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‘They’re still going to e that You can’t start kicking people every tily … Promise me you won’t try Promise ain, and shook his head, gingerly

‘Because it doesn’t matter toelse matters’

He leaned back into his headboard, and pulled her hand to his chest

‘Eleanor, how h his teeth, ‘that I don’t like you …’

Park was grounded, and he wouldn’t be back at school until Friday

But nobody bothered Eleanor the next day on the bus Nothing bothered her all day long

After gym class, she found more pervy stuff written on her chelobby purple ink Instead of scribbling it out, Eleanor tore off the cover and threw it away She e up another brown paper bag

When Eleanor got home after school, her mom followed her into the kids’ room There were t pairs of Goodwill jeans folded on the top bunk

‘I found so laundry,’ her mom said Which meant that Richie had accidentally left money in his pants If he came home drunk, he’d never ask about it – he’d just assume he spent it at the bar

Whenever her s Richie would never notice

Clothes for Eleanor New underwear for Ben

Cans of tuna fish and bags of flour Things that could be hidden in drawers and cupboards

Her ent since she hooked up with Richie It was like she was keeping them all alive behind his back

Eleanor tried the jeans on before anybody else got ho else she had All her other pants had so with them – a broken zipper or a tear in the crotch – so down her shirt It would be nice to have jeans that didn’t do anything worse than sag

Maisie’s present was a bag of half-dressed Barbies When Maisie got ho to put together one or two complete outfits for them

Eleanor climbed onto the bed with her and helped comb and braid their frayed hair

‘I wish there’d been a Ken in there,’ Maisie said

On Friday ot to her bus stop, Park was already there waiting for her

CHAPTER 23

Park

His eye went frorounded?’ he asked his ht,’

she said

‘I aed so on the bus Park felt less anxious now

– more relaxed Maybe it was because he’d stood up to Steve Maybe it was because he had nothing left to hide …

Plus nobody on the bus had ever seen anybody kick like that in real life

‘It was pretty fantastic,’ Eleanor said on the way to school, a few days after he came back

‘Where did you learn to do that?’

‘My dad’s been arten … It was actually kind of a stupid, show-offy kick If Steve had been thinking, he could have grabbed…’ she said

‘I thought you’d think it was lame,’ he said

‘I did’

‘Lame and fantastic?’

‘Those are both your ain? Your Karate Kid thing? I think that would be less fantastic You’ve got to knohen to walk away …’

‘No, I want you to coain Would you?’

‘It doesn’t rounded’

‘Yeah …’

Eleanor

Everybody at school knew that Eleanor was the reason Park Sheridan kicked Steve Dixon in thewhen she walked down the halls

Soraphy asked her if it was true that they were fighting over her ‘No!’

Eleanor said ‘For Christ’s sake’

Later she wished that she would have said

‘Yes!’ – because if that had gotten back to Tina, oh my God, it would have ht, DeNice and Beebi wanted Eleanor to tell theory details DeNice even bought Eleanor an ice cream cone to celebrate

‘Anyone hups Steve Dixon’s sorry ass deserves a o near Steve’s ass,’ Eleanor said

‘But you were the cause of the ass-whup-ping,’ DeNice said ‘I heard your boy kicked him so hard, Steve cried blood’

‘That’s not true,’ Eleanor said

‘Girl, you need to learn a lesson about standing in your own light,’ DeNice said ‘Ifaround this place singing that song froiggle Everything DeNice said rade school, and the better she got to know them, the more Eleanor felt like it was an honor that they’d let her into their club

Granted, it was a weird club

DeNice earing her overalls today with a pink T-shirt, pink and yellow hair ribbons and a pink bandana tied around her leg When they were standing in line for ice cream, some boy walked by and told DeNice that she looked like a black Punky Brewster

DeNice didn’t even flinch ‘I don’t need to worry about that riffraff,’ she said to Eleanor ‘I got a raduated and orking as an assistantal

‘And your led, Eleanor giggled, too

Beebi’s laugh was that contagious And she always had a et when they can’t keep a straight face

‘Eleanor wouldn’t think he’s fine,’ DeNice teased ‘She’s only interested in stone-cold killers’