"For me. For you. Forus. That was the only way to get what we needed from JC. For that boy, he'ddo anything." "Why couldn't you just threaten JC with ...ustin's life?" "Because for someone who had been a victim of rape before, rape is worsethan death itself. I want Justin to suffer and I want JC to suffer even morewatching him suffer." Kevin explained without even flinching. "But he could have died!" Brian grabbed his cousin by the collar, forcinghim to look him straight in the eyes. The door. She gathers thought, shakes her head to clear it, begins to speak. ‘Miss Hedges. My dear Miss Hedges. When they told me of your death, I was in Berlin. I couldn’t even go to the funeral. I was in the middle of a run, and the show must go on. I sent flowers of course. Inadequate pathetic flowers. Not all the flowers in the world would have been enough. But today, Miss Hedges, I give you a seed that maybe will produce many blooms in it’s time.’ She lays a sheaf of papers on the chair, embossed. Every guy I ever dated fell short because he wasn’t you.’ ‘Damn.’ Was all that came out of my mouth. ‘What, why damn?’ ‘I mean I never knew you saw me in that kind of light. I thought I was a lifer in the friend zone. I too felt the same way about you. Chantel I’ve loved you since the 6th grade, manly punching ass and all. I tried since freshman year of high school to find a girl who possessed half of the qualities and traits that you do. The one that was anywhere near you, she broke my heart,. And Stiff--Stiff had his girlfriend.Triple shit. Shit to the twelfth fucking power. Todd closed his eyes.Where the fuck did Stephen get off with Marsha Nichols, anyway? Why did*everyone* get off with someone but Todd? Marisa. Nicole. Beth. Shit! "Thank you *so* much for being there, Todd." "You are just the mostamazing guy, Todd." "Todd, you are the *best* friend I have *ever* had. I can tell you *everything*." Shit, Todd thought. I am gonna be the BestFriendforever, my whole life. .