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"Well, hello there" A blond woave hi? Well, that’s lucky I hed a little too hard at her own joke "I’m Tonia Loos Anatomy and sex education"

Did she actually stress the word sex? Balthazar edged back toward the coffee and tea station "Hello there--everybody," he said, reeting "Balthazar More And yes, I’, by the way?"

"That poor uy in a colorful shirt and tie "I’ hier, music, drama, and debate Welco," said somebody who looked like a track coach

"Don’t scare the poor nored her own advice and stepped closer to Balthazar again One of her fingers twirled a strand of her hair as she added, "Let’s see--what do you need to know? Zaslow’s not so bad if you stay on her good side We’ve got an electric kettle, microwave, and hot plate in here, and we do a cake for the month’s birthdays every first Friday And if you’re a sarette without the kids seeing you is right out this back way here"

With so to quit, actually"

"Good for you," the track coach replied "Stuff rots your lungs"

Not Balthazar’s lungs, but he’d discovered that s in the past decade No s in theaters, on public transport, in s, even in bars: What was the point of that? The addiction, unfortunately, applied even to the undead, but he thought he could kick it In the arette" at the ready

Obviously worried that his attention was drifting, Tonia hurriedly added, "Well, ant you to feel really welco you need, Balthazar--you know, if you want soe joke? Please, let that not have been a bondage joke Balthazar quickly turned his attention to Rick and said, "Actually, I need a place to live while I’ for someplace out by the river, near the state land, ave him a low-lidded look perhaps meant to be sultry Balthazar noticed only how thicklyThat kind of thing" What he needed was to be close to Skye, the better to protect her, but that wouldn’t go over well as a reason As far as any of these people knew, he was an adult human male who should never, ever show any personal interest in one of his young fe next door to one

A gray-haired woebra II textbook said, "The Macrossan house is for rent, if you want soht in the center of town, but trustcloser to things"

"That’s okay," Balthazar said "I don’t need much room; I don’t have a lot" Also, he expected to spend very little time at whatever home he found--he’d be with Skye as much as possible The new residence was h to send hi papers and taking attendance every day for free

"It really is a tough coh," Tonia insisted "And when you pull basketball duty during a blizzard--no fun"

Basketball duty, too? Great Then again, just before he’d walked into Skye’s hooing to a gaht That was reckless of her, but he could at least be sure to be there "Speaking of which, I need to take ht, isn’t there?"

"Yes, but that’s okay Nola and I have it, don’t we?" Tonia gave the track coach a rather fake grin; Nola didn’t bother set along when a newcoht off," Balthazar said "I’ll go to the game, do my first shift"

Tonia’s face lit up, and too late he realized that he’d sounded like he was flirting with her "Aren’t you sweet? Isn’t he the sweetest thing?"

"Like a Snickers bar dipped in ebra teacher dryly, with an acerbic glance in Tonia’s direction "Good luck, More"

I’ the day’s classes, as the kids supposedly studied but mostly texted quietly, Balthazar reviewed so this year Ancient Civilizations: Well, that would take some work He’d never been friendly with anybody frohth century AD American Colonial History Honors Seminar, Skye’s class: piece of cake, so h the textbook World War II Honors Seminar: Okay, doable He’d just concentrate on the Pacific Theater, where he’d served his tour of duty US History, 1945–Present: been there, did that, had the T-shirt