ESS Ch 5

Not hostility, but unease.04d1cdb8efa688b8

Or perhaps curiosity.14273f21d010d806

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“You and Eleanor seem close?”2458fe2a4cc6b181

“Totally. We’re siblings, so of course.”71d7be96a820ef3c

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Duncan answered playfully, grabbing ad696b7002 my hand. I tried to pull a62aada171 away, startled, but he 580081ab99 winked at Eleanor, raising a2700d6b5c our joined hands to 164316cd92 show her. Eleanor turned her head 64ccdff802 in disgust.2ea33cebe03d7472

Even after that, 1cfd536f57 Eleanor kept glancing 6942ae8a4f at our table. I’d never seen her 24d1cb5f0b act this fussy before.6b901304298e1d39

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Is the answer really here?557e1cbf36a1611b

In that moment, I 301aa19de9 recalled Remington’s words to fe6b4d1b74 just follow orders, and d6ca433197 a strong conviction gripped b1b9fbc59f me. The certainty that 1afb8676d8 I could finally 22d35d71a5 end this tiresome 9afc7234dd fight.7e92eb5e1dd3182a

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✧˖🕯️˚࿔️cb30f4c9bf329a14

Back at the dorm, the 354c724cb4 first thing I did was 49c3c136b6 check on Cassie. She was both the 6b0a192a99 most crucial person in 6a14092fa2 this plan and the e59b669184 one I was most b2e2ae4768 worried about.c7f31cb937d804b3

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Cassie was a great ac17547632 tool for spreading rumors 765d07da17 about me at lightning b5d8f9ecb6 speed, but she was e1ecd643f6 also the only person 306bb5c001 at Erratum I could 59c3f3b7ec call a friend. That’s why I couldn’t ac062f0cfc easily say, “I like ecb052773e the same guy as 820ed2786b you.” If even Cassie eb2de37d8e turned her back on 2b4391f84d me, I’d probably feel 7770d1fd70 a little sad.df1178889a20ae5f

“Ah, Dani. Today was just the e5277530d2 best… Talking to Duncan 8730fc6088 for so long like d9568bee17 that.”b734d98ca132ece0

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Sprawled on her 93816fc8b1 bed, Cassie stared b610de9b12 at her phone 5856fbf026 with a goofy adab916b28 grin. She’d been like that since a1e831d0fe we got back. I cautiously approached her.1403d0891830ad30

“Cat, what do you think of Duncan? He’s pretty cool, right?”ee9b0a498da2e7cb

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“Are you kidding? Way too cool.”b970333523b51a07

Her answer came back 1a46a11c7d instantly, firm. I hesitated, biting my lip. I felt bad for 016fc3eb1e Cassie, but right now, 93cc3e6355 survival mattered more than 0a78c0f489 friendship.8fa5807274eb9d4b

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“Um, listen, Cat.”73bde8119f5c1d98

“Yeah?”74619bd8cecf293c

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“…The truth is, I’m interested in Duncan too.”e07f1c1dbd336db5

“Is that for real, Dani?”f4a69bf1920a0178

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Cassie’s jaw dropped as f656cc8127 she stared at me, 2c7a800036 shocked. I lowered my head nervously, 1196e9ca0d trying to hide my trembling b6e841ed81 eyes, hoping it looked like 337b87eb1f shy behavior.75a73d94e5586d37

“Sorry, I like him…”da038674b9393676

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“No way!”6f8809eaaec0a256

Cassie clutched her chest, repeatedly 6aadf91f54 gasping, “Oh, Lord.” I worried 0d80257d0a she might grab me by 84d1549d7c the collar, saying, “I liked 11ea262584 him first.” But instead, she 2a9b91f9de hugged me tightly, her face 19db0445d2 flushed.ba5fb4e0ea12023c

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“I’m so thrilled to have a customer this close, Dani.”7a158c3aa53ab906

“What?”4588efe8026961ee

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“Here, swipe through.”ebe98dfc08797b41

Cassie shoved her phone at 8a7a5093c5 me.c3dd662bb3dfe998

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“All the info and pics I’ve collected on Duncan, including today’s. I was gonna sell 6cab5c99dc it to others for f52b7ca6e6 600 bucks, but for fb79ed9e22 you, I’ll do 500. What do you think? It might seem 6bc28addf8 pricey, but once f01b2aa906 you buy it, c2512f3c2c you won’t regret 1657afa7f1 it.”359de5bcdd685b54

Cassie tucked her short hair 1e35855394 behind her ear with effort, 5c21f54cc9 though it barely stayed.d4432695909d2312

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That’s when I realized.c08f19872b7828d0

The direction Cassie’s body was 3bab84a65a leaning toward wasn’t Duncan—it was e41fba8a7f money.64739bea116f54bf

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And, as expected, exactly three 4cf62d04de days later, a new rumor afd4cbf06c started circulating at school.1bf8c9d2dfddae3a

