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"Oh and someone came here yesterday! I don’t knoho, because Maood, but what if it was my friend?"

Chloe yelped "My other friend," Haven said quickly "You’re still my bestest friend, but I have another friend that lives out in the world Ma Did you know that? She says there are bunches and bunches of people out there, and there are so many houses! Like, bajillions of them!"

She held her ar up and down and er against her lips "Shhhh, quiet! If someone hears you"

"Too late"

It felt like all the blood in Haven’s body froze She ju to hide, but Frankie was there He had her cornered

She stood like a statue, stubbornly, childishly hoping she would disappear and he wouldn’t see her anyain She tried to count in her head, like her ot stuck after six, and he was looking at her too hard

Haven took a big step to the side, thinking she could escape, but it didn’t work His eyes widened as he shook his head "Don’t run, girl"

She didn’t run She stood like a statue again

He walked over and bent down, reaching his hand in the cage, snapping his finger Chloe ca for attention as he rubbed her head

"Do you likeat Haven

She didn’t knohat a beagle was but she nodded

"She’s a good girl, " He patted Chloe on top of the head onceback up "Do you have a naain

"Will you tell me it?"

Another nod She didn’t knohat else to do

He laughed at her ht when his hand caers digging in her flesh, the scratches and bruises, but none of it came Instead, he patted her on the head like he had done Chloe His hand was heavy, but it didn’t hurt

"You ought to beto hiood when the likes of me can sneak up on somebody like you"

It was then, as Frankie sauntered away, that Haven felt the telltale signs of her intuition striking, warning her when it was already too late

And years later, as she sat in a booth in the back of a s a cup of black coffee as Kelsey stabbed at a plate of scraain It started with a prickle, a tickle across her taut skin, before the tiny hairs at the nape of her neck stood on end She ignored it at first, trying to pay attention to Kelsey, but the sensation just grew stronger and stronger

"Are you even listening toher fork at Haven

"Sure," Haven said, absently rubbing her neck "What did you say again?"

"Let’s take a road trip"

Brow furrowed, Haven stared at her friend "What?"

"Let’s take a road trip," Kelsey repeated for as likely the third tiht?"

"Uh, well" Haven hesitated Road trip? "I kind of thought I’d just stay around here this suet ahead"

Kelsey dramatically rolled her eyes "Oh, co year, and we deserve a break"

"I don’t know"

"Well, think about it" Kelsey threw her fork down and stood up, tossing some cash down on the table "We can leave after the Novak Gala"

"Okay," Haven said, drinking the rest of her coffee before setting the cup aside "I’ll think about it"

She had no intention of thinking about it, no intention of leaving New York

The two of the as they walked side by side toward the school Haven was tense, her eyes darting around as they passed through crowds, surveying faces, analyzing looks She kept peering over her shoulder, but she wasn’t sure why

What she was sure of, though, was the twisting in her gut, her intuition telling her that so--was there that shouldn’t be

"Explain it toas if her friend hadn’t spoken as she studied the canvas in front of her The fresh paint glistened under the fluorescent lights of the art studio, the vast array of colors weaving together like a tangled rainbow

Abstract art--Haven was still trying to get the hang of it

"Does this look okay?" she asked anxiously

"It looks fine," Kelsey said "Now explain it to hed "We went out, it was nice, but it didn’t work"