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She looks at her plate of uneaten pizza Shakes her head "Nobody Not even her"

"You haven’t been to a doctor about it or anything?"

"No Not really Not for help"

He throws his hands in the air "Why?" His voice is incredulous And then, suddenly, he knohy

"Sorry," he says

She doesn’t answer She’s thinking Thinking hard

"You know, nobody’s ever gone there with ives hilance "I don’t understand that part How did you get there too?"

"I don’t know All of a sudden it was like I had two different angles to watch from: one of them as an observer, the other as a participant Like virtual reality picture-in-picture or so"

"And don’t even tell h it with an"

It’s 10:21 painst the frahtly on the lips

He hops off the step and starts walking home, but turns back in the driveway "Hey, can I see you toht? So "I’ll be here Just let yourself in--Carrie always does too It’s cool"

TRUTH OR DARE

October 16, 2005, 9:30 pm

It’s Sunday The house is clean Janie had the day off She ran out for groceries in the , vacuumed, dusted, washed, polished, shined, and steam-cleaned Now, Janie is asleep on the couch

Cabel doesn’t cohs, clicks off the laoes to bed, rabs her backpack and heads out the door She’s pissed And hurt She thinks she knohy he didn’t show up

On Ethel’s windshield is a note, under the wiper It’s ith dew I’m sorry,

it says

Cabe

Yeah, well Not as sorry as I am, she thinks

She passes him on the way to school

He looks up

And eats her dust

He’s late for school

She doesn’t speak to hi on her front step

She’s pulling up to the house after work

She gets out of the car, crunches over the gravel, and stands in front of him

"Yes?" she says

"I’ her foot Searching for words She blurts theot freaked out I’ured it would happen"