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"That was a with her hand in Zander’s "I am, like, the Queen of Quarters Who knew I had this hidden talent?" Laughing, Zander threw his arm around her shoulders and pul ed her closer "You are pretty awesoy Any other skil s I should know about?"

Snuggling against him, Bonnie frowned in mock concentration "Not that I can think of Just be aware of eneral wonderfulness" His T-shirt was soft and worn, and Bonnie tilted her head a bit to rest her cheek against it "I’ht Marcus and Meredith real y hit it off, didn’t you? Not roood since Meredith has a super-serious boyfriend, but it was like they shared the saroup again sometime"

"Yeah, Meredith and Marcus real y bonded over their workouts," Zander agreed, but there was a hesitation in his voice thatand peer up at him sharply

"Didn’t you like my friends?" she asked, hurt She and Meredith and Elena had always had what they privately cal ed a "velociraptor sisterhood" Cross one of them and the other tould close in to protect her Zander had to like them

"No, I liked them a lot," Zander assured her He hesitated, then added, "Elena seeh Maybe we’re not the kind of people she likes?"

Bonnie stiffened "Are you cal ing my best friend a snob?" she asked

Zander stroked her back appeasingly "Sort of, I guess I mean, nice, but just kind of a snob The nicest kind of snob

I just want her to like nantly "And even if she was, she’s got a lot to be a snob about She’s beautiful and smart and one of the best friends I’ve ever had I’d do anything for her And she’d do anything for me, too So it doesn’tat him

"Co, and he pul ed her into the lit alcove by the front door "Sit withher hand

Bonnie sat down, but she was deterain Instead, she kept a distance between theht, her jaw fir a long strawberry blonde curl out of her eyes "I’l get to know Elena better, and I’et her to like et to know her better?"

"No, why?" said Bonnie, reluctantly looking at him

"Because I want to know you better I’ a lot of tiently with his shoulder, and Bonnie melted

Zander’s eyes were so blue, blue likeon the very first day of suhter with just a touch of a wild longing in them He leaned in closer, and Bonnie was sure he was about to kiss her, their first kiss at last

She tilted her head back toclosed

After afor a kiss that didn’t co past her, out into the darkness of the ca

Bonnie cleared her throat

"Oh," he said, "sorry, Bonnie, I got distracted for a nantly "What do you er to her lips, shushing her

"Do you hear so up her back

Zander got to his feet "Sorry, I just re I have to do I’l catch up with you later, okay?" With a halfhearted wave, not even looking at Bonnie, he loped off into the darkness

Bonnie’sto her feet "Are you just going to leave one - "alone?" she finished in a tiny voice

Great Bonnie walked out to the middle of the path, looked around, and waited aback But there was no one in sight

She couldn’t even hear his footsteps anyht beneath the street lamps on the path, but they didn’t reach very far A breeze rustled the leaves of the trees on the quad, and Bonnie shivered No sense in standing here, Bonnie thought, and she started walking

For the first few steps down the path toward her dorry, hot and humiliated How could Zander have been such a flake? How could he leave her al alone in the ht, especial y after al the attacks and disappearances on campus? She kicked viciously at a pebble in her path

A few steps further on, Bonnie stopped being so angry

She was too scared; the fear was pushing the anger out of her She should have headed back to the doraily, that Zander would walk her back How could he have just left her? She wrapped her arhtly and went as fast as she could without actual y running, her stupid high-heeled going-out-dancing shoes pinching andthe bal s of her feet ache

It was real y late; most of the other people who lived on campus must be tucked into their beds by now The silence was unsettling

When the footsteps began behind her, it was even worse

She wasn’t sure she was real y hearing them at first

Gradual y, she beca in the distance, sohtly and fast She paused and listened, and the footsteps grew louder and faster stil

So toward her

Bonnie sped up, stu over her feet in her haste

Her shoes skidded on a loose stone in the path and she fel , catching herself on her hands and one knee The i tears to her eyes, but she kicked off her shoes, not caring that she was leaving them behind She scrambled up and ran faster