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"You’re dead, Loners! Dead!"
They clomped off, back froled for breath Loners poured down the stairs They packed the first flight, scared and curious The crowd parted for David
"Shit," Will said
Gonzalo chuckled under his breath
"What the hell just happened?" David said He rushed forward
"I got us a TV," Will said, holding his gaze
In the armory, Leonard tipped the TV back onto its stand and wheeled the whole rig out for the gang to see The rooasped and clapped
"You got us a TV, or you stole a TV?"
"I stole a TV, David You think those Freaks were just doing a free delivery?"
David glared at him, but Will stared at Lucy She flicked her eyes between Will and the TV, like she couldn’t believe what he’d pulled off
"You want to start a ith the Freaks over a TV?"
"And someoff the wall and shuffling toward the cart
"I don’t know, there was a stack of theet thelike he was Will’s dad again, but Will wasn’t going to look like a chu in on their action on the quad, so do the Skaters If you don’t want trouble, you shouldn’t have started a gang"
"You want Loners to get killed so you can watch DVDs?" David looked desperate Deep down, Will knew his brother had a point Maybe he’d taken it too far, to iain, he’d already taken it this far
"Are you telling ang leaned forward David scanned the rooain, and with a face as cold as a corpse’s, he said, "Take the TV up to the lounge and hook it up"
Exhales all around David was angry, angrier than Will could remember It raised the hairs on Will’s neck David turned his back on Will and walked back up the stairs Will had won, but he’d played dirty to pull it off Guilt needled at hirew once David was gone People crowded around him, they patted Will on the back and thanked hi around it and stroking the TV like it was a new-born baby Lucy was the only one to stay put She watched Will, concerned
Will pulled out a DVD he’d wedged in his waistband behind his back It was a documentary on wildlife in the Caribbean
He tossed it to Lucy
She caught it, looked up, and s back too hard He wanted to look cool That was the sue was sore, a sign that he had seized in his sleep Maybe last night Maybe the night before He didn’t know for sure, and he didn’t care He felt phenoe said "You knohy? Because she felt like it To so fucked, you’ll want to jump out of a third-storyand splatter your head onto the quad, ’cause at least then you could stop thinking about her And she’ll stand there looking all pretty and innocent, she’s gonna go, ‘Oh, that’s so sad Poor, poor Will’ That’s the way these bitches work See, they know they can get aith ainst the wall in Sht source was a lone ceiling light at the far end of the computer lab It eak and cold, and it muted all the colors around Will The closet reeked of soiled clothes and dried beans Sanized, but now they lay scattered on the floor, intere sat across fro at a scab on his neck
"Just warning you," Sht, e wiped his cheek Will squinted through the diht Was that a tear?
"You know, Dorothy came back," Will said "You could co hit
They’d love you if they knew you supplied the, we’d like to have you Why not? It would be fun" "I like it here"
Sonna take her on a date," Will said "I just need to coot it"
Will sat up, excited for the big idea
"In e said
"Come on I’m serious"
"So am I Do yourself a favor Don’t fall for a Pretty One Just don’t They smile at you, but they don’t o for it, they’ll laugh at you"
"She’s not a Pretty One anyoes away? Trust me, she’s a tease"
"Lucy’s not like them," Will said
"Yeah, well, none of us are like we used to be, are we?"
"She’s different Don’t say that shit about her" S the sparkling red light into Will’s left eye
"Willie, she’s another bitch like the rest of ’em" Will couldn’t stand to look him, the little worm, hunched over in the corner of his dirty box What did he know about girls? Will shot to his feet
"Fuck you,out with you?" Will said