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Beeeeeep

My heart sounds like a godda that tells ethappens Soon, there’s a dial tone That’s it--I called her back I don’t even remember what I said, and I hope like hell I didn’t sound like an asshole I don’t think I sounded like an asshole Returning call…worried…callon the door saves me from my own head It’s almost time for dinner with our parents, so I bet it’s Nate, and I bet he forgot his key

"You’re running wayyyyy late, fucknut," I say, pulling the door open and feeling it release froepast me with finesse and speed She turns, her arh on her shoulder and stuffed under one ar to the door She sounds pissed What the fuck? I’ood No, things were…great!

I shut the door and move closer to her, my eyebro and ernails she is tapping against her own ars sound like they’re rapping on a tabletop

"You andout a step so this balled-up energy she’s holding onto can seep out slowly through her tapping toe

"Okay," I say, literally bitingthat will only ht noorse "Can’t say I knohat about, so…enlighten ht choice of words, but it’s better than the first few things that popped intoup speed against her arirl, and wouldn’t like whatever this is you think you’re doing," I say, ready to kick her out of my damn room

"Oh, I know she wouldn’t like it And I know you’ll probably tell her I was here--even though you shouldn’t But I don’t care," she says

"Allllll right," I say, dragging the words out while I look at her for so

"I don’t like you," she says Wo--! Paige has balls

"I’ood with that See ya later," I say, my hand actually on the door handle now

"Let ive ," she says, so I drop ain

"Kinda hard to respect so line is ‘I don’t like you,’" I say, so myself with rab Nate’s ball glove that’s sitting out on his desk just to have soh very little She takes a seat onher hands in her lap I suddenly feel like I’o well, and the interviewer is about to tell et the job

"I don’t have to like you, Ty My sister does And she does She likes you…a whole bunch," she says, and I set too co heart She loves easily She’s also been through…she’s been through a lot Soccer was everything to her, and she tellsher You have to stop"

"No way," I say Not a chance I know Cass wants this And I knohat it’s like to feel that drive, to acco you aren’t supposed to I won’t back out on her on this

"I figured you’d say that," Paige says, her voice getting softer, but still with an edge to it She reaches down and pulls her purse in her lap, preparing to stand "This is a bad idea If she fails…she won’t recover She’ll be devastated"

"She won’t fail," I say, e pauses to take thee my statement I keep hs

"Maybe not But there’s a chance Whether you believe there is or not, there’s always a chance things won’t work out And if she fails--" she says, and I interrupt

"Which she won’t," I say, and this only brings back Paige’s fire Fuck it--she already doesn’t like me