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"What would you call it?"

"I don’t knohat to call it Maybe you should tellyou I just--"

A pissed-off male voice says, "Shh"

Fourth floor Shit

When I open hts have scattered like marbles, and I can hardly even look at West He’s crossed his arms His split knuckles are wrapped around his biceps It looks hard

Everything about West is hard

Talk, Caroline, es Words Sentences Go

"I wanted to, uet that--"

"Shhhhh"

The saain I lose

West says, very calmly, "There’s three other floors, buddy Pick one or shut the fuck up"

"This is the quiet floor," the invisible guy complains

"Shohere it says that"

"Everybody knows"

West shakes his head "I’m not everybody"

There’s silence for apushed back A backpack zipper Footsteps announce the approach--a student glares at West with angry eyes--but he keeps going, and I hear the stairwell door opening

A beat later, just before the door slaliness of those words cuts into my hurt place, deep

He’s not the first person to call me a slut, but he’s the first one to say it so I can hear hiht after I let West push hs

It doesn’t help that my panties are wet I feel like a slut I feel like I’ apart, unable to stick to a direct line for more than five minutes

Stupid cunt would spread for anyone, the men inside ood money to watch that

I look up at West I feel despised and powerless, and it’s so frustrating that he’s seeingwhat I try not to let anyone see, ever

That I a apart All the tientle with pity, and that makes it a hundred times worse

Stupid, pitiful slut

"It’s fine," I say "I’ve heard it before"

"It’s not fine"

I wave my hand in the air, pointlessly, because I have no response It isn’t fine But it’s my life now

"Caroline, it’s not fine" West puts his hands on et out from under hioing to tell everyone, and then the whole ca about hoere practically screwing on the fourth floor of Haht?"

I think his eyes could burn holes through rooves beside his mouth carve themselves deeper "What are you sorry for?"

What auy My first kiss, which took place after an eighth-grade dance, with a boy na Nate take offwith Nate and thinking eredown on hi us closer

West, too I regret what just happened with West

"Everything," I whisper

It’s the wrong thing to say His hands push into his hair, clenching "Christ I can’t even--what’s theyou can fix"

"So why are you here?"

I take a deep breath I can do this "I need to know it’s not going to happen again That you’re not going to go around punching people because of me"

He frowns, a deep slash between his eyebrows "Who said it was because of you?"

The question catchesabout uess she knows you"

His face goes even darker "It’s not her business Or yours It’s between Nate and me"

"I think we’re way past the point where you can play the none-of-your-business card"

Thatto the end of the row Then he corabs the cart with both hands He looks like he wants to shove it at me "He pissed me off That’s all you need to know"

"Yeah, but--"

Head lowered, he kicks the toe of his boot against the cart Not hard, but hard enough to make way too much noise

"You have to tell e "Then I’ll leave you alone"

His head comes up "You think that’s what I want? For you to leave me alone?"

I don’t knohat he wants, so I keep , arrogant prick," West says "And I was fucking sick of hearing hi to do with ain Turns away

"West?"

"I wouldn’t say that"

I wait