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"That’s no way to live, Will," Gates said "Right, guys?"

The nearby Saints cheered in response

"Usually I’m the reckless one, but you all ot it wrong," Gates said "We believe that when good fortune comes our way, that we have a responsibility to enjoy it as much as possible"

"Responsibility to what?"

"Not to what, to who To our friends that didn’t make it this far All of us have lost people that were close to us Boyfriends, girlfriends …" Saints around the table nodded in solemn confirmation "I had two brothers and three sisters when this all started, and now, y’know, it’s just me," Gates said

Gates rubbed his eyes, like the ht, Gates probably had to watch it happen too He couldn’t ie of David’s corpse drying up in their living room popped into Will’s head and his mood sank

"You have to enjoy life for them," Gates said "Out there, any day could be your last Hell, it’s no different in here You gotta enjoy the good tiht We have each other, no one is shooting at us, and we have soood time!"

More cheers through the room

"My brother died," Will said He was surprised how the words fell so easily out of his rew more serious "That was David? The one from your story?"

Will nodded

"Soirl placed collapsible ca cups in front of Will and Gates, with an inch of vodka at the bottom of each Gates raised his cup

"To David," Gates said to the rooers saying David’s naether took Will’s breath away All the sadness, all the love Will felt for his brother ca to the surface Gates saw the effect the toast had on Will He gripped Will’s shoulder fir

"You’re all right e ot up and walked off Will picked up his cup The idea that the best way he could mourn David was to enjoy his life as , and he really hoped was true He raised his cup into the air

"This one’s for you, David," Will said to hiht continued, they fed hiave him a pill and said it was a muscle relaxant He ate three peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and a whole sleeve of water crackers Will’s world began to blur and lose shape He reame of monkey-in-the-middle with an eun over Fowler’s head He re a lot of shit, to a lot of people He ran his mouth about how they shouldn’t trust Zachary He told theirls, hoas a fiend for them He told them all sorts of stuff It was nice to talk to anyone at all, and he didn’t give a da Life had been so shitty to hi and partying and not giving a fuck

At soirl with the baby chick hair was sitting in his lap He couldn’t re she had been there, or what they had been talking about so far But her eight felt good on his leg, and he wanted to keep squeezing the softness of her waist forever The party was still in full swing, but Gates wasn’t with him anymore

"I have another McKinley question," baby chick said

"Lay it on me," Will said

Baby chick looked around with a hint of mischief in her eyes She leaned in close, and for ato kiss him, but she leaned further in until her et condorazed the tender skin of her earlobe She s post is the easiest place," Will whispered

She drew her head back and smiled

"You want to see irl took his hand and pulled him away from the table He fell on his face immediately The world had tilted and no one had told hiht it was her The cool concrete floor felt aainst his cheek

Somewhere, in a dark room, the baby chick kissed him She pushed hiue met his Salty-sweet lips

"Take off rabbed cotton and he pulled With the roo all around hied to get that shirt off of her What was underneath her shirt was so ht