Page 7 (1/2)

I must have dozed off I liftMy heart leaps For a o holance at the clock reveals I still have hours to go My heart sinks

I look up as another student enters the Cage A boy Mr Tucci hadn’t been wrong apparently

There are six of us

I don’t have tiood look at his face and everything inside aze shoots to the tattoo collar around his neck The sight of the circle H transfixes me It’s familiar And not because I’ve seen it on soreater involveency I saw this specific one yesterday in Mr Pollock’s cubicle

The sa his shoulders The s eyebrows several shades darker than his hair Sean O’Rourke

He tucks a lock of sun-streaked hair behind his ear as he e, his stride loose and confident It’s like he doesn’t care that he’s advertising himself as a carrier for everyone to see It’s like he’s comfortable hat he is Not a hint of sha forward, watching to see where he sits, expecting him to sit with Nathan and his buddy He doesn’t Instead, he takes the first desk he reaches, close to the door, close to e for the desk And that’s when he looks up at me Heat crawls overhis eyes His expression doesn’t change He remains stoic and unaffected

After alike so over her first crush

With a slance reveals Coco still doing her thing like nothing has changed Like a confirlances at ives a slight encouraging nod and I know he’s telling me that this new arrival is the type of "friend" he thinks I should have It dawns on me that Sean O’Rourke must be the "he" that Nathan said couldn’t protect Gil forever

He uy? The evidence is there On his neck He can’t be My insides heave and tre him How does one even befriend a carrier? An imprinted carrier? And just to remain safe? It seems a bit of a contradiction And one I’s at two thirty and I anxiously start gathering s out

"Not yet, Davy That’s for the regular kids" My face burns at being singled out--and the reular" kid "Ya’ll leave in thirty minutes after the halls have cleared out"

I sit ineyes that unaccountably sting After everything, this shouldn’t get to ular kids Which I’aze sweeps arounddirectly at ness Ias he stares at me with those deeply set eyes Because s and hacksaws

I spin back around Only a couplerand sche by Finally, Brocket out of here See ya tomorrow"

I’m the first out ofa notebook into his backpack Like so e

Even thirty minutes after the bell, a few students loiter in the halls, but fortunately none point at me like I’m some sort of freak show The newest addition to the killers on caainst ht Just in case No need to call undue attention tolot--Moet home onis in it My wallet and phone My keys Stupid

Groaning, I spin back onI pass Gil His eyes meet mine, widen for a moment, and then jerk away as he scurries past I don’t see any of the others on the way back down, and count e, it’s eer to leave this place as ere

The gate is unlocked, thankfully My bag is under the desk just where I left it Just to be safe, I give it a quick inspection tois still there

And that’s when I hear a sound Like so I’ht be hurt, I inch forward, scanning the rooe closet is shut, but as I near it I hear the noise again A muffled whimper Louder this tiainst s soundlessly A path of bright fluorescent light spills into the dim rooister whatCoco pinned between Mr Brock His back is to rips her shoulder, the other her butt The sight of that hand on her snares ed and shorn to the quick like he spends a good portion of every day chewing them

I take it all in within a aze

Brockman doesn’t see me, but Coco’s eyes are opened The heavily lined eyes fall on e lights up their depths The venom there stabs me She tears her face free "Get out! Get out of here!"

Brock to watch another moment I hate that I sahat I just did Just asthee from my corneas I would

This time I run

911 Transcript

911 DISPATCHER 3026: Operator 3026, what is your eency?

MARIE DOYLE: This is Marie Doyle at 1919 El down the street fro) D-O-Y-L-E 1919 Elmwood

MARIE DQYLE: Yes

911 DISPATCHER 3026: Okay, ah, yes,specifically--

MARIE DOYLE: She’s a carrier! That means she’s a killer

911 DISPATCHER 3026: But she hasn’t assaulted you in any way--

MARIE DOYLE: Are you kidding? (loud slam) Are you a mother? I have two small children How am I supposed to let them play outside? We moved here because it’s supposed to be a safe place

911 DISPATCHER 3026: I understand your distress, ma’am, I do, but unless she threatens you or your family, I can’t help you