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I still see Sean in o That’s how long he stayed upstairs, talking to those girls, I guess

The cool ss for an extra look Even with that too-long hair, the i his neck can’t be hidden Yes, a turtleneck offers temporary cover, but they’re not standard in Texas And anyone could just tug it down to see, anyway

And that’s the point Imprints can’t be denied Just like bad DNA

The ink-black band almost an inch wide The circled H It reminds me of a cattle brand Dark Deep Per you see Not the person And that’s the purpose

The person doesn’t les, and I wonder if it’s hiination? My fear knowing he’s there, here, close, watching

My ain What did he do to get that? Was it one thing? A series of transgressions until Pollock finally ordered the i? I shake my head and pressout ain

As if that will keep me sane Keep me me

Because him Behind me Will never be me

"I’ll be back in two e

I start a little at the realization that he’s leaving us alone Together A roos in prison My skin tightens sharply This strikes me as a bad idea The door clicks shut behind him Too late for me to object

Ih low under their breaths, practically tripping over thelance reveals that everyone else is watching, too Gil, Coco Sean is turned, too

The two boys speak in rushed tones, scanning Brock to do, man?" Brian anxiously asks

Nathan points "His chair"

"Yeah, yeah Let’s unscrew the bolts" Brian nods stupidly, bending to tamper with Brock hiht at Sean For permission? Approval? I’uys don’tSean O’Rourke first

Sharp prickles break out over my skin I’m almost disappointed I don’t knohy Did I somehow think he was better than Nathan? I have no basis for that conclusion If anything, the imprint on his neck should have told erous than these other boys

I watch Sean, wait for his reaction It’s the barest motion Just a dip of his head Then he turns around and faces front again My chest squeezes to find myself directly in his line of vision I spin around, too alarmed to look into those cool eyes

I listen to Nathan and Brian as they loosen the bolts on Brock like hyenas

What does it rip, the one who backhanded poor Gil, whose eyes glea painanswers to Sean O’Rourke?

Brock Listening

He crashes to the floor with a yelp We all turn to look then Nathan and Brian laugh, slapping their desks as the teacher pulls hiles behind her hands Gil grins

Huffing and holding his back as though he’s injured, he faces us through the chain-link wall "Go ahead and have your laugh, you little bastards We all knohere you’re going to end up All of you!"

The laughter fades as Brock under his breath

Nathan wipes the tears of mirth from his eyes "God, that was classic" He looks over at Sean "Did you see that, O’Rourke? Priceless"

Sean turns in his desk, silent and unsh he sanctioned the little prank, he doesn’t look a to do hat Brock to end up

I don’t knohere I’ine that I would ever end up in the same place as Nathan and Brian and Sean O’Rourke

And yet here I am now With them

Another office aide coe and rouses everyone

"Okay New assignine we’re all in the sanment we all have in common

"This is for your Coet louder Even Gil reacts "Those assignments are such a joke"

I’ve never heard of a Co unique to this school I glance at the sheet of paper Brocklance at the paper’s header clears things up The Wainwright Agency is identified in the header This is son to my instructions, you have a week to cohter Even if it coht be real schoolwork Close enough anyway My inner geek perks up Anything to break up thein this room To tide me over until I can escape this place and return to ht When I can be ain

"You will need to pair up"

At this,inside me tenses I have to ith someone in this room

Obviously, Nathan and his better half in the back will pair up They don’t even have to move desks