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She looked down at her shoes, thankful she earing sneakers Here goes nothing, she thought, taking off jogging It was the only way

A half hour later, Spencer boarded a brightly lit, cigarette-stinky Rosewood bus toward Philadelphia and sank into a seat Across the aisle, a wo a copy of the Philadelphia Sentinel On the front page was Spencer’s picture

One Lie Too Many, read the headline Spencer turned toward theand scrunched up her body to make herself see she’d only see stories like that Please don’t see me, please don’t see e Spencer’s picture vanished No one said a word

Chase lived in Merion, a suburb closer to the city Spencer pulled the chain at her stop and rushed off the bus Though she had never been to Chase’s house before, she found the apart easily and walked up the uneven sidewalk to the front door There was a swish behind her, and she turned A car slowly drifted by, a MERION PD logo blazing across the side

Spencer ducked behind a tree The cruiser rolled past at a steady clip, the cop staring straight ahead After a moment, the car rounded the corner Safe

She scurried inside the first door and examined the list of names of residents Chase lived in apart happened Spencer cocked her head, listening It was only a little after ten thirty, and Chase had once ad Maybe he wasn’t horeen purse appeared on the stairs inside the building She gave Spencer a cursory glance, then pushed out the door and into the street Spencer caught the door and slipped inside the building, her heart ha hard Maybe Chase’s buzzer didn’t work She would knock on his door herself

She cli a little as she finally reached Chase’s door She had to stop breathing to listen for sounds inside the aparth Yes He was home

The doorbell was broken when she tried it, so she knocked--first quietly and then louder "Chase?" she called out "It’s me Spencer I need to talk to you"

The music went silent Footsteps sounded near the door, and Chase opened it a crack, the chain unlatched "Spencer" His eyes met hers "You can’t be here"

Spencer’s jaw dropped "B-but we’re being framed There’s a video I need you to look at--one of us in Jamaica Alison obviously doctored it"

Chase’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he sed "Why didn’t you tell ht of the A note threatening hiet a note from A? Has someone tried to hurt you?"

Chase’s eyes darted back and forth "No," he said, after too long a beat, but it was the most pitiful lie Spencer had ever heard

Spencer’s head buzzed All she could focus on, for a ht the police would keep you safe," she said helplessly "I thought they’d keep all of us safe" She tried to pull open the door "Please let me in We can crack this video--I knoe can I need you"

Chase pressed his lips together as if he were trying to keep froo, Spencer I’h too much, okay? This is too intense, even for me"

"But--"

"And I can’t believe you didn’t warn ht I meant more to you than that"

Then the door sla sounds as Chase twisted the locks on the inside Footsteps receded Theout everything

Spencer felt like he’d slapped her across the face She stepped away fro to her eyes All at once, she felt completely abandoned No one would help her any hit her hard There was no way out of this Ali had really and truly won

Spencer reached for her phone and stared at it hard Text ht fiercely, desperately If only Ali would write to her right now and rub this in her face Boo-hoo, maybe Poor widdle Spencer lost her boyfriend She was probably dying to

She stared hard at the screen, willing so to happen She walked to the front of the apart and stood on the porch so Ali could see her, so that she’d know her pain "Coet me," she even said out loud into the still darkness "Stop hiding and actually show your face, you coward"

No one les echoed in the treetops Spencer’s phone remained silent She shut her eyes and drew back her hand, ready to hurl the phone to the sidewalk

But instead she let her arm wilt at her side and walked the three blocks to catch the bus home

22

SLOWLY SINKING

Teeks after her arrest, Hanna staggered down the stairs of heron her heels All the lights were still on in the kitchen, but the room was empty A note on the table said, I e