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"It’s okay Mine wasn’t one of the remarkable ones I mean, it was to me of course, but not the rest of the world"

I reach into rab the photos I hid there the other day, then join Cass on her bed Just as I did with Nate, I recant the basics--un, our cafeteria, Josh and Betsy

"This is Josh andher my favorite picture of the both of us I like this one because we look so row up together after all

I have fewer pictures of Betsy, but I show her the few I’ve kept Betsy was arten and were inseparable ever since

"So Betsy didn’t raphs back to me I shake my head no and look down at them in my lap--all that’s left of the two most important people in my life summed up in seven pictures

"Wow Well that’s…" she pauses for a few seconds, bobbing her head side to side while thinking of the perfect word "Sucky That’s just sucky"

Her choice h hard Because yeah, it is sucky, and that’s really the only perfect word there is foron a Valley-Girl tone Mocking ood, and I wish I had done it sooner

"Riiiight? I od, what a la Valley Girl withso hard hs We’re rolling on our backs, tears falling froe comes in

"Oh e, do you totally want to hear my sucky story?" I say, barely able to finish e says,her sweater on the hook on the back of the door

"Like, when I was sixteen, this guy came to ht? Who does that?" Cass is holding her sto red, and I’e steps out from the closet, her eyes wide and centered on me; I realize she’s not really in on the same joke Cass and I are, and then I realize that yeah, I’ really insensitive andcare

"Rowe, if you’re od I will smack you That’s not nice, and it isn’t funny," she says, her hand on her hip, which only e If only this were a joke," I say,and half from the truth, and the escape feels euphoric

Once I cale, too She was a lot more serious in her response than Cass, more like my parents and others from my hometown She was sympathetic and kind, but I think I kind of liked Cass’s response better I need e told us she wasout next week to the Delta house, and I could tell Cass was happy about that I think she relished the idea of not being a twin for a while, not that there was anything reh, Paige’s departure made me feel a little sad She wasto know the real her

Paige left in the late afternoon for a date--apparently she moved on quickly from her crush on Nate to a member of the football tea Cass try on outfits for the dinner I was half-invited to, and when Cass realizes I’ like that?" She motions to my shorts and plain blue tank top

"I’o He was sort of…I don’t knoeird about it," I say

"H for my hand to pull smy butt while I pass by "Here’s the deal I don’t knohat you mean by weird, but Nate had about a two-hour prep conversation with Ty and et up the balls to ask you to dinner So if you don’t show up, we’re going to feel like failures Now put so pretty on, and hurry, we’re late"

I love Cass It’s decided; she is now my best friend