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He messed around in the pantry for a while, but the whole time he was in there, I could tell his heart wasn’t into it Ti can worked like a char off within h away not to hear it anymore, and then I ju out to follow hi the path that led to the shower

I’d been practicingbetter which leaves to avoid stepping on and the spots where I was sure to make sounds everyone around ood as Coli, but I had i like an elephant in the swaator instead I could live with that

I couldn’t hear Peter in front ofabout a little extra noise Eventually, I got to the edge of the trees that ringed the area near the shower I hated to think I’d wasted all this effort on Peter taking a shower Not only was that not interesting at all, it

But as soon as I got to a tree I could hide behind and stopped focusing sonoise, I sahat I’d come for - and it wasn’t just Peter at the shower It was so clothed

Who is that? I squinted uy for sure - tall and broad-shouldered But he was in the trees on the other side of the shower, and it was too dark in there for me to see details

Dammit Co in front of hi After a few seconds, Peter’s arry He put his hands on his hips next and then crossed his arms over his chest a few seconds later Finally his aruy disappeared into the trees

Peter was turning to coh-tailed it out of there I forgot all about trying to be sneaky and quiet in the swamp I didn’t sound like just one elephant, I sounded like ten of them, but I made it back in record time As soon as I was in the hut, I yanked round, dropped down onto the mattress, and sla and snore a little bit to beIt took severalheart down, and by then Peter had reappeared

"That’s a fake snore," he said froto sleep over here Do youyour shoes with me"

I reached my arm out blindly and pulled htelse and ? Should I ask hi about? Is Peter sad or mad?

I had a hundred questions, but I didn’t ask hi on him I wasn’t sure if he knehat I had seen, but I decided it was better to wait and see what he said before I pushed him anymore Peter was my friend and I didn’t want to blow it Until now, I’d just kind of taken his co that I could possibly do so stupid and ruin it for us And I really, really didn’t want to do that

My ht have seen, but all it did was makespeculation won out, and I feel into a deep afternoon sleep, still gripping htly My last sensation was that of Peter coling my prone form in the process

Peter was very subdued at dinner We were eating in the ceremonial hut with a few other people, but he refused to look at anything but Buster or his food I tried to crack so

"What do you call a fake noodle?"

Peter sighed "I don’t know What?"

"An iht?"

"Sure" His response ithout emotion of any kind

"Okay, how about this one: What happens when it rains cats and dogs?"

"Can this be over now?"

"No Just answer s? And cats?"

I shoved hiain "No, silly You step in poodles! Get it? Poodles?" I grabbed hied him close "Coot all excited over the hugging and started ju to lick our faces

"Go away, poodle!" I said, laughing at ang busters and now there’re all these poodles all over the place! Ha! That’s funny!"

Peter shook his head at me "You’ve totally lost it, haven’t you?" He stood up to leave, still shaking his head, not even a ghost of a s "Be careful, Peter There are poodles everywhere Don’t step in one Or on one" I fell back laughing at that one

Buster took advantage of the situation and lick-attacked ht hiey mutt Ew, God, your breath is heinous Get away" I shoved hiet up, but Buster had ainst his devious plan to bathe ness of it

Paci appeared out of nowhere and took irl alone" He grabbed Buster and picked hi away from his face He held out a hand toon the ground like that"

So us, but Peter didn’t see nice to me and everyone else seem otherwise occupied in conversation I locked wrists with hi a few s

Paci reached up and pulled a few leaves from my hair and motioned for me to turn around