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Aggie Lou rubbed her injection mark fiercely and said, “I knew it, I knew it!”

At night, in the cool darkness, Aggie kneeled upon her bed and looked at the ceiling “God, if you’re listening to Clarisse, don’t anyAfter all, it’s up to me, isn’t it, to ask for what happens to me? Yes Then, don’t pay no attention to Clarisse, she’s mean Thank you, God”

Late that night she tried her very hardest to die She gritted her teeth and sweat rolled down and tasted of salt in her mouth She clenched her fists and held the Inside, she tried to catch the beat of her heart, using her ribs and lungs as hands to clutch it with and stop it, as you stop a clock in the night when its ticking keeps you awake

Finally, too war Much later she went and stood by theand looked over at the other house where the lights burned until dawn She practiced lying on the floor and dying And she practiced sitting in a chair and dying She tried it inhappened, her heart ticked merrily on

At other ti to ju to eat until I bust”

“Shut up!” Aggie Lou would reply

Clarisse would bounce her red ball and pass her little curve of leg over over over it, one two three four, over over And while doing it she would sing, “Gonna juonna eat till I bah-ust, gonna jump in the rih-ver” Bounce, bounce, bounce rubber

Slaie Lou’s s!

Aggie Lou scowled in bed Supposing Clarisse did what she said? It would be spoiled There would be no use dying then Aggie Lou hated to be second co her very own Clarisse had just better not try anything!

Then, the insidious thing began to take place Aggie Lou started feeling better The yellow sun looked bright, hot The birds sang sweetly She s wine But she was afraid to tell o ha ha oh ha ha, haha oh haha and yahhh for you! Aggie Lou realized, like a flash bulb going off, that she was getting well! Did the doctor know? Did uess? They mustn’t Not yet No, not yet

And she began to feel like running in the sun, over the lawns, she felt like hop scotching and clis But she didn’t dare say this No, she pretended she was still sick and going to die A weird thought came to her suddenly that she didn’t really care about that silver house on the hill, or the dolls, or the dress, it was just so good not to feel tired

But there was Clarisse to be faced, and what if she got well now and Clarisse teased her? My, she couldn’t bear to think of it!

So next tiie Lou yoohooed “I’ to die Thursday at three-fifteen The doctor said so He showed me a picture of my nice casket!”

And a few minutes later Clarisse rushed out of her house, her coat and bonnet on, heading doard church to see what she could do to circumvent this!

And as she returned at twilight, Aggie Lou leaned out and said in a faint and poignant whisper: “I’ worse!”