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Ronnie herself aiting next to an open door, showing an intoxicatingly dark slice of the night outside She scowled at Sherirl"

"And I’ve told you that gender is a construct of thehumans, we must blend in with the humans," Sherirl is strange enough without that girl insisting on being treated as a boy It would attract too ender you prefer We can even find you a host of your preferred gender, if you’re ready to develop again"

To lare before she slipped out the door

"I didn’t think so," said Sher, pet We’re alht hi the dead soldiers behind, and into a parking lot that I recognized We were in Oakland The building where I’d been held…

"They were keeping us in the Coliseuh or be offended by the stupidity of it all The Oakland Coliseu, used pri events, massive concert tours, and indoor festivals The Cause for Paws ani for the last few years used to exhibit at Social Justice Fest--where we’d try to pawn adult animals off on people who hadto ly stoned twenty-so whether they wanted a pet or another hash brownie ot more returns from the Social Justice Fest, while the happy stoners plastered our social s I always thought it was sort of aweso and too diverse to be pinned to so as small as what kind of specialty events you liked to attend over the weekend

Goodthat I’d been kept there made me feel oddly dirty, like I had somehow become one of those orphaned puppies or kittens, and Sherht of hi me as a pet , and gave

"Where else would they have put that many people, that quickly? Learn to think, Sal I know you have it in you, and while I’ve enjoyed your pampered innocence more than you can possibly drearow up and join the war"

I finally yanked rab forhe’d been waiting for "I’ with you because I don’t have any other options if I want to stay alive and make it back to my family, and I don’t want to be blamed for all the--" My throat seemed to close on the word "bodies" I sed, hard, and continued: "All the dead people You made those They shouldn’t becoer, and he was the one who’d shepherded uiding me from lab to lab He knehat my responses would be better than I did So when he was suddenly inwide, as his hands cuppedme into a kiss

His lips tasted like h his hands, and as he pulled me closer, it felt like the drums inwhile the other sped up, until ere breathing in unison, hi hi in every possible way, and that didn’t ether, pulsepulse, forever

Sher so that you ought to leave that human boy you’re so besotted with and be with me We’re the sa, because you’ve always been part of this war This war is all about you"

There was nothing I could say to that My , tookdark

Sherman and his teao on the side It was a net: as we approached, Ronnie yanked it off and slapped up a cupcake store logo in its place She shotI didn’t say anything It felt like so lare softened into so before it was redirected on Sherain "You kissed her, didn’t you? God, you’re such an asshole, Sherirl She wrenched the van door open and tossed hero without a fuss He’d already gotten what he wanted Ronnie peered atWhatever it was, she found it, because she pulled away and shot oneme into the van