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He paused Aria hugged her knees to her chest She wished--just a little--that Sean would say, And Aria, I think you’re the right person She sighed "I had sex, once"

Sean put the rass and looked at her

"In Iceland, a year after I e to say it out loud "It was this boy I liked Oskar He wanted to, and so did I, but…I don’t know" She pushed her hair out of her face "I didn’t love hi" She paused "You’re the first person I ever told"

They were quiet for a while Aria felt her heart thu; she could sers She heard Sean s and shift his weight,a little closer Shenervous

"Go to Foxy with me," Sean blurted out

Aria cocked her head "F-Foxy?"

"The benefit thing? You dress up? Dance?"

She blinked "I knohat Foxy is"

"Unless you’re going with soo as friends, of course"

Aria felt a tiny twinge of disappointht they were going to kiss "You haven’t asked anyone already?"

"No That’s why I asked you"

Aria sneaked a peek at Sean Her eyes kept gravitating toward the little cleft in his chin Ali used to call them "butt chins," but it was actually pretty cute "Urinned back Except…so you till the stroke of ht, Cinderella Or else Saturday was tomorrow

Sean noticed her expression "What is it?"

Aria sed Her wholearound with yesterday Sort of by accident" She took a deep breath "Or not by accident at all I wanted to ask her as going on, but I couldn’t I’ether" Tears came to her eyes "I don’t want my family to fall apart"

Sean held her for a while "Couldn’t you try talking to the girl again?"

"I don’t know" She stared at her hands They were shaking "I ured out in my head I just want her to know my side" She arched her back and looked up at the sky, as if the universe ive her the answer "But o with you For moral support"

She looked up "You…you would?"

Sean glanced out over the trees "Right now, if you want"

Aria quickly shook her head "I couldn’t right now I left ed "Do you reuess," Aria said faintly She looked out over the trees "It’s not far, actually… She lives right over this hill In Old Hollis" She knew this frole Earth

"C’mon" Sean extended his hand Before she could think too rassy hill, past Sean’s car

They crossed the street into Old Hollis, the student neighborhood that was full of cru, spooky Victorian houses Old VWs, Volvos, and Saabs lined the curbs For a Friday night, the neighborhood was absolutely e event in Hollis elsewhere Aria wondered if Meredith would even be home; she sort of hoped that she wouldn’t be

Halfway down the second block, Aria stopped at a pink house that had four pairs of running shoes airing out on the porch and a chalk drawing of what looked like a penis on the driveway It was only fitting that Meredith lived here "I think this is it"

"You want me to wait here?" Sean whispered

Aria pulled her sweater around her It was suddenly freezing "I guess" Then she grabbed Sean’s arm "I can’t do this"

"Sure you can" Sean put his hands on her shoulders "I’ll be right here, okay? Nothing’s going to happen to you I proratitude He was so…sweet She leaned forward and gently kissed Sean on the lips; as she pulled away, he looked stunned "Thank you," she said

She walked up Meredith’s cracked front steps slowly, the ruh her veins She’d drunk three-quarters of Sean’s ther the bell, she steadied herself against one of the porch’s colu her wobbly sling-backs fro open the door She wore terry-cloth short-shorts and a white T-shirt with a drawing of a banana on it--it was the cover to some old albuer tonight Less lithe andchicks on that show, Rollergirls Aria felt puny

Meredith’s eyes brightened with recognition "Alison, right?"

"Actually, it’s Aria Aria Montgo that’s going on I want it to stop"

Meredith’s eyes widened She took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly through her nose Aria al to coht," Aria wavered, realizing she was slurring her speech Thassright And her heart was beating so loud, she wouldn’t have been surprised if her skin was pulsating

Meredith raised an eyebrow "It’s none of your business" She stuck her head out on the porch and looked around suspiciously "How did you find out where I lived?"

"Look, you’re destroying everything," Aria protested "And I just want it to stop Okay? Ieveryone He’s still married…and he has a fae to her voice and how her perfectly crafted speech had slipped frorasp