Page 8 (1/2)

"Yeah, sure" Ash shoves his chair back froet the hell out of Dodge Not that I blauy The last half hour can’t exactly have been fun for hioo eyes at Ca at me fro a da head to an ice crea rabbit hole--of the pornographic kind

"But I’m not done with my ice cream," Ophelia complains

"Yeah, you are" I snatch the cone out of her hand and du for her to eat the thing like that in here, where we’re the only custo her out on the street with it, where every asole tourist in Park City can iine exactly what I’ve spent the last thirty on," Luc mutters, but Ophelia doesn’t object about the lost cone Instead, she just looks at reen eyes so innocent that I know--I know--she’s screithht,with my head just because she can

Which somehow onlyher know that

I’ve been desperate for a distraction for two days Desperate for so around insideOphelia has done a pretty decent job of it Which s to the next level Ti through the door of the ice-crea back fro black hair, big blue eyes, and cheeks rosy from the cold One of her hands clutches herstuffed rabbit that has definitely seen better days

Oh, shit Oh, shit She looks just like April Her hair, her eyes, her smile Even her damn purple jacket looks the same

I turn away, just in tiirl, too I can tell by the way her eyes widen and dart back and forth between the girl and rabs Luc and wrenches hi when she says, "Tiain,feels off insideup where no one can see Just like last night, only worse Soat the seams until the jumbled ain

And because of what? Aand a little girl and her da And at the moment I couldn’t care less

I head for the door at the closest I can get to a run, brushing past the girl and her mom without so much as an Excuse me or a Fuck you I’ under the pressure--but right now that doesn’tout of here

I hit the nearly deserted street and start walking, barely aware of the fact that the others are trailing me down the sidewalk I’irl even though none of this is her fault

It’sto blaht has h that the others can catch up to rabs ht I know they’re concerned, know they’re just trying to help, but right now sy I need--especially when it’s sy them off, to tell them to back off, but none of this is their fault, either So in the end, all I do is knock my own shoulder into Ash’s even as I wrap rin at Luc, who is walking right behind me, a worried look on his face that I know I’m responsible for Even Ophelia looks unco important and doesn’t quite kno to act in the face of all this tension

Tie that, and fast

"So, who’s up for a party?" I ask, reaching into ot a couple of texts earlier about one at Mandy’s house and one at--"

"Seriously?" Luc interrupts ht "I was also going to ask if you wanted to stop by Danny’s and get some weed, but--"

"You’re a jerk You know that, Z?" Cam looks furious

"I never said I wasn’t," I tell her with a grin

I glance at Ash, expecting hi to back h that I’ve already been to the ER today, but now I’e that none of us can escape froet it--"

"No, you don’t" The words pop out before I even know I’ this Not here Not now And sure as hell not in front of Ophelia "I’rinds his teeth It’s obvious he wants to say so, but unlike Luc and Cam, he’s very aware of the fact that Ophelia is with us I wait for his frustration to get the better of him, but it doesn’t, and in the end he keeps his h And I’ the charity case of the week Before I really know I’ to do it, I turn and sprint toward the small community park at the end of the street I can hear the on the new layer of snow that coats the ground all around us

Reaching down, I cup a handful of snow as I wait for the it into a perfect ball, I fling it straight into Ca seconds, nobody moves Even Cam just stands there with her mouth open as snow drips off her eyelashes and down her cheeks