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Ella furrowed her brow "They’re just instant You know I can’t cook"

Aria knew she was trying too hard But if she was aself, Byron ain to Byron Aria didn’t want to hate her dad There were tons of good things about him--he always listened to her problee brownies when she had the flu She’d tried to coical, non-ro had happened She didn’t want to think he loved so to break up the fah, not to take it personally

As she took a spoonful of green beans, Ella’s cell phone, which was sitting on the kitchen island, began to ring Ella looked at Byron "Should I get that?"

Byron frowned "Would so you at dinnertiallery"

Suddenly, Aria felt her throat constrict What if it’s A?

The phone rang again Aria stood up "I’ll answer it"

Ella wiped her et it"

"No!" Aria rushed to the island The phone rang a third time "I…u to think Out of ideas, she grabbed the phone and flung it into the living rooainst the couch, and stopped ringing The Montgomerys’ cat, Polo, padded up and tapped the phone with his striped paw

When Aria turned back around, her fa at her "What is the matter with you?" Ella asked

"I just…" Aria was damp with sweat, and her whole body throbbed with her heartbeat Mike crossed his hands behind his head Fuh-REEK, heroom and crouched to look at the phone’s screen Her crinkle skirt grazed the floor, picking up dust "It was Oliver"

At the sa"

"Going?" Ella’s voice caught "But we just started eating"

Byron carried his empty plate to the sink He had always been the fastest eater on the planet, even faster than Mike "I have stuff to do in my office"

"But…" Ella clasped her hands at her small waist They all watched helplessly as Byron disappeared up the stairs and then caray pants and a blue button-down His hair was still corabbed his worn leather briefcase and keys "See you in a little while"

"Can you pick up orange juice?" Ella cried, but Byron shut the front door without answering

A second later, Mike stor his plate in the sink He grabbed his jacket and lacrosse stick and wor the?" Ella asked

"Practice," Mike snapped He had his head way down and was chewing on his lip, like he was trying to keep fro hiure out what to do here, except she felt stuck, as if grouted to the checkerboard ceramic tiles on the kitchen floor

Mike sla the whole house shake A few seconds of silence passed, then Ella raised her gray eyes to Aria "Everyone’s leaving us"

"No, they’re not," Aria said quickly

Herchicken on her plate After a few seconds of pondering, she laid a napkin over it, uneaten, and turned back to Aria "Has your father seeo dry "About what?"

"I don’t know" Ella traced her finger around the porcelain dinner plate’s edge "It see? He see, but the words felt guer or a vacuu about that, no" It wasn’t exactly a lie

Ella stared at her "You’d tell ht?"

Aria bent her head down, pretending she had so in her eye "Of course"

Ella rose and cleared the rest of the stuff off the table Aria stood there, useless This was her chance…and she was just standing here Like a sack of potatoes

She wandered up to her room and sat down at her desk, not sure what to do with herself Downstairs, she could hear the beginning strains of Jeopardy! Perhaps she should go back down and hang out with Ella Except what she really wanted to do was cry

Her Instant Messenger e Aria went over to it, wondering if maybe it was Sean But…it wasn’t

A A A A A A: Two choices: Make it go away or tell your ht, Cinderella Or else --A

A creaking sound made her jump Aria whirled around and saw that her cat had nosed her bedrooain And again And again

Or else? And o away? Hoas she supposed to do that?

Her computer made another bloop The IMflashed

A A A A A A: Not sure how? Here’s a hint: Strawberry Ridge Yoga Studio 7:30 am Tomorrow Be there

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DADDY’S LITTLE GIRL HAS A SECRET