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I still wasn’t sure what his motives were, but at the moment I had nowhere else to turn "Possibly"

"Possibly?"

I sat down "That’s all I’ to say" For now

He sat down beside me "Okay, but I can’t help you if I don’t knohat you’re dealing with"

"Will you actually help uess I deserved that"

Yeah, but I didn’t have to be so crabby about it, did I? "Do you know someone by the name of Dr Bendari?"

"No Why?"

Crap Somaybe Dr Bendari wasn’t with Ani Or et it"

"Ali Please Talk toto hear those words?

The bell rang, savingto reply "Later," I said Maybe

Lunchtied to avoid Justin after first and second period Trina and Mackenzie, too But not Cole

He corneredmy hands as he stepped inside A class a stall door when she spied hi me alone with him

My heart thundered as I dried my hands with a paper towel "If you plan to yell at irlfriend, let ot the best of irlfriend"

"It’s okay if she is You don’t have to try and spare rateful

I tried to bypass hiations later, in a place without mirrors He stepped into lared up at hiht?"

"Do what you want tountil you’ve listened to me"

Sometimes I really hated ainst the sink, raked his gaze overa different shirt"

"Yes," was all I said, struggling with the sudden need to coverI covered my chest with my hands "Is that why you’re here? Because my reasons don’t concern you"

His frown deepened He shook his head, as if to get back on track "I’m worried about you and want to discuss it like rational people"

"I don’t have anything to say to you"

"Why? You said we could try and be friends"

Lesson learned: it was better to think before I spoke "Fine Discuss away"

Heto els at his house"

Wait "This isn’t about what happened on patrol? Or Veronica?"

"The bagels," he insisted

What ith the freaking bagels? "Yes I have been eating bagels Last I heard, that wasn’t a cri"

I anchored my hands on nored the question, saying, "You didn’t bring your lunch and you weren’t planning on getting anything in the cafeteria today, were you? I know, because you didn’t get anything last week, either You’re going to starve"

Heto buy Nana a house of her own"

"Then bring food fro in his ho to be any more of a burden and take more from him"

"You’re not a burden"

"So you say"

"Ali"

"No," I said

"Take from me, then" He withdrew a brown leather wallet with a chain at the end "Please"

I violently shookhere? "I don’t want your ed "Friends share"

"We’re not that close anymore"