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For the next hour, they sat there, talking now and then and so really important or share any more secrets, they just talked

Finally, Kate yawned and Tully stood up "I better book "

They got up and walked down to the road At the mailboxes, Kate stopped "Well Bye "

"Bye " Tully stood there aKate, ht had been helped by her, but she didnt dare Shed learned a thing or two about vulnerability froile now to risk hu, she headed down to her house Once inside, she went straight to the shower There, with the hot water beating down on her, she thought about what had happened to her tonight—what shed let happen because she wanted to be cool—and she cried When she was done and the tears had turned into a hard little knot in her throat, she took the ht and boxed it up She shelved it in the back alongside memories of the ti on forgetting it was there

CHAPTER FIVE

Kate lay awake long after Tully had left Finally, she threw back the covers and got out of bed

Downstairs, she found what she needed: a slass holder, a book ofeverything back up to her room, she created an altar on top of her dresser, and lit the candle

"Heavenly Father," she prayed, head bowed and hands clasped, "please watch out for Tully Hart and help her through this hard time Also, please heal her mothers cancer I know You can help them Amen " She said a few Hail Marys, and then went back to bed

But all night she tossed and turned, drea ould happen in theShould she talk to Tully today at school, smile at her? Or was she expected to pretend it had never happened? There were rules to popularity, secret codes written in invisible ink that only girls like Tully could read All Kate kneas that she didnt want to make a mistake and eirls were "secret friends" with nerds; like, they smiled and said hi when they werent in school or when their parents were friends Maybe that was hoould be with her and Tully

Finally, she quit trying to sleep and got up Putting on her robe, she went downstairs In the living room, her dad looked up from the newspaper and sive your old"

She plopped into his lap, rested her cheek against the rough wool of his shirt

He tucked a strand of hair around her ear She could see how tired he looked; he orking so hard, doing double shifts at Boeing so they could afford their yearly fa?"

It was the sao, shed actually answered, said, "Not so good, Dad," and then waited for his advice or co, but no such words had come Hed heard what he wanted to hear, not what shed said Her mom had said it was because he worked so many hours at the plant

Kate could have been upset by his distraction, but somehow it had made her love him even more He never yelled at her or told her to pay attention or reminded her that she was responsible for her own happiness Those were herher no matter what

"Great," she answered, s to reinforce the lie