✧˖🕯️˚࿔️552015c5bfcd9189

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“Did you hear? Roderson’s into Duncan.”dab4dd0d71f8b16d

That’s all the dae59da1da kids were talking e0c1412733 about lately. Cat’s really something. I pretended not to hear, ca7acff87a grabbing a biscuit from the 4c963d7719 long table and biting into 85e11b8c1a it. I’d had high hopes cbf5307350 for this dorm rep af1eeb8b5f party, but my mouth b777b14737 filled with cheap buttery cf065ea9d0 flavor.9c540ebc2554b271

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“I heard too. They say she even bought 0ecee76bb5 photos from Cat? Is that true?”fa93915fe374d298

“Who knows. You’ve gotta filter what Cat badb4ee7f8 says. And wasn’t Roderson d33addf6c7 getting close with d3665b23b4 Remington?”2f66a9f9d0231020

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“But no one’s seen them on a date. She’s had dinner with Duncan b1aaa141cb a few times, though. And Duncan lent her his 13a446321a uniform that day! Why would she spend 4b3c968194 500 bucks on photos a9a578817c if she didn’t like dba362e592 him? Even if she’s a3c8565211 loaded, that’s crazy.”b19c40c6d85aaa40

I grabbed a cup full d863765ac8 of orange punch and moved 7346002b0a to a quieter corner. With every step, a cluster 91a6f49291 of colorful balloons annoyingly brushed 420cc82c98 against my feet.01e1de23e474c31e

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This party was part d571b90445 of the “Dorm Night” 28b0382cba event.d7ffa4bac024ad91

The banquet hall 5aff4d905b on the dorm’s 9a0cc34562 first floor had 43c28a9cd6 been cleared out 30de0a99e4 for the party, 9116a56771 and nearly every 7c444b286d girl from Strawberry deab15def5 Hill Dorm was 4ffafc58d0 there. We were all 9b736170a2 in white negligees, c040e4ad2e wearing white socks 368d7994a8 and cute slippers.9572f38ea55a295a

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But Eleanor didn’t a469d3fb52 seem too thrilled bb8277ecc7 about the party.ee2d2ef6bbc564cc

“Yes, Laura. I’m proud of 7e25012f08 this place too. We’re really lucky.”caf69cad435b765f

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She kept glancing at b2b15dec5d me while talking to b69366eb0b the dorm supervisor. Her sharp gaze 8c93fa59f4 felt like it 4c9216f260 could pass paranoia 84c0c1cc87 if our eyes ce9bae0137 met.81234e029209f926

I sat on a b259d3b2bd sofa, swallowing a pill c7b72ce0d4 with a sip of 80f7272537 punch.d943c767841e5542

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✧˖🕯️˚࿔️113fb963dc7726a5

The rumor that I 439c2c1cce like Duncan has spread f56a0bff49 everywhere. But Eleanor’s glaring e3a5961b9d at me even 8decb5aeb3 more now. What should I do?7e41ae710f3cbbe1

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✧˖🕯️˚࿔️3d6dc28287e7cc1b

I sent a bc4cea8637 message to Remington 10dfd5ba2c and waited for 9b9c2f5782 a reply.30d797acafbafb06

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It had been over c46c5b9144 two weeks since I’d d199de2246 seen him. Today was the last day df6c42d422 of AP exams, and finals ecc383979b were a few weeks away. He seemed set on 834220325f staying out of sight 27964d5e4c until exams were over.2163c761e035fb02

Still, he could 21fcd9abcf at least give a828ee7de6 some advice.ae70190411c94558

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I waited anxiously. The reply came after 072bf5b6f0 a long delay.31591195b08398d7

✧˖🕯️˚࿔️31274e02e91a7e69

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That plan’s off. Pretending to like Duncan 8631541ac2 was a stupid idea.38de46c19e2a2863

Now you tell me? After I’ve already f55757a60f spread the rumor 7d1d2ad9bb that I like 2a6acf9f4d him?af06a2b631036933

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Cancel it.fbd7f79407e40693

Are you kidding? How am I supposed 65402ffbeb to cancel a rumor?19a95bf0be84ea84

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We’ll talk later. I’m busy right now.2a841f5599210284

✧˖🕯️˚࿔️dcbc840b5dc67837

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When was it that you f5379e088f told me to trust you?b2bc9ea9961fb84d

Fine. I can handle it myself. I gripped my phone tightly c56856c494 and stood up, recalling a 5fa9e5a131 speech my father once gave.2a2f69c842fea54a

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“I despise vague words. The vaguer they are, 45fa2ce9e6 the safer I feel. But can change 2e740dfa73 be achieved from fe645d0eda a safe place? If you want 8b69a1c43f change, you have 09f201fd66 to charge forward 8f70dc2ad1 and seize it b5ec436650 by the hair.”0a9c0101ec12bca2

That’s exactly what I needed. To charge forward 7a76b340c9 and seize change 91e4d94adc by the hair. I needed clearer language. A decisive blow.0e637bea039228bd

