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To that empty house with pictures of Francis everywhere It felt as if every place she looked, she saw him, felt him, heard him Finally she’d raced froht them for Christmas last year—and cried and smoked until her mother came home

“Sorry,” she said, glancing up at Jett “I guess I’m out”

His disappointment was obvious “No prob”

They stood there a second longer, waiting for the other kids to arrive Yesterday she would have tried to talk to him, would have pulled conversation froave her, but today she was too tired to expend the effort

She heard the pie chatter of distant conversations and looked up just as five or six kids lurched over the crest of the hill and skidded doard Within seconds they were all standing alongside the strea

Lina looked at the sense of confusion Why, when she was standing here a her friends, did she feel so lonely that she wanted to ciy?

It took her a second to realize that no one was talking to her, a second more to realize she didn’t care

Jett pulled a therrin he said, “Kahlúa and Coke, anyone?”

Everyone cheered and reached for the thermos But before Jett could take the first s, another silhouette appeared on the rise

“You kids get back to school The first bell rang five o”

As one, they looked up and saw Vicki Owen, the new guidance counselor, standing above theed and tired, and Lina wasn’t surprised by his expression Smithson had raided this ravine a couple of thousand times too often to believe it would make any difference

The kids laughed at getting caught and tossed their still-burning cigarettes into the streaether, mix with the fallen leaves, and float downstream It occurred to her that a bird could see that little white cylinder and swoop down on it, sing the deadlybefore it realized what had happened

“You, Lina Hillyard, I want to talk to you”

It was Miss Owen’s voice Lina looked up and realized that she was the only one left at the streaone; the only evidence that they’d been there was a skidding trail of loose h the leaves and ferns

With a sigh, Lina jumped over the streaside Miss Owen, and saw hera few feet away