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"Well, welcome to Ypsilanti," he says as he pulls his hand frouyshere from?"
"Texas?" I reply I'm not sure why the tail end of my reply co why it ca the reason why I'otten over the past three days
"Texas, huh?" he says He's rocking back and forth on his heels The aardness intensifies as I fail to respond He glances down at his brother and bends over, grabbing hiuy to school," he says as he swings his brother up and over his shoulders "There’s a cold front coet as much unloaded today as you can It’s supposed to last a few days so if you guys need help unloading this afternoon, let me know We should be home around four"
"Sure, thanks," I say as they head across the street I' them when Kel stabs me in my lower back I drop toforward as Kel clilance across the street again and see Will watching us as he shuts his brother's door then walks around to the driver's side door He waves goodbye as he climbs inside the car
It takes us most of the day to unload all of the boxes and furniture Our landlord helps er iteet to the boxes inside the jeep and agree to put it off until tomorrow I'm a little disappointed when the U-Haul is finally eer have an excuse to solicit Will's help
As soon asboxes labeled with et most of them unpacked andshadows across the walls I look outEither the days are a lot shorter here, or I've lost track of ti dishes into the cabinets I climb into one of the six tall chairs at the bar, which also doubles as the dining roo rooh the front door, there's a s roo ht The living roohout the rest of the house
"Everything is so clean here,"away dishes "I haven't seen a single insect"
Texas hasflies, you're killing wasps
"That's one good thing about Michigan, I guess," I reply I open up a box of pizza in front of ?" she says as she winks at rabs a pepperoni and pops it in her s"
I pretend I’ to that boy this ," she says with a smile
"Oh, please Moet aith "I'm pretty positive we'll find it no surprise that Texas isn't the only state inhabited by the rab a soda
"What’s anabited?" Kel asks
"Inhabited," I correct him "It means to occupy, dwell, reside, populate, squat, live" My SAT prep courses are paying off
"Oh, kinda like hoe anabited Ypsilanti?" he says
"Inhabited," I correct hiain I finish my slice of pizza and take another sip of the soda "I' to bed"
"Youto inhabit your bedroorasshopper" I bend and kiss the top of his head and retreat to ood to crawl under the covers At least ine that I'm in my old bedroom My old,warm bedroom My sheets and pillow are ice cold, so I pull the covers over enerate so in the
And that's exactly what I set out to do as soon as I crawl out of bed and rab a sweater out of my closet and throw it on over my sweats and tank top while I search for socks It’s a futile atte not to wake anyone while at the sa to expose the least amount of foot as possible to the coldness of the hard wood As I pass Kel's room, I spot his Darth Vader house shoes on the floor I sneak in and slip the some relief as I head into the kitchen
I look around for the coffee pot, but don't find it I re it in the jeep, which is unfortunate since the jeep is parked outside Outside in this absurdly cold weather
The jackets are nowhere to be found Septerab the keys and decide I'll just have to make a mad dash to the jeep I open the front door and some sort of white substance is all over the yard It takes me a second to realize what it is Snow? In September? I bend down and scoop some up in my hands and examine it It doesn't snow that often in Texas, but when it does it isn't this kind of snow Texas snow is an snow is just how I iined real snoould be: fluffy, soft, and cold! I quickly drop the snow and dry my hands on my sweatshirt as I head toward the jeep
I don't make it far The second my Darth Vader house shoesat the jeep in front ofup at the clear blue sky I iht shoulder and realize I've landed on sonome out from beneath me, half of his red hat broken off and shattered into pieces He's sood ar, when soood idea!"
I inize Will’s voice His voice is s like e to it I sit upright and see Will walking up the driveway toward hs
Oh, no I haven't even looked in theI' but
"I'll feel a lot better after I bust this da to pull myself up with no success