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"Are we going to talk about this, Bodo?"

"Talk about what?" His jaw nored it, but I figured it was better to just get things over with, whatever they ht"

"What is there to say?" He shrugged, like it didn’t ry boy at me

"Plenty, probably You could say I hate you, or I never want to see you again, or I think we should see other people …"

He looked ates, too"

"Like what?" I felt like I alking a high wire, ready to fall to the ground fro I realized in that ry canner than a boyfriend with hurt feelings

He shrugged onceout into the distance "I could tell you dat I luff you, no matter what you do"

My heart soared for a brief ht

"But dat would not be entirely honest I want it to be da truth, but it is not" He looked atme too But if you do not luff me, den to be with you is just the pain for ht now, even without you If you bring pain to me, it is too much Too much for Bodo"

Tears rushed toto get myself under control "I understand I’ you pain"

He reached out and patted me on the shoulder, which only made ht I was deadt Dat’s normal I know dat"

I was so confused now, I didn’t knohat to think I looked up at hiet it Are you breaking up withataway "I don’t knohat I’k Dis iss a complicated life we haff, isn’t it?"

I huffed out a frustrated breath "You’re not kidding"

"No, I a Da problem for me is dat Paci is here If he wass in da swauy and be Mr Bryn But nohen I see his face, I just want to punch hi Dat is a problem for me Dat is a problem"

I nodded "Yes You can’t do that You can’t punch hi him, but because it’s a bad precedent to start here … physical violence I mean We have to show everyone we can resolve our proble bitterly "Dat is an interesting plan conored that eh it ned to be defensive, not offensive Yes, I go for the eyes or balls right off the bat, but that’s only to stop the fight in its tracks I’m not a violent person"

"No, you are not I know dat" He turned and began walking around behind ?" I asked, feeling suddenly all alone and abandoned

"To eat rave" He didn’t look back, he just kept walking

"So where does this leave us?" I shouted at hi

I picked up a rock and threw it as hard as I could out into the open space on the side of the building It sailed over the weeds and finally landed about thirty yards away, quickly disappearing in the tall weeds near the back of the building

I didn’t knoho to be mad at, Bodo or myself I kneas to blame for what I did, but I also felt like I had an excuse As soon as I started thinking of that excuse though, I felt guilty that I’d kissed another boy so soon after thinkingfor me in this situation

"Love sucks," I said out into the air

I didn’t receive an answer back Not that I had expected to, but it would have been nice

As I trudged back through the sandy, weed-covered ground, I thought aboutmy current situation What should I do, Dad? What’s the solution to this problem?

The answer didn’t come to me in his voice, but it cae Have the courage to change the things you can Be snize the difference

Bodo needed tiure out what he wanted to do about us, and we had time in spades Now I just had to keep myself so busy, I wouldn’t have ain half

It took a group of ten kids and me about six hours, but we finally e and into the pit we’d dug the day before Kids who hadn’t taken part in the actual transportation of remains filled in the hole with the dirt we’d kept from our excavation

Peter stood by with a clipboard "Excellent work, everyone That looks great"

I walked over to him and watched as the last shovels of dirt were packed into place The bare earth stood out in stark contrast to the heavily-weeded surroundings I lifted the mask off my face so he could hear me better

"So what’s next, coet into that freezer and kitchen and bleach the heck out of every single surface there is" He gave an exaggerated shiver "I for one will not be supervising that task"

"What’s the big? All the bodies are gone now"

"The big is that it’s probably haunted, and I’rabbed his arm and pushed hi ears "Don’t say that, you dope!" I whisper-yelled "You want everyone in here afraid to go into sections of the prison because of iinary spirits?"

He half-frowned and half-pouted at me "No Not necessarily"