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"I had to throw it out Blood all over it And, no, I didn’t hear them or ask"

"That sucks I liked that sweater" We swipe our cards at the checkout to put the food on ourtoward the closest free table Looking back at me over her shoulder, she smiles "Want to knohat I heard?"

"What?" I set my tray down on the table a little too hard

Her smile falters "You’re upset"

"No"

I’ on, and these days when so involves West and Nate, I’m very much afraid I don’t want to hear it

We sit down I braceabout you"

Crappity crap crap crap

"Who told you that?"

"Soether"

"Nate and West?"

"Yeah, and Sierra, you know her? She said that after class Nate ot on his case, and it turned into an argument about you"

"What did they say?"

There’s a rock in ainst the doo over et’s tone is cautious "Sierra didn’t catch all of it, only your name"

I push atmyself to cut it When I put it in my mouth, it will taste like ashes The burned-up remains of the life I used to have

People talk about me Not to et promise to tell me whatever she heard, because I need to know It’s the only way I can be sure they’re forgetting, like I want theirl I should be able to fade into the background if I keepthat barely anyone will remember this Caroline who?

It’s not what I had planned, exactly I’d thought I ht shoot for student-body president my junior year, senior year at the latest But I can table that ambition if I have to I’d rather be anonymous than notorious

"Sierra said it was kind of ro your honor"

It’s such a preposterous idea--that I have honor That West would defend it

I barely know him I’ve only talked to him one time

West and I are not friends

And for the past feeeks, the only people who have cared about et and me None of my old friends can look me in the eye Nate and I cauess his side looked likelike that," Nate had said, straight-faced, when I confronted hi hall "How could you think I would?"

And then, after I sputtered and he denied for another few irls just want attention so bad, they’ll do anything to get it"

I look out theat the lawn, unable to chew up and s the idea of West Leavitt defending ained consciousness after fainting by West’s car, the first thing I heard was an angrynew He’s a judge, so he spendscalle parent of three young daughters, and he has a tendency to get shouty when he feels threatened Which is a lot

You just have to kno to handle him My oldest sister, Janelle, sucks up Alison usually cries I present hiical brain until the ranty brain calms down

Dad must have been all the way down the hall by the stairs, because I couldn’tOccasionally a lower, calmer voice broke into his tirade

West’s voice

I didn’t sort all this out until later At the tiirl leaning over et," she said "Are you okay? You fainted This cute guy carried you up the stairs, and I don’t knohat he said to your dad, but your dad is ticked, and is he always that scary? Because, if so, I’ to be a lotuntil the door flew open and my dad came back into the rooolf polo He sat beside ht as well have been rising off his head

"How are you feeling?"

"Okay" This was a lie

"I’irls’ dorms"