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Aspen starts cracking up "You guys are such good girlfriends!"

"Thanks, irls" Despite his words, Sebastian is pulling a shirt over his head and then following me

"Ma wants you to call her," Sebastian says as we start down the hall "She said she tried your cell, but it’s turned off"

I forgot I’d done that I pull it out of my pocket There’s a missed call from Courtney, but no one else "I will"

"She said to tell you to keep that shit on She wants to be able to be in touch with you"

"Did she call it shit?"

"Ha ha"

We get to the soda machine and I buy myself a Cherry Pepsi and water for Priscilla "You want anything?"

"I got it"

I don’t knohy, but his words bug uys a soda, asshole"

"Dude, I totally justI never said you couldn’t, but I also think I’ a dollar in the ht have overreacted Whatever

"I really wish you’d quite being all ‘I am island’ and talk to one of us about whatever the hell you’ve got going on, Jay Seriously" Sebastian leans against the wall, opens his soda, and takes a drink

His words not only shock rateful for them at the same time I’m not sure which emotion to focus on "Love has turned you into a sap Since when do you want to talk about what’s in your heart or whatever?"

"Since I started to grow up You should consider it sos a whole lot easier, Jay"

The last person I need a lecture on growing up fro on the sa seriously"

He takes another drink before replying "I take Aspen seriously My mom Pris And your dumb ass Seriously,to bail? It’s supposed to be the four of us Don’t pretend you’re not having a good tirow up Maybe this is how I’ it You’re not supposed to be with your best friends forever That’s not the way the real world works, Sebastian Life ht be easy for you, but it’s not for the rest of us" But I want it to be I want to stay with you guys I want to be so but a waste of space A loser One of these days everyone is going to wake up and see that, you piece of shit"

Is it so wrong to want to walk away before they do it? Before Priscilla’s parents decide they don’t want raduation party?

Sebastian shakes his head "You’re right, man I couldn’t possibly knohat it’s like to have a hard time There’s no way I could actually be there for you or soht as well keep it all locked in It’s better that way"

My body is tense Anger sweeps throughto open ht Don’t feel as good as them and that I can’t shut up Mike’s voice inif my real dad threw me away too

That I don’t want them to do the same

"Shit," Sebastian pushes his hair out of his eyes "I feel like a freaking girl here We’re fighting like crazy It’s just" He shrugs "Never irl and I’et back to Pris, too" Sebastian winks

I shake et that last jab in I don’t bother to set hioing to say

I’ets forgotten when I see Priscilla standing with her back toon the phone

"It’s ht be a janky thing to do, but I stand in the doorway, listening It’s not like I’ She can turn around and see me at any second, and it’s not like I snuck in

For a few seconds she holds the phone, listening to whoever is on the other end "Don’t worry I get it I know it’s not what Daddy wanted You don’t have to keep re me"

This time her voice has an added sadness that I don’t like It makes me open my mouth and say, "You okay, Priscilla?"

She whips around to faceon the phone again

"It’s Jaden," she says, giving me a small smile I close the door behind me and that’s when it starts Her voice is raised and she’s speaking in Spanish, which

I’ve never heard her talk so fast Her free hand is flying through the air, which means she’s reallyon, has to do with me How stupid a without knoho she was speaking to