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The door was cracked open, and inside, Anya was sitting on the floor with her back to h-pitched Russian Pausing, she took a few deep hysterical breaths, said one last word into the receiver, and then slaht her breath, hiccupping a few ti, she picked up the phone and threw it across the rooasped as it hit the wall

She whipped around, her face swollen and red Mascara was s her face with her sleeve

The dial tone beeped in the background

"Come here"

She looked so crazed, it took, I turned and started to walk back toather head into the hall "Do you think I want to talk to you?"

I kept walking

"You think you’re interesting or so because you didn’t die?"

I took a breath, trying to convince myself it wasn’t worth it to turn around

"Because you had a fit in the middle of class? What’s your problem, anyway? Are you some kind of freak?"

I looked down at my hands, and realized they were clenched

"Why aren’t you answering lish?"

At that I spun around "I never said I was interesting," I yelled, louder than I meant to "And of course I can hear you Everyone can hear you" It felt surprisingly good to shout at so "I don’t lurk in front of your rooet lost And I really don’t think you’re in a position to be calling anyone a freak"

She glared at me "What is that supposed to mean?"

I took in her bad dye job, her asyernails "You look ridiculous"

"So do you!" she said, waving her hands wildly "And you’re possessed!"

Catching our breaths, we stood there in silence, unsure of what to do next Behindin the hall

"A witch arguing with a liar," Cle slippers, her short hair held back with a series of bobby pins The girls behind her started to whisper

Before I could forh the hallway "July thirtieth Have you forgotten?" she said, her eyes dark and steady "Because I haven’t"

Confused, I glanced at Anya and then at Cle back at her Her friends seemed just as baffled as I was

Cleh "Is that a threat?"

"Yes," Anya said plainly

"What’s she talking about?" Josie, one of Clementine’s friends, asked, her lips thin and pursed in a pout I recognized her fro her eyes away from Anya, she turned to her friends "I have no idea," she said, though I could tell it wasn’t true "Coo"

After everyone had left, I turned to Anya "What was that? July thirtieth?"

"Oh, nothing," she said, her face bearing the hint of a smile "Just a little secret of Clementine’s that I happened to stu her?"

"No," Anya said, a tiny wrinkle for in return Only that she leave me alone"

"But isn’t that still--"

Anya cuta lock of red hair around her finger, she studied ave ry"

She wiped her cheek, s?"

Her words caught ize to me"

"But you insulted me first," she insisted, as if it were the truth