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Chris shakes her head "I’ve got to wear a crop top tonight I can’t have a gut"

"So if you’re out, who does John have now?" Lucas asks

"Kavinsky," Chris says "I haven’t been able to get hiht for sure Gen had lances atat me with pity eyes

If Chris had Peter, and John took her out, that means John has Peter now Which means either Peter or Genevieve has me And since I have John, that means one of them has the other--which means they must be in an alliance That means they’ve confided in each other, told each other who they have

Sing, I say, "I knew froh a hard tih?" Chris asks, one eyebroay high up

"Peter said fa?"

"Ikind of weird at Aunt Wendy’s birthday dinner last week Like, ht to anybody" She shrugs "So so probably is up, but I don’t knohat" Chris blows her hair out of her face "Da that car"

"I’ll take John McClaren out for you," I vow "Your death will not be in vain"

She gives otten him out sooner, this wouldn’t have happened"

"He lives half an hour away! I don’t even kno to get to his house"

"Whatever, I still partially blas and Chris stands up "Later, chicas" She heads off down the hall, in the opposite direction of her next class

"She just called ay?"

"No!"

"Okay, because I told you that in confidence Remember?"

"Lucas, of course I re to Chris? I’ h "It’s whatever" He rises to his feet and offers his hand to help entleht cocktail hour at Belleview and the night isn’t goingas well as I’d hoped We’re already half an hour in and it’s just Stormy, Mr Morales, Alicia, and Nelson, who has Alzheie of scenery He is, however, wearing a dapper navy sport coat with copper buttons Not that uire was a regular, but she washome last month, and Mrs Montero died over the holidays But I made such a fuss to Janette about hoould breathe new life into cocktail hour, and now look at me I feel a little olive pit of dread in the bottom of my stomach, because if Janette catches wind of ho the attendance is, she ht social after all, and I had the funnest idea for the next one--a USO party If tonight’s a flop, there’s no way she’ll letfour people show up, one of whoe failure Storing and playing the piano The showto keep busy, keep a s is loverly I’ve lined up the glassware in neat rows so it looks like a real bar and brought a bunch of things froravy stains, freshly ironed), a little bud vase I put next to the plate of peanut butter cookies (at first I hesitated at peanut butter, ith allergies and all, but then I reies), Mora silver boith cut-up le on doors of souess if you’re active, you’re not staying in your apart salted peanuts into a heart-shaped crystal bowl (a contribution fro with her ice tongs) when John Aht blue Oxford shirt and navy sport coat, not dissi my hands to my mouth, I drop to the floor, behind the table If he seeshere, but this is my perfect chance to take hih options in my head