Jason didn’t respond. I didn’t blame him; how would you respond if someone said what I did?518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXhJlUYDl20
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“What do you think Alleata’s gonna ask me to wear?” I ask, desperate to change the subject. Jason shrugs, pulling his blanket off of his body.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡquamYEdVIx
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“She just made a new dress,” Jason answers. “If I had to guess, she’ll probably ask you to wear that. She hasn’t seen anyone wear it yet besides a mannequin.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFLLva0esee
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“What’s the dress like?”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvZFTB1OsnE
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Jason shakes his head, quickly checking his phone. “She doesn’t like telling people what her clothes look like ahead of time. Other people would try to use that information and steal it.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWRq72l7zS
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“That’s fair.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqE8mFz4qGY
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We fall into an awkward silence, neither of us sure what we should say.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIkyq5ozfC7
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“Astrapophobia,” Jason says suddenly. I nod, looking at the weighted blanket. “It’s the fear of thunder and lightning.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL4aZMUeRsF
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“If you don’t mind me asking, how long?”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOB8FZlfN9l
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Jason shrugs, looking around the room. “About eight years, I guess. I can’t quite remember why I have it, but I have it.” 518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHQyGyT9oD
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“You don’t remember?” I sit up a little straighter. “At all?”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqOs7c9O2x
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“I don’t remember anything, no,” Jason replies. “But I feel like I do. You know when there’s a word that you can’t remember, but it’s on the tip of your tongue? That’s how it is. It’s right there. I can feel it, but I can’t- I can’t see it. And it frustrates the hell out of me.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wjZmb5ILy
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“Have you tried to remember?”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AlFFJotSK
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Jason lets out a bitter laugh. “Have I tried? Of fucking course I have. I just- I can’t remember. No one’s been able to help me remember. I had a therapist for a while, and then Dad decided that he didn’t need his son going to a crackpot and pulled me out of therapy.” Jason scoots back and leans against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. “The funny thing is, I was getting better. I could deal with thunderstorms for a longer duration without getting an attack. Now, it’s the first crack or first strike that gives me an attack. I got worse. It wasn’t this bad when I first got it.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBk8NIksTD0
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“What if you asked your mom to take you to a therapist without telling your dad?”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ2yDBS9KgF
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Jason opens his mouth to say something, then closes it and blinks a few times.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrVwF36o8l
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“I could probably do that,” he murmurs. “Dad never pays attention to me anyways. He won’t notice if I’m missing once or twice a week.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1c6lgzjnCZ
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“That- that doesn't sound like a healthy relationship."518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFQDdS3xHn
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"It isn't, but there's nothing I can do about it. That's how our relationship has always been." Jason closes his eyes and a ghost of a smile appears on his face. "It won't change. It'll be like this until the day one of us dies.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjIANdNRiz
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“I know we just met today, but I think you should talk to your dad about this.” I lean forward and rest my arms on my legs, my fingers laced together. “Not your phobia, but your relationship.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWckYvFYNN
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“Who’re you to tell me what I should do?” Jason spits, leaning forward and glaring into my eyes. “Like you said, we just met today. We’re not friends.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpirIrsLPYm
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What’s with the sudden attitude flip?518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkcpGXjbqR
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“Jason, I’m not trying to control your life, I’m just suggesting-”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfcjFo81PG
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“Fuck off.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKuql87jFb
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I stand up and brush my hair behind my ear, turning as I do.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7YloQ705f
518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF26SXoLwU1
“See you around, Jason,” I say, walking out of the room. I manage to take three steps before breaking into a sprint.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcMeBmjmDpl
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This is what happens when you trust people. They only let you down.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx3hNohzIe3
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“Woah, Xael!” Two hands grab my shoulders, preventing me from running into the person. “Where’s the fire, girl?”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ486meROSDY
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“Sorry,” I whisper, looking down at the ground, knowing that Jonny’ll be able to see right through any lie I try to tell.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw9ULTu7Agv
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“Weren’t you with Jason?” Jonny asks. I nod, and he pats my shoulders before letting go of me. “Sophie’s upstairs. Want to go hang out with her?”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZJPLyXoZO
