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Bad We were both bad fro with parents eren't supposed to be parents

Behindspree, all rosy-cheeked and laughing, shaking the rain fro was okay She dumped her parcels in a chair, took off her coat and said she felt shea cold

"I hate it when it rains, Emma Hello, Bart--I didn't see you there until no've you been? Lonesome for me?"

Wouldn't answer Didn't have to talk to her now Didn't have to be polite, nice, or even clean Could do anything I wanted They did God's rules didn'tnow to me either,

"Bart, it's going to be so nice this Christ at me but at Cindy, who needed more new clothes "This will be our first Christmas with Cindy The best kind of families always have children of both sexes, and in that way boys can learn about girls, and vice versa" She hugged Cindy closer

"Cindy, you just don't kno lucky you are to have tonderful older brothers ill absolutely adore you as you grow up into a real beauty--if they don't adore you already"

Boy, if she only knew But like Malcolm had said, beautiful women were dumb I looked into the kitchen at Emma, as not beautiful and never could have been Was she wiser? Did she see through me?

Emma's eyes lifted and met mine I shivered Yes, drab women were smarter They knew the world wasn't beautiful just because they had hold of beauty for awhile

"Bart, you haven't toldyou"

I stared hard at her She knehat I wanted iven an to pare my nails That made Momma stare at me, then her eyesto look pretty again

"Bart, put that knife away It ht accidently cut yourself" She sneezed then, then sneezed again and again Always her sneezes came in threes She pulled tissues from her purse to wipe her nose, then blow it

Contaerms

Jory didn't co as he stalked into his roorinned as I saw Mo didn't love her either That's what ca

Still the rain cae, her face pale, her hair a tangle all around her face, and I knew some men would think her beautiful I yanked a hair from my head and held one end between my teeth as I pulled with one hand to stretch it taut Easily my knife sliced it in two "Good knife," I said, "sharp as a razor for shaving Good for cutting off legs, arrinned as she looked scared Powerful I felt so powerful John Aht Women were only timid, fearful imitations of men

Rain came down harder The wind blew it around the house and ht it rained, nextdown Emma drove away just because it was Thursday and she couldn't miss a visit with a friend "You take it easy now, e "You don't look well Just because you don't have a fever doesn'tBart--you behave yourself and don't make trouble for your mother"