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"You’re such a nerd," he joked, bu his shoulder with mine I rolled my eyes, about tobefore I could speak He set to class, don’t want to be late and earn hed at that and waved as he strutted off down the corridor confidently, not see as they tried to get his attention

My day passed without a hitch I’d had none of those weird silenced phone calls, no typed notes with petals inside, and nothing was scrawled on my locker Sandy didn’t even look in ym I silently wondered if maybe the box with the teddy inside was the anticli the way that she wanted ht effect and now she was abandoning her vicious façade againstell Maybe et back to norraced one to his place to study We worked for al to have dinner with his aunt and uncle again After, he drove me home

It was cold as I pulled off Zach’s jacket and passed it back to hi a sweater or so it out to hily "Just admit it; you’d rather wear my clothes, that’s why you alear silly little fli yourself in"Whatever you want to believe, Zach," I replied sarcastically "Thanks for dinner See you toainst the cold Now that I’d taken off his jacket I was instantly covered in goosebumps

"See ya"

I waved over my shoulder as his bike roared loudly, then started disappearing down the street I fu the door open As I stepped through the front door of the house I droppedon the floor and frowned at the unusual quiet of the place Normally the sh the door; chatter and the sound of a TV would fill the house But today I was the only one here because Alex was training until late, and , wasn’t whining and skipping excitedly down the hallway towardsin to an empty house, it felt a little eerie

I decided to go and make a snack before I started on my own homework The quiet was a little weird as I walked down the hallway "Chester? You’d better not be asleep on the beds again!" I called, chuckling to myself He had a fondness for Alex’s bed and took any opportunity to sneak in there if his door was left open I stood at the botto my eyes "Co on the lights as I went, knowing that the word dinner would have hi out half a tin of dog food into his bowl and changing his water, I stood back against the counter, watching the door "Chester!" I called again when he didn’t appear I groaned in frustration and marched out, up the stairs towards Alex’s rooh I realised that he wouldn’t be in there The door was shut - unless maybe Alex had shut hih I saw that the roo fur on the pillow, nothing

"Chester, where are you?" I called loudly I castthat all of the doors upstairs were closed so he wouldn’t be up here I sighed and e cat flap in our back door that was actually big enough for hih We usually kept it locked while eren’t hoh it fine but could never seeain We only unlocked it when soain

I strutted to the back door, grabbingthat Alex had forgotten to lock the cat flap thisIf he’s been outside all day he’s probably freezing! As I pulled the door open I saw hi

"Chester?" I whiasped when I noticed his shallow breathing His eyes were closed as if he was sleeping, but he see to breathe White foamy spittle coloured the corners of his black lips "Oh no," Ihi My eyes prickled with tears as he let out a lohiain I didn’t knohat to do; he was just lying there co

My eyes landed on so a couple of feet away frorease proof wrap, white paper, like what butchers wrap meat in I frowned at it then looked back at Chester "Did you eat soaze landed on sorass, I felt my body jerk in shock A white calla lily, exactly like the ones that I kept being sent, laid there as if it was thein the world

A sob rose in , horrified as realisation washed over , and they’d done it because of ht tothe one person that I kneould be round here in an instant He answered almost immediately "Luke! Oh God, it’s Chester," I croaked as I buried ainst the scruff of his neck and broke down into hysterical sobs

Chapter 17

Mere minutes later, Luke’s car screeched to a halt outside the front ofthe engine I looked up at hi

Luke’s face fell as he looked fro to breathe "Shit He looks bad," heloudly "He’s been poisoned We have to get hi at my endless tears

Luke frowned and looked at me with doubtful, yet sympathetic eyes "He hasn’t been poisoned, baby, he’s just old"

I shook my head adamantly "He has, look!" I pointed at the lily and felt uilt washed over me "See? They left that!"

Luke raised one eyebrow as he looked at the flower "Left what? Maisie, what are you talking about?" He slipped his arently "Look, let’s just get his don’t last forever; roaned in frustration because he wasn’t really listening to me The rational part of me understood because he didn’t know about the flowers or notes so of course he wouldn’t think anything of it, but the grief-stricken part ofChester whined quietly and etically This was my fault; he was hurt because offor me "You need to lock your house," he instructed as I stu behind hi clearly I ran into the house, locking the back door behind h the house and out the front door, locking that too By the tiot to Luke’s car I saw that he’d already settled Chester in the back seat, laying him out carefully The car started as I jumped into the back with him and stroked his ears softly

I cried the whole way to the veterinary clinic while Luke tried to sootheme that they’d take care of him, that I should think positive, thatthat had upset his stomach Deep down I knew his words were true, he had definitely eaten so that had been wrapped in grease proof paper and had left ot to the clinic Chester orse His breathing was so shallow and rapid that it brokeand his nose was bleeding As soon as the nurse saw Luke carrying Chester in, and h into a treat, checking in histo rouse hi me question after question about how I found hi I answered everything to the best of rease proof paper that lay there and my suspicions that someone had poisoned him on purpose They too looked sceptical but took extra blood say report

"Maybe it’s best if you wait in the waiting roo toclear liquid down his throat Luke nodded, wrapping his ar uidedarea Fro at me sympathetically as they clutched their pets closer to the the worst for their ill ani to breathe as I buriedto hi, hoful it would be to never see hiain, or bark excitedly when I came home from school We’d had him since a puppy and I couldn’t bear to lose him