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She stuck her chin stiffly into the air "Probably"

Inside, though, she cracked a tiny smile Cornelius Maximilian was this inside joke theytreat for Hanna to go to a gory, R-rated movie, except she’d been only ten, and all the blood traumatized her She was positive she wouldn’t be able to sleep that night, so her father --a poodle, they thought, although soh to fight in the gladiator ring He beat the tigers, he beat the other scary gladiators He could do anything, including bring the dead gladiators back to life

Theyabout what he did on his off days, what sorts of studded collars he liked to wear, how he needed a girlfriend Sometimes, Hanna and her father would reference Cornelius around her h they’d explained the joke a thousand ti him Cornelius, but it would’ve been too sad

Her father sat back on the couch "I’s are like this"

Hanna pretended to be interested in her French manicure "Like what?"

"Like…with us" He cleared his throat "I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch"

Hanna rolled her eyes This ay too after-school special for her "No biggie"

Mr Marin druers on the coffee table It was obvious he was really squir Good "So why’d you steal your boyfriend’s dad’s car, anyway? I asked your mom if she knew, but she didn’t"

"It’s complicated," Hanna said quickly Talk about ironic: when they first divorced, Hanna tried to think of ways she could get her parents to talk again so they’d fall back in love--like Lindsay Lohan’s twin characters did in The Parent Trap Turned out all she’d needed to do was get arrested a few tiuys break up? Were you upset?"

"I guess"

"He ended things?"

Hanna gulpedyou up, maybe he wasn’t worth it"

Hanna couldn’t believe he just said that In fact, she didn’t believe it Maybe she’dto her iPod too loud

"Have you been thinking about Alison?" her father asked

Hanna looked at her hands "I guess Yeah"

"It’s pretty unbelievable"

Hanna gulped again All of a sudden, she felt like she was going to cry "I know"

Mr Marin leaned back The couch ht have coo, but now he kept quiet "You knohat my favorite memory of Alison is?"

"What?" Hanna asked quietly She prayed he wasn’t going to say, That tiirls came to Annapolis and she bonded with Kate

"It was surade or so I took you and Alison to Avalon for the day Do you reuely," Hanna said She recalled that she’d eaten too much saltwater taffy, that she looked fat in her bikini and Ali looked perfectly skinny in hers, and that a surfer boy invited Ali to a bonfire party, but she ditched hi on the beach; there were a girl and a boy a few blankets over You guys knew the girl fro around with She had some sort of water bottle contraption strapped to her back that she sucked through with a straw Ali talked to her brother and ignored her"

Suddenly, Hanna remembered it perfectly It was common to run into people froirl had actually been Mona The boy was Mona’s cousin Ali thought he was cute, so she went over to talk to him Mona seemed ecstatic that Ali was even in her vicinity, but all Ali did was turn to Mona and say, "Hey,drinks water from a bottle like that"

"That’s your favorite memory?" Hanna blurted She’d blocked it out; she was pretty sure Mona had too

"I’e of the beach with the boy, but you stayed behind and talked to the girl, who looked just crushed that Alison had left I don’t knohat you said, but you were nice to her I was really proud of you"

Hanna wrinkled her nose She doubted she was nice--she just probably wasn’t straight-uphappened, Hanna didn’t savor teasing quite as much

"You were always so nice to everyone," her father said

"No, I wasn’t," she said quietly

She remembered how she used to talk about Jenna: You wouldn’t believe this girl, Dad, she said She tried out for the same part Ali wants in theShe was like a cow Or, Jenna Cavanaugh ht on the health test and done twelve pull-ups in gym for the Presidential Fitness test, but she’s still a loser

Her father had always been a good listener, as long as he knew she didn’t say s to people’s faces Which had made what he asked a few days after Jenna’s accident, as they were driving to the store, thatHe’d turned to her and said, out of no where, Wait That girl that was blinded? She’s the one who sings like a cow, right? He looked as if he’d made the connection Hanna, too terrified to answer, faked a coughing fit and then changed the subject

Her father stood up and walked over to the living roorand piano He lifted the lid, and dust sifted into the air When he pressed down a key, a tinny sound caetting married?"

Hanna’s heart sank "Yeah, she said so next suoing to a pre-college suram in Spain"

Hanna bristled at Kate’s nao to Spain

"We’d like you to be at the wedding as well," her father added When Hanna didn’t respond, her dad kept talking "If you could I know it’s kind of weird If it is, we should talk about it I’d rather have you talk to me than steal cars"