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“Actually, where’s Lukas?” My voice cracks when I say Lukas’ name, and I mentally curse myself.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKusaO2yMO
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“Lukas is still manning the gate.” Jonny tilts my head up, and I nearly start crying as we make eye contact. “Should I call him? Or should I call Sarah?”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2cHsfSMkj
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“Thanks, Jonny, but I want to go speak with Lukas about something.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpft58NCXzO
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Jonny takes a step back silently. I jog around him then up a set of stairs, biting my lower lip to try and keep myself from crying.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLGmwurK5L
518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtW89SNLFkV
“Lukas!” I call, stopping in front of a cherry wood door and knocking once. When he doesn’t answer right away, my mind reels and I think over what I’m doing. “Actually, I’m okay. Sorry to interrupt you at work.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Msx1KMqjF
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“Stop right there young lady!” Lukas’ booming voice makes me jump. I look up at Lukas and watch his grin fall away from his face as he steps rapidly towards me. “What happened?”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3umJmGXmiM
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Tears threaten to spill from my eyes as Lukas’ arms slide around my shoulders, holding me against his chest.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDlFPJlG5D
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“I don’t know,” I murmur, my hands in fists at my sides. “I don’t know.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYyUiHk8lr
518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2kjyduq5ir
Lukas lets go of me and opens the door to where the gate control is, then presses a hand against the small of my back and ushers me inside. 518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ67lYdosjqc
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“You were with Jason, right?” Lukas asks. I nod, looking down at the floor.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcbAA3yBQe
518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJg77bmRBsU
“I’m sorry about this,” I whisper, rubbing my eyes. “If you don’t mind, I’ll be on my way now.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5mj7vBWp4
518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAqLzus0sN
“You aren’t leaving this room until you’re not about to cry,” Lukas orders. “Take a seat, hon.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XYtFuKG8z
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“You’re at work right now,” I state, letting my stubbornness take over. “You should be doing your job, not cheering me up. I’ll be fine.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJYJiFRI3y
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“Xael-”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjx4YhT1Sxt
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“I promise I’ll be fine.” I look up into Lukas’ eyes, blinking away my tears.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ04ToAukOfi
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“Sophie’s chilling in the staff break room.” Lukas sits down in his rolling chair and spins around slowly, staring up at the ceiling. “Why don’t you go talk with her?”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQitDvCEF0v
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I nod, even though I have no intention on going to Sophie.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPmdQWonFI
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“I’ll see you at dinner,” I say, turning and walking out of the room. Once I hear the door close behind me I’m off like a bullet, up two flights off stairs while pulling a pen out of my pocket.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0rt1cFZwNM
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I won’t do it. I’m not going to stoop that low.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9oSeB0wbm7
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I open the door to a random room and Jason whips his head up to look at me, a razor in between his fingers. Without thinking I’m across the room and the razor blade is on the floor in the opposite corner.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW01VO51yTo
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“This is why you made me leave,” I say, grabbing a random piece of cloth from the shelf behind Jason’s head and pressing it against his shoulder. Jason nods, looking towards the door. “Why do you do this to yourself?”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbsLxatzqU
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Jason shrugs, pressing his lips together into a thin white line.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHgpYhygSq
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“Not in the mood for talking. Got it. Hold this against your shoulder.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4Wc1ISxDn
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Jason reaches a hand up and presses it against the cloth as I retract my hand, already scanning the room for hiding places.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpoMDQtDcUt
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“Where are your other razor blades?” I demand, looking directly at Jason. He looks at me and shrugs. “I don’t give a shit how untalkative you feel right now, you’re gonna tell me where they are.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQWa1O4RlK4
518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxFg6QJmIX
Jason’s eyes dart from me to a space behind me, then back to me. I grin triumphantly before turning around and walking over to a shelf that contains some boxes and some pieces of rolled up cloth.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwnHLmZRYDU
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“Which shelf are they on?” I muse. He doesn’t want anyone to find them, so they aren’t on a shelf at eye level. That knocks out these three, which leaves the top one and the bottom one. People are more likely to put things they need to use often towards the bottom, which means that they’re somewhere up top.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjEOIusdL2
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“You’re not gonna find them.” Jason’s voice is hoarse. I look over at him only to see that the cloth is discarded on the ground, blood dripping down his arm. 518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFOFgcNBUe7
