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"I was doing ," I claimed

"If he didn't hear me, he," Shannie sniffed twice "Smelled me"

"James, phone," h our backyard It was Labor Day, ed froh the receiver "Toled "Diane has classes all day and you start school on Wednesday, it's toive you three guesses and the first two don't count," Shannie said

Oh that! I thought "What tihta think with your small head more often You catch on quicker," Shannie teased

"Ha ha," I said

"Eleven Co up and returned to the picnic table I studied the steak's rarein a pool of its own juices cost my appetite, at least that was my excuse I slipped from the table under the cover ofslower than Christmas Eve for a five year old In my bedroom, I paced the floor When I tired of that, I went to Count's "The boys are running an errand," Flossy said I made my way to the maple tree I climbed and watched the holiday traffic I wanted to talk with Shannie Instead, I walked to Wally's With Shannie on ure Back inwith the opposite sex is nerve wracking, no wonder ht went on in Diane's room I shut mine off and raced to my perch Shannie stood in Diane's doorway, arainst the door fra her lips Diane appeared from the corner of her room and walked past Shannie into the hallway Instead of following, Shannie walked towards theand stared in my direction After aturned to night, sleep eluded es of what to When sleep caes were random and disjointed In one dream, Shannie and I were in her bedroom, but her bedroom was in the maple tree We were about to kiss when a tornado roared up the hill fro hand in hand inside a cave Water trickled from the cave's wall's Rats squealed as we ran past Suddenly, the walls treht chased us