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PLEASE CLEAN UP THIS ROOM

Aria tentatively knocked "Come in," she heard him say from the other side She’d expected Ezra to be with another student--froht his lunchtime office hours were always busy--but here he was alone, with a Happy Meal box on his desk The rooets

"Aria!" Ezra exclai an eyebrow "This is a surprise Sit down"

She plopped down on Ezra’s scratchy tweed couch--the same kind that was in the Rosewood Day headmaster’s office She pointed at his desk "Happy Meal?"

He smiled sheepishly "I like the toys" He held up a car froot barbecue"

She waved hiht" He ate a fry, his eyes locked with hers "I forgot"

Aria felt a swoosh of so--a mix of inti it too She looked around on his desk It was littered with stacks of paper, a arden, and about a thousand books

"So…" Ezra wiped hisAria’s expression "What can I do for you?"

Aria leaned her elbow on the couch’s ar if I can have an extension on the Scarlet Letter essay that’s due tomorrow"

He set down his soda "Really? I’"

"I know," she mumbled sheepishly But the Ackards’ house was not conducive to studying One, it was too quiet--Aria was used to studying while si on the phone in the next room Two, it was hard to concentrate when she felt like so deal," she went on "All I need is this weekend"

Ezra scratched his head "Well…I haven’t set a policy on extensions yet But all right Just this once Next tirade"

She pushed her hair behind her ears "I’ to make a habit of it"

"Good So, what, are you not liking the book? Or haven’t you started it?"

"I finished it today But I hated it I hated Hester Prynne"

"Why?"

Aria fiddled with the buckle on her Urban Outfitters ivory suede flats "She assuoes and has an affair," she muttered

Ezra leaned forward on his elbow, looking aood man, either That’s what makes it complicated"

Aria stared at the books that were crammed into Ezra’s cramped, wooden bookshelves War and Peace Gravity’s Rainbow An extensive collection of e e cus and Rilke poetry, and not one but two copies of No Exit There was the Edgar Allan Poe collection Sean hadn’t read All of the books looked creased and worn fro "But I couldn’t see past what Hester did," Aria said quietly "She cheated"

"But we’re supposed to feel for her struggle, and how society has branded her, and how she strives to forge her own identity and not allow anyone to create one for her"

"I hated her, okay?" Aria exploded "And I’ll never forgive her!"

She covered her face with her hands Tears spilled down her cheeks When she shut her eyes, she pictured Byron and Meredith as the book’s illicit lovers, Ella as Hester’s vengeful, wronged husband But if life really i…not Aria She’d tried to call her house last night, but as soon as Ella picked up and heard Aria’s voice on the other end, she hung up When Aria waved at Mike across the gym, Mike had quickly spun on his heel and marched back into the locker room No one was on her side

"Whoa," Ezra said quietly, after Aria let out a stifled sob "It’s okay So you didn’t like the book It’s fine"

"I’m sorry I’rown so quiet There was only the whirring of the computer’s hard drive The buzz of the fluorescent laround--all the little kids were out for recess

"Is there so you want to talk about?" Ezra asked

Aria wiped her eyes with the back of her blazer sleeve She picked at a loose button on one of the couch’s seat cushions "My father had an affair with his student three years ago," she blurted out "He’s a professor at Hollis I knew about it the whole time, but he asked me not to tell my mom Well, now he’s back with the student…and …and now one"

"Jesus," Ezra whispered "This just happened?"

"A feeeks ago, yeah"

"God" Ezra stared up at the bea for a while "That doesn’t sound very fair of your dad Or your ed Her chin started to treain "I shouldn’t have kept it a secret from my mom But as I supposed to do?"

"It’s not your fault," Ezra told her

He got out of his chair, walked around to the front of the desk, pushed a few papers aside, and sat on the edge