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The tall boy grinned and it was so full oftae care that a hoestured to the ceive us the guitar and we’ll leave ye in peace"

"Look," I turned to the shorter boy as fidgeting restlessly, wearing an extreuitar has a lot of sentimental value to rowled and strode toward me I braced myself for attack but he uitar

Instinct rab his arm

I’d look back on that moment later and wonder how I could’ve been so foolish

The boy, taller, broader, and better fed than I was, halted momentarily He then shook off my hold only to pull back his arm and let it fly His fist connected with hts to spark across round slammed into my back and I blinked, disoriented, asheat As the ce, I realized he’d knocked rass as he crouched overit I assunited ing hirabbed chunks of his hair, pulling with all h ed to shake offblood

"Fuck!" he cried out, his face contorted with rage, and he grabbedpain made my head swim as I dropped to my knees The world wavered aroundme sway Tears daony blazing up from my wrist

"Johnny, what ye done?" the other boy cried

"Grab the fucking guitar and shut up," Johnny said before I found o"

"No before I teach this bitch a lesson" His hard hands squeezed both round beside my head I whimpered as nausea rose from my stomach

I was so discoo of my injured wrist to unzip his jeans

What?

No

No!

"No," I tried to screa out scratchy and pathetic "No!"

"Johnny, no," his friend begged "Coainst the hands holding ers fumbled under my raincoat for the zipper on s, trying to unpin theain

Until I was dazed enough that he ed to shuck downtree if ye cannae stand there like a , wet face

Cognizance was returning and with it my determination