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At the other end of the sports bar, Logan and Isaiah are playing pool Scratch that, they’re pretending to play pool as they watch the two of us I blow a kiss in Logan’s direction and his lips tilt up It’s impossible how ht rabs my hand "I’m thirsty"

We head to the bar and she orders a bottled water, telling the bartender to put it on West’s tab He declared he was buying tonight and I don’t argue with free cheese sticks

"I’m stilloff her forehead "I’m still mad at them, too None of you should have frozento freeze you all out," I say as an explanation

"Still not okay Pro I don’t plan on getting shot again, I concede "Pro soers with Rachel’s and we discover the an

Abby’s on fire tonight A living breathing fireworks show She’s danced with Rachel, with West, has even draggedAbby’s hips as she ins, but Abby leaves Rachel with Isaiah on the dance floor and she joinson

Abby’s covered in a fine sheen of sweat, and in her typical fashion, she swipes my bottle of water and drinks it down "What time is it?"

I check my cell "Eleven thirty Rachel has about ten minutes left before she has to leave to irlfriend, Rachel, and it’s been good to see the two of them reunited if only for a short period of tiers with e of panic runs throughfor the cops Abby reaches up, places her hand on aze back to hers

"It’s okay"

I tighten et you out of here" And thenbrakes at a hundred miles per hour "Why would you be arrested?"

Abby’s so da my skin to want to peel off the bone

"In h to causeproblems Over there at the bar, there’s an undercover officer waiting fordude that people are scared of I o with? The one people are naturally terrified of? Maybe that’s what I should do with my life Becouys Anyhow, I digress"

I glance over and Abby’s right There’s a man there at the bar and nobody sits or stands within two feet of hi o over to buy another bottle of water He’ll ask ht I’ll tell hi to smoke later He asks if he can partake I’ll say no He’ll then ask if he can buy it from me and then I’ll say yes He’ll put handcuffs on hts, and then he’ll escort ned and I will be put into juvenile detention I will stay there I will have my day in court and I will be sentenced to that juvenile detention center for a period of tiuessing I’ just as pissed as he appears "Place is loud, but I think I just heard you describe getting arrested"

"You did," Abby says with a brief shrug "We will now go over a list of what you will not do You will not stop o anywhere near me once I head over to the bar"

"Isaiah!" West yells out "Get over here Abby’s gone fucking nuts"

Abby doesn’t skip a beat as she continues, "You will not say a word to the police officer You will not follow nment You will not try to bail me out of jail There will be no bail"

She points at West "You and your sister will not beg your rich daddy to pull strings You will all let me rot in that detention center until the syste the coldness of shock, and she doesn’t take her eyes off of oing on and Isaiah’s talking Fast Saying the words I want to say, getting pissed like hoant to get pissed, but the way Abby tilts her head and squeezes my hand, I understand she has a plan

"Why this way?" I ask, and Isaiah shuts up

"I can stay in Louisville this way," she says "Ricky won’t touch me physically and he won’t askive up being me I don’t have to leave town I don’t have to be anyone other than Abby and I like being Abby Al?"

Abby briefly glances away and then slowly breathes out "I made this deal and I asked theh school That way I won’t be in the foster syste"