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I jerk away fro at us and whispering and snickering Peter glances over his shoulder, his face red Then he finally makes his way down the aisle

“Are you okay?” Chris asks

I can feel hs “It’s not fair for the girl Guys have it easy I’ hi, I say, “Do you think he’s the one who told people?”

“Who knows?”

A tear trickles down to my cheek and Chris wipes it aith her sweater sleeve “It ht not have been him But it doesn’t e all the talk, I doubt he discouraged it, if you knohat I’ is, I’rin on his face That’s how guys like Peter are They love to look like the uys look up to them” Bitterly she says, “They care more about their reputation than yours” She shakes her head “But what’s done is done You’ve just gotta hold your head up and act like you don’t give a shit”

I nod, butyou, he isn’t worth it Let Gen have him” Chris tousles my hair “What else can you do, kid?”

Genevieve cohten up and wipe o directly to her seat She stops at Bethy Morgan’s seat and whispers soasps and turns in her seat—and looks right at oes from seat to seat

“Bitch,” Chris breathes

Tears burn o to sleep now,” and I rest ht around me

66

MARGOT AND KITTY PICK ME up from school They ask me how the trip was, if I stayed on the bunny slope all day I try to be upbeat; I even make up a story about hoent down a blue circle slope Softly Margot asks, “Is everything okay?”

I falter Margot always knohen I’ the truth

“Yeah I’”

“Take a nap e get hoot advises

My phone buzzes, and I look down at it A text from Peter

Can we talk?

I turn off h Christmas break,” I say Thank God and Jesus for Christo back to school and face everyone Maybe I’ll just never go back Maybe I can convince Daddy to hoot and I wrap presents in the living rooot decides that we should have recital party the day after Christrand idea to have recital party, but Margot’s memory has always been killer “It’ll be a post-Christ a bow on one of Kitty’s presents fro a sheet of rocking-horse wrapping paper I’ extra careful because I want to save a strip of it for a background page in Margot’s scrapbook, which is nearly done “No one will coes; tons of people used to co down Mo them on the coffee table “Don’t be a Grinch I think this should be a tradition that we bring back for Kitty’s sake”

I cut off a strip of fat green ribbon Maybe this party will help s “Find that Mediterranean chicken dish Mourt dip”

“Yes! And remember the caviar dip? People love the caviar dip We have to make that, too Should we do cheese straws or cheese puffs?”

“Cheese puffs,” I say Margot’s so excited about it that even in e her