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“What’s so funny?” I ask him

“The squat and talk” He gestures to my position “Not funny but cute”

He said I’ a winning routine right now “Want to squat with me?” I ask

Banks has trouble looking away “You knoould, but I’”

I can’t reply, my sister cuts over the line “Sulli?”

“Squirt,” I greet, phone to my ear

Banks turns his back to ive me privacy and protect me, I think

I’ush to my sister about him Focus Concentrate “You’re not at school yet, are you?” I didn’t calculate the time difference, but it’s super early here

“Not yet I’m about to carpool with the babes soon” The babes are our cousins and her best friends: Vada Abbey (Aunt Willow’s daughter), plus Kinney Hale and Audrey Cobalt “Just eating a bagel with almond butter” She clicks onto FaceTime

Fuck

I hold the camera close up to my face Only a small scratch on my cheek and forehead Stuff that she’ll chalk up to thorns or rocks fro

I accept the FaceTime call

Her cael and almond butter Then she flips the view to her face Dirty-blonde hair wet fro shower, Winona smiles at me with almond butter spread over her teeth “Am I beautiful, Sulli?”

I laugh “The most beautiful land crab I’ve ever seen” It’s an inside joke, and I hoist the camera closer to s and diary?”

“Yeah, for real,” Winona says into a gulp of water, her smile still present “He said he’d try harder than last time He even shook on it And you don’t have to join if you don’t want to No pressure”

I killed a cougar, Nona Sing back those words, I say without thought, “Yeah totally, but I think I’onna try, too”

“Really?” Her voice goes high-pitched in excitelass down so abruptly, water sloshes

“Yeah Why not?” My guilty conscience isreasons, but I’ve already hopped on this fast- train

“Because you eat whipped crea-less, dairy-less waffle, you said it tasted like ass”

“Maybe I like eating ass now,” I banter

Banks turns his head slightly He definitely heard that

I heat up

Winona notices “Who are you looking at?”

“Banks He’s on-duty”