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“I will though.” I turn around and drag a wood box over to the shelf, stepping on it once it’s close enough. “They’re either in these two boxes or in this piece of cloth.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWlev2ECRM
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“They’re not in the cloth or the boxes.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaI1hnI9qdv
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I grab the cloth and unwrap it, satisfied when four razor blades drop onto the shelf.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMraiHE8gS
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“Never gonna find them,” I mutter, wrapping the blades back up and tucking them into my pocket. “Simple psychology tricks. This is what you learn when you have no friends and no social life.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoxgukOMu0t
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“Give them back.” My back is pressed against the wall and Jason’s body is dangerously close to mine. His eyes bore into mine and my breathing hitches.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkKJAQGWKc
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“You don’t get them back!” I spit, putting a hand on his chest and pushing him away from me, silently catching my breath. “You don’t get them back, Jason. I either keep them, or you take them back and I’m telling Lukas, Cray, Jonny, and Sarah.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0AHObmzzQG
518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhrfuGwLqV
“You wouldn’t dare-”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMyAwKYisu
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“Try me!”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfSUA9VJgAu
518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzaSBZiH1Py
We glare into each other’s eyes in silence. Jason seems to ponder my words before stepping back and nodding.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYDkSYl0Xu
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“We’re going to Sarah’s office though,” I state, marching past Jason and opening the door.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RcbWZOjfW
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“You said that you wouldn’t tell-”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwauvMjEQm6
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“I’m not going to tell her, we’re going to dress your wounds.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGt10wlHEqn
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Jason grumbles something that I don’t catch before rolling down his shirt sleeve and walking out of the room, his uninjured shoulder just barely clipping the edge of mine.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs98ABcy6fZ
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“How long?” I ask, walking faster than I’m used to in order to keep up with Jason. 518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRsRo88pCMt
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“A while,” Jason answers. I roll my eyes and cross my arms.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSgEspUgAt
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“Very specific,” I grumble. “Where else?”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vIMqmyekj
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“Nowhere. Just my shoulder.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlhsfyeVYZO
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“Now that’s a lie and we both know it.” Jason picks up his pace, forcing me to do the same. “Thighs? Ankles? Stomach?”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNJElk1Aqd
518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsh4UluNM9
“Just drop it, Xael,” Jason snaps, turning to me and grabbing my shoulder. “Stop. Talking.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdPdyVQW5D
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I close my mouth and glare at him. He turns and walks away, satisfied.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIufW0h2XWh
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“So there are cuts on your stomach.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLo8UCAtG43
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“No, there aren’t,” Jason growls. “Didn’t I tell you to shut up?”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qjm7Qo9Gl
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“You did.” I catch up to him quickly, lacing my hands together behind my head. “Doesn’t mean I’m gonna listen.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6gOZlvFJix
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“I don’t like you.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJm2Ryf27f
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“People usually don’t.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2dbkrZQnTu
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“You’re such a lovely person to be around, you know that?”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE41moaCQZz
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“Thank you for the compliment!”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsbLj9wYUz
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“Wasn’t a compliment.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmePXoqGb4l
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“And I still took it as one so suck it.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZlD8UVRYWz
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Jason looks away from me and I worry that I made him super angry, and then I see his shoulders shaking slightly. He’s laughing. Despite what just happened, I made him laugh.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFW0wFV2Nsz
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Maybe I am funny after all.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgCBKwTLPNF
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“Why did you come upstairs?” Jason asks, startling me.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzPErs94nW
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“I needed to step away for a moment so I could draw,” I admit. Jason looks at me, which seems dangerous as we’re currently going down stairs. 518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡul5u7V371p
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“Draw?”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75bgQ3NpiU
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“Instead of harming myself, I draw something on me,” I explain, pulling my pen out. “I’ll draw something that would be a cool tattoo, or I’ll write a quote and make it all pretty-like. The red pen makes it seem like-”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezYEyRPPaI
