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‘God,’ she said ‘I told you I shouldn’t talk I didn’t even answer your question’

Eleanor

She hadn’t even said anything nice about hiirl, and that his skin was like sunshine with a suntan

And that’s exactly why she hadn’t said it Because all her feelings for hiobbledygook in her mouth

She flipped the tape and pressed play, and waited for Robert S before she climbed up onto her dad’s brown leather couch

‘Why can’t I see you?’ Park asked His voice sounded raw and pure Like so just hatched

‘Because my stepfather is crazy’

‘Does he have to know?’

‘My mom will tell hiers along the edge of the glass coffee table ‘What do you mean?’

‘I don’t knohat I mean I just know that I need to see you Like this’

‘I’m not even allowed to talk to boys’

‘Until when?’

‘I don’t know, never This is one of those things that doesn’tthat could possibly irritatemean Especially to me He hates me’

‘Why?’

‘Because I hate hie the subject, but she didn’t

‘Because he’s a bad person Just … trust ood If he knew about you, he’d do whatever he could to take you away from me’

‘He can’t take ht ‘He can take ot really mad at me, he kicked me out and didn’t let me come home for a year’

‘Jesus’

‘Yeah’

‘I’m sorry’

‘Don’t be sorry,’ she said ‘Just don’t tes would turn me in’

‘We could meet somewhere else’

‘Where?’

‘Here,’ he said ‘You could come here’

‘What would your parents say?’

‘It’s nice to meet you, Eleanor, would you like to stay for dinner?’

She laughed She wanted to say it wouldn’t work, but maybe it would Maybe

‘Are you sure you want them to meet me?’

she asked

‘Yes,’ he said ‘I want everyone to meet you

You’reher feel like it was safe to smile ‘I don’t want to ehts shot across the living rooot up and looked out theHer dad and Donna were getting out of the Karmann Ghia Donna’s hair was a mess

‘Damn, damn, damn,’ she said ‘I never said why I like you, and now I have to go’

‘That’s okay,’ he said

‘It’s because you’re kind,’ she said ‘And because you get all hed

‘And you’re sonist’ She was talking as fast as she could think ‘You look like the person ins in the end You’re so pretty, and so good You have ic eyes,’ she whispered ‘And you make o’ She leaned over so the receiver was close to the base

‘Eleanor – wait,’ Park said She could hear her dad in the kitchen and her heartbeat everywhere

‘Eleanor – wait – I love you’

‘Eleanor?’ her dad was standing in the doorway He was being quiet, in case she was asleep

She hung up the phone and pretended that she was

CHAPTER 20

Eleanor

The next day was a blur

Her dad court

‘I didn’t eat it, I gave it to Matt’

Her dad only had seven dollars in his wallet, so that’s what he gave her When he was ready to take her hoo the bathroom She went up to the hall closet, found three brand new toothbrushes and shoved the with a bar of Dove soap

Donna ht there in the bedroo

Eleanor felt sorry for Donna Her dad never laughed at anyone’s jokes but his own

When her dad dropped Eleanor off at her house, all the little kids ran out to see hihborhood in his new car

Eleanor wished she had a phone to call the cops ‘There’s a guy driving around the Flats with a bunch of kids hanging out of a convertible

I’m pretty sure none of the Scotch all uy in the backyard s hash In a school zone’

When their dad finally left, Mouse couldn’t stop talking about him After a few hours, Richie told everybody to put their coats on ‘We’re going to a ht at Eleanor

‘All of us’

Eleanor and the little kids cliainst the cab, ot to sit inside

Richie drove down Park’s street on the way out of the neighborhood, but Park wasn’t outside, thank God Of course, Tina and her Neanderthal boyfriend were out Eleanor didn’t even try to duck What was the point? Steve whistled at her

It was snowing on the way home from the movie ( Short Circuit) Richie drove slohich meant that even more snow fell on them, but at least nobody flew out of the truck

Huh, Eleanor thought I’ vehicle

Weird

When they drove by Park’s house again in the dark, she wondered which as his

Park

He regretted saying it Not because it wasn’t true

He loved her Of course he did There was no other way to explain … everything Park felt

But he hadn’t meant to tell her like that So soon And over the phone Especially knowing how she felt about Ro for his little brother to change clothes Every Sunday, they got dressed up, in nice pants and sweaters, and had dinner with their grandparents But Josh was playing Super Mario and wouldn’t turn it off (He was about to get to the infinity turtle for the first ti over,’ Park yelled to his parents

‘I’ll see you there’

He ran across the yard because he didn’t feel like putting on a coat

His

grandparents’

house