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"And?" Samuel demanded

"And Kasey died, and then s,with irritation, frustrated that I had to defend nosed with Alzheimer’s, and I was needed here! Okay?" I threw my hands up in frustration "I was needed here, so I stayed"

"I’ve seen you with your faood at being needed, that’s for sure"

""What is that supposed to ry no dare he?! "My dad had a major stroke a week before I was supposed to leave for school I decided to defer my scholarship for a while to take care of him Dad couldn’t work and so better, but the medical bills had piled up, and he still couldn’t work full tinosed with Alzhei after we put her in a home, and I couldn’t just leave her Nobody else cared, Saone anyway!" I was babbling and I forced ard, andout the , listening, reminiscent of the boy I had once befriended

There was nothing more to say Samuel seemed at a loss, and I was drained After asharply onto the road, turning our backs on the grandeur of the gloaravel outside my house, he slowed to a stop and came around to my door I had opened it and put one bare foot down on the rocks, curling ravel Sa rass and sethands ca my cheekbones in a brief caress I shivered involuntarily He searched my face for several heartbeats

His voice was low as he spoke "It’s not too late, Josie" And with that, he withdrew his hands and left rass and buried in introspection, until the sky was cloaked in darkness and the stars blinked back to life

16 Modulation

Tara blew into the shop like a hurricane one afternoon - pink hair, red lips, flashing sone for a century instead of three ot her ‘Moain in a whirl She threw herself into , down to the last detail, that had happened to her since she’d last seen me All at once her eyes narrowed on my face and she pursed her crimson lips in speculation

"I like your hair" She said it with such surprise in her voice that I laughed out loud "No! I do!" She insisted "You’re letting it grow out and the curls are all soft and flow-y" I had had Louise cutith her in the shop It had been so tortured and teased after living through a year of experimentation by Tara that I had just told Louise to "take it off" Louise had clucked her tongue the whole tiirl, lettin’ Tara have her ith your hair?"

I touched the hair that hung past er I haven’t really styled it any special way"

"Are you dating anybody?" She queried, and then she laughed like she had just told a hilarious joke "Who would you date? Everybody’s either 16, one!"

Louise spoke up fro Penny Worwood’s hair "Oh, I don’t know ‘bout that A few days ago, Nettie Yates caoodlookin’ randson? You mean Tabrina’s son? That ettin’ desperate in your old age, Moht, you couldn’t pick that boy out in a pen of pigs! No, I’ about Michael’s son!" She said triumphantly

"Who is Michael?" Tara was completely bewildered

"Tabrina’s older brother"

"I didn’t even know Tabrina had an older brother!"

"Yep He died when you were just a baby, which is why you probably never heard about hi yuious than the rest of his fah nobody else in his fauy, but yu to look at! His poor little sister Tabrina got as left over, bless her heart, and her kids ’er even uglier than she is!"

"Mouy Michael? He had a son?"

"Yep He lived here with his grandparents for a while when he was in high school He’s part indian or so I can’t believe you don’t reain, Josie?"

"Sa ive so away that I was not yet ready to discuss

"Sa to remember "Oh yeah! Hey Josie, wasn’t he the kid you had to sit by all year long on the bus in seventh grade?" She shivered drarandparents in their sleep!"