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“You’re right, you’re right, and I can’t take this any off, I’ll tell you what happened”

I exchanged startled looks with Conklin Then I snapped out of it I reached up to the video ca if you tell us the truth,” I said, a-lump

I leaned forward, folded my hands on the table

And Junie began to tell us everything

Chapter 6

“IT HAPPENED just like you said,” Junie said, looking up at us with an anguished expression I read as fear and pain

“Michael died?” I asked her “He is, in fact, dead?”

“Can I start at the beginning?” Junie asked Conklin

“Sure,” Rich told her “Take your time”

“See, I didn’t knoho he was at first,” Junie said “When Michael called to ave me a fake name So when I opened the door and there he was — oh, my God The boy in the bubble He’d come to see me!”

“What happened next?” I asked

“He was really nervous,” Junie said “Shifting fro at thelike so him I offered hi He said that he was a virgin”

Junie bowed her head and tears spilled out of her eyes, dropped to the table Conklin passed her the box of tissues, and we looked at each other in shock as aited her out

“A lot of boys are virgins when they come to me,” she said at last “So a date, and I make sure it’s the best date they ever had”

“I’m sure,” Conklin murmured “So is that what happened with Michael? He pretended he was on a date?”