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Tori skipped class that afternoon, not surprisingly The rule about not hiding out in your room apparently didn’t apply to her, maybe because of her condition or maybe because of her mother’s position Between periods, I slipped upstairs to find her She was in her bedroom, her sobs barelyto her cry, yearning to do soo in there, comfort her, and maybe even become her friend I’d seen it on the screen a dozen ti it in real life, so I couldn’t really appreciate until I was there, outside the door

Tori hated ht made my stomach hurt I’d never been hated before I was the kind of kid that, if soht of uess" They didn’t love me, didn’t hate me, just didn’t think much about me either way

Whether I’d earned Tori’s hate was another ue with her experience of events To her, I had barged in and taken her place I’d becoood patient" she desperately needed to be

If I walked into her room now, she wouldn’t see a syloat, and she’d hatein her room, alone

When afternoon break ended, Mrs Talbot announced classes were over for the day We were going tofar--just to an indoor co distance

A great idea If only I had a bathing suit

Mrs Talbot offered to call Aunt Lauren, but I wasn’t about to interrupt ed away forleft behind, though Derek had to go to his session with Dr Gill That didn’t seem fair, but when I said so to Siuess thatwhat he was in here for The day I arrived, when they’d taken the others to lunch while I settled in, he must have been confined to his rooe of the nurses being gone and hung out into ht I heard a rap at my door I pulled out one earbud Another rap I was pretty sure ghosts couldn’t knock, so I called a greeting

The door swung open There stood Tori, lookingvery un-​Tori-​like Her dark hair stood in spikes, as if she’d been running her hands through it Her shirt rinkled, the back untucked fro"

"I have cramps That okay with you?" Her words were clipped, with an undertone of her usual snottiness, but forced "Anyway, I didn’t come to borrow your eyeliner Not like you have any I just caaze slid away "I’" A twist of her lips "Immature Anyway Take him He’s all yours"

I’d have been tempted to shoot back a "Gee, thanks" if it wasn’t obvious howTori did really like him

"Anyway"--she cleared her throat--"I’ve come to declare a truce"

"Truce?"

With an i the door behind her "This silly feud of ours You aren’t worthYou want Sihosts? That’s your probleized for telling everyone you saw ghosts the first day They were going to let me out Monday, but now they aren’t And it’s your fault"

"I didn’t--"

"I’ave the words a snarky lilt "You’ll tell Dr Gill that I apologized and ht it was cool you saw ghosts and you took it the wrong way, but that I’ve been nice to you ever since"

"About ’giving’ me Simon… I’m not--"

"That’s part one of the deal Part two? I’ll show you so you want to see"

"What’s that?"

"In that--" a flip of her hand "--filthy crawl space I was going downstairs to see when you were finally going to get "

I wiped any expression frouess Brady told Rae there was so in there, didn’t he?"

I had no idea what she meant but nodded

"It’s a jewelry box full of old stuff" Her lips curled in distaste "Brady showed ht actually be interested in it It’s, like, antiques, he said Gross" She shivered "When I wasn’t all ’Oh, , that’s so sweet and ro necklaces and filthy crawl spaces,’ he must have mentioned it to Rae If you want, I can show you"

"Sure, I guess Maybe tonight--"

"You think I’ into more trouble? I’ll show you nohen I’ll have time to shower after And don’t think you’ll find it on your own, because you won’t"

I hesitated

Her htened "Fine You don’t want to help me? That’s just peachy"

She headed for the door

I swung "

Twenty-seven

I CLIMBED ONTO THE LADDER, pushed open the door, and peered inside--into the pitch blackness I pulled back and looked down at Tori

"Rae had a flashlight We need to get it"

An exasperated sigh "Where is it?"

"I don’t know I thought you’d--"

"Why would I knohere they keep flashlights? Do you think I sneak around at night? Read dirty books under the covers? Just go--" She stopped, lips curving in a ht You’re afraid of the dark, aren’t you?"

"Where did you hear--"

She plucked at irl I’ll lead the way… and fend off all the nasty ghosts"

"No, I’ve got it Just give me a sec so my eyes adjust"

Where was Rae and her matches when you needed them? Wait Matches She’d thrown theed the match-​book

"Hello?" Tori said "Petrified with fear already? Move or get out of my way"

I started forward

"Head left," Tori said as she crawled in behind one around twenty feet when she said, "Swing right See that pillar?"

I squinted and could ht behind that"

I crawled to the pillar and started feeling around the base of it

"Behind, not beside Can’t you do anything? Here, letarounders dug in harder When I tried to wrench back, she kneed me in the stoot et Liz sent away, steal Siet out yourself A one way ticket to the loony bin Let’s see just how scared of the dark you really are"

She lifted a ragged rectangle A broken brick? She swung Pain exploded in the back ofwent black

Several ti, "You have to get up!" before the sleepy, confused part ain" and I drifted back into unconsciousness