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"All of your people were responsible!"

Fred blinked Mission accomplished His attention is definitely back on me "Care to elaborate? No, don’t bother I don’t care, is the thing I really don’t"

"Are you being this arguorous nod

"If you’re trying to stall because you think people can find you via your cell phones, or if any of you think to slink away and call for help--"

"Oh, hell no," Betsy said "As a fe I’ve got a rep to consider"

"We’re not stalling" Fred was pretty sure that was true "We’re also not impressed This--whatever this is"--she waved a hand, encooes back to you thinking you’re special Not like anyone else And see, it’s a lie I’m not like anyone else"

"Well, I’m not like anyone else, either," Betsy whined

"Not now, Betsy You--you’re just an aging hippie with a superiority complex"

He opened his mouth but Fred cut him off "Admit it You think you can make decisions about hundreds of thousands of people because you’re so uniquely superior It’s bad enough you really think you’re special; what’s worse is it’s for the du clean hair Because you need a wheelchair but you won’t let yourself sluht unprotected sexabout a three-day booze-pot-shit fest in a field in New York State ot high, and fucked in the shit Not themoment of--"

"Of shit They ran out of food, they ran out of water, they ran out of places to shit Okay? Three days of starving and shitting Woet that? Babies died at Woodstock but you’re all still bragging about it like it was a plan Like it was a good idea You were right about one thing, though: Woodstock absolutely did define a generation

"You Baby Booet yourselves noticed: a whole bunch of you got born between 1946 and 1964 Andthat’s it That’s what you did And it’s not even what you did Your parents ca Hitler to suicide and they all had siuys were born You’ve been coasting on your parents having si on seventy years"

Fred was starting to see little black spots bloo before her eyes, evidence of a Type Three Shitfit She staggered a little and Betsy reached out to steady her "Are you all right?"

"My momwas at Woodstockand is a hippie"

"I’m so sorry"

"You don’t knowyou just don’t knoful it was"

"I do now You should write children’s books L’il Foxy and Friends Catch STDs While Fucking in Woodstock Shit Like that"

Hedley Ran had sih Fred’s rant, his pale cheeks getting more and ht was possible The Skittles Gang stood around waiting for orders, and Ran, when he saw she was done, obliged: "Kill her friend"

"Madison" Is not my friend, Fred was about to say, when Red Shirt Two produced a pistol from somewhere and shot Betsy in the chest

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Fred had never been prouder of her friends in her life (except Madison wasn’t her friend) Their eyes widened, yes Madison sucked in a breath; Jonas leveled a long stare of contempt at Ran They didn’t screa for their lives

So, of course, she took her example from theirs, and simply looked at Hedley Ran the way a picnicker looks at a line of ants , but no real threat To Fred’s intense pleasure, Ran was the one who seemed shaken and shocked

The Skittles Boys orse off, pale and sweating and their gazes darted here and there; none of the to look at Betsy’s crumpled body? Noooo Madison’s pale, sorrowful face, Jonas’s conte to sink in?" she asked "It’s real, boys This isn’t Final Fantasy XXXVVIII That?" She pointed to Betsy’s body "The state of Massachusetts calls that felony et pissy about it That’s life without parole, and it’s on all of you I assuood lawyers on retainer? A cheap one in this town charges five hundred an hour" She had no idea what a lawyer, cheap or otherwise, charged, but five hundred sounded pricey Their blanched expressions told her the shot had hit, hard "I’m sure Ran here will happily foot the bill Get it? Foot the bill? Because, in case you can’t tell, he’s got no feet"

"You see," Ran said quietly "It cares nothing for its friends It’s not hu to treat it as one"