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I immediately putbut I was functioning

She eyed ive you to Dex here"

She placed the phone in mine and twitched her head in the direction of the doors It see I’d need to take in private

I gave her a quick sot out of the booth

"Ada?" I asked,my way past the crowded tables

"Dex?" I heard her young, tiny voice on the other end

"Hi, what’s up? Is Perry okay?" I didn’t want to ask it, I felt like I had no right to, but I couldn’t see any other reason for Ada to call It had been too long since we had our falling out, the time to be reprimanded had passed And somewhere in my black heart, the minute I asked it, I knew that Perry wasn’t okay

I was lucky to have made it out of the restaurant and onto the chilled street when Ada said, "No, she’s not okay So’s happened to her"

I alive, so I did I leaned against a brick wall and let round

"Dex?" she cried out "Are you there?"

I closed my eyes and sed the fear "Yes I’m here What happened?"

"I don’t know"

"Is she hurt?" My voice cracked I sed hard, shooting out little prayers in between the answers

"Not really"

"Ada"

"I don’t know, Dex I shouldn’t even be calling you I just don’t knohat to do I think she’s possessed She’sshe’s not herself, I’ve seen things too, things that are after her They have her strapped to her bed now"

"Who are they?"

"My parents Maximus"

"Maximus?!" I roared People on the street looked at me and quickened their pace as they went past I didn’t care The rage was al there?"

"He and Perry are, well I don’t know He’s a douchecanoe, that’s all thatI don’t knohat to do We did a house cleanse and then Maxi it look like Perry is crazy I’ to put her away You know, in a crazy house But the thing is killing her, Dex, it’s killing her"

I was vaguely aware of the restaurant door opening and Rebecca co out of it She stood beside me but I couldn’t look up at her I couldn’thad Perry and it was killing her So so bad that Ada had to call me--of all people--and ask for my help

"I’ll do whatever I can," I told her, trying to get the determination in my voice heard over the phone "You have to proet there"

"What if I can’t? They don’t listen to ot her like an animaland she is an aniged by the tears Ada was one tough teen cookie Little Fifteen To hear her cry over Perry put the final dagger intoto take care of this, okay? I’ else happen to her, you understand ets out of this Give ive me a few hours, I will be there and I will fix her You understand, Little Fifteen?"

I heard a sniffle and a pause Finally she said, "Okay But please hurry"

"I’ll text you when I’m on my way," I told her

"Thank you Thank you, Dex," she said "I knew you weren’t as big of an asshole as everyone said"

Oh, gee thanks

"Yeah, well, we’ll see Hold tight, okay?"