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She shook her head and walked to the back door She pulled his skateboard out from behind the open door and handed it to him

"Thanks I left this somewhere"

"You left it in the backseat of Nora Sutherlin’s car"

Shit Michael took a breath, decided to try a little deflection on histheir counseling sessions

"It’s a BMW Z4 Roadster It doesn’t have a backseat"

Her eyes flashed with anger

"What were you doing in Nora Sutherlin’s BMW Z4 Roadster that doesn’t have a backseat, Michael?"

"Nothing She gave me a ride home from church"

Michael’s h to be your ht? I know she doesn’t look like it and God knows she doesn’t act like it, but she is"

"It was just a ride home, Mom She’s nice She’s not like you think she is"

"I think she’s a very dangerous woet hurt if you spend any ht about Nora, how she lived so brazenly Would he ever be as fearless as her? Michael re around the hallways after church, eavesdropping on Nora’s conversations One of the resident old bats had been going on about the abomination of sodomy Nora had patted the woman on the back and said, "If it’s an abo Bear down hard, then relax It’ll fit better" Then she’d breezed off, leaving the old ladies blushing and huffing Michael had run into the bathroohed his ass off in one of the stalls

Fearless He could do that

"I like getting hurt," he said

His mother shook her head "Don’t remind h he’d spentaway fro her than walk away froain But that didn’t seeone this suht?"

"Fine," his ht he heard a note of relief in her voice "If that’s what you need to do You’re going to be a caood on money and stuff So you don’t have to worry about me"

"I’ve been worried about you since the day you were born Won’t stop now"

Michael tried to laugh but the sound didn’t coht He started to leave

"Michael?"