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It was just after four thirty when the doorbell rang It was so unlike Logan to not just waltz right in, but I was too excited to drag hiht

I opened the door with an eager sreeted by the swollen red eyes of Hilary

"Hilary, what’s wrong?" I asked, hurrying her inside and out of the icy weather

Her face was pale, her bottonawed at it, clutching a brown paper bag in her hands

"I went shopping today," she replied eerily and nodded down at said bag, crinkled in her hand as though she’d held it the entire drive over

She held it out and I took it, hesitant to open it by her pained expression It wasthan boutique

"Before you open it, you have to swear not to tell anyone"

What was in there? "Of course"

Nervously, I unrolled the bag that had been nearly worn through frohed, pulling out a pregnancy test that was piled in the bag with a dozen ged out of her coat, not saying a word I didn’t press her--just placed it back in the bag and sat beside her quietly for support, unsure what I could say or do

"Caleb’s going to kill s under me "Are you sure about this? Itill you ith me Didn’t want to do it before school " She ran her hand over her eyes and down her face "My cycle has been regular since I was thirteen, yet I’uys use protection?"

"I’otten to take theot?" I hadn’tas my best friend was laid up in a hospital, unconscious, I was a little stressed last ht!?"

"I’ood friend I was I took a deep breath and stood "There’s no reason to sit here freaking out until we have an answer"

I du the tests out

"Did you need so many?" I chuckled, then bit the inside of rabbed every kind off the shelf and ister Had to throw in an extra twenty to swear Mr Tanner to secrecy" I caught the twitch at the corner of her lip

"Seriously, you’re worried old Mr Tanner’s going to spread gossip?" There was no way to hold inninety-five years old

"Shut up!" She giggled, throwing a test at rinned

"There has to be an easier way," I said through hter

"Co in the doorway to my bathroom I handed her another test as she sat on the toilet She dipped it into her strea it on the counter

"Another, hurry!"

"You have eight more There is no way you have thatout another test

"Shit!"

"Told you"

"Okay, well, we have the first seven tests, and I’ll drink lots of water and take the rest next"

"You sound crazy, you know that, right? You only need one--maybe two, tops"