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"You s me boy?"

I peer out from under the covers and Rainer’s body is so stiff it worriesat the door, which, thankfully, is locked

"No," Rainer yells

"Beg your fucking pardon?"

"No, sir"

Poor Rainer My heart aches for hi torn to pieces every time he talks to his father His father is an asshole I dislike him and try to avoid him at all costs We hear a pound, as if he hit the door, and then the floorboards creak loudly as he disappears Rainer stops the movie and we both sit in silence, like ays do when this happens

"You okay?" I ask, the same question I always ask

"Yeah," he says, the sao?"

"No," he says, flicking the television off and sliding down into the covers "Roll"

I do as he asks, rolling to my side He slides up close and throws his arm over my middle

"Hey, Rai?"

"Hmmmm?"

"Do you think this friendship isunnatural?"

It’s a very rando our own love interests, I’ve been thinking ht look to another person It seems normal to me, but I don’t know any other people who have a friendship like ours

He’s silent a ether"

"So?"

"I don’t know I guess soet us Girls have sleepovers all the time, where four or five of the"

He grunts "I’h softly "Okay, dude, whatever you say"

He doesn’t ive a crap and is going to sleep like this, no , E closed

"Anything"

"Proot Only give it up when you knoith all your soul, that it’s ti it "I promise"

I honestly don’t knohat I’d do without Rainer, soht scares me

CHAPTER SEVEN

NOW – MALI

"Order up!"

I take the tray of coffees and walk the at the table, waiting They ordered things I can’t even pronounce off theat me expectantly as I walk towards them I flash the no idea which is which Thankfully, they seem to know and reach for their selected drinks

"I’d like a sweetener," a pretty blonde girl says, waving a finger as if she’s too posh to wave her whole hand

"Right," I say, turning and grabbing a few sachets froet back to work