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I didn't go back to bed right away I stayed on the front porch awhile, feeling blue and a little teary--not that I would ever admit it to Steven

In a lot of ways it was like the last su to Brown He ht have an internship, or suht backpack across Europe with all his new doro to the football cas that could happen between now and then It occurred toto have to make the most of this summer, really make it count, in case there wasn't another one quite like it After all, I would be sixteen soon I was getting older too Things couldn't stay the same forever

Chapter twenty

AGE II

The four of us were lying on a big blanket in the sand Conrad, Steven, Jeree That wasThis was one of those rare days

It was already midafternoon, so hotcards while I listened in

Jeremiah said, "Would you rather be boiled in olive oil or skinned alive with a burning hot butter knife?"

"Olive oil," said Conrad confidently "It's over quicker"

"Olive oil," I echoed

"Butter knife," said Steven "There's uy and skin him"

"That wasn't an option," Conrad told hi the tables on sorumpily "What about you, Jereo, Con"

Conrad squinted his eyes up at the sun and said, "Would you rather live one perfect day over and over or live your life with no perfect days but just decent ones?"

Jereame He loved to mull over the different possibilities "With that one perfect day, would I knoas reliving it, like Groundhog Day?"

"No"

"Then I'll take the perfect day," he decided

"Well, if the perfect day involves--," Steven began, but then he looked over at , which I hated "I'll take the perfect day too"

"Belly?" Conrad looked at me "What would you pick?"

My ht answer "Urn I'd take living my life with decent days That way I could still hope for that one perfect day," I said "I wouldn't want to have a life that's just one day over and over"

"Yeah, but you wouldn't know it," Jereht, deep down"