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"Good Well, I’ll let Mr Petersen know that things are acceptable here And don’t worry about seeing me to the door I’ll show myself out Take care of yourself"

As I walked to my bedroom, I heard the front door close I pulled Jenny Sue’s letter froie Mae,I hope life is going good Mr Petersen told ood hoet the help that you need You’re a real sweetheartThe reason I’uy has been by the house looking for you, but he won’t say why he wants you He came the very day you were taken fro alh I told hi around the house and neighborhood a lot, too, usually in a real fancy car He gives me the heebie-jeebies I am worried that he’ll follow you to your new house That’s why I mailed this to your counselor So please be real careful--Jenny Sue I read the letter five ti for me? And in a nice car? Soot a pen and piece of paper fromI’ood I live with a sweet older woot a job at a restaurant called the Navajo Mexican Totally weird na me about Mr Creepy I’ll keep an eye out, but don’t worry I can take care of myself--MM I stuck the letter in an envelope and wrote her address on it, but hesitated Just to be safe, I left the return address blank

I got a stamp from Mrs Carpenter’s desk and walked the letter out to the , when the bus pulled into the school parking lot, the energy level in the air doubled The sopho their noses against the s facing the school

The words "totally hot," "proht at this bus" carried over the low ruine

I stayed in my seat as the freshmen and sophomores filed out When the bus was e of diesel exhaust that had filled the bus As I stepped into the cold irls so excited Bridger O’Connell stood leaning against the school, staring at the bus He looked picture-perfect wearing expensive jeans and a tan leather jacket, with the wind tousling his black hair But there was souys--always still, always aware of everything around him

He waved I looked overbehind ie," he called, striding towardstill held a hint of winter Then Bridger srees He fell into step beside me

"How do you know Ollie?" I asked as alked

"Ollie Williams? He’s Mike and Danni Willias like a moose Ollie comes to our track meets every now and then," he explained

A wave of panic made it hard to breathe What if Ollie mentioned my past to Danni, his niece? Danni, who already hatedmy past? Or her brother, Mike?

A hand clasped entle stop Panic was replaced arer asked

"I’ I looked at our clasped hands,so sihforfor you?"

I ser" He returnedto the front entrance to the school

"It’s tiht now?" I looked down at his feet He wore running shoes

"Yeah Proure if you win, you’ll need ti clicked in my head Five days … Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday Saturday night I thought of theThe full moon was five days away My birthday was on the eve of the full er’s

"Maggie?"

"What?" I snapped Speechless, I stared at hio to proht was a bad night for me Really, really bad I wiped o to proer lifted an eyebrow and studied me "You haven’t won yet"

We walked to the rear of the school in silence The track was eer and I took our backpacks off and set them on the bleachers and then moved to the fifty-yard dash start line

We lined up side by side, each of us in a pre-sprint lunge, and stared at each other His face was so close I could see his pupil surrounded by the coal-dark iris

"You ready?" he asked, studyinghis

I nodded and looked forward