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I’ve got half of it clipped and I’h ht now, so I have to wait untiloff her motorcycle jacket "Are you still depressed over Kavinsky?"

I wind another section of hair around the curling iron barrel "Yes I ht hours yet"

Chris puts her arm around me "I hate to say it, but this has been a train wreck froive her a wounded look "Thanks a lot"

"Well, it’s true The way you guys got together eird, and then the whole hot tub video thing" She takes the curling iron froh, I will say that it was probably good for you to go through all that You were really sheltered, hon You can be very judg iron back fro to bonk her over the head with it "Are you here to cheer me up or to tell " She offersIt’s not your style There are other guys besides Kavinsky Guys who aren’t my cousin’s sloppy seconds Guys like John McClaren He’s hot I’d go for him myself if he wasn’t into you"

Softly, I say, "I can’t think about anyone else right now Peter and I just broke up"

"There’s heat between you and Johnny boy I saithHe wants you" She buainstthere"

I ignore her and keep curling my hair, one lock at a time

Peter still sits in front of me in chemistry I didn’t know you could miss someone even more acutely when they’re only a few feet away Maybe it’s because he doesn’t look atpart of my life he’d becoone Not gone, still here, just not available to ht be even worse For a ood Wasn’t it good? Maybe really, really good things aren’t ; maybe that’s what makes them all theto h for now

After class is over, Peter lingers at his desk, and then he turns around and says, "Hey"

My heart leaps "Hey" I have this sudden, wild thought that if he wants et it all

"So I want ers fly to the heart locket hanging fro, but I couldn’t bear to

Now I have to give it back? Stormy has a whole box of trinkets and tokens from old boyfriends I didn’t think I’d have to return my one token from a boy But it was expensive, and Peter is practical He could get his money back, and hiswith the clasp

"I didn’t ht this second," he says, and er, or even forever "But I’ll take it"

I can’t get the clasp undone, and it’s taking forever, and it’s excruciating because he’s just standing there Finally he comes up behind me and pulls ht beHis is beating and

44

KITTY FLIES INTO MY BEDROOM I’ since I sat here and did hoo to Starbucks after school Life is lonely already

"Did you and Peter break up?" Kitty demands