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“Mom, I don’t want to talk about school”

She sets down her fork “Well you did other things in England while you were there, didn’t you? Why don’t you tell her about those things? Tell her about playing squash”

The last thing I need ismatchmaker in front ofthe way she’s piood in front of Lilly

“I actually did know he studied in London” Lilly sweetly sot to see his trophy” She does a little flustered headshake “I’ranted the scholarship to study abroad? It’s so iles

“I dropped it,” I tell my parents “It broke and Lilly fixed it”

“It broke?” Dad pauses fro a bite of food “What do you mean it broke?”

I shrug, setting a bite of lasagna on ue Che “It was in a box when I moved, and that box fell”

Moasps Covers her mouth with her hands “Roman, no! Oh no, honey, you worked so hard for that!”

I shrug “I worked hard for the scholarship, not for the award” Glancing over at Lilly seated next to rin “Besides, Lilly fixed it up for me”

“She did?” Mom looks between Lilly and me “How?”

I fish h litterati honor covered in crystals

Offer it up so Mom can see

She leans forward for a better look at my phone Raises her brows Furrows them

Her apes

I can see she’s appalled but is too polite to say anything rude in front of Lilly “How…nice”

I show Dad

He isn’t as subtle

“What in God’s name?”