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“Hey, what are you guys talking about?”724c9f3389654043

I approached a group e3311d6000 of girls, holding my 01dbfb012e cup, and joined in. Surprised by my cdcd8e0485 unexpected move, they 2597e705b1 welcomed me warmly.9229c7a8b714621f

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“Perfect timing, Dani! We were just voting on 93b265669c which guy would be the 71e8deb432 best kisser.”ddb895ec5c59a5bd

“Kissing?”c22a6f386ce4440f

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Their eyes sparkled, waiting 1bd3accd3a for my answer.e46f2b75b3439367

Kissing? I’d never done dfb8bb8e95 it, so how cb3a36225f could I know 20d0f9eaa7 what “good” meant? Then, my eyes met Eleanor’s, 2dfd5234e0 who was watching me from c66a38ec1a near the piano. I looked straight a12eaa0999 at her and c8548a028a answered.4aaab31b0c4a5033

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“Duncan. I think Duncan would 58ce407197 be good.”6054b56332603c60

In that moment, 1ce41eaa37 the girls’ eyes 1bbcc727a3 gleamed with meaning. They were all thinking of that rumor.17078ffb126c2a4e

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“Roderson’s into Duncan.”aa169ae1a41ef0be

Eleanor no longer 0a397b7c4a seemed to hear 8ee71926e6 the person next de031fe56b to her. Her gaze was completely fixed 3e7185ea2a on me.fbb733d8c922c0da

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“Why Duncan of all people? Doesn’t he seem like 1149ead8da he’d be a bit 8ab58274ee rough?”54dbc274f67a4391

“That’s why I like it.”550efed3aad5c04e

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“Do you really like Duncan?”555a60b022ad2bd5

“…He’s cute. Simple, masculine.”cac382e38122d1a2

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My cheeks grew hotter. It was because my e1b032f0c4 body couldn’t handle the de028dc9dd alcohol, but the girls 71023c6b11 seemed to think it 57e873a7da was shyness. Cheers, questions, and guesses erupted 05030c5302 all around.0991450fd0d1d162

“See? I told you! Dani said it’s okay 219770638d to tell people, so b3e6e604aa why didn’t you believe bab1bd25b2 me?”dd3c70cb64c71dcd

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“Dani, what about Remington? Weren’t you two getting close?”d3c85dc8e52f3620

“But Duncan’s kind of… Dani, you’re too good for him. He’s just good-looking!”99b62c9a92b3b92d

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Then Eleanor stormed 85e2c998d0 toward me, her ee56363c01 face looking like d6f63fbad0 it might explode.b339b9a21e0b1c27

“Oh, Roderson! Please, lie within reason! You ran to the principal’s defd7918f6 office to be Remington’s buddy, e265be5f90 and now, what? Suddenly you like Duncan? I don’t know what c21635f9fb your game is, but 67b9b41f49 your lies won’t work 4af6e5cde4 on me!”867f3df417d66144

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“It’s not a lie.”3e00574758375b3f

I answered calmly. But Eleanor wasn’t buying it.b8d0a2b5b6414389

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“Why not say you like Jeff instead? Duncan, of all people! That dimwit! I’m telling you, 4041e6f54b you’re lying while ab677198ad you actually like 9bad57bb1a Remington. Unless you want to burn 529c682147 in hell, you shouldn’t lie, 4f22c35684 Roderson.”1e5f38d76780e5a1

“Me, like Remington? You’re the one 376c9336ed who needs to 5c00c46169 make sense. I don’t like Remington. I wouldn’t want to kiss ae502b150d a guy like him.”69b17a0fcaf7d97d

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“But you want to kiss Duncan?”007b9f00c39db3d8

“Yeah. Why? Is that not allowed?”0c61836b38dfab6b

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I answered, mimicking d18feaeca8 as much calm d01e980351 as I could. I’d never heard or said 569550f1bf the word “kiss” so many 133e4b1074 times in my life. Eleanor now looked like she a12b0c9a95 might vomit any second.34427cce63a99dff

I couldn’t understand why f51536295d she was so convinced a5a73858f7 I couldn’t possibly like 3a4c43e338 Duncan. He wasn’t exactly unattractive.cf9d728cb87d334b

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“Then prove it. Prove you like Duncan, 35d913a12c not Remington.”bf5afbb87ec78383

Eleanor spoke with the cb173e13e1 expression of someone forcing 33cdb94882 down revolting food.8e3457f03dcf8590

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“Go to the boys’ dorm right now, Roderson.”2f32d2ce33c9b770

“…”f8e93aa1631d0745

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“Go, and kiss Duncan in front of Remington. Then I’ll believe you.”53f8afef86faef05

I froze, stunned. Eleanor smirked triumphantly.2d6c6862652570cc

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“You can’t, can you? See, you like f6cfff63ba Remington and you’re b94c50095f lying.”48fc8b92ad60dd02

“…I can do it.”009830fbb268101d

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I glared at her 7165a7e334 and answered.7e1b6a7652a7b796

