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Being so close to the fire with a belly full of delicious food wasso I was sitting on the ground, reclining against Lias

"That reminds me…" Lia up and down and clapping when I told her she had to get up at seven to go do soood ol’-fashioned book learnin’ with the other Cubbies?"

"Cubbies?"

"Daily lessons School" He tapped my nose with the clean end of his spoon "Stick around, Ruby Tuesday, and you’ll start picking up the cool-kid lingo, too"

When we finished eating, Liam set both of our bowls in one of thethe one closest to us was a skinny kid, who looked like he weighed about half of what his tub did I blinked once, twice, wondering if I was i it It was the first time I had ever seen kids use their abilities so…frivolously It was a strange contrast to as otherwise a picture of normalcy At least, what I assuuitars or used their log as a druah roo air around the flames, combined with the delicious heat, made my muscles turn to mush His hand came up to brush the stray strands of hair off the back of ainst his chest, nestled between his knees

"You okay now, darlin’?" he whispered inthe bare skin of his forear veins there On a discoveryI hadn’t even realized I wanted until now His skin was so soft, his hands warm and wide, knuckles bruised and torn with brittle scabs I pressed ether

"I had to be alone for a little while, but I’ht," he whispered "But next tio where I can’t find you"

I didn’t doze off so er I sat there, the quieter my head became, the more the aches and knots inht out a decades-old boo in deference to the Beach Boys I seemed to be the only one in the entire camp who didn’t dance, but it was fun to watch the others Zu, in particular, as she twisted her hips and threw her aran to tug on our ar off, but Liahing when the track switched to "Barbara Ann," twirling when "Fun, Fun, Fun" ca was up when they both turned to er in hed and shook rin in days--and I felt soling, and fa a line in, and Zu actually stopped her frolicking to act it out with hi with a sheen of sweat With nothing but fine dust and ht into Liam’s outstretched hands

"No fair," I whined

"Coood dance"

Zu spun around us, waving her arms in time to "Wouldn’t It Be Nice" I puthim drop it over one of his shoulders He took htly in his own "Step up on ave him what I hoped was an incredulous look

"Trust ainst allfor hiht At least his bones felt sturdy under mine