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“You will be,” I mouth back, my eyes narrowed slits of retribution

Holland’s eyes fly wide, her shrug see to say what can I do before she lowers herself onto the seat opposite

As a general rule, I don’t suffer fools Yet here I sit with people I neither like nor care for while trying to decide how I entice a pretty girl to make this birthday memorable

I turn back to find Nikki uncomfortably close, her chin rested on her hand Given that hand is still on my shoulder, she’s practically in h my mind is a beat behind, I remember she’d asked a question The kind of question that seeue to an invitation

“It was fun!” Holland’s interjection saves me from a reply but doesn’t save me from the woman, who inches inconceivably closer

“I’m all about fun,” Nikki murmurs, her mouth far too close for comfort as she eyes me like I’ it to the table as I lean away

“Me, too,” Holland says “Reether?”

“The festival of what?” Nikki’s head whips around so fast, I’m surprised she doesn’t suffer whiplash

“Fungus You haven’t heard of it? Wow Back ho deal The Estacada festival puts the fun in fungus, right, Lyle?”

“I’m not certain that truer words have ever been spoken,” I reply

“Hey, if you’re cousins, how come you two have different accents?”

I’h not before hearing Holland say that my parents left the cult’s compound while I was still small