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"You’re bleeding," he says

"You hit s atmy hand away fromIt’s possible that he’s soical creature I mean, he’s not I know he’s not He’s a twenty-year-old sophoy He shelves books at the library, waits tables on weekends at the Gilded Pear--which is the only fancy restaurant in Putnaht shift at the bakery in town All that on top of at least a couple of shady, unofficial sources of income, plus classes, makes him busier than just about anyone I know

He’s tall--around six feet, reen eyes, and a great tan

He’s a guy who goes to e That’s all

But that is not all

His face is … You kno they say hus are htly off in every conceivable way One of his eyebrows tilts up a little bit, and the other one is bisected by a thin white scar His eyes are a color that isn’t actually a color, with these tiny little flecks that sometimes look shiny, and I don’t understand how that’s possible His ht to be, which makes him look like a suely, about s His nose must have been broken once--or maybe more than once--because it’s not quite where it’s supposed to be It’s shifted a titch to the left And honestly? I think his ears are too sht at me, I can barely make words

That’s why I’ him inspect my nose

"Is it still there?" I ask Only unfortunately it sounds more like Ib id till dere?

"Yeah I think I h"

"How do you know?"

"It’d be bleeding er

It doesn’t hurt anyroan from the floor draws West’s attention away fro and I re and why

Nate’s lip is split The whole front of his shirt is crimson and wet His teeth are pink when he spits

Pink teeth That wakes me up a little

That’s Nate, I think West hit Nate He’s bleeding You’re bleeding

My brain keeps offering up these declarations, one after another, as though I ether But whatever part ofdata, it’s off-line

Blood drips from my chin I follow its path and see that it’s landed on the scuffed toe of West’s black boot

"I need a paper towel," I say

West’s friend Krishna grabs hiet out of here"

Krishna is tall, with dark skin and black hair and a frighteningly beautiful face He’s also usually so laid-back that he’s right next door to coency is a whiff of aes of the crowd have all turned to look down the hall, where so

West Leavitt punched Nate in the face

I’to Krishna, but he’s looking right at ives hilances at s down the hall Krishna picks up ain--and puts an arm around my shoulders "Come on, we’ll find you that paper towel"

"Do you think Nate’s okay?"

"I think Nate’s a dick," Krishna says "But he’s still breathing Can you walk any faster?"

I do my best We end up in a wo by the door and propping it open with his body as I press a coarse brown paper towel to my nose and exa out of a slasher flick There’s blood all overbrown hair My hand is covered in gore, and the fore of one crimson and wet

Got what you deserved, didn’t you? Slut

My stomach heaves up, a sudden lurch that makes me close my eyes and suck in a deep breath

I look at Krishna, but of course he isn’t the one who said it

It was them The men

They follow me around Their voices Their vile opinions, now an endless streaative color commentary on my life

I’d still fuck her, they say when I turn on the tap Fuck that bitch until she walks funny I don’t care about her face

I stick ers under the streaht?" Krishna asks

He looks uncomfortable We’re friendly, but we’re not really friends He’s closer with Bridget, my roommate, than he is with et and I roo across from West and Krishna

I like Krishna, but he’s not the kind of guy I’d ever choose to lean on He’s kind of a ine that standing here watching s he wanted to do today

Experi seems to have stopped "I’m fine You don’t have to stay"

"I wouldn’t mind, except I have someone I need to meet But if you want--"