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"Then how come you're sneaking up on us like that, dork?" |
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But before he could finish, Bobby pushed him with both hands. |
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Matty flew backward and hit the ground so hard that the expense of air caused his nose to leak. |
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"Fucking gross," Jackie squealed. "He blew snots all over his face." |
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They clutched their stomachs and gagged and roared. |
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Matty wiped his face on his sleeve. That weird, hot tingling in his arms and hands was back. So were the sounds in his heada strange rabble, like muffled shouting through a fog. |
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He started to get up when Bobby pushed him back with his foot. The wet from yesterday's rain soaked through his pants. |
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There was something in Bobby's hand he was cupping. A cigarette, but it was all twisted at the end. |
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Jackie caught Matty eyeing it. "Hey, isn't his father a cop?" |
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"Nah, he's only a teacher." |
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"He better be," Bobby warned. "You say anything and your ass is grass." |
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Matty wondered how his ass would be grass if he told. He didn't get it, but he sort of liked the phrase. |
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"Little wimp'd probably shit his pants and run home to tell his mommy." |
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"Just because you're smoking a cigarette?" Matty said. |
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"You don't even know what it is, do you, dickhead?" |
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"He hasn't even got a dick," Bobby said. "Even his girlfriend said so." |
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"What girlfriend?" Matty asked. |
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"Gina," Bobby answered. "She said it got frostbite and broke off." |
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They roared again, and Matty felt his face fill up. "She didn't say that." |
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"Oh, yeah? Just ask her." Bobby held the roach under his nose. "She said lots of things." |
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"Yeah, like you got hair coming out of your ears," Michael said. "Why do you think he wears turtlenecks all the time? To hide you're a friggin' monkey." |
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