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It’s the kind of thing that interests me, but I don’t want Jake to think I’ their way up my throat until I can’t

We’re pretty close to ive hiuess so," Jake says "I ive your mom?"

"I didn’t think I needed to"

"She should talk to you You’re her son"

"Yeah, but it’s ive me, isn’t it?"

"But are you sorry?"

He pauses He looks sad "No"

"Why are you telling s "I don’t know Because I want you to knoe’ve all got sosty"

"Yeah, we have a lot in common" He shoves his hands in his pockets "Did you mean what you said before?"

"What did I say before?"

"The uess not," I say "Lucky you"

"Luckyto kiss you"

So he does

FIFTEEN

So down and listen There are the usual sounds co dinner ready ’s ht

I round the corner My perfect test is stuck to the face of the fridge, the wayup to do the dishes, but Dad’s not at his usual spot at the table

And Bailey didn’t run to greet h the door

"Where’s Bailey?" I ask

Mom looks up

"Your father had to take hiht with another dog at the park"

"Is he hurt?"

She nods "He ht need stitches"

"He’s not--" I s "He’s not going to die, is he?" She gets all hopeful around the eyes

"Are you worried?"

Why do people do that? Turn nothing into so?

"I couldn’t care less either way"

She flinches and turns back to the sink As soon as I leave the rooht cry about how much she doesn’t understand hter back, but she’s not co back I went too far, but so to die," I say

But she doesn’t look at me and Bailey comes home with stitches on his hip and a lanaw at them I take pity on hi to the dance?"

I sla about?"

"You know" Chris wiggles his hips in a poor i?"

"I’rabs s me down the hall to the entrance corridor There, on the wall, is a bright pink poster advertising the semi-formal this weekend Be there or be square

"There are only, like, a half a million of these all over the school," he says

"Se at the poster "How about that"

"So are you going or what?"

"Well, I would, but no one’s asked ht up, so I drop the expression and snort "Are you kidding ood authority that Jake’s going to ask you, though" "Why does Jake insist on breaking his own heart?"

"Just go," Chris says, groaning "I’ether It’ll be fun times Supervised fun times How can you resist?"

"Easily Contrary to popular belief, Chris, I don’t like spending time with you, Becky or Jake Especially Becky In case you’ve forgotten, she annoys the fuck out ofto the dance"

"So show her up!"

"What?"

"Wear that really nice black dress you’ve got, fix your hair up all nice and show her up She’d hate that"

I can’t help but laugh "She hated that"

"There, see? I just gave you a reason to go"

"If Becky knew you said that, I don’t think she’d like you very much"

"You won’t tell her," he says "And I think you should go"