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Michael sniffs "He didn’t hit et to the nurse’s office and clean up Afton, escort your friend down there" Nelson turns to the rest of the gyyyainst his nose, switching hands every now and then, trying not to get blood on the floor I think about what Nelson said Friend Hilarious

"I’ll just clean up in the washroom," Michael says He sounds stuffy

I push open a familiar blue door "Here’s one" He stops "No way That’s the girls’ room"

"It’s fine"

I push the door open and check every stall twice The coast is clear I ignore his protests, grab his hand, and drag hie can under the doorknob for added security When I face Michael, he’s hunched over the sink, gazing at his reflection in the mirror I’m not sure why I didn’t just let hi around hi alone

"Are you sure it’s not broken?"

He runs his hand over his nose "I don’t think so I think he just hit it the right way Looks worse than it is"

I grope for soether what happened while my back was turned Bruce hit Michael with the ball Deliberately Michael said so to make him do that

"What did you say to him?"

"What?"

"Bruce Why did he throw the ball at you?"

"He didn’t He threw it at you," Michael says "He threw it at you as soon as your back was turned I intercepted"

"So it’s my fault," I say stupidly "It’s totally your fault"

"I didn’t y at you the whole time, and you didn’t even notice It was dumb"

"That’s not fair"

He points to his nose "Neither is this"

He turns on the tap I make my way over, and we reach for the paper towels at the same time I push his hand away, rip off a swath, and pat the counter space between the sinks He hesitates and then hoists hi at the fresh and drying blood on his face My hand trelad he stood between lad he stood between me and Bruce

He clears his throat "I probably wasn’t fair to you…"

"Hold still" He stills I keep dabbing at his face I dab until he stops bleeding and there’s no blood and it’s all off his face But he’s on towill ruin this, whatever this is

"What I said about bullshit…wasting tiet it"

"But what Donnie did to you wasn’t bullshit I didn’t , quiet for aaround a lot of people"

"I know" I know everything "Because of me"

"No Well, yeah, but what happened at the diner eird, and that it happened with you was even weirder" He pauses "And then you capped it off with that apology and it was--it just ry," I say "I’ain and looks at me "And I believe you when you say you’re sorry, but it’s so much easier for me to think of you as a total bitch, you have no idea"

"You don’t think I’m a total bitch?"

I wish I could take it back as soon as it’s out ofI have to look away from him But I can’t even describe what that feels like--that there was a moment where Michael didn’t hate me for what I did to him

It makes me feel human

"Maybe," he says quietly "But I feel like that’s what I have to keep doing…"