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Everything I am not

“I think she’s crying,” Katie said

I tore st the weeds and broken buildings beneath us

“Back wall,” Katie said “So on the stones”

Not again

I saw Margot, wearing her white linen, pu at the back wall The letters—SLU—

“I can hear you girls up there!” Margot yelled without turning around

“What are you doing, Margot?” I yelled back

“Conte bear traps,” she said and threw the thick yellow sponge into the bucket of water at her feet Margot turned and facedwhite hair was perfect, her face as stunning as the diauess she was pushing eighty

But right now Margot was one pissed-off anized And cleaned And worst of all, changed

Shit

“Every year,” I yelled, shiance into at least acting like an adult “You know this happens every year As soon as school gets out for su to prove to their friends how cool they are”

Why vandalizing our horeat e life

I swung down from the lowest branch and landed on the broken cobblestone Katie was carefully scra down after me

“Careful,” I said, which hat I found hter Not that it did any good When Katie got within reach I lifted her down, holding her close for just a second, s the sunshine and rose smell of her skin

The pajamas were toast

“What were they writing?” Katie asked, pointing to the letters on the stone walls I shot Margot an arch look

“Child, please Like you don’t qualify?” Margot asked

“Officially, I’m not an O’Neill”

“Honey, an O’Neill by any other name is still an O’Neill”

The truth was, every O’Neill feendarily bad decision-, each of us had our own sins Not that the men had it any better—my brothers had their own crimes and mysteries

Secrets upon secrets, that was the O’Neill legacy