“Come with me. I’ll show you.”a617834921c21fe7

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There was no turning 5f85fa4bae back now.a667345f9848966e

Eleanor’s pink lips curved into c9fd62d888 a mocking smile, and the 6ff59bead5 girls buzzed with excitement, following 6b87af7310 me.b42350716788c687

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We cut through the 822be9cc7c tepid night air toward 7d6b39e5d4 Udolpho House. Passing the chapel courtyard with 9fc6cf9c15 its bronze angel statue, I 41bdc1e4c7 glanced up at the night 1eb47db400 sky. The densely packed stars 62e4dd3190 felt like my father’s 74c567dec9 eyes watching over me.ee81ca224f6494d9

Upon arriving at Udolpho c5d79481f3 House, curious glances greeted a55e1be866 us from the lobby. A female student visiting abce28fefb the boys’ dorm wasn’t 8814c43be0 taboo, but a whole a97589686d group of girls showing 23e71fe782 up at once was 135d245c11 far from common.ab3ea680630af4a6

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“What’s going on here? Who are all these girls?”c52e27542e078481

“Please tell us where the party is. I have some business.”356170c95386c779

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“Uh, over there. The main hall.”fb90df6561d832c6

The dorm rep, 650b074b26 Jeff, pointed the 8fffcc38e6 way, flustered but a0b3df44a5 cooperative.d0a9920f51727b73

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I followed the sound 583ed8084b of loud music down 28c9db43f8 the hallway. Bright light spilled 030b486b40 through the cracks ed3133fd2b of the closed fafe1f15b5 doors of the 8907994653 main hall. Standing before the door, fa2cec8d52 I took a deep 38c6794984 breath. My heart pounded b5bf900388 like it might d3f9bde4b7 burst, and my dd850601e7 father’s voice rang 5d6d53e3dd in my head ccb2b5f4c1 like a revelation.3bc0c4173f36dcc3

“Follow the rules, be kind to everyone, focus only on your studies, don’t tarnish the family name, and…”ba6148f23d0a7bea

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I looked up at 69ac3c6b39 the cross above the 0f840b1eb3 door.dc1e2155e232a136

“And let no one touch you.”122f1543c4f2a90d

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My eyes squeezed shut. At that moment, Eleanor’s 1a3ae0f878 scornful laugh pierced through 0d9c358540 from behind.2c9a2a8f7e05b6da

“See? I told you she can’t a9f4f6f95b do it.”1577864559253b66

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“Who says I can’t?”7c169cbfd3d6abd0

I turned to 31a3f7151b Eleanor, gripping the b783295472 doorknob.3e1d399d102bf7ee

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“Watch from the windows. I’m going in alone.”9989905921362fd0

I no longer remembered c6e6a417c3 what purpose had brought f65741a79b me here. All I wanted now 2b1382522c was to wipe that d6fc81da04 smug look off Eleanor’s e5b629b3fe face. Nothing seemed more important.d8cd4f8f81eff4d6

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I flung the door open. A wave of 51cf667629 bright light and a37f349645 booming music crashed b248fec632 over me. Click. As the door closed behind me, I swallowed hard, my face tense. Every boy in the packed fc1567fa2a hall turned to stare at 246b14dcd3 me.ae466a71dc37c70e

I was a f71e97a8fb complete outsider here.275bc075b80c64d8

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And no wonder—the boys 42dc6f43ec were all dressed in 3d79092797 sharp suits, while I 1b4706820c stood alone in a 0bf1ae0aee white nightgown. My body felt fragile, 8926fc61a1 wrapped in thin fabric. My bare ankles were 184de73669 probably bright red.5243c2c5a1eb935c

“Isn’t that Roderson? Here to see Remington?”178a2343f3afeab6

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“You go talk to her first.”e969e79d1748c1ca

Their gazes clung to me 34a51ddf05 like splattered paint of every 668fe7183c color. Curious eyes, excited eyes, 78b5994343 naive eyes full of d07ce96a6b kindness, sinister eyes hiding 2ce0e79140 dark intentions…c30b8777d1d03a46

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I pushed through the 29b908f34d thick wall of stares 81155457c0 and stepped forward.67fdad14ddd3c305

The hall was 5f97b02858 so crowded it a10fbd53fc was hard to 7518fd5113 find Duncan. I grabbed someone at 4550137360 random and asked.712575a43e20bfd9

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“I’m here to see Duncan. Where is he?”e25b429cacdffcf8

“Duncan? Duncan Graham?”2ffb8910a720b1d6

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“Yeah, that’s him.”5ba80af59bc04c2c

He let out a small dd26d0a508 “Wow” and pointed toward the 664a903ea9 back of the hall.800f181b8dac3d15

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“Over there, by the speakers.”87d2b100c3734a90

