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Carrie snorts

Even Melinda laughs, reluctantly

They trudge back inside for popcorn

11:34 p roohts after Mr Brandt, Carrie’s father, stoirls to shut up and get to sleep Janie zips up theand closes her eyes, but she is too hyper to sleep after that exhilarating naked snow angel She had a fun evening despite Melinda She learned what it’s like to be a rich girl (sounds nice for about a day, but toolessons), and that Luke Drake is supposedly the hottest boy in the class (in Carrie’s mind), and what people like Melinda do four times a

year (they take vacations to exotic places) Who knew?

Now the hushed giggles subside around her, and Janie opens her eyes to stare at the dark ceiling She is glad to be here, even though Melinda teases her about her clothes Melinda even had the nerve to ask Janie why she never wears anything new But Carrie shut her up with a sudden excla with your hair back like that Doesn’t she, Melinda?"

For the first ti in the sleeping bag, she feels the buh the thin pillow Maybe Carrie could teach her how to do it soet up, in case Carrie’s father hears her and starts yelling again She rests quietly like the other girls, listening to them breathe as they drift off to sleep Melinda is in theCarrie, her back to Janie 12:14 a clouds over and disappears Janie blinks and she is at school, in civics class She looks around and realizes she is not in her normal fourth-period class, but in the class that follows hers She stands at the back of the room There are no empty seats Ms Parchelli, the teacher, drones about the judicial branch of government and what the Supreme Court justices wear under their robes No one see them this Some of the kids take notes Janie looks around at the faces in the room In the third row, seated at the center desk, is Melinda Melinda has a drea at someone in the next row, one seat forward As the teacher talks, Melinda stands up slowly and approaches the person she’s been staring at From the back of the room, Janie cannot see who it is

The teacher doesn’t appear to notice Melinda kneels next to the desk and touches the person’s hand In slow motion, the person turns to Melinda, touches her cheek, and then leans forward The two of them kiss After aWhen they part, Janie can see the face of Melinda’s kissing partner Melinda leads her partner by the hand to the front of the roos, and like ants, the students crowd at the door to leave

The ceiling in Carrie Brandt’s living roohs and flops onto her sto next to Janie Cripes! thinks Janie She looks at the clock It’s 1:23 a into a forest It’s dark froh the tree cover Walking in front of Janie is Carrie They walk for what see river appears a few steps in front of the She calls out in a desperate voice, "Carson!" Over and over, Carrie calls the na the high bank and stumbles over a tree root Janie buives Janie a puzzled look and says,

"You’ve never been here" Carrie turns back to her search for Carson, her cries growing louder There is a splash in the river, and a little boy appears above the surface, bobbing andthe bank and cries, "Carson! Get out of there! Carson!"

The boy grins and chokes on the water He goes under and resurfaces Carrie is frantic She reaches out her hand to the boy, but it h, the river too wide for her to co now

Janie watches, her heart pounding The boy is still grinning and choking, falling under the water He is