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But the ht, my facade shatters I duck into the nearest alcove and lean h surface will do to my silk top I cover my face with my hands and it all just coht I had kept s for Kyle superficial I knew I liked hio deeper than that Ours was ht future plus popular boy with (potentially) equally bright future A perfect ht

Clearly my attachht Kyle could make me cry

When I feel a pair of hands onafter ainst the brick

"Ow," I exclaim

The sympathetic look on Grace’s face only makes me sob harder

"He’s a jerk," she says

Her arht I don’t usually break down--as in never--but it’s like all the stresses and new pressures of the past couple of weeks have built up and Kyle’s betrayal is just the final straw Everything burst, and now it’s leaking out onto Grace’s tee

For some reason, her support calms me I let myself be co Kyle’s hugs always seemed to have ulterior motives Grace only wants me to feel better, only wants to ease"I’ to be sorry about," she insists "Some boys are a waste of breath and bone"

"It’s not just Kyle," I whisper against her shoulder Though that isIt’s school andso hard to be the perfect daughter, the perfect girlfriend, the perfect monster huntress I’m not sure I can do it all"

Grace leans back and lifts ht intoyou to be perfect"

I wish that were true I wish I didn’t know my parents and teachers expect just that I wish I didn’t expect perfection myself But it does make me feel a little better to hear Grace say it

I think about what she said earlier, about living up to the sacrifice our ancestors made for us That makes me feel better too More focused,some semblance of control over my emotions I wipe the tears froives rin "Nohat do you say we text Gretchen and schedule a rendezvous? We’re having no luck There rid search the entire city"

"Sounds good," I say

As Grace and I walk to hten my spine I have a lot of expectations to live up to, most of all ht h