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"Then I guess he can’t be all bad"

Although I’d yet to see it

"Listen," I started "I wanted to say that I’m--"

"No, Ray I’m the one who’s sorry I yelled at you" Tanner shook his head "I’ve never yelled at you before I was so mad at myself when I left your house I should have been sympathetic You needed a friend and instead I unloaded all my bullshit on you"

"No, I’m sorry This has to be difficult on you My attitude and being so defensive hasn’t been helping any"

"Well, then I guess it’s settled," Tanner said "We’re both sorry"

"That we are," I ado first?" Tanner asked, standing up fro out a hand

"Huh?"

"I came to see you and ran into Nadine, she said you need a memory exorcist" He pointed at hiuy"

"You don’t have to do this" I took his hand and he helped me up Noas my turn to shield my eyes from the sun as I looked up at hio first," he said When I started to pull away he looked down at where his hand still held s like that won’t keep happening It really is just a habit But I pro when you pull away"

"Maybe this isn’t--" I started

"Dress comfortably Meet you out front in twentyback down the dock I didn’t feel threatened by Tanner’s affections In fact, a part of rabbed my hand Not because I liked him that way, but because it felt nice to know that while I was gone and worried that no one had missed me, that I didn’t have anyone who cared, that Tanner was here all along,in Ray’s closet, ht in color Beyond the slatted bi-fold doors was a sea of white, yellow, and pink Mostly sundresses, Jackie-O looking skirt-suits, and blouses that button up to the neck It’s not that anything was ugly On contrary, it was really beautiful A little conservative, but beautiful But I wished for the clothes I’d left back at Kings Black tank tops, snug fit jeans, and flip-flops

All were chosen and bought for me, courtesy of Preppy

Which was another reason I probably loved them so much

I ran my hands over the different fabrics on the closet and wondered how in the span of a few e so drastically Or maybe I always liked my comfy clothes, but just hadn’t been able to speak rew a pair of balls

After a little further searching I had found a few things I felt comfortable in and after a quick shower I put on a pair of black Converse sneakers, a black V-neck, and a pair of ripped jean shorts I met Tanner out in front of the house as he’d instructed He pulled up in a newerhad been done to it to otabout another black truck More of a farm style truck froood driving it "Mo me back to the present, and othe truck to open the door forthe entire half of an hour ride, Sammy babbled endlessly I was impressed with Tanner’s patience, especially when Sah-pitched screech that could only be described as a pterodactyl screaed his shoulders "He does that when he’s frustrated" Tanner pursed his lips "And when he’s happy, and when he’s upset, and when…he does it all the time," he admitted We turned off on an exit n made out of bent branches that announced that the place was called ALLIGATOR FUN LAND Saht when Tanner took hiround he raced through the gates in front of us

We chased Sammy froh e’d done there before What I’d said What I had thought about the fla to connect the past to the present and trigger a memory Most of the time, I just sy that was my son run circles around us