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His companion watches with interest frohs on this moment, on how I react I wipe sweaty pal evaluated on all sides
"Hey," I return
"Where you from?"
"Does it matter?" For some reason I hesitate to tell him where I live I don’t want to coirl that’s fallen low Even if I a e"
"Maybe yours," I return
His smile vanishes "Oh You think so? You think you’re special?"
"This is only tehs and I stop talking "Stupid bitch You think I just e for the rest of our lives Whether it’s this one or another one Graduation?" He shakes his head "You think that’s going to save you? You think you’re going to get a great job or so to help you is how many friends you can"You any good athis friend? So twists sickly insideanyway
"You’re dead to your old friends You’re swi in a different pond now You’ll need new friends Carriers Like you" He leans back in the seat and crosses his thick arms over his chest He doesn’t say it out loud, but his words hang there Like me
I open usted with the idea that I am somehow the same as him That carriers everywhere are all the same Even if that’s hoe’re treated Even if that’s how everyone views us I’, but all I can cling to
He smiles, clearly satisfied that he’s putforward, he runs his hand along s I slap it away A iving allops inlance quickly at Brockers free, but he holds tightly, twisting ers until they’re bloodless Until I have to clenchfor help, but he clicks his tongue atto you We’re going to be spending a lot of tis that can happen to you When Brockman leaves to use the bathrooht now So let’s get off on the right foot"
I s backfor solassy and dead as a uy interjects "She doesn’t need any tips frootten about him
"Shut up, Gil," Nathan snarls at hily "Keep your nose in your book and I et you exist for the rest of the day"
Gil doesn’t look away He glares at the bigger boy "You ets here"
Nathan releases me and lurches fro him up by his collar He backhands hi crack on the air
I jerk in my seat at the blatant violence Brocke, his expression mildly concerned but mostly just annoyed At Everton, teachers intervene at the slightest whiff of a fight With a pronounced sniff and swipe at his nose, he goes back to his
"He’s not here noi, for that matter If I were you, I’d watch yourHe can’t protect you every s Gil back into his desk The boy’s hip crashes into the top of the desk He winces as he falls aardly into his seat He folds into hi his thin fra s work around here quick" Those dead eyes slide off lance over at Gil His breath is a wheezy little rasp as he clutches at his hip
"You all right?" I whisper, convinced more than ever that he’s like me and in here by mistake
"Yeah Stupid ape" His eyes widen "Oh, not you--"
I sed in his gaht, you know You should try and lance around the Cage My choices aren’t exactly overflowing So far, Gil looks like the only candidate Hehis head "I won’t exactly help your rep I’ll just get you beat up or" His gaze lowers, ski away
He doesn’t need to finish his sentence The sudden flush in his cheeks says it all, and I understand A shiver rolls over erous individual has left et for violence How messed up is that?
"Really For your sake We shouldn’t talk Find a friend that can actually intiuys like Nathan and Brian back there" His head jerks slightly in the direction of the boys playing cards behind us
He returns to his desk, leaving me to stare at his profile as he picks up his book
"Listen to hiaze to Coco The first words out of heratup her desk She’s back to geo swirls
Not a glance Not another sound from her Listen to him That’s her advice? That’s it? Frustration wells up inside et any better than this