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Lauren quickly disengages herself fro closer

"Hey Da away

As the silhouettewhat looks like a rolled-up newspaper

"Daht bea everything in its glare, and as it passes over the silhouette’s face, illu it, my mouth opens in confusion and then Hurley Tho, "You fker!"

His fist slaainst the side of round Lauren’s crying out for e to raise up es position and starts lifting me up when each thrust of his fists reachesfor help, and Hurley’s leaning down, pausing before he slapsinto my ear, "I knohat you did, you fk, I knohat you said, you duone I finally lift h totally blurry vision I canby the exit and she flicks a switch and the roo out for her, but she doesn’t answer

Pages of the newspaper are scattered around e I’ the paper, is Buddy Seagull’s colu HURLEY THOMPSON FLEES SC3 AMID RUMORS OF DRUGS AND ABUSE, and there’s a photo of Hurley and Sherry Gibson in "happier tie in the boxed section called "What’s Going On Here?" is a photo whose graininess suggests it was taken with a telephoto lens and it’s of so Lauren Hynde on theIT BOY VICTOR WARD SMOOCHING ACTRESS HYNDE AT GALA PREMIERE -DOES CHLOE KNOW?, and blood dripping froer up and when I look in the s out but after touchingblood all over et it off with a napkin I’ downstairs

We’ll slide down the surface of things

Everyone as at the dinner has vacated the second floor and the space is now filled with other people While I’ for soo," I say uselessly

"Hold on What happened to your head?" JD asks calI slipped," Idown "That’s not blood-it’s an AIDS ribbon"

JD flinches "Victor, we all know Hurley Thompson just pulverized you, so you don’t need to-"

"Where’s Chloe?" I keep craningout across the room "Where’s Chloe, JD?"

JD breathes in "That is, however, a proble

"All I saas Hurley Tho a newspaper into Chloe’s lap He leaned into her while he placed his hand in an ice bucket and whispered into her ear until her face-which was staring down at the paper Hurley Thompson dropped into her lap-fell, u at what point in the last ten secondshis shoulders

"And?" I’oes claar, very pleased with himself, and then Baxter Priestly ran after her"

I’m so alarmed by this that I must look really bashed-up, because JD looks into ’s still sketchy, JD," I’ the side of e to

"No," he says "It’s all clear to us" He pauses "It’s only sketchy to you"

"JD, Cindy Crawford always says-"

"Who gives a shit what Cindy Crawford says right now?" JD yells "What are you talking about?"

I stare at hi time, confused, before I push him away and then I turn and race down the staircase, people rotating aroundinto people who keep propping me up, until I’ar and pot and cigarette s people out of the way, constantly adjustingout way too loud,down around me, the Steadicam operator unable to keep up