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"I bet you’re sure of a lot of things" I eye the Moleskine resting on the dash "All you do is watch us and write"

"Yeah"

"So what do you see?"

"Everyone’s afraid" He looks at me "But no one more than you" I point "That’s my house"

He eases the car to a halt and lets it idle while I sit there and try to think of soet out of the car and step back into the heat, stand on the curb, and watch him pull out As soon as the Saturn is a speck in the distance, I roll up the leg of e Superficial wound

It still really stings, though

I’irls’ washroo red

She takes her place beside me, and our eyes meet in the mirrors I rinse the lather from my hands and watch the suds swirl down the drain I turn the water off and reach for the paper towels resting in a nearby puddle of water Kara pushes the soap dispenser and lets the electric green liquid gush onto the cheap plastic counter below

I just want to kill her I’ve never felt a e in my

life

"You look like shit," she says "It suits you"

"You’ll pay for this," I tell her It’s an ee to bash her head against the paves I see

"No, I won’t," Kara says Her eyes light up "Hey, I never said thank you, did I?"

"That’s so fucked up Do you even get what Donnie--"

"Yeah, and I should thank hi the lottery I couldn’t believe you actually thought I’d want to help you after everything you’ve done to me--"

"I was a lot nicer to you than I could’ve been--"

"No," she interrupts "You weren’t"

We stare at each other There’s always this one girl She’s desperate and she’s weird and she’s jealous, and you’re stuck with her, no et her off your back Just throw some really fucked-up self-esteem issues into the mix and you have Kara She could never keep up with us, and she knew it And we knew it And she was fat Our relationship is as sier for Anna one too uess I enjoyed it more than I should have

"The best part about all of this--" she stops for a second, unable to contain herself "Is hoesoht she’d hold back a little, but she toldshe’d let reat year, Regina"

"Just wait until she finds out you lied to her"

"It’s not going to happen And what are you going to do about it, anyway? It’s not like you can rally the troops You have no one Well, except Donnie Maybe he’ll have you"

She leaves I’ I know, I’, and all I can think about is howuntil it’s too late I shove her and she yelps, and I shove her again, into a row of lockers The sound she makes as she hits theain She tries to shove back, but I’ainst the locker Her head A crowd asseht! even if they never say it I can feel it coht

But before I can make another move, I’ ina! Jesus, what the fuck are you doing?!"

The comedown is fast, intense It’s over I’m suddenly aware of how noisy the halls are, that people are talking loudly, and they’re pointing at me

They all look surprised

"Crazy bitch," one of the to Josh Kara’s pressed up against the locker looking like I’ve done exactly what I just did Her face is red and her hair is everywhere I shove Josh away

"Don’t touch me"

"Kara--oh, h the crowd and starts fussing over Kara, who points atAnna doesn’thilare past the edges of Anna’s red hair, to Kara, because I’rabs et her hand offto slap h to oes quiet