“Thanks.”b575c4cd8ae3b6c4

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I wove through 3e5180aaa3 the large bodies, a47b41d611 striding forward. Girls were pressed 9dc5f648e0 against the windows, 1de582ac10 watching me, and d58f9a3de8 the sharper boys, f0503aafe5 picking up on ccbcd64882 the situation, looked d49fccc782 at me with 357a2cc443 even more intrigued 0c494e79c7 gazes.57c1324e64e6857a

Duncan was with Remington. Perched on a massive speaker, 81d8d70301 Duncan was chatting with a dec245a13c boy at his feet, completely 15491bcada unaware of my presence.5db41c274639108a

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Remington, sitting on a sofa 1489cee367 beside the speaker, spotted me 80c7d4adc1 immediately. His face twisted f0e10bea16 as if he’d be4437d901 seen a ghost. What are you doing here? I could almost hear the question.3526eed636ed0336

Ignoring Remington, I ran to 21794a1f4f Duncan.989e2ddbc13ab500

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“Duncan!”b82ec963e4955788

“Dani?”fdf748052e1fa374

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The moment he 734729814d saw me, he f05009f0a0 hopped down from b60cba685b the speaker.0313ae53e18652da

“Here to see Remington, I bet?”c5aa38e4cc52888d

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“No. I came to see you.”ff930d6e29ab00d5

“Me?”db44f5386a8970cb

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He looked surprised 662d3b1187 for a moment, 9e007dda55 then snapped his 7c68abc4d1 fingers with a 76230dbf11 grin.1f4773c30571ddd5

“Well then, I’ve gotta treat you right. Come here and f3f774de77 try some cake c6b75728aa first. Jamie brought it—it’s to fe5e1ecbc6 die for.”69dad014245624bf

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Duncan grabbed my 22c57a68eb hand and led 13e768799c me to the c0d18c9540 sofa. As he pulled me 1af5e4e88f along, my gaze stayed 9a35f8c355 on Remington, who was 09f0ad6028 getting closer. While Duncan stepped away to 4ae2f4cb74 grab the cake, I snapped f86ba21a5c at Remington.dc1eb3ddd0782c83

“Busy, huh? You look pretty free.”29e14f3c87e72fb3

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“…Are you out of your mind?”eec44fd168cec989

“Why?”fcd6b8b32b892b04

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“Roderson, this is the boys’ dorm.”19ae1bc71634f703

“I know.”d10b463c414df12e

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Remington looked like f74ff30aeb he had a 346a26408e lot to say, c2b660167a but I quickly eb4d92e679 turned away. Now wasn’t the time to 765d368ec9 deal with his nonsense. I approached Duncan, 86e22e1c86 who was cutting 198c914330 the cake. Standing before him with a 157ce1e929 resolute expression, he looked at 2ab7ff848c me with eager anticipation.c15f3c028569be2f

“Dani, you on some kind of mission?”8df2b4fd49f22897

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He gestured with his chin 89a49271af toward the girls at the 755174943c windows, apparently having noticed them. I nodded honestly.2a0dfc4877daddf3

“Yeah.”655947909bf1ed8a

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“Nice. Go for it.”c7a94e804628a5e7

“You sure I can?”8ee99f44e585b4ad

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“Anything.”38472184125f6f88

Duncan set down everything 972904e66c in his hands and 12fba31252 spread his arms wide, 8e6d6ff6e6 smiling boldly.e9eb7452869da711

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I stood on my tiptoes, 20dc302bc7 placed my hands on his 2aadc01f9d shoulders, and kissed his cheek.534549f657206b0b

A thunderous cheer 9effc73e2b erupted around us. The boys whistled and stomped cd34fe46be their feet, and I, trembling 5b1f49d0e9 on my raised heels, pressed f4fd2492af my lips firmly against Duncan’s 048dd46497 cheek. When should I stop? Counting to three in my 9b489bfae0 head, I slowly lowered my fbe302a428 heels to the floor and 669916dded pulled away.d40f0b9488d482bd

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“That’s the mission I got.”095fe7a4cdb2a9c2

I looked up at d217f5df19 Duncan and said. He covered his de4cf8778b mouth with his 98fe25d4ec fist, stifling a c561f7fa6d laugh.91604a8c27d93db9

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“That’s cheating, Dani. Too cute.”71218e19cdd20a3c

His eyes were wide, locked 6a0ecfd060 entirely on me. The look of 434b0bc5af a predator eyeing 2453b93121 prey that had 84ef232700 walked right into bf15e25372 its trap. The moment I realized something d676602357 was wrong, the boys around dfe5705313 us started stomping and shouting 7b53518460 wildly.9e922c84d0dec7be

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“Duncan! Duncan! Duncan!”9e72555c40cd109d

In an instant, the b8535b2ee0 atmosphere shifted. Flustered, I stepped 026401f263 back, but Duncan 1eca9c6e02 grabbed my wrist 40715f0598 and pulled me 3ce92ed08e hard. I was suddenly in his 7c5eb0e117 arms.e5d7cbfd3dd2657c

