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"No, it’s ht," Anna says "Kara toldive up? A final ‘fuck you’? You kne I felt about--" She crosses her arned "I knew"

"Is that all you have to say?"

I nod Kara nudges Anna, who takes a few uncertain steps forward

Kara nods at her encouragingly and says, "Just don’t forget to tuck your thus her arm back

Oh, wait

"Anna, Anna, Anna--Anna, don’t--"

Her fist connects aardly with my jaw, because Anna’s never punched anyone before She doesn’t kno Still, I’ve been punched My knees give a little at the shock of it, but Marta and Jeanette keep h

"Shit!" she cries, clutching her hand An achy waruys--that kind of hurt! Shit"

Marta and Jeanette laugh with her Kara grabs Anna’s hand and runs her thu, lost to the thrill of punching o again?"

Marta and Jeanette tighten their grip on my arms They want her to I can feel it Anna rubs her wrists, chuckling, until she looks at me My heart stops while she sizes et better at this

"No," she finally says

"Oh, coot her We can fuck her up You can’t just bring her out this far and punch her once "

"Fuck off, Kara," I say Kara turns to me "What did you say?"

"I said ‘Fuck off’"

She walks over "You know you have your arht?"

"You know you’ll never have this chance again," I say "Right?"

She doesn’t even prep She draws her arm back and her fist connects with my stomach, and she hits harder than Anna I can see the hit It’s in front ofhts fade and the scene coet a handle on it, Kara drives her fist intoJeanette and Marta dropthat second hit

I can’t breathe I put my hand to the pavement Get up Kara’s foot connects with ain: She kicksAnna makes noise sooes for es toGet up,etsKara kneels over me and covers my face with her hand, presses her pal between us

Nothing

I claw at her ar my nails into the bits of flesh her sweater doesn’t cover She winces and her hand is off my mouth The air is razor sharp I’ve barely tasted it when she grabs round My head hits the road The ocean is in ets one last kick in My side I go in on ain, leaves me with this unbearable clarity where I knowand I can’tto waste it," Kara yells at Anna "You were just going to fucking waste it! That’s e came out here for!"

"Jesus, Kara," Jeanette breathes "Have you lost yourat ravel-crunch of footstepsand closing shut, and then quiet, and I’et up" No Anna’s breathing heavily, charged froet up" I don’t say anything "I just want to knohy," she says

I roll onto ray clouds h the breaks And the sky looks so great froh It hurts, but I do it anyway

I laugh so hard I cry

"Kara got you again"

"She didn’t"

"She did" I say, laughing "She totally did She got you again--"

"She didn’t--"