\ footo

u ?xhit-,'! A in *he- "*lre

\ s&.lo sVarkr.!" d<Iea*e'

maybe confused. I want to race back to his house,

walked into my bedroom and sat in the center of my su-il, rnoon,

and stars rug. I cant leave her. She sets her Hello Kitty

down and pulls out her math book. She opens it and unfolds her

assignment, staring blankly at the page.

I slide offmy bed and sit crossJegged next to her. "'Why are

you doing homework? You should be honoring my memory by

eatins an entire carton of Mooneyt blue moon ice crear0 or

-*# Al

dusf;Usf haA o'

Tt>urles iE Cassi dSrs

utaDtx-..11oa- 9'tS+qJ J _ i I

iut^o- t abSo\",,\elv

something." I laugh a little even though what I said isnt funny Carnpamtlin about rwelve ways.

Joules gets a determined look on her face and starts where she

left offon her assignment. Her pencil keeps poking through my

knee as she taps it on the corner ofher book.

I point to number three and say conversationally, "You forgot

to carry the one," forgetting how unseen, unheard I am. Her

pencil stops working on number five and she reworks her answer

for number three.

Joulef" I put my hand on her arm. She doesn't seem to no-

tice as it slides right through her sweatshirt.

Tr^, j s'>.1 r y /auo'"o.\ [ r",:i ;f ffil*i-:T:;'ff-; #:3;ffi .',J::il:iS Whal ha{penS Wll d..p., my hand sinks into her arm, the harsher rhe tingling

Yme Ca.si.l,, aM^$i pricks become. I jerk my hand back, @*, rhwl^l

,,J.aongrUr*j $fitrcrv dust in the air hetween uq. I lift my hand to marvel at

larKlthere,',d.P;;;4ffidrealizethedustlimyhand-orwas.Igraspatthe

: $,p qrr!$ ed' L#ffirl*,'{#;i',;d*m:'.triil{

0- they aren't going anywhere.

+1- 34

{ \wperrnan

Q,

U)|.\o L (^rJ>O\W+et\

ul,o{e, Hence +hd"-:=-L\z \l'o P't\t\ 1u('

Lbu\ M ichiqrylCornoarnL^ tful

^r2Ca'(a,A

9lqe Moan

rajdqlatri+ il b< cunl

ie u)L le# a frail

0P qlille( in our

*^t"l Ndi rs*xaf7?w

7io&uces'$r,u. ice

Ptariars:

t3+56357*ch0t-1P.in&t 34 to"us a*nt I

, ,--4 rl

ffae ns u,frer( (6155id1s BF 2"\a"'\'

.' Aro^bes 6€r nl- 3"h:ttY ::i,-( -i^d calls Ve,r bea*t€kt.rtu*nJ f,-\ iL He laughs a short laugh, probably at how absurdly casual *y.J -

Shc casKrri

ll-' *hJhe- was'u"riAf f,'tto *^

t

question is. "Couldnt sleep, so I decided to work on conjuga-

tions for that test v,.s tr2v6-" He shakes his head. .Well,

that 1

have next week. I was trying to clear my head, or occupy it." His

eyes flicker and he shakes his head again.

"\(/hat is it?"

"You mean besides the fact that I can see down the hallway

through your belly?"

I tuck my hair behind my ears, embarrassed again.

"Itt like you're here and real and I've touched you, but your-Ihe

S€e -*h"oaqt_

garl t5 whc.r<'t

skin loob_l!k9g9.as!11_e_91hrough pearls.i He walks to where

I'm standing, lifts my hand up to his desk lamp, and rotates my TN\sPrRATrerv-* !

Au.luCiuarJ ..,

{irg'" bt'bbles " insP"ohax Faint glimmers of refraqgg!fuhglast a sheen of iridescence

Crrr'r",fS ,h. on my pale skin. Thetcolors move in unpredictable pallgln$like

I lrue *\,riS \rne*ao

Uid Sann ebocltl orAer

^ Q1) le n l,-t<le ?Q)

Rr.rd t', erel.

Bul trs {arhf - aSh e e.y^r, 5rr..aalh iike-

{t^<- ins,d< o4 an

lri de-ifen+ ctian^ shell

l!ffi-1g61tox r*$

--1-0-+1

bctause Qass,,tu\5 r.r. br'.\\et c\anle5o rl has

^ l"rv a€

a dq,rb\e ln.giir,ha!rer- J

83\

*l-he ((Sl 6{' +hi! pee has' b<ei't

reAa&ed +" CLv-,tl ''oc;,

le,U deticinu-sn<ss,

*o-idLt'[\ 6+, ",

*, -\,\,]n

+ 9" !1y,,^", ,pl,b,. ,k,,1135-56357-ch0.l-lP.irdd 83 i '/ vLt | -

r- 104/13 2:55AM"""""''-"jl-\e. \DVuLl laapytens heK+ lll

(''''', )Crnsc,tt (.vr I r.tur-i1nrcrfq ta'nr1;')\7- J rJ