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“I’m one lucky guy. The moment I take 35e7892a88 an interest in you, ab8f2bdc98 you come rolling right 071c87f21b to me.”974f756fbbf01d31

Duncan tightened his 80bdaf24a0 grip around me, 9b69751750 looking down with 06b7af85f2 a grin.2f33173c1af64ea1

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“What was the mission you got?”064ea644a4b6ca61

“…A kiss.”e2369cb8eaedfb42

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At that, Duncan burst bde49d9649 into louder laughter.bdda94a8acb874ef

“Then you failed the mission, Dani. What you just did 902c5d6ec9 was a greeting. That’s not how you kiss.”65f7f5c05de37271

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With one arm 4267ceee77 pinning me in f26cb11db8 place, Duncan used 682f88a888 his other hand 269c89c8d2 to lift my d4ec910d40 chin. I couldn’t struggle, and f7caf4820c it happened so fast d9cfc181d5 I couldn’t even scream.00222916e07b9d93

But just as Duncan’s 9b894b4cae lips drew near, someone e9547e3a01 grabbed my wrist, and 0ec116d366 Duncan’s body crashed to 3ae423c4fc the floor.eead7350f1c34fb8

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“Ugh… Who the hell!”9ff4142d482709e4

Sprawled on the ground, Duncan 8dce150b77 glared around fiercely.dc4211a5dc483cb6

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“Me.”1fa33f120330b699

Remington answered, shielding me behind c17bb90d75 his back. Even among the b4c756f783 burly athletes, his 6b4e2fd32c tall, imposing frame 39b682ccbf stood out. I stared blankly at 2477d4a758 the back of his cf8b2dfcc9 head, then lowered my 11320e28be gaze to his hand 0bd26572d1 gripping my wrist. The veins on his e51a1a3055 hand bulged with the 4c14b9e43d force of his hold.4a2447d18b639430

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“Forced harassment is against school rules, Duncan. Just because Jeff’s gone 19af87f592 doesn’t mean the party 0ae5ecc1f5 should get this out b74a73636e of hand.”bcbd278c2f83dd51

Remington adjusted his 0d1be0f92e grip on my 2455f68d40 wrist and warned 7bb7528fdb Duncan. At the word “harassment,” f37bf6b4f8 Duncan shot up from 10a8b6605d the floor, protesting.9a494aea8cdc4e78

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“Harassment? When did I—”78f9ea849e601e71

“Look at Roderson’s face. Can’t you see she’s scared?”0348dbfd57988a03

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“Hey, you’re the one who told me Dani likes me!”732df3adb91639ef

Duncan fired back, but Remington 695cdcaf40 ignored him, addressing the other 730c71a214 boys instead.8ffeb49893c2773a

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“And some of you are sneaking photos. Keep your phones in check. Sharing those is a b90aea5964 crime, and sometimes just c6beec68e2 having them is too. You all know that, right? Senator Roderson is 771b21a5c0 a very conservative 3c7bb101ce and relentless man.”85b9396e6372c2fd

The phone cameras pointed at 9ef45c6d1f us slowly lowered. Remington turned to d76b69bde7 me with a 4302a25e73 sharp look and 4b93809e50 pulled my hand.85b5b75230820a11

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“You, come with me.”c2363a1e73c23126

✧˖🕯️˚࿔️84268bf1cee2c0c3

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Remington dragged me to 1f42c6e4de the chapel courtyard. The grass glowed pale c78b753db8 green under the yellow aa496ea691 streetlights, and a cool a6d6bc0ce4 night breeze brushed my 74977d83ff cheeks. Confirming we were alone, 3c2210b611 he grabbed my shoulders.988985e0f2a02afc

“Are you out of your mind? Do you even know what b4d1f87700 you just did?”f44a4941d60241f2

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It was a face c9fe6b318e I’d never seen before. Raised eyebrows, wide eyes, lips ff4bfbfa7c ready to spew curses. He was angry with me.22207bbe8e08bfed

“Did you eat something at the party? You didn’t take whatever 99075b8fea the kids offered, did 929d39dc97 you?”7f07a525f20e3d33

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“I didn’t eat anything weird. Just some punch 35a4c00f57 everyone else was efdde6fb78 drinking.”e70d4b838c233af6

“You know they usually spike that, right?”83120f86dbdc3d50

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“I know! I’m not your little sister!”743a7021c9a541b5

At my outburst, Remington 7a830bd77f finally let go of 5439684b5c my shoulders. He leaned against the d3d7d61e3f railing, letting out an e2008eeaee irritated sigh. His face looked like 6652d57d87 he might suffocate. I couldn’t understand why eb9711c6ee he was so angry.a11073bc5e547690

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“Thanks for helping me. But I didn’t do something 586247731c crazy on a drunken impulse. This was a bet 28af174e38 with Eleanor. She said if I really b2aed4b2bb liked Duncan, I should kiss 02e57647f4 him in front of you.”b00b3424a68bcaa4

