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Chapter six

DAPHNE

The next few hours after I agreed to go with Joe are filled with so many firsts that I am not sure my brain knohere to process and store it all: My first ti in a li the cacophony of excited, dreading, and anticipating tones of people arriving and departing on new adventures in an airport My first time on a plane--and a private jet, at that My first ti foot in California, with its soupy hu sound resonates differently in wet air than it does in dry My first tihts, and traffic noises, as it was pretty late on our way to Oly the hardest ti the sparse dots of houses and shops in the red dirt as we flew over Ellis Fields froe ood-bye to everyone I loved

"Calland a big kiss on my cheek "I want every juicy detail, you hear me" I could hear low notes of disappointed to keep a smile on his face

"Of course"

"I’ll pack up the rest of your things tonight and ht Pants here to pick up the bill," he said with a slossy woman turned out to be Joe’s "personal assistant slash handler slash babysitter" (her words, not mine)--handed Jonathan a card with Joe’s address and account inforaveof rateful for later, as the only service on Joe’s jet was of the bar variety

"Do you have everything you need in theshe’d said to me since I’d left her office in the shop I’d expected another plea from her to stay, and almost felt disappointed by her question instead

"Yes" I was bringing with es of clothes; uitar; and ee it to the roof--dis else I could live without for a few days

"I am still not okay with this," my mother said when Marta insisted ere two avebefore Marta pushed me inside the limo with Joe

As the limo started to pull out, CeCe, who had been called away by the people from the school who had co out of the shop just in time

She waved both hands frantically, as if afraid I wouldn’t see her otherwise I rolled down theand shouted, "I’ll call you soon I proh the back e drove away, leavingclouds of burnt sienna dust

I still can’t get the ie of my tiny toith its tiny houses in the middle of nowhere, out of ates of Olympus Hills The driver rolls down histo show his pass to the guard, and I hear a cacophony of voices outside, shouting strange questions At least half a dozen flashes pop on the other side of my