Over time, the two relaxed and opened up and now, five years later, they were as close as could be. She was still the same slightly pudgy girl, no spo...ting a Double D chest at least, wearing the same baggy hoodies. True to her meticulously cultivated “meganerd” image (her word) she was a bit of a shut in. She was also prone to sickness. If there was a virus going around, she had it. And so, on another of her real sick days, she called Kara on her self-imposed. Not you, not Jeanne, not Jill, not my Dad, nobody."She waited for me to continue."The last birthday I can remember celebrating was in eighth grade," I said. "I turned 14 that year, and we had a cake and I got some presents, and it wasn't really that big a deal. It just wasn't."Her eyes narrowed as she watched me."I'm sure I had birthdays in ninth grade and tenth grade and eleventh grade," I said. "Just like I'm sure I was just as big an asshole as Cammie says I was." Everybody says you were,". We all met in the principal's office. The guy I had punted wasabsent, and we found he was both suspended for thirty days, andin the hospital being treated for severe bruising and swelling. Joyce commented about things the size of apples, and when itregistered, I cringed.The guy that was pounding on Joyce also got suspended for thirtydays, and ordered to pay her for her damaged clothes. Joyce waslimping, and I found she had sprained her ankle kicking him. Thebig guy, whose name was Emil,. ‘I’m really late Mel, and I’m scared,’ Leigh whispered. ‘It’s okay Leigh, everything will be okay,’ Melanie promised her sister. ‘I don’t know what to do,’ Leigh wailed. Melanie looked up as Jason opened the door and peered inside. ‘Your dad’s here,’ Jason said softly. Leigh pulled away from Melanie quickly, the look of panic etched in her face. ‘He doesn’t know you’re here,’ Jason said, closing the door. ‘What’s going on?’ Jason wanted to know. With a sigh, Melanie filled Jason in quickly.