分节阅读_30

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  i could feel her staring after me as i walked away.
  wheable, i stood behind the him,
  unsure.
  ”why don't you sit with me today?” he asked, smiling.
  i sat down automatically, watg him with . he was still
  smiling. it was hard to believe that someoiful could be real.
  i was afraid that he might disappear in a sudden puff of smoke, and i
  .
  he seemed to be waitio say something.
  ”this is different,” i finally managed.
  ”well…” he paused, ahe rest of the words followed in a rush. ”i
  decided as long as i was going to hell, i might as well dhly.”
  i waited for him to say something that made sehe seds ticked by.
  ”you know i don't have a you meaually poi.
  ”i know.” he smiled again, and then he ged the subject. ”i think your
  friends are angry with me f you.”
  ”they'll survive.” i could feel their stares b into my back.
  ”i may not give you back, though,” he said with a wit in his
  eyes.
  i gulped.
  he laughed. ”you look worried.”
  ”no,” i said, but, ridiy voice broke. ”surprised, actually…
  what brought all this on?”
  ”i told you — i got tired to stay away from you. so i'm giving
  up.” he was still smiling, but his ocher eyes were serious.
  ”giving up?” i repeated in .
  ”yes — giving up trying to be good. i'm just going to do ,
  ahe chips fall where they may.” his smile faded as he explained,
  and a hard edge to his voice.
  ”you lost me again.”
  the breathtaking ile reappeared.
  ”i always say too mu i'm talking to you — that's ohe
  problems.”
  ”don't worry — i don't uand any of it,” i said wryly.
  ”i'm g on that.”
  ”so, in plain english, are we friends now?”
  ”friends…” he mused, dubious.
  ”or not,” i muttered.
  he grinned. ”well, we try, i suppose. but i'm warning you now that
  i'm not a good friend for you.” behind his smile, the warning was real.
  ”you say that a lot,” i rying to igrembling in
  my stomad keep my voi.
  ”yes, because you're o me. i'm still waiting for you to
  believe it. if you're smart, you'll avoid me.”
  ”i think you've made your opinio of my i clear,
  too.” my eyes narrowed.
  he smiled apologetically.
  ”so, as long as i'm being… not smart, we'll try to be friends?” i
  struggled to sum up the g exge.
  ”that sounds abht.”
  i looked down at my hands ed around the lemole, not sure
  what to do now.
  ”what are you thinking?” he asked curiously.
  i looked up into his deep gold eyes, became befuddled, and, as usual,
  blurted out the truth.
  ”i'm trying to figure out what you are.”
  his jaw tighte he kept his smile ih some effort.
  ”are you having any luck with that?” he asked in an offhand tone.
  ”not too much,” i admitted.
  he chuckled. ”what are your theories?”
  i blushed. i had been vag duri moween bruce
  eter parker. there as going to own up to that.
  ”won't you tell me?” he asked, tiltio oh a
  shogly tempting smile.
  i shook my head. ”t.”
  ”that's really frustrating, you know,” he plained.
  ”no,” i disagreed quickly, my eyes narrowing, ”i 't imagi
  w at all — just beeoell you
  what they're thinking, even if all the while they're making cryptic
  little remarks specifically desigo keep you up at night w
  what they ean… noould that be frustrating?”
  he grimaced.
  ”or better,”