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“You’ve cut yourself, but you don’t leave any permanent scars and you can wash it off if it’s in a less covered spot.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZIP15zoHYh
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“Exactly!” I snap my fingers and point a finger gun at Jason, happy he understands my thought process. 518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6Z90Eiafc
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“Do you have a spare pen?” Jason looks away from me and rubs the back of his neck, and I smile softly.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7jN6y3Sy0i
518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSAQosFoXQw
“Take this one.” I offer my pen towards Jason, who looks at me instead of grabbing it.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0PoifY18Y
518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFW72ErQKF
“Are you sure?”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DlLEgWG34
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I nod, then slip the pen into his pocket. He immediately takes it back out and slips it into the other pocket.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ9nuJQ4nrr
518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqpElAjjID
“There’s a hole in this one,” he explains, turning the pocket inside out and showing me. “Didn’t want it to fall out.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHT5Zm5u3UZ
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“And we’re here!” I exclaim. I open the door to Sarah’s office, knowing that she’s currently chatting with Sophie because the two are basically best friends. “Take a seat in any chair, I’ll address your shoulder once I get all the stuff out.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWBqimIhff
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“If you can find it,” Jason states, watching me open a cabinet and immediately close it.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26qosTodG1
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“How does this woman work like this?” I mumble, horrified by how unorganized Sarah is. Jason laughs, the melodic sound unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. “Once we’re finished with you I’m fixing this.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHLKJmfyri
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“I think she has a system?”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhnU783hdwq
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“If her system is grab something out of somewhere and then put it back in a spot eight feet, then yes she has a system!”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4fNfzeCDsr
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“Xael.” Jason puts a hand on my shoulder, and I sigh. “Chill. It isn’t nearly as bad as it seems.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb84DU9A59q
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“You’re right,” I agree. I open another cupboard, and then immediately understand that we were both wrong. “It’s worse. Why is it worse? How? Woman, how do you work in these conditions!”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12LenIOtAl
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“Well, at least her countertop is organized,” Jason remarks. I nod in agreement, looking at the perfectly organized counter.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKk4YPaixWX
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“If only her cabinets and drawers could look like this,” I grumble. “Anyways, I need sterile dressing, and some, uh, some sticky tape. What’s it called-”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKu5DpiRmfa
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“Steri-strips?”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYr3UulfRD
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“Yeah them.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1jn07S19h
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“They’re right up here.” Jason reaches over my head and grabs the box of steri-strips. I open a different cabinet and look for some sterile dressing, only to be disappointed by the fact that they aren’t in this cupboard.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4FqhpUMBt
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Jason and I look at how messy the cabinet is and sigh in unison, then giggle. 518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF51yNYb5xK
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“Are they in this one- they are!” Jason exclaims, handing me some sterile bandages. 518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbxXPM5fat
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“Take a seat,” I instruct him, gesturing towards Sarah’s rolling chair. Jason sits down and spins himself around a couple of times before remembering why we’re in here.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJstPihg5a0
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“How do you know what to do?” Jason questions, watching me as I roll up his shirt sleeve and unroll the bandages, measuring out what size I need the bandage.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4m9LSVsaP
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“The internet,” I explain, grabbing a pair of scissors from the counter and cutting the bandage to size. “I needed to know for a chapter of a story. The information seems to have stuck with me.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCS0cIdPwBS
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“What story has a scene with self-harm wounds?” Jason helps me with the Steri-strips. “I’ve read all of your works.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPkb2xwsuJi
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“It’s actually a story that’s still in the works.” Jason winces, and I immediately rub where my hand was. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to press as hard as I did.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSluYPkC02
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“You’re good,” Jason assures me. I stick the last Steri-strip onto his shoulder, then roll his sleeve back down. “Organizing time?”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Mx49fppN8
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“Absolutely yes please.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbRqtuVaZI
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Jason opens a random cupboard and pulls everything out, setting the items down on the counter. I copy his actions, picking a random cupboard and moving everything inside of it to the counter.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0yh9hRkD6h
