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"Oh " Kate didnt knohat to say except, "I eye contact with Tully, Kate studied the table Never in her life had she seen so much junk food in one place Pop-Tarts, Capn Crunch and Quisp boxes, Fritos, Funyuns, Twinkies, Zingers, and Screa Yellow Zonkers "Woish my mom would let me eat all this stuff " Kate immediately wished shed kept her ive herself so to do—and somewhere to look besides Tullys unreadable face—she put the casserole on the counter "Its still hot," she said, stupidly, considering that she earing oven mitts that looked like killer whales

Tully lit up a cigarette and leaned against the pink wall, eyeing her

Kate glanced back at the door to the living room "She doesnt care if you smoke?"

"Shes too sick to care "

"Oh "

"You want a drag?"

"Uhno Thanks "

"Yeah Thats what I thought "

On the wall, the black Kit-Kat Klock swished its tail

"Well, you probably have to get home for dinner," Tully said

"Oh," Kate said again, sounding even ht "

Tully led the way back through the living rooirl frohbor attitude "

Tully yanked the door open Beyond it, the falling night was a blurry purple rectangle that seemed too vivid to be real "Thanks for the food," she said "I dont kno to cook, and Cloud is cooked, if you knohat I mean "

"Cloud?"

"Thats my moms current name "