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I hadn’t planned on seeing his

"Can I call you?" he asks

Best if you don’t, I sign

He looks everywhere but at my face for a second But then his blue eyes meet mine "Why not?" he asks softly He stares into my face

I don’t answer I see that the car door is open and I get in, still holding ainst the seat

Elad of it "M-asp as pain shoots up my arm

"What?" Emilio asks He sits forward

"I th-think I h-h-hurt et out

He tells the driver to take us to the hospital

I lay my head back and look out the backI can see Sa the car until it’s out of sight He’s standing apart frolad those boys were there," Emilio says "I’ll have to buy theue "They’re going to get swaet out of there" The Reeds are local celebrities, ever since their reality TV show started

I touch the top of my head where I lost a lock of hair

Marta leans forward and pulls ently so she can look at it "I think you’ll be okay," she says She pats my hair down flat She leans close to my ear "At least your head and your hand will Not so sure about your heart"

She turns to look back at Sam, but he’s a speck in the distance now, and that’s how he needs to stay

Sam

I try not to wince as I hitch my crutches under my arm and make my way back to the sidewalk

"You hurt yourself, didn’t you?" Pete says He glares athurts like a toothache, and pain shoots throughwith every beat ofPete out of the way as he comes toward me

"I couldn’t just let them walk all over her," I o down and I knew I had to get to her But I don’t kno to tell theo to the doctor?" Matt asks

"No Let’s go back to work"