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Violet clenched her jaw as she dropped her lunch on the table across from where Jacqueline stood beside Chelsea Claire sat on the other side of her, daintily unfolding the plastic wrap around her sandwich, oblivious to the tension in the air Violet searched Jacqueline’s face for any visible marks where the ball had hit her the other day in PE

Jacqueline ignored the halfhearted, quasi introduction and took a deep breath as if she were getting ready to start one of her cheer routines Even her regular voice wasoverly spirited "I just wanted to coht Her parents are out of town and she’s throwing a rager Everyone’ll be there And I do aze to Jay as she said the last word, her eyes sparkling playfully

Violet was biting down so hard now that she orried she ht actually shatter her own e on the cafeteria bench She kneas a possessive move, but at the moment that was the least of her concerns

"Sorry, Jac, I have to work," Jay said, and Violet’s sto when he and "Jac" had ever even talked before, when they’d gotten chued "Aw, that stinks, Jay! I was counting on you to be there"

"I can make it," Claire offered, her sandwich halfway to her mouth, as if Jacqueline orried about a head count

"Yep,forward on her elbows She lifted an eyebroicked s at all to do with how rinned with satisfaction "Oh, I wouldn’t htfully "In fact, I think you should come too, Vi It wouldn’t be a party without you"

Violet scowled at Chelsea "Sorry I otteno to parties any ti that the last place she wanted to be was at Hannah Sanders’s house with a bunch of Jacqueline’s friends

"Your loss" Jacqueline shrugged, but she didn’t sound all that disappointed to hear Violet wouldn’t be attending Again, she turned to Jay "If you change your estion as he cupped his hand around Violet’s knee, squeezing it reassuringly Violet thought of the way she’d seen Ge his hand the day before at the Center, and she couldn’t help it; she felt so close to frustration and worry She felt like she’dimportant

She knew Jay wasn’t interested in Jacqueline--or at least she hoped he wasn’t

"What did you do, anyway?" Chelsea asked after Jacqueline had sauntered away

Violet glanced up, confusion evident in her green eyes "What are you talking about?"