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“Christ, Liv If I’d wanted a dead arm, I’d have sat next to Marisa” LJ rubbed his bicep

“All thosefromy eyelashes

“I stopped buying that act when you challenged ainst my shoulder

“A, the big football player can’t do a few pliés?”

“Shut up” He chucked a pillow at my head I ducked and it hit the half-full plastic pitcher on the table, spilling the last of the sangria all over Marisa, who’d crouched down to grab some popcorn

“LJ!” she screa at the spreading wet spots on her boobs and crotch Nope, totally not aard at all She batted his hands away, and his cheeks turned fire-engine red “I’ to kill you Just for that, I should tell your e ere eleven”

He jumped up, and she rushed after hi in my stomach with reminders of what I’d missed out on rose to the surface They’d been best friends since third grade Back in third grade, the biggest tragedy in irl in my class’s party Little had I known, just a few years later I’d knohat real loss was My life had been ripped apart in the seventh grade Sometimes it felt like a part of my life had frozen at that point, and I didn’t know if I’d ever feel whole again

3

Ford

Ducking behind the half wall, I crawled across the floor using onlyht forover onto my back, I prepared for the attack

Five heads popped around the corner with huge smiles on their faces

“You gotmy hands up in surrender

They laughed and ju my junk Oof More kids rounded the corner and added to the pile on Reer zones

Tiny, sticky hands went straight foronto lanced up at the adult legs standing in front of me

“Hey, Morabbingaboard their own personal horse