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Breanna nibbles on the inside of her lip and studiesthe past few minutes between us "No one knows this part about an"

"I won’t tell Any pro," she says

"Could But why?"

"Good point" She picks nonexistent lint off her dress "Puzzles and brainteasersthat is like crack cocaine to me It’s another weird part of my screwed-up mind Theit, then reconstruct everything so itsoical Sometimes life chooses to be random"

"Why didn’t you turn in the brainteaser?" I ask

She ducks her head to avoidat Breanna and I sure as hell like listening to her, too If the pricks inside that bar or at school can’t appreciate what she has to offer, I do "Hewitt made you feel bad"

Her silence is confirmation

"I don’t know you," I say, "and you don’t know ood read on when people are full of shit and Hewitt and guys like hiains her undivided attention "Am I full of crap?"

"Shit," I repeat She blushes like I told a dirty joke, and I can’t help but grin with her "Letting whatever Hewitt said get to you--that’s full of shit You standing out here letting their wordsin the answer for the bonus points--that was definitely full of shit"

Watching her dance with her friends and seeing her throw her head back and laugh--that wasn’t full of shit Listening to her explain how her mind works--that wasn’t full of shit, either "The Breanna Miller who danced and figured out the code wouldn’t listen to soet it," she says "You don’t care what anyone thinks You walk around in your scary cut, and if you don’t like what people say, you throw a punch or have a uys ill throw a punch for you I can’t throw a punch, and besides Addison and Reagan, I don’t have a million people behind me I have less than one year left in this hellhole and then I can leave town and become anyone I want to be In a year, I don’t have to be Breanna Miller Not number five in the line of nine and not the standby joke for boys at school"

"I do get it" More than she thinks I’ossip about how ue, but I cut her off I’ Moet it End of story"

She flinches, interpreting my words as a reprimand Not my intention, but the conversation had to end I need you to help ure out if my mom killed herself or if she was uard, right?"

Breanna dramatically inclines her head and strands of her hair fall into her face "Beyond words being used as knives, the only terrifying part of this town is the Reign of Terror So are you saying you’re going to protect me from you?"