Period 8 Read Online Free PDF Page B

says, “Something to drink?”
    â€œWhat I want to drink, you’d get fired for giving me.”
    Logs sits in his recliner, hits Mute on the remote. “Talk to me.”
    â€œI’ve got a rule,” she says. “I just don’t put up with that shit.”
    â€œIt’s a good rule.”
    â€œSo why do I feel so bad?”
    â€œYou guys seemed to be a pretty good match.”
    â€œYou know who the chick was?” she asks.
    Logs shakes his head. “Couldn’t tell you if I did.”
    She points a finger at him. “ Wouldn’t tell me if you did. Man code, right?”
    â€œHuman code,” Logs says back. “It would be the same if it were you instead of him.”
    â€œMan, I will find her and I will kick her ass,” Hannah says.
    â€œGirl code?”
    â€œI hate this whole dating thing, or boy-girl thing or whatever you want to call it. You’re never safe. I mean, if Paulie Bomb is a player, who is there? And why—”
    â€œYou know,” Logs interrupts, “as much as it might sound like bull, Justin Chenier had a point today. I don’t think Paulie’s a player, but biology is a powerful thing. We have to learn to out think it, I guess. If I ran the zoo, people would wait on sex, but I don’t run the zoo and sex happens when it happens. I settle for good decisions about birth and STD control. Since I can’t change God’s faulty mind-body engineering, I might lobby for a different standard for ‘cheating.’ ”
    Hannah is visibly irritated. “Meaning?”
    â€œMeaning sex and love go together sometimes and sometimes they don’t. I get that you guys made a promise to each other and Paulie broke it. I’m not letting him off the hook, but something he said makes me believe there are extenuating circumstances. If I felt the pull as strongly as you seem to feel it, I’d make sure I knew everything before going zero tolerance.”
    Hannah stares at her lap. “No offense, Mr. Logs, but that sounds like manspeak, which sounds exactly the same as horseshit.”
    â€œHey,” Logs says, “if this relationship stuff were easy, more people would do it right.” He sighs. “And by the way, almost no body gets it right the first time.”
    Hannah touches her chest. “It’s this hurt, ” she says. “If I could just . . .” She snaps back. “There are certain things I can’t have in my life, and my boyfriend screwing other chicks is one of them. How could Paulie not get that? My god, look at his parents. ”
    Logs sighs again. “Tell me what I can do for you, Hannah.”
    She starts to speak, hesitates. “Listen to me bitch, I guess.”
    â€œThat I can do.”
    â€œAnd keep your mouth shut. You can’t tell Paulie I was here and you can’t tell him I give a shit.”
    â€œYou get the same confidentiality he gets,” Logs says. “Just let me know when you want advice.”
    â€œI want advice! Jesus, Mr. Logs. Quit treating me like I’m some kind of grown-up. Why do I have to pretend like my brain’s developed any more than those jerkoffs? AAUGH!”
    Logs smiles. “Look, you don’t have to sleep with Paulie to find out if you can still be friends. Start working out with us again. It’s always better to swim with a boat and not have to look for the shore all the time. You said it’ll be three or four weeks before your new scull is ready. By then maybe this will look different.”
    â€œIf I went with you guys now, I’d hit him on the head with an oar.”
    â€œThis doesn’t sound like some guy who waited for his girlfriend to go out of town so he could try someone new. Something is unusual about this.”
    â€œYeah, right. Some—”
    â€œLet it sit, Hannah. Most things look different with time and distance.”
    On the porch, Hannah says, “Thanks, Mr.