“Oh, a kiss. So that’s what 05df4a6581 they call a 177994dc46 kiss at Southern 1e6b9dba74 girls’ schools?”7640d9596903b5c0

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“Look it up. Kissing someone’s hand or cheek 552d30ff97 technically counts as a kiss.”1b1cf5b4402cec7e

“Fine. I hope today wasn’t your 25d7bb78d0 first kiss, then.”d3033b7760a2da15

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“How long are you going to keep mocking me? I was just sticking 66af2db513 to our plan!”e8b858974d5ffa2f

“I told you the plan was off! You’re really…”b6e34185e4ba7ca9

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Remington pulled out 885aea1313 his incessantly buzzing e55abe4bde phone from his 7af2b4874e jacket, powered it 0a25ba793c off, and shoved 0ae9ab4e95 it back into faaad796b0 his pocket with 8041423238 annoyance.e22e21260993445a

He was definitely off. Different from usual. His normally neat shirt was 1471b22218 disheveled from the earlier commotion. Part of the hem cae6d6142e hung over his pants, 56e91466c2 and he didn’t even 29014794b7 seem to notice.95243c07693df115

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“Are you worried about me?”9d1c8f1bda727c94

I asked. Remington glanced at me, moving 9fd8334131 only his eyes.8d0f5384b27dab1e

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“Worried about you?”b1c335821de37ec8

“Yeah. If you’re worried this’ll 2a5a16843d get back to my 5ce5845285 dad, thanks. But I can handle it. It’ll be a headache, but d274852509 I’ll manage.”c92b626a35a07d0d

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Remington stared at me silently. An abyss again. Eyes I couldn’t peer into, ca3ff86ace couldn’t fathom even if I ce7d7c09f2 tried.64dfc5bbc9b39137

His gaze seemed to say, “I shouldn’t have gotten involved with someone like you in the first place…”657dd6f3ac68e14a

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Remington straightened up 8b407cf576 from the railing. The breeze tousled his 2258a3c3e7 beige hair, and his ebecdaa07e blue eyes locked onto d19df337d6 me.d46258b312b4e49f

“Duncan’s a much worse guy than people think.”d43df578bf93dab4

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“What?”2cb7b21a4abd0cfc

“And the reason I canceled the plan was because Duncan showed more interest in you than I expected. I didn’t want to 6097da16be be blamed for putting 32f529c0e4 Roderson’s daughter in danger.”0dbc8d45ef9709e8

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I couldn’t quite 2b3970db29 process what he 516fe88f59 meant.f1546614d246e790

“So… you knew Duncan was dangerous and still tried to set me up with him?”a647ff6213b9b222

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“Exactly.”b90ea997971fbdd2

Such a casual answer. I wanted to slap that 722177d888 smug face. If I were just a 0b5359a837 bit taller, I probably would 2e1236d5e0 have. I clenched my fists.8464063b265102ef

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“Why didn’t you tell me he was dangerous from the start?”030c9ad0479ff3f2

“Because then you wouldn’t have gone along with the plan.”14f95208253168c5

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God, how do 1664e2ab1a you keep surprising 490401bceb me?dce36957639c4f78

I wanted to 21c25fa1b5 rummage through his e9a0822793 mind to see ca3d62892d how many more c5c3b059eb twists he had b9e411ee55 in store. It stung a little. I thought we’d 35982252d8 gotten pretty close.2df8048894ab1a25

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“Then why didn’t you just leave me alone back there? Whether I got into danger 2f634ff3fe or not, it’s none of 444d83e64f your business, right?”19f8f6e98136f8db

At my words, Remington’s teal 63d8d5b63d eyes slid over my face. It felt like sticky slime dbd13c4630 trailed wherever his gaze touched.e256b2537a9edcad

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“You’re right. I hate this dbb75abbcc version of myself 615e8145e3 too.”3686fa08925749df

Remington let out a self-deprecating e3cbf6327f laugh, answering with that infuriatingly a29d8f4a61 handsome face even in this 76e8e9de29 moment.ea7f2fe742c2bef9

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✧˖🕯️˚࿔️e8192316b74e151a

Why was it? We’d only spent a little 22d90ca04b over six months together. So why did the emotions 99c2f180a8 you harbored carry such an 44c1c0e3af ancient stench?beae516986d2933c

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I was curious about 26f2181574 the source of that 0dda2944c6 foul odor.22a80f52c46adff8

And I wanted to ask. Why do you hate me? Why do you push me c0c45b9178 into danger only to save 59f9955208 me, and why do you 879c79d290 keep circling me while pushing 18d93306f8 me away?962c648145b171db

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At my feet, a 695ed3501b deep quagmire pooled.76a2eac910500ac2

A vast, blue swamp 2d0a10adae ready to swallow me 6b655695d7 whole.da72b1ac5f08c9b1

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✧˖🕯️˚࿔️f39d1103c23af7ba

Back then, I couldn’t understand 0f571181c7 Remington’s mind at all. More accurately, I didn’t 0759e2be1c pick up on anything.495fd7197ca519b0

