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"Cover for me," Laurel said fro She hated this because she knew exactly what happened when Laurel and John slipped inside the back office and locked the door

John watched his sicko sex videos, then returned to the video store all hot and bothered and gave Laurel ten minutes of his time He left full of pro her just enough attention to keep her dangling The guy was a loser, but if Laurel didn’t see that, she wasn’t going to listen to anything Alix had to say

"I won’t be long," her friend pro as she hurried toward the back of the store, leading John by the hand

At least it wasn’t busy By nine in the evening,to rent movies had already done so There were only four or five custohts, Alix was surprised when she glanced up to find the very guy who’d been on herat the counter

"Sorry," he said "I didn’t uard, Alix needed a ed, then asked in as casual a voice as she could e, "Can I help you?"

"Would you please check to see if The Matrix is available?"

"Yeah, sure" Alix turned to the coh no one would guess--she hoped--her heart was haht He almost always came in on Tuesdays

"I looked on the shelf, but there doesn’t seem to be a copy"

"They’re all rented," Alix told hi at the computer screen "Would you likethe same lines?"

He considered her offer, then shook his head "No, thanks" He put Catch Me If You Can on the counter and paid for the rental Before she could think of anything to delay hione

Laurel reappeared at the counter, John in tow She had a hickey on her neck and her blouse was lared back, and whispered so, but she could guess Laurel shook her head adamantly

John was out of the store ahihteous tone "He’s taking ative about John now, but Alix wasn’t taking the bait

"He certainly seeood mood," she muttered sarcastically

"He is," Laurel said "He sold a car today and we’re going out to celebrate"

"You ht want to fix your blouse before you leave the store"

"Oh," Laurel said, looking down Her fingers i the last three buttons "Thanks"

Alix shook her head, and lifted a tray of videos to return to the shelf

"I probably won’t coht," Laurel said, "so don’t wait up for me"

As if Alix would "I’m not your mother Don’t worry about it"

"My mother wouldn’t care anyway She dumped me with my uncle when I was ten My nasty uncle, if that tells you anything"

Laurel’s home life hadn’t been any better than Alix’s They’dday to day, mostly in hotel rooms, and not the kind that ca down e, you can’t afford first and last et into their current place You’d have thought they’d moved into a castle when they found the aparte the rent, but with all the neighborhood renovation, Alix was afraid they’d soon be out on the street Rumor had it the apartht the old bank

The apart floors, a per But it was the first home Alix had ever considered truly hers All the furniture was stuff even Goodouldn’t take She and Laurel had collected it piece by piece over the past few ht off the street

Neither girl was in contact with her parents The last Alix had heard, her dad was living somewhere in California but she hadn’t seen hi much He hadn’t made any effort to find her and she had no desire to seek hi checks No one knew that, other than Laurel, whom she’d told in a moment of weakness Alix had sent her mother several letters but when she wrote back, all she wanted was for Alix to send herfor

Alix’s only other faottenoverdose five years ago His death had hit her hard It still did Toiven up When she first heard, she’d been angry, so angry that she’d wanted to kill hi she knew, she was huddled on the floor, wishing she was eight years old again and could hide in a closet and pretend her world was safe and secure

Without Toot into trouble It took her a while to find her way, but she had These days Alix was determined not to make the same mistakes her brother had She’d looked after herself froe of sixteen In her own opinion, she’d done a fairly good job of staying sober and sane Sure, she’d butted heads with the boys in blue a few tined a social worker, but she was proud that she’d stayed out of serious trouble--and off welfare

"You got a call this afternoon," Laurel infor "I meant to tell you but it slipped my mind"

They could afford an apartment but not a phone, so all contacts were er "Who’d be calling me?"