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Ms Harlan takes notes "And your mother?"

"She suffers fro, so they won’t interfere with her workday"

My answers are tidy They are exactly what ourasks of families who’ve had a ju’s specialist is fishing for, but I know that I need to protect ht answers; all I need to do is pretend everything is as I want it to be

"How is your relationship with your brother?" she asks

"He lives upstairs," I say "I check in on him sometimes, but his wife takes care of hiroup and takes his prescriptions"

She sain, but these s artificial about them

"Are you opposed toa kettle fro me a cup "I’d like for you to try some of this," she says "There’s noeffect If I can be blunt, Morgan, it sounds as though you’re under quite a bit of stress"

I ran out to catch the train before I’d had a chance to touchlunch for this , which is perhaps why the spicy sweet sht now She pours a cup for herself, blows into the steam and swirls the cup in her hands I’ve taken only a sip when the bell rings

Ms Harlan looks as though she would like to ask another question as I grab o I’ll have only two et to class Thank you for the tea"

"Tomorrow then," she says

"Tomorrow"

Pen findsonpunished Can you ever forgive erly takes it

"I was kidding," I say

"So what happened?" she asks "Did you have to write passages from The History of Internment a thousand times in slantscript?"

People haven’t written in slantscript on a daily basis for ht in the rade years as a form of history The letters all curl into and around one another like ribbons; I couldn’t read it, much less write it Most students would call it torture, but Pen has a real talent for it

I shaketutored inexcuse I could coraphs"

I don’t like the idea of lying toto each other, and one day I want e to be like theirs Or, the way it used to be, at least

But I can’t tell Basil the whole truth--about e, because in his protectiveness heis no way to handle things, either That’s what the edge does--it lures you away from those you care about It ends your life even before your shoe has cruet rid of these thoughts? How do I beco Basil a smile fro dire about his brown eyes today He knows soe to disappear in the croithout speaking to hiain after our last class of the day, while everyone is herding for the shuttles I know thatbut add to Basil’s suspicions, but I don’t knohat to do The thought of riding the train is es and into the woods I don’t know if Judas will be here, or if he’ll come out to see me either way A classes Her fa before they’re expected to return to society

Still, I findfor the days when it was just a fun hideaway, a pretend house where Pen and I served pretend tea

Someone touches my shoulder, and I start