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Leslie sniffed “Can not You’re grounded ”

“Only so long as she knohere I’m at ” Lu pointed up at a broken“That’s the best way in There’s—” She cut herself off A fat raindrop splashed down onto her cheek “Jeez Hurry up It’s starting again ”

Though the girls looked er of the pair Her hair was knotted into black braids and her jeans were ratty around the knees, showing brown skin and scabs where she’d fallen one ti wet crate and shoved it hard It inched its way to a spot beneath the“Hang on, it’s high I’ll get another one so you can step up ”

“No, I got it ” Leslie hoisted herself onto the crate and poked at the broken bits of glass She glanced down at her cutoff shorts and wished they reached farther down her legs

“Don’t touch those Look Someone reached inside and unlocked it ” Lu pushed the fraet inside Aw, shit ”

“That’s a quarter for the swears jar ”

“Not unless Moet your look around We’ve got to be fast ”

“Why?”

“Look at the river ”

Leslie glanced over her shoulder, out to the south and to the bridges “Wow I’ve never seen it like that before It’s right at the edge of the building Usually it stays down by the rocks ”

“Yeah, it does This is way too high, and I think it’s getting higher Look at that boat over there It used to be tied down at the dock Look where it is now ”

“Whoa ”

Lu shoved at her sister’s bottom “Go on For real ”

“I’ What are you, scared?”

“Not of anything inside, no But I don’t like the look of that water It shouldn’t be so high ” Even as she spoke, gray waves knocked theainst the south end of the old ar the cin-derblock walls