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The lunch lady hands me the drinks I hand her the bill

"Go away, Michael," I say

Anna "rescues" me then She wraps an arm aroundon?"

"Nothing" I hand her one of the Cokes and shove the change in ," Michael says "We’re done"

"We’re talking"

"No, we’re not"

I push past him Anna is on my heels, her voice in my ear: "You didn’t tell him, did you?"

"Does he look like I told hi over her shoulder "He actually looks pretty devastated"

At the end of the day, I know Michael’s going to be waiting for et me to talk I’m so desperate to avoid it, I ask Anna for a ride hohs in my face, so I have to detour down the main street and then detour into Ford’s, where I buy three packs of antacids

Michael calls It’s the first time he’s ever called I don’t answer And then Anna calls and tellsyellow

I can’t eat my dinner

I skip breakfast and head to school, because I don’t want to risk run ning into Michael I stake out a spot at the front door and wait for the rest of the group to show, just like old times It takes about thirty minutes Kara’s first to show She stands next to et coet comfortable," she repeats slowly "This was Anna’s idea, but I’d rather see you dead after that e-mail than pretend we’re friends for the rest of the year, no matter how et comfortable"

It never stops

"Don’t teina"

"Go fuck yourself, Kara"

Jeanette and Marta bound up to us--to Kara--then I put a little space between us Waiting for Anna is hell on my stomach, and I’ve taken three antacids by the ti one of the lowest cut tops I’ve ever seen Marta whistles

"I hope you don’t plan on bending over today"

"Only in front of Josh," she replies, grinning

Michael’s car pulls into the parking lot before I can roll o in Please"

Anna spots him "No"

I watch him make his way toward the school It doesn’t really hurt yet, seeing hi near hie closer to Anna, like that’ll make me invisible, but she notices and steps away fro

"He cannot have gotten over it that fast," Anna says, watching hio "You didn’t tell him, did you? Because if you did--"

"No! I didn’t--I haven’t talked to hiht and I didn’t even pick up I didn’t tell hirins "I just wanted to see you squirasp We’re all wearing yellow

I walk away Anna callstwo antacids I stop on the second floor and lean against a row of lockers They won’t find me here for a couple of minutes But Liz does Liz finds roan

"What were they offering?" she asks

"Liz, go away," I say

"Michael asked ," she says "He thinks you have a reason Like he really thinks that what you’re doing right now doesn’t ain," I say "I can spend the rest oflocked in closets or I can be friends with Michael And you should be happy You didn’t want me anywhere near him"

"You’re a bitch," she says

"Hey, self-preservation Don’t blaure it out and got hurt"