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2Kool: u left so fast last time it made me sad :(

LS: i had a pir

2Kool: ? u had to p?

LS: u r so funny!!! :) u dont know pir???

2Kool: i told u i was weird and nerdy

LS: its parent alert like pir is parent in room mos is mom over shoulder kpc is keep parents clueless dont yr mom and dad bug u about chatting??

2Kool: u r so kool u know everything no my parents kind of dont pay that much attention now that im a senior its like so what

LS: my mom loves me i guess but she can be such a b**** about chatting

2Kool : same 4 me when i was yr age now its different i may get my own place this fall maybe u cld come visit???

LS: omg that wld make me sooooo happy and hot!!!!

2Kool: u cld send me some pics if u felt comfterble u don’t have 2 but it wld mean everything 2 me.

He waited. Come on, sweetheart. …

LS: i cld send a pic now but what do u wanna see?

2Kool: whatever u want me 2 see but i wld luv to see a full nude one :):):)

LS: im kinda shy to do a full nude cuz im kinda big :(

2Kool: come on for me pleez or u cld send me just certain parts i bet u no what i wanna see

He waited. Maybe he was pushing too hard. As the minutes passed, he imagined her in her room, in shorts and a T-shirt. Did she wear a bra yet? He was breathing hard and rubbing himself. This was better than meth. Three or four minutes passed. The night was warm. It was hard to be patient.

LS: there! did u get it? i did a selfie of my u-no-what. did u get it? Am I pretty do u still like me?

2Kool: No!!!! Nothing came thru! im dying!!!!! :(:(:(:(

LS: shitshitshitshit im such a klutz do u hate me???

The little twat. She was doing this on purpose to play him.

2Kool: no i don’t hate u i luv u!! do u have skype? we cld skype.

LS: fuckfuckfuckfuck P911!! Stay there!!!

He waited. Time to pull the line in. If she was hooked, fine. If not, there were others. School would be starting soon, and everything would get tougher. He was sick of this shit. He picked up the clicker and switched on the television.

LS: its ok now.

He waited. Fuck her.

LS: r u there?

He waited, breathed, and switched off the TV. Here goes.

2Kool: i dont know how to say this but i think u dont like me.

LS: nonononono i like u so much!!!

2Kool: why cant u send me a pic then i want 2 c u.

LS: i tried but it didn’t work

2Kool: yur not telling me the truth i thought we were being honest

Longer pause.

LS: yur right im just shy cuz i think u wont like me cuz im a tub :(:( :( dont hate me pleeze!!!

2Kool: i need u to show me how much u luv me chats r easy i want 2 see all of u.

LS: im too shy for pics or skype i have an idea but u might think im a slut

2Kool: i wld never think that but i do think its easy to talk and not really mean it

LS: ok here goes my 14th is in five weeks do u want to meet irl to celebrate?

He tipped up the rod, lifted her right out of the water, wet and slippery, and dropped her in the net. Li’l Sis’s parents, it turned out, were going up to Maine for the Columbus Day weekend, and she’d be staying at her aunt’s house. That Saturday, she’d learned, her aunt would be going out with friends and leaving her by herself with Chinese and a video. There was a Howard Johnson’s motel walking distance from her aunt’s house. If he could get a room and text her the number …

They took turns talking about all the things they wanted to do, would do, when they were alone in that room. He could not remember the last time he felt this alive. He’d get his nephew to join the fun again. The kid was screwed up in a lot of ways, but he liked to party, and he’d help if Li’l Sis got too frisky. Afterward, they’d take her for a little swim.

Columbus Day. It wasn’t so far off. Open the Happy Meal, dip your head down, and breathe in the salty smell.