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Kitty will do anything to get out of brushing her teeth

We can’t just let this tree house go without a proper send-off It wouldn’t be right We always said we’d come back I will have a party, and it will be themed Genevieve would sneer at that, how babyish--but it’s not like I’ her, so who cares what she thinks It will just be Peter, Chris, Trevor, andJohn I’ll have to invite John As friends, just friends

What did we eat that summer? Cheez Doodles Melty ice creaers Lukewaret them John always had a double-decker peanut butter and jelly sandith hi that his mother packed I’ll be sure to have all of those snacks for the party

What else? Trevor had portable speakers he used to carry around His dad was big into Southern rock, and that summer Trevor played "Sweet Home Alabama" so much that Peter threw his speakers out of the tree house and Trevor wouldn’t speak to him for days Trevor Pike had brown hair that curled when it et, and he was chubby in the way that ht before they have a big growth spurt and everything sort of evens out He was always hungry and hanging around other people’s cupboards He’d have to go pee, and he’d come back with a Popsicle or a banana, or cheese crackers, whatever he could scam Trevor was Peter’s number three It went John and Peter and then Trevor They don’t hang out so uys We don’t have any classes together; I’m in all honors and APs and Trevor was never that into school or grades He was fun, though

I re she was o to school with us, but she wouldn’t be able to ride her bike or walk over anymore Peter was sad; he co hon-up they seeers in love And then Chris and Gen had a fight about soht than usual; I don’t even re with their parents Whenever their parents weren’t getting along, things trickled down to the down a river

Gen moved away, and ere still friends, and then, around the tiuess there was no place for ht Genevieve was someone I would know forever Those people in your life that you just always know, no matter what But it’s not that way Here we are, three years later, and we’re worse than strangers I know she took that video; I know she sent it to Anonybitch How could I forgive that?

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JOSH HAS A NEW GIRLFRIEND: Liza Booker, a girl from his co boobs, braces She’s a senior like Josh, sirl who’s not Margot Next to

I kept seeing a car I didn’t recognize in Josh’s driveway, and then today, when I was getting the mail, she and Josh came out of the house and he walked her to her car and then he kissed her Just like how he used to kiss Margot

I wait until she’s driven away and he’s about to walk back inside his house before I call out to hi now, huh?"

He turns around and at least looks sheepish "We’ve been hanging out, yes It’s not serious or anything But I like her" Josh comes a few feet closer, so we’re not so far apart

I can’t resist saying, "There’s no accounting for taste I ot?" I let out a huffy little laugh that surprises even me, because Josh and I are fine now--not like before, but fine It was ait to beit for my sister For what she and Josh used to be to each other

Quietly he says, "I didn’t pick Liza over Margot and you know it Liza and I barely knew each other in January"

"Okay, well, why not Margot then?"

"It just wasn’t going to work out I still care about her I’ll always love her But she was right to break things off when she left It would only have been harder if we’d kept it going"