Page 64 (1/2)

"I don’t know, Steve," Justin says "That girl was pretty s to wind up Steve, wind up Stephanie, or get a reaction from me

"You went to the party?" I ask stupidly

"That okay with you?" Justin scoffs

"Of course," I say quietly

Rebecca notices this I can sense her noticing I also know that if she asks , I will start to scream So I er I a into a position where A could o to all yned to third base I try to focus on the gaBut then I realize he’s waving at nize hi at him and nods once I wait until the play is over, then tell the teacher I have to use the ladies’ rooue, and puts souy doesn’t look at all like Xavier froot on this Metallica T-shirt and his arms are so hairy that they’re al, he walks back inside, into the gy field

I follow

I know I should give him a chance to explain I know that if he’s here, it iven up on ’s happened, I launch right into him

"Where the hell were you?" I yell I don’t even sound like rier than myself

"I was locked in my room," he says "It ful There wasn’t even a computer"

I know this makes sense I know this is actually possible I know he’s not lying But the anger is still there

"I waited for you," I tell hiot up Made the bed Had some breakfast And then I waited The reception on ured that had to be it I started reading old issues of Field & Strea material up there Then I heard footsteps I was so excited When I heard someone at the door, I ran to it"

I tell hiinefor him

"I wanted to be there," he says "I swear, I wanted to be there But I was trapped This girl--there was just soand they wouldn’t leave her alone Not for oneit But I wasn’t I figured it out And it was painful, Rhiannon You have to believe me--it was so painful And even then, I would have left I would have at least tried But there was no way She was in no state to leave"

"And thisto Mr Metallica "Why couldn’t he sendfor Hawaii--and if I’d gone with them, I would have never et here, then had to walk froet back to this guy’s house, it’s either going to be eet to you All I cared about was getting to you"

The anger is going away, but it’s not happiness that’s taking its place--it’s despair Like I’, for real, how absurd this is