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A ping-pong ball smacked off the back of her head before she took another step forward Whipping around, she rubbed her skull "Ouch!"

Ki your name for the last two minutes God Did you zone out or are you just that h her veins, a combination of the overheard conversation and Kimmy’s pure bitchiness She picked up the ball and launched it back The little round piece of plastic was like a heat-seeking to thud later, Bethany stalked past a twitching Kimmy

"I can’t believe you threw that atthe paddle in her hand

Carissa giggled from her partnerless table "That was hilarious"

Kiirl, about to pull a Linda Blair, no doubt "Are you laughing at lasses "I think so"

"Oh, you just--"

Coach Anderson decided to interrupt then "All right, ladies, eyes on the table--on the game"

Beth squeezed the paddle and took a deep breath Coach must’ve realized then that Carissa was all alone and headed toward her just as Dawson and Andrew reappeared, looking like they were two seconds froym

"Unless there’s a table behind those bleachers, I’ back there," Coach said "Get back to your assigned tables now"

Ki up his paddle "You ready?" he asked Carissa

She nodded, reaching for the ball, but Andrew’s hand swiped across the table, snatching it up "Here," he said, sive it to you"

Bethany had a real bad feeling about this

A slow, cold smile crept across Dawson’s face, and she suddenly saw his twin in that expression It was eerie "Yeah, you do that"

Andrew cocked back his arm so fast, it was a blur to Beth He let loose and that little ball had to have broken the sound barrier Good God, it zinged across the table like a bullet

Without taking his eyes off the blond, Dawson snapped up his hand and caught the ball There was a loud thud that made Bethany wince, but he didn’t flinch "Thanks, buddy"

"Christ on a crutch," Carissa rinned as he raised his arms and folded his hands behind his back The shirt he wore rode up, exposing a flash of taut stoarten He see at him

To say the rest of the class ard was a , she punched open the door and saaiting for her

His brows knitted "You doing okay over there?"

"I think I should be asking you that question"

He took her hand, pulling her to hiainst his chest "It hasn’t been bad I’ve gotten to see you"

She sazes locked Heat flooded through her "You always say the right things A really good skill to have"

His nose brushed along hers "Only with you"

A knot formed in her throat at the saht in her stoain"

"H his ar on PDA in the halls Usually she rolled her eyes and made some kind of internal snarky co that she liked being that girl with Dawson

"Can I co you’d want to"

"I’ll stop by after supper, okay?" He kissed her cheek and pulled back Taking her hand, he walked her out to the parking lot At her car, he lifted her hand and pressed his lips against her pal of the ht be a little late"

She winced "I wish I could be there with you It’s not right that you have to defend yourself and aze "I’ve got it covered"

"But--"

Dawson kissed her palesture simply floored her "Don’t worry about theo of her hand and started backing up "I’ll be over as soon as I can"

"I’ll be waiting"

Chapter 14

Intervention Round Tent as expected

In other words, it consisted of everyone taking turns bitching him out and sometimes more than one at a time Dee and Ada side by side on the couch, they had identical soo to the DOD, like they were supposed to in cases of exposure, but Daeed to convince hi, he relented reluctantly