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"I guess I’ll see you in a couple of days?" she says, holding out her hand

I’ve kissed this girl Made out with this girl Still remember her breathless, "Yes," from that afternoon when I told her I wanted her in h, none of thosein front ofa hand for ues and I’ve never had ue in her otten way too good at e

I take her hand, but instead ofit, I lean forward and pull it up to uess you’ll beme in San Fran after all, huh?"

She inclines her head and s the laptop strap "I guess But I get the feeling that s at 5:00 a show interviews isn’t what you had in o soht" I turn to walk back around to the driver’s side, because we’re getting soun to figure out e are She’s flying ho back to LA alone "San Francisco is a culinary heaven And I’ll have you back to your room in time for your Skype appointment" I wink at her and she rolls her eyes

"Oh-kay," she says, as though she’s exasperated and I’ve worn her down

I feel as though she just ame piece that puts her thatwhat a bastard I’ve turned into

All’s fair in love and war A fine sentiment--if this was either

"John Please tell ht"

I-5 is two hours of spotty cell service with occasional ocean views, until it veers away fro frequently punctuated with snarls of traffic in heavily populated areas I’m already bored out of o, probably two, because of traffic anywhere near LA this time of day

"That depends what you , man On a scale of one to porn, where do you wanna be?"

There’s a car full of girls next to h the nearly opaquetint Right before the light turns, I roll the n and glance over, watch their reen and I’ht or nine would do"

John yawns into irl as on ht--"

"Dinner party? What the hell man--we’re not thirty-five"

"Yeah that’s what I thought, until she draggedBasically everyone sits around being all pseudo-intellectual and getting stoned All I had to do to seeuy there was shut the fuck up"

"So pretty much your natural state when stoned"

"Yeah"

Less than teeks until the pres will happen Most likely: Brooke will succeed with Operation Graham, and Emma, in her emotionally defenseless state, will fall into ood pull Less likely: Brooke will fail, Graha hands andeveryone within a ten-o back to the openly hedonistic life that other nineteen-year-old guys would kill to have It’s in, if I can just get to it

When we arrive, John’s girl answers the door, pressing herself into hi," she chides She’s one of those squeaky-voiced girls, which fits her tiny size Standing behind him, I can’t actually see her I only know she’s on the other side of him because I can hear her

He hitches a thumb over his shoulder "I had to pick Reid up You said you needed another guy for the boy-girl balance, so I delivered"

Her eyes peek over his shoulder then, and iht--Reid Alexander?" she squeaks "That’s who youReid?"

John isn’t usually one to keep our friendship secret, our relationship being a ain, he sometimes savors other people’s shock when he introduces me as a friend in person I don’t mind I actually sorta like it

"Didn’t I tell you that already?" His voice is all blasé and it’s an effort for h-evading expression I’ "I’m almost sure I did"