Chapter 7

There were always six of us, regardless of the fact that Darren and I had both been absent and present at various points in time. The one and only difference is that by the time we were done with seventh grade, Steve had replaced Darren as the student in the same position. Unfortunately, Mom did not survive. After that, I threw off the balance by talking to Jason, and from that point on, I kept my distance from our very close-knit group of friends and acquaintances.

She said that "it is an extremely remarkable coincidence" and I quote: Ellie is no longer begging or pleading with me to change my mind and she has stopped trying to convince me. This has been Ellie's character from the beginning. She will not tolerate crap from anyone and will not put up with it herself. I've always admired her for her strength, and I've often wished that I could be more like her.

Yet, what I really want from her right now is for her not to be the kind of person who gives up easily when things become heat