ll make it work"

A wrinkle formed between Adam’s eyebrows as he looked away Not at the double-wides in the foreground, but past therass SoHe said, "It et to be my own person If I let you cover for me, then I’m yours I’m his now, and then I’ll be yours"

It struck Gansey harder than he thought it would Soe that his and Adam’s friendship existed in a place thatthat spoke to the contrary hurt Gansey more than he would have admitted out loud With precision, he asked, "Is that what you think of me?"

"You don’t know, Gansey," Adah you’ve got all of it You don’t kno it makes people look at me and at you It’s all they need to know about us They’ll think I’m your monkey"

I am only my money It is all anyone sees, even Ada to keep working when you miss school and work because you let your dad pound the shit out of you? You’re as bad as her You think you deserve it"

Without warning, Adae beside him The sound it made on the concrete startled both of them

Adam turned his back to Gansey, his arms crossed

"Don’t pretend you know," he said "Don’t co"

Gansey told hi else Then he said, "Don’t pretend you have anything to be proud of, then"

As soon as he said it, he knew that it wasn’t fair, or even if it had been fair, it wasn’t right But he wasn’t sorry he’d said it

He went back to the Canal had completely disappeared, like it often did in Henrietta Usually, Gansey took that as a sign that soy around the town, knocking down the cell signal and soht it probably justhis eyes, he thought about the bruise on Adaes, and the hard redhere one day and finding that Adam wasn’t here, but in the hospital, or worse, that Ada i it made him feel sick

The car jerked then, and Gansey’s eyes caroaned

"Wait, Gansey," Adam said, out of breath He was all folded over to be able to see inside the car His bruise looked ghastly It made his skin see his hands off the wheel and into his lap, Gansey peered up at hi to tell him not to take what he’d said personally But it felt personal

"I’ to help"

"I know," Adam told him "I know But I can’t do it that way I can’t live with myself that way"

Gansey didn’t understand, but he nodded He wanted it to be over; he wanted it to be yesterday, when he and Ronan and Ada to the recorder and Adaure of Mrs Parrish watching from the porch

Adam closed his eyes for aunderneath the thin skin of his eyelids, a dreamer awake

And then, in one easy er seat Gansey’s o," Adam said He didn’t look at Gansey His mother stared at them from the porch, but he didn’t look at her, either "The psychic was the plan, right? We’re doing the plan"