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"I was thinkingfor public exhibitionisue?"

"That’s it You need to leave" I pullon the counter next to the register God only knohat I could catch frouy’s pants

"You still haven’t gotten h "Do I really have to go over the whole no-shirt thing again?" I glance around the roo for someone--anyone--to come up to the counter so I can switch my attention off Z and to an actual custoood a ti the shoant to interrupt it

"You’re not actually serious about that, are you?"

"I’ to say to that, but before he can get the words out of his uys They look vaguely fa at them like a moron, I realize it’s because my aunt introduced roup of snowboarders and skiers Lost Canyon partially sponsors

It’s no surprise that it takes me a minute to place them I’d felt like I’d fallen into an alternate universe that day, one where one topsy-turvy batshit crazy How could I not when things had changed so fast? When what I wanted--needed--most had ceased to exist in the blink of an eye?

"Dude, what are you doing?" the tall blond guy de my pity party "Put your clothes back on before you scare the new girl away"

"Yeah, man," the dark-haired one chih and so dollar bills in your pants"

Z flips them off, but when one of thes it on I feel an instant of regret Though I hassled hi shirtless, it’s alain Alirl waves a hand in aze over to hers I’ at Z, but she doesn’t seem mad In fact, she looks amused as she thrusts a hand out to me

I shake it automatically "I’m Ophelia"

"Cool name"

Not really "Thanks"

"This is Ash" She points to the tall blond guy with the floppy hair "And this is Lucas And you’ve already ether"

"It’s nice to irl who doesn’t take Z’s shit"

"Hey! Whose side are you on?" Z denores him, looks at me curiously "So, where are you from?"

"New Orleans"

"No way! I love that city!" Lucas tells me "How come you don’t have an accent?"

"Who says I don’t?" I lay the southern girl on thick

"That’s better," he says with a nod "I’ve alanted to go for Mardi Gras, but it’s always in the middle of competition season"

"How ’bout you?" Z speaks up for the first tilance quickly away I don’t like the way he’s staring atwith his food before he devours it "You’ve probably been doing Mardi Gras for years"

"Nope It’s not really " The lie almost sticks in my throat, because for years no one loved the teeks before Fat Tuesday more than I The parades, the crowds, the , it turns out

"What?" Now they’re all looking atNew Orleans and doesn’t go out for Mardi Gras?" Z de me and ht snap theood will co them see how much this subject stresses me out Annoyed with myself, with hiive hinat-did-you-have-so-to-say-to-me look "Me Is that okay with you?"

"No" He looks bemused "Not really"

I have no answer for that, so I don’t say anything, and neither does anyone else An aard silence descends Once again I look desperately around for customers, but there’s still no one So I just wait it out, pretending I don’t hate aard silences Pretending I knohy Z and his friends are standing around watching ht You want to come?"