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"It looksraw," he said "Like so we shouldn’t see"

"It’s just dirt"

"You hate dirt"

I shrugged "Maybe not so ure out how to fix it, or Mr Eckhardt is going to have a coronary"

"I’m surprised he hasn’t called the police on you"

"I’s to do"

Trey snorted "Not in Willow Falls Nothing happens here"

I wanted to tell him he was lucky to live in such a place I certainly hadn’t when I was his age But he’d never experienced that kind of fear, and I didn’t want to put it in his head

"Were you bored?" Trey asked, because that was souess that’s what it was" I nudged his shoulder "Come on I need to call a plumber, and then I’ll help you unpack We can order a pizza with extra cheese I’, and held out my hand "I’ll even watch a few episodes of Aht of it"

Trey didn’t takethe toe of his sneaker into the dirt "I just packed that bag I want to stay at Colin’s again, ht a new sound system, and he wants to teach us how to install it That’s okay, right?"

No No, it wasn’t at all okay I wanted Trey sleeping in his own bed But then I thought about how starved he must be for a male influence "Is his dad a nice person?"

"Yes," he said, rolling his eyes "Of course he is He also gives good advice He wants me to make decisions for myself"

"Is the implication that I don’t want you to?"

Treyso personally? Colin’s place has a great vibe That’s it"

"What does thatdeal"

"Then why can’t you explain it?"

"Colin’s trying to figure out who he is He’s exploring I can relate"

"You can? What exactly is he exploring? Wait, what are you?"

"I knew you’d take this the wrong way"

Desperate to be right about so how to drive? Are you ready for that? We can explore that together"

"I don’t want to drive"

Trey would be a senior next year, and still he hadn’t signed up for a driver’s ed class The school wouldn’t let hiraduate without it It was a sore subject between us He claimed his refusal was political (They can’t force us to consume oil!), but of course there was er The ie of Jesse’s Volvo, battered and broken, never really left our ht came

"Colin said this was the time for me to really think about who I want to be, creatively Soon, I’ll be so wrapped up in trying to decide which college to attend and what I’ to do with my life, and there will be no ti ure out who I am with minimal interference"

"Apparently Colin talks a lot But I think I understand"

"Do you? Like I said, it’s nothing personal Colin’s going to set up a gallery wall at his place We’ve got so over to help"