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The girl shrugged again

Doesn’t it hurt your shoulders, Ginny asked; all that shrugging?

The girl was trying not to smile, Ginny could see

Ginny asked if she lived locally, knowing full well that she didn’t

I’m here on holiday, she said

Because I don’t knohat it’s like where you live, Ginny told her,

but in these parts people think it badover other people’s fences

Okay, the girl said

It sounded as close as she would ever get to an apology

It was enough for Ginny

When you leave, she said, I’d prefer you to go out through the front gate here Like a normal person

The girl did smile then, finally

Ginny asked if her parents knehere she was

The girl said her parents wouldn’t worry about her for a few hours She said they kneas safe round here, and they trusted her

She was very sure of herself