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He stepped closer to me "One minute you like me Then Caht? You want to have your cake and eat it too, but you also want your cookies, and your ice cream"

"Shut up!" I yelled

"You're the one who's been playing ga to sound casual, offhand, but his body was tense, like every s

"You've been an ass all suetting divorced! So what? People's parents get divorced It's not an excuse to treat people like crap!"

He snapped his head away from me "Shut your mouth," he said, and his jaitched I had finally done it I was getting to hi the other day because of you-- she could barely get out of bed! Do you even care? Do you even kno selfish you are?"

Conrad stepped up close to ht either hitin my ears I was so mad I almost wished he'd hit rabbed o just as suddenly I could feel tears building up, because for a second there, I thought hewhen Jere; his hair was still wet I didn't even hear his car pull up He took one look at the two of us, and he knew so He almost looked scared And then he just looked furious He said, "What the hell is going on? Conrad, what's your problelared at him "Just keep her away from me I'm not in the mood to deal with any of this"

I flinched It was like he really had hit me It orse than that

He started to walk away, and Jere with this, er out on everybody else Leave Belly alone"

I shivered Was this because ofhimself up in his room-- had it really been because of ? Had he been that upset over seeinghim off "Why don't you leave me alone? How about we try that instead?"

But Jere you alone We've left you alone this whole su like a little kid You're supposed to be the older one, right? The big brother? Act like it, du man up and handle your business"

"Get out of rowled

"No" Jeremiah stepped closer, until their faces were inches apart, just like ours had been not fifteen erous voice Conrad said, "I'ry dogs, growling and spitting and circling each other They'd forgotten I was there I felt like I atching so I wanted to put my hands over my ears They'd never been like this with each other in all the tiued, but it had never been like this, not once I knew I should leave, but I couldn't bringmy arms close to my chest

"You're just like Dad, you know that?" Jere to do withI could be a part of

This was so about

Conrad pushed Jerehly, and Jeremiah pushed him back Conrad stumbled and nearly fell, and when he rose up, he punched Jereht in the face I think I screa at each other, hitting and cursing and breathing heavy They knocked over Susannah's big glass jar of sun tea, and it cracked open Tea spilled out all over the porch There was blood on the sand I didn't knohose it was