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Maddie walked to the door and reached for the knob as Hayley blurted, "Maddie?"

She turned to face her

"When you want to talk, I a to be here for me"

Maddie smiled faintly and left the room

_ _

The same afternoon, Hayley's father found her in the library

"I've been looking for you This should have been the first place I looked" He chuckled

Hayley's "hello" was close to a whisper

"You do not seem to be very pleased to see

"Of course, I ahted to see you"

She s" He cleared his throat and sat in a chair beside her Hayley reood news for you today"

"I have soston, and I have decided to take you with o with you" Hayley placed the book on the nearby shelf "Why are you allowing it now?"

"You will be a woman soon, and you need to be prepared for the outside world"