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"Ivy?" Honor asked in such a sainst the sudden anxiety I felt for her "Tyler’s not the only boy Lots of boys asked h to think about going with"

"Oh, really?" I closed ainst tears I hated that she would have to go through thisto her

"Don’t you think it’s weird?" she asked truly perplexed

"Was it a lot of boys?"

"All the boys… In rade," she confessed in that worried tone again "But I didn’t tell daddy that"

Oh no I could not let her get aith that I walked her over to her big bed and sat doith her so that I could face her "Hon, don’t keep that kind of stuff froht be hard to tell him that kind of stuff, but he really does hat’s best for you He won’t get , Ok? He can probably help you,to understand how important it was to be honest with S happening to ain

"Honey, no! Why would you think that?"

"Because… because it’s not just the boys It’s the girls too," she adirls?" Suddenly there was ice in my veins I remembered what middle school was like for me away from Sloane and Exie, completely on my own It ful Girls were cruel, and the boys were relentless

"They stopped being nice to me," she croaked Her chin trembled and then a tiny little tear slipped from the corner of her eye and down her cheek I wiped it away quickly with my thumb and then held her face in my hands so she was forced to look atwith you You are perfect and special and wonderful No matter what anybody else says, or does, you have to know that is true about you You are the one that decides how you feel, Ok? You reatest eleven year-old in the universe and hed at that with a watery smile "I love you, Ok?"

"Ok," sheher arms around my neck "I love you too!"

And thenwith tears

A knock at the door and S into the room tore us apart from each other S that whatever had caused the tearsbecause his face softened and a sweet smile turned his mouth

"Honor, your oes," he instructed Honor stood up and gaveinto the hall

I stood up too, wanting to follow her before ain Sh and asked me to wait

"Mallory talked to you this week?" he whispered

I nodded and then stole a glance at the door just in case my mother suddenly appeared

"Please let her try," he begged in a ru whisper

"Ok," I said quickly "I told her Ok"

S out to happy "Good, Ivy That is good"

We both ht about ho Honor?" My voice was as quiet as I could nals to communicate with S all-girls school," he sighed Sto cost him

"Please don’t do that It would crush her," I pleaded I grabbed onto the sleeve of his navy blue oxford and gripped it tightly "All-girls could be… could be rough… Could be trauht to ht overon the that they were helpful "Ho? You really think I need to remove her from society completely?"

"No," I answered quickly "Not coh so that you can keep an eye on her and help her mature She will never be like my mother She has you It won’t happen to her But it won’t stop either, what happened last ill never stop She has to learn to… handle it"

"What is this Ivy? What has its claws on irls’ life? On your life?" Smith’s voice broke on his last question I could see how sickly worried he was for Honor, how desperate he was to protect her fro I can stop?"

"It’s uh," I obviously couldn’t reveal enetics Honestly, S, please?"

He nodded his agreement and before he could ask me anymore questions or before my mother spent one more second alone with Honor, I bounded down the steps and rejoined h dreadful, would protect Honor And right now that was oal in life I wondered how different my life would be if I had soht about Ryder and how desperate he was to help me

So maybe my bad did balance out after all

Maybe I did have so out for me

Chapter Thirty-Three