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Show Woodworth/5^" you the truth." "He smiles, and she notices one tooth slightly crosses the other in front. "My sister was beating me up. She is three years older than me. Used to beat up everyone on the block. And when all the other kids would hide inside because they were so afraid of her, she would beat up on me. I was trying to get away from her, and I jumped up on my bed. Split open my temple on the radiator." "arty laughs. "Poor you. Beaten by a girl." "It'll happen," he says, quietly. His skin looks pale under the stubble of his beard. "Ok. So'not.I've made an embarrassing confession. Confess something to me." "What is this? 'Pass The Ash*?" "Huh-uh," he answers. "But fair is fair- Didn't you ever beat up on your brother?" It's as if someone turned the volume of the bar louder. The voices are still muffled, indistinct. But coming closer, crowding her in. "I don't have a brother," she tells him. There seems to be a blackness closing behind her eyes, shutting down her vision. • "Well, didn't you beat up on your younger sister, then? Do you have a younger sister?" His voice blows away the blackness again. "Yeah, I do. She lives in New York now. But, boy, I used to terrorize her when I was little. I was always jealous of her. You know. I always thought Mommie loved her best because she was youngest. So we. So I would give her a hard time. Told her she was funny looking. I have a very distinct memory of the first time I realized I was too old to hit her any more. We were in my mother's bathroom. It was green then. She's painted it since. The hat.hrr.nTr. where, when they were younger, Jake and |