Kid. [ Kate repeats it like a mantra, presses it into the top of Johanna's shoulder. ] Middle school girls are vicious, and I didn't own an axe. [ The joke comes with a teasing press of her teeth through t-shirt sleeve. ]

Then I realized that Brad was also about as dumb as a box of rocks and half as interesting. So I told him I was too busy for a boyfriend. I mean I was, it was sort of true, but mostly it was that I was bored to tears and afraid he was going to somehow dislocate my tongue.