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Regina,
I know this is a shot in the dark, but I really don’t think it’s that much of a shot in the dark, because we seemed to really click and I think you’re cool I don’t care about being Anna’s friend Really, I don’t But I’d like to stay yours I know she doesn’t want you to talk to ure out what I did So if you could find out and let reat If you could put in a good word for me, that’d be even better I really want to sort this out before it gets really bad, and I really want to stay friends with you Let me know
Liz
I have this ed her, finished up the run, and she had no reputation and no friends, and Anna was bored with it, uninspired, but she wasn’t done, because she wanted to ot Bruce to play keep-aith Liz’s books Everyone stopped to watch It wasn’t a big deal Nelson intervened really quickly, and the crowd dissipated, but Liz just stood there and looked so lost, like she didn’t want to be there any on her bed, in her bedroo, running ers over the old stale dried ink
Josh and Anna flit bytheir voices, ani off each other--a scarily vibrant conversation At first I think I’ down the hall side by side Anna tosses her hair over her shoulder She’s flirting with hi back How could he resist a Siren? How could anyone? Anna doesn’t like being single for lengthy periods at a ti taken and unattainable Josh was probably in her sights as soon as he dumped me
They’re totally perfect for each other
But inabout it, and it’s not okay In ten days, I have not held his hand in the hall He hasn’t waited for iven me a kiss on the cheek when the bell separates us I carve myself out of all these memories and put Anna in my place, and my chest aches, not because I’m romantic or sentied toto s, I’ht The room empties, and Brenner looks up from his papers
"Don’t you have a class to be in, Afton?"
I do, but I skip it for the library I can’t wait until my parents see my report card for this term, but I wouldn’t trade that moment for this one, in the library, where it’s nice and quiet Ito act nor, but it’s always, always ets really bad, and I really want to stay friends with you This is the only reason I miss Anna: She used to tell me it was okay, no matter what "Don’t you have a class to be in?"
That’s not Brenner’s voice That’s not any teacher I turn Michael’s at the co over If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he looked happy to see estures to the coame of solitaire drawn up I don’t knohat to do I watch him shift red cards onto black and black cards onto red before I turn to n in with my user name, and connect to the Internet I type the IH8RA URL into the address bar and watch the page load slowly on the school’s crappy connection The red background comes up first, and next, that horrible picture of me The members and co next to the only person in this school who hasn’t joined up
"Report abuse," Michael says, startling uides my mouse to the Report Abuse link The cursor hovers over the bold lettering, but I can’t bring htly, and the weight of his hand against o-ahead
"Don’t," I breathe, and his hand comes off mine He stares at me like I’m an idiot "Anna would love it if I reported it If I do, they’ll just bring out so worse"
He nods at the screen "Nice picture"
"Yeah, tell me about it"
"Were you stoned?"
I close the browser "I was half asleep"
He studies ame After a few minutes, he’s in total solitaire mode It’s just hi else This must be how he spends all of his free periods He ames that only require one player His face is intent It’s like I’m not here
I turn back to the cole his name The seventh result is an obituary I click it
HAYDEN, NATALIE JUNE
Suddenly on September 30th Natalie Hayden (nee Adams) of Hallowell, Connecticut, in her 41st year…
It’s like looking at porn I rub the back ofat porn and read through it, learning raphs than he’d ever tell randparents are dead, which is so we have in common He has no aunts or uncles It’s just hilean all the inforle the accident The overpass collapse It’sto find the earliest reports of it--the ones with guesstiuesses to actual numbers to actual names Entire families under concrete