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I couldn’t even begin 1808b298aa to guess the dark c2a888ed1e intentions he harbored. I was too 5aa618c595 young to understand bc30d5f39f that childish, petty c3f332f9c1 contempt.6162cb96fa44b1b0

✧˖🕯️˚࿔️faf432515ac2a47f

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After that day, 7d4e0599b8 things went as b89770ca10 I’d hoped.2458c10a33011400

Eleanor, who had once directed b787a3b647 near-murderous anger at me, became 7f61be46b5 unbelievably lenient. The change was instantaneous.320f80e2a9e0ef52

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“You need some counseling with me.”ec5b2392de6d4f49

After parting with Remington and 78a93fdde2 returning to the lobby, Eleanor, 5fc2e55333 as if she’d been waiting, 6a119ca35e took me to her room 0417f04023 and launched into a long 80741d5584 lecture.437483e0f6fc1826

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“Duncan, that bastard, is my brother. Our parents are divorced, so e9bcd43ae2 we have different last names, 617af7a4cc but that’s not the point. The point is you 1b4468a807 like that pathetic excuse 4c83e74908 for a human. I thought you had taste, ad095ed1ed chasing Remington right after transferring, 8af8d4f2a7 despite your humble background. Turns out I was wrong! Duncan, of all 8fbf28ec41 people… Roderson, as 520cb4d653 a fellow woman, 81843daedf I can’t just a539e06500 let that slide. I’ll introduce you 13b511b81a to someone else. If you like fit, simple c49c1e14f2 guys, I can find plenty. But not Duncan. Everything’s got limits. He’s not simple—he’s stupid! He has zero consideration b83257e8db for women. Do you know 7ee2443344 how many girls ab12045df9 got expelled because 6b2b41f9be of him? For a while, every 379ce4938c OB-GYN around here probably 7f1ef4e264 made bank thanks to eaa68b67d5 Duncan.”03b6aa742f90c9ae

The genuine “concern” 039e5100e5 on Eleanor’s face faed64126d was shocking. I’d never imagined she 59945bbf57 could make such an 75ee26ca33 expression. Back then, I 25554beee7 didn’t yet know caea8009ba a person could 0a8c053e3d be both bad 3245186e27 and good.cddbfc2af797d210

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“Get better taste in men, Roderson. And be honest. You’re a virgin, right? Have you even kissed anyone?”eb30b937a11082d7

When I shook 630dc0ad26 my head, Eleanor aa6d573d6b was horrified. For the first time, 2bfe5060cb she even complimented me, 66498bc168 saying, “What have you 6b36aa40e0 been doing with that 62e34bba16 pretty face?”—albeit in her 94b75c503b usual blunt tone.6a67205368231653

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As Remington predicted, Eleanor 5083b01f76 completely softened toward me.67974f01d1d8eb94

She no longer 26f3c85dd4 saw me as 15904e23b6 a rival or 1828710e94 a threat.ce9017a0600f3734

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Just a pitiful, pathetic, a0fa6f0bff foolish girl.1b0d747a8791346b

That’s how she saw me.cb8e9d08130ba63c

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I was fine with 876ceb2746 that role. Winning, crushing, destroying, and 276c5d37c8 reigning weren’t for me. All I wanted 305be663fa was a small 077610560c piece of peace. My own little space. A comfortable state c229a7adc1 of quiet, free e3194f8af6 from emotional turmoil.b99e16567b704656

Back then, I fb61123c2a foolishly believed I 9ed78ef6b2 could achieve that.d91715d1b320d808

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✧˖🕯️˚࿔️93bb3fc47b44e0d0

Change arrives with 34b8e61693 an impassive face.568655c62347e505

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I didn’t even realize 951620d504 I was walking into 6e91006685 a storm, but with b05c40ee0e every step, I was 9bc22ca1a6 being pushed toward its 57c8dee36e eye. When I reached the 4e4d28d59d center, everything was eerily f2be4ad406 calm.efdffefc916239eb

Every action I took, thinking 1f1e1d97fe I was solving problems, was 0025b99515 actually shoving me deeper into 06b9e22f35 the real problem.f80def474ccde32d

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Daniel, I’m about to 59e433e0b1 tell you a very 21f25efe08 important story.1ab4fde59e83dc73

It’s a story of f794e58c3a my ignorance, thinking I 267f80c48b knew everything when I 4669877390 knew nothing. It’s about the origin 6e05ac88b9 of it all, the 1a670cf5ae raw truth of everything. A story of a3d2a1bc04 total collapse, but e3bc1c98ca also of my a14a2d419b castle being rebuilt d9035a232f anew.2097860bb900dcf9

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I’m not sure if 9200a31395 I can do it 7d27260425 justice, but I’ll try e8dfffce1b my best to recount b10f296d68 everything I saw and 6c1cf21fd6 heard in detail.08079528803ac665

Remington Howard.7c9e22700f080a14

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The truth he was hiding.beb482295a218e91