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I took a step toward the bed If the notebook was Noah’s, the law of the universe dictated that I would get caught

But it’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission I took another step Another Then I reached for the notebook, sed ins the unillustrious record of the observations and s of one Noah Elliot Simon Shaw insofar as they relate to one Mara (middle name as yet unknown, must remedy) Dyer and her purported metarandly) stuffed with human hair, as well as a pendant identical to the one I own Both of us are justifiably disturbed by this developh it has provided a new avenue of exploration as to why the fuck both of us are so deeply weird

Also, I kissed her She liked it

Naturally

If there was anyone to speak to, I would have been speechless I blinked, hard, and then stared at the page, at the words, in his handwriting, just to make sure they were actually there

They were And I knehen he’d started writing then It was after I told hihim--

That all he could do atch My own voice echoed harshly in my ears

"Tell me what you see Because I don’t knohat’s real and what isn’t or what’s new or different and I can’t trust myself, but I trust you"

He had closed his eyes Said my name And then I said--

"You knohat? Don’t tell ht not reet better, let e a little bit every day and never knoho I was until after I’ this fornow Put the notebook back, tell hi I could tell hied to and once I saas his, stopped reading right away

But I didn’t I turned the page

Ruth informs me that when my father returns home, I’ll be expected to return to school and attend classes without fail I listen patiently but I can feel myself detach as I see it in exquisite, miserable detail:

I stare listlessly behind the teachers’ heads as I listen to thes I already know I cut class and stretch out on a picnic table beneath the tiki irls walks by, peering over the edge of the table I airls dart away They titter and giggle and I hear one of thenorance and scream that their Sistine Chapel is filled with cracks