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"Give me the chance to redee over our conversation this weekend, did you take athat is to say?"

"I offended you?"

"Not likely I just thought you’d want to kno it made you sound You’re obviously one of those people who really care about what other people think of you"

"What?"

I stop; he stops

"I didn’t really think you wanted infor today just so you could clear that up, you have so you have a problem is half the battle"

"You know, you’re not half as clever as you think you are"

"This still makes me a lot cleverer than you"

We arrive at ho in the doorway It’s al early for that alone

The room is only half-full and Becky is nowhere to be found, but Chris is seated in theon his homework He’s alets it done

"Uh-oh," he says, looking up as I approach "I know that face"

"Do you ever do your holish and I sit down beside hiover"

"I have a hungover face?"

"It’s subtle, but it’s there" It’s stuff like this that lad we broke up He pauses "You want to talk about it?" "I think my face says it all Hoas your date with Becky?"

He forces a s

"Good," he says, in a voice that belies the word "It was good"

"Uh-oh, I know that face"

He groans and leans back in his seat "Becky’s a great girl--"

I clutchto be a second date!"

"Did I say that?"

"Yeah, when you called her a great girl" This poses a problem Becky’s supposed to be my replacement, or at the very least they could distract each other from me for a while I’ll have to lie, but it’s for a hile cause "She is a great girl You’d be an idiot if you let her go"

"Parker, you hate Becky And you’re taking an unusual interest in ives me this look "No, really Why do you care? And why are you hungover?"

I put onto a Really, Really Stupid Student voice

"Well, Chris, soes--"

"You do know that Becky and I are supposed to report any kind of behavior like this to Grey and Henley?"

"That’s funny Tell me another"

"It’s not a joke"

"It was because she’s not me, isn’t it? That’s why it didn’t work out, huh? Becky’s a great girl, but she’s no Parker Fadley It’s okay I understand I am pretty awesome"

"Fuck you"

"Fuck you, too And if you tell Henley or Grey, I’ll kick your ass"

He snorts "Oh, really?"

"Yeah, and I’ll probably get aith it, because I’irl Make sure you hit me back That’ll only improve my odds"

He shakes his head "You have to take it that one step too far, don’t you?"

"Always" I won’t do it I won’t I will not "Sorry"

Godda a hand "I won’t tell on you"

"That’s not why I said it" Goddaive Becky another chance--"

"Only if you ease off on Jake Gardner"

"Ease off? I’ve only talked to him, like, three times"

"Yeah, and every one of those times you’ve been a bitch--"

"What is this? Have you taken a shine to the boy?"

He rolls his eyes "Yeah, Parker That’s exactly it"