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I always liked Hale He and his friends were poor kids ent to school with us We took it upon ourselves to teach them the tricks we’d learned at hoh they started as helpers in our cons, they soon ran their own ga life ed for the days ould sit around and eat pizza Those were good tiers owned the world I wondered if Hale or Scott or Yuki could still be there, if any of them would be around after so many years

I stared at the pizza place for a while, then I walked up and down the street, taking in the area Most of the buildings were the saas station at the corner was boarded up Business wasn’t exactly boo

The door to the pizza place opened, and a ait that Hale used to have, but he had a more solid body, muscular and perhaps a bit taller Could it be Hale Druood

As thenot to stare too hard When he got closer, I could tell it was hied seven years, with a hint of edness Good old Hale! I was a out at the pizza place, and I wondered if he’d recognize me I was older, too, and th, was now shorter, spikier, and bleached white, falling aboutto say about that

Hale stopped at the sidewalk and paused to talk on his phone I wanted to run up to hi up and turned to walk my way, I s rong--he wasn’t looking aton: Hale hadn’t recognized me And worse, he was about to rob me--I knew it The way he’d paused on the street with his back toto be on the phone, was an obvious ploy that all of us had used And the way I’d walked aiot here loudly proclaimed that I was lost and confused An easythat after seven years of clean living,me