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“This cabinet is just empty!” Jason shouts, gesturing wildly. I peek over and laugh quietly at the very empty cupboard.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUPpyyuPX6
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“And this one is the exact opposite,” I state, catching the few boxes that fell out of the cabinet. “I mean, I knew it was bad but this is ridiculous.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5E08En2nA
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Jason and I fall into a comfortable silence as we empty out Sarah’s cupboards and drawers.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvMX5KTNMxL
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“What goes where-”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi9YCV9uya4
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“Bandages go here.” I tap the cabinet most easily accessible to everyone. “Disinfectants too.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQCO5WEIlM0
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“Rolled up bandages, or band-aids?”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jPbQV33GR
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“Yes.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vkTVLzC1B
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“That wasn’t a yes or no question!” Jason swats my shoulder, and I chuckle. 518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPHRVeFnU9
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“Sorry,” I say, definitely not sorry. 518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhkg6PalMX
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“No you aren’t!”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpeRmGS1Acn
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“I’m not you’re right.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcsSiFLoWn1
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“I could just let you do this on your own-”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstQkN3RatS
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“Please don’t?”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuY4OKCn5kS
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Jason rolls his eyes and raises his arms above his head, one of his elbows cracking in the process.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtPwOf8s1a
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“Hey you can crack your elbows too!” I exclaim. Jason lowers his arms and nods, his eyes gaining a sparkle that wasn’t there during any of our talks. 518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVdOvNMjDB
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“I can also do this.” Jason thrusts his hand out and wiggles his thumb- no, he doesn’t wiggle his thumb. He moves it in and out of place.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb208QImDMd
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“I can do a magic trick,” I whisper. “Look into my eyes.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEuAzDJfXo
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Once I’m sure his Hershey brown eyes are focused on mine I shake my eyes. My vision flickers rapidly, then stops on Jason’s smiling face.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnKqY5hWrtY
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“I can do a magic trick too,” he murmurs. His eyes shake violently and I laugh.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSD8tb9qtCj
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“I have never seen someone else do that. It looks so cool!”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPRbq81IKja
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“I know right?” Jason and I laugh together, then catch our breath. I realize how close we are and take a subtle step backwards.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7z8IKDggVa
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“I guess we should get back to organizing.” I point towards the cabinets.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJn8TidrhQB
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“Did my breath smell?”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPuuE7VbSKm
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I groan and face-palm. Guess that subtle step wasn’t as subtle as I wanted it to be.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBm3IS2FfZ
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“No, I’m sorry,” I begin. “I’m just not that comfortable being that close to someone for that long.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA0QcU9DmIC
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Jason nods in understandable.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf8lfjsxkYu
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“I get that. So, you’re not a physical touch person.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86VtVTWCR6
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“What do you mean?” I ask, confused.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNfJUsb20zA
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“The five love languages,” Jason explains. “It’s physical touch, quality time, and some others.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyEqIJFtI9F
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“How do you know what those are and why?”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydAv7psKZc
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The smile on Jason’s face fades. 518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ25diNqxwTS
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“I wanted to learn what Connor’s language was,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper. “I hoped that if I knew what it was, we would get along.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnJkSGzVh3F
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“Did you ever figure out what it was?”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPs041cgDH
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Jason chuckles and looks up at the ceiling.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUH8B41N42
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“I did,” Jason states. “His language is one of the last ones I would’ve thought it was.”518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL47cCJspDL
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“What is it?” I make a mental note to look up the love languages later. 518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJdmFj0qjq
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“His love language is words of affirmation. He likes being told when people love him or appreciate him.”
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Question of the chapter: what's Xael's love language? Why is Conner's language words of affirmation?
