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Then--it was like she disappeared Cass says she’s been in the library all week But I don’t know Knohat I know about Rowe’s past now, I get the feeling places like libraries are hard for her I understand why she wasn’t hip on eating in the cafeteria, why she likes to sit in corners, why she’s skittish and nervous all the ti up for the weekend, and they have extra tickets in the nice seats--the expensive ones--at tonight’s football ga, and there’s one more seat open I really want Rowe to fill it

"Dude, I arabbing one ofit into the hallway

"Awethe one shoe still in ht foot

"Because I know you You like things in order, and your shoe hanging out there in that hallway is going to drive you bat-shit crazy" His sht I’ve always been a neat freak And I hate only having one shoe on my foot now I follow hiet there, he blocksit like a football

"Co

"Oh you can have it Down there," he says, tossing it to the other end of the hallway With a clunk! it hits the wall near Rowe’s room I roll my eyes at him and limp on one foot to their door Ty is behindaround is not an option at all

Cass opens the door and smiles at Ty "Why Nate, what a surprise Please, co weird, but when I see her wink at Ty and notice Rowe’s legs folded up, and her face looking dohile her ear buds are tucked in her ears, I understand

I’d hate thelad they trapped her in one place for me--finally I take a deep breath, walk over to her bed, and ju next to her She startles, covering her heart, and pulling the headphones from her ears--which instantly irl you startle, and I get that now

"Sorry, didn’t realize yourto?"

"The Black Keys," she says, her ear buds still clutched in her hands, and her ar my hand toward hers She hands me one of the earpieces, and I tuck it in, at first a little surprised by how loud it is Damn, it’s a wonder she isn’t deaf She watches me with her brow pinched for a few seconds before finally putting the other end in her ear

"What are you working on?" My voice so loud that Ty and Cass turn to look at"Sorry Apparently Rowe is hard of hearing, because she has this thing set to, like, seven thousand"

"It only goes to thirty You’re being hyperbolic," Rowe says, a hint of her s in

"So vocabulary, then? That’s e’re working on?" I ask, challenging her sass withuntil she squints atto inti myself with her until our noses touch When I do, her lips twist into a s and write about how ither notebook over to rest part of it onShe wants n for the full notebook and bringing it to razes hers when I do, and the feel of it almost ain

"I picked this one" When she leans forward, her shirt lifts a little; I notice a few deep red scars along her side They surprise me, but I don’t want her to know I see them I move my eyes to the notes on my lap before she turns to facea pearl earring I recognize this one, and it feels like it fits her, not that I know a dahs "What? I ht?" She nods, still laughing "Okay, well, the dude picked nice colors, and her eyes are all syure, but a real person Sort of Yeah, so I’d hang it up"