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"Yeah, I do know," she said "You think I’m such a bitch that I’d hurt her on purpose" She left Derek and walked over to Jenny, trying not to let others’ opinions annoy her She recalled again that old saying her ht her? "Sticks and stones can breakWords did hurt And you couldn’t take words back

"Did Derek rig this?" Jenny asked as Della approached her

"Rig what?" Della asked

"Us being together?"

"No," Della said "You just got unlucky" She started walking away fro

Jenny just arched a brow and followed

"You okay?" Jenny asked when Della didn’t speak

"Fine You want to just go to my cabin?" Della asked

"Sure" Jenny looked back at Derek "What did he say to you?"

Della frowned "For et why he thinks it’s his job to take care of me"

"He likes you," Della said And he thinks I’ot to the trail, away fro air felt fresh and crisp Jenny kicked a rock and watched it bounce into the brush "Steve likes you and I don’t see hi people be nice to you," Jenny said

"I’ht what else Jenny had said She stopped walking "How do you know Steve likes ed "Everyone knows Steve likes you It’s super obvious by the way he looks at you Like everything about you is thehe’s ever witnessed I’ve seen him just hear your voice across the roo else out and looks for you It’s so sweet"

Della exhaled and wished she didn’t think it eet

"Don’t you like him?" Jenny asked

"Don’t you like Derek?" Della countered, thinking the girl would get the s were too personal to ask

"I do, but I’m sort of scared And you?"

Della hadn’t expected her to answer, and now to be nice she had to reciprocate "Ditto"

"Wow, I didn’t think you were scared of anything"

Della wanted to take the confession back But it was too late She arrived at her cabin and dropped down on the porch "I guess I’h as you think"

"No, you’re just human Oh, well, not human, but just … nor I want to be successful Accoh to be in the FRU

"I’d love to be normal" Jenny sat beside Della "Then everyone wouldn’t stare at et used to it Kylie did" Della reclined back on the porch "But I agree, it totally sucks, but we don’t get to choose e are or e look like"

"What is it you don’t want to be?" Jenny asked

"I wasn’t talking about me" But the word "vampire" popped into Della’s mind And how many ti it would have ht," Jenny said in disbelief

Della huffed Then for unknown reasons she decided to let her guard down a little "I don’t want to be weak, and I don’t want to depend on people I want to be able to take care of ht wind blew and a few leaves froround "But it’s not all that easy Sometimes it’s really hard to be so distant fro about physical distance either"

Another wind stirred a fewyou look for an uncle andfor the about that, but she supposed she couldn’t complain "Part of it, but don’t mention it to anyone else"

"Oh, don’t worry" Jenny paused "What are you going to do if you find them? Will you leave here and live with them?"

"No," Della said "It would just be nice to have family who understands me"

"I knohat youthere were still issues between Jenny and her real parents She supposed she and Jenny had a lot in co in the air

"Derek kissed me," Jenny blurted out

Della looked at her, happy to hts away from Steve, and her parents "And?"

"And what?"

"A kiss always comes with a story A kiss is never just a kiss Did you like it? Did you slap the crap out of hiue? Did it rinned "Isn’t there a rule about not kissing and telling?"

"That only counts with guys," Della said "Girls can tell things" She grinned back "And don’t worry, I wouldn’t tell anyone"

Jenny paused "I told him he shouldn’t have done it, but then I didn’t stop hihed "And when he kissedlooked different Beautiful"

Della had heard that before, fro that

"If you liked it, why did you tell him he shouldn’t have done it?"

"I don’t know … it feels weird I wonder if he liked kissing Kylie more I wonder if he just likes me because I remind him of Kylie because I’m a chameleon But I’m not special like she is"

"Why don’t you just ask hi questions, he’ll think I’ Della could relate to And it was the exact reason she didn’t ask Steve about his little nurse assistant "Are you jealous?"

"No Maybe But it’s wrong"

Ditto, Della thought It rong of her to be jealous, too Especially when she had no ties to Steve

Jenny pushed her brown hair from her eyes "I think she’s over him, but is he really over her?"

"You should talk to him And Kylie, too I think she could help you deal with this"