Only then did Ali look out at the first row of the audience. There sat her friends. Joar, Ted, and the artist. Wearing dresses. They had run home and borrowed them from Joar’s mom’s wardrobe. Obviously all the dresses were too big, because all the boys were too small, and they would be teased about it every day for the rest of their time at school. Joar would get into so many dress-related fights when spring came that the principal might as well have moved Joar’s desk into his office. Joar didn’t care. It was worth every blow if Ali realized she wasn’t so damn alone, at least not all the damn
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