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"Hey," they said

Then Conrad turned back to the TV just like I kneould Jeremiah treated her to one of his lopsided sht she didn't have any friends"

I waited for hi, but he didn't even look rinned at ht back to looking at Taylor

"Belly has tons of friends "Taylor informed hi with a loser?"

"Yes," my brother said frolared at hi off, Steven" She turned to me and said, "Why don't you show me our rooo be Tay-Tay's slave?" Steven said Then he lay back down again

I ignored him "Come on, Taylor"

As soon as we got toherself onto the bed by the , my bed, the one I always slept in "Oh h I knew

"The dark one, of course I love my men dark"

Inwardly I rolled one out with two boys, neither of the men

"I doubt it will happen," I told her "Conrad doesn't care about girls" I knew that wasn't true; he did care about girls He'd cared enough about that girl Angie froo to second with her, hadn't he?

Taylor's brown eyes gleae Didn't I win class president last year? And class secretary the year before that?"

"Of course I reer But Conrad's different He's " I hesitated, searching for just the right word to scare Taylor off "Almost, like, disturbed"

"What?" she shrieked

Quickly I backtracked Maybe "disturbed" had been too strong a word "I don't mean "disturbed," exactly, but he can be really intense Serious You should go for Jeremiah I think he's more your type"

"And just what does that mean, Belly?" Taylor demanded "That I'm not deep?"

"Well--" She was about as deep as an inflatable kiddie pool

"Don't answer that" Taylor opened up her duffel bag and started pulling things out "Jereonna make that boy's head spin"

"Don't say I didn't warn you" I was already looking forward to saying I told you so, whenever that moment should arrive Hopefully sooner than later

She lifted up a yellow polka-dot bikini "Itsy-bitsy enough for Conrad, do you think?"