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Show Fair Forever 23 something, touching her chest lightly right above her heart. Katie turns and smiles, but she doesn't speak. If she were to speak she'd ask, "How are you feeling?" That's what she always wanted to know last year. She never said, "How's it going?" or "What's up, Brad?" or "Hey!" She always asked how I was feeling with sad eyes that let me know she understood. Today at lunch, I noticed she asked the same thing. , As Mom and I eat, Katie's friend ogles from a distance, never pretending to hide her stare. Whispering, she runs her pointing finger from her throat to her stomach, tracing a path that perfectly matches my scar. I see her grimace and shiver. Her brother must have given her all the gory details., I hurry to finish my Blizzard. "I'm still thinking I'd like to do home school," I say. "I could probably catch up easier on my own. It's not too late to drop out." Mom bites on her lip. "What about your friends?" she asks. Again. I shrug. Mom has never figured it out. • She thinks she knows what's best. She has worried and fussed and protected for so long that she can't understand. "If I home school, lean practice my rowing," I try. "It will help me get in shape." I try to gauge her reaction. "I need to get in shape so I can row to the lighthouse." Mom doesn't respond. ' - ' . -' |