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"Then why not tell the world?"

She snorted, which on any other woman would have been unlovely, but on her, was hot "To what end? To draw tons of attention to ? And I couldn’t just say it, could I? I’d have to prove it Over and over, and eventually on live TV, and again, to what end?"

"Doesn’t it bug you, knowing people are arguing that you either exist or you don’t? Soht where you can hear thefoot, but beyond that" She shrugged "It’s no more inane than most workplace chitchat"

"But why’d you tellNobody? Come on Nobody? Ever? Really?"

"Really"

"Hailey, coured it out Other people know, I promise"

She shrugged again "If they do, they’ve never said And what a people if they think I’m It Girl? Linus, I promise you: the world is full of people who are ive much of a shit either way Their own lives and their own proble than ‘It Girl vs Sasquatch: Live on pay-per-view!’ Trust me"

"Jeez"

"I know"

"This is one of those times you sound a lot older than me"

"Sorry"

"It sounds so bleak and horrible when you put it like that"

"No" She shook her head "It just sounds true"

"Does this--" He broke off and thought about it a little hts "Hailey, does this--these things you can do--do they have anything to do with your nant?"

"My God" She was staring at him and he realized (when had that happened? While he’d been passed out on her lap?) her hair had drahtened in less than five ether so--I mean, I had to think about it for years So apparently I’m older, but you’re set her pregnant She donated eggs and they had to do things to the eggs, and once I was born, she got the hell out of Savage and never cao"

"I’m so sorry"

"Thank youand I kind of drifted back here on o see those doctors" She shoved her (now blond) hair back froht evil, and dom for a ponytail holder"

"Is that because you ate the stapler?" he asked excitedly, jabbing his finger at her hair "And it’ll fade as you, uest the stapler? And the staples? And the box?"

"Yes"

"But right now you’re super strong and fast and everything?"

She was s about how you rushed across the rooht me as I swooned, aren’t you?"

"Noooooo"

"Liar"

Her beautiful smile lit up her face "Yes"

"What?" He was dazzled; it was hard to look away fro at me like that?"

"It’s justit’s so nice, Linus Telling you these things and you not treating me like a fr--like I’m different" She paused and her wistful expression actually hurt his heart like a cramp "I didn’t know it could be nice"