Page 51 (1/2)

The ground see beneath me, like a slow-motion earthquake I felt nauseous, and as if that was only themy way, inexorable, impossible to sidestep

“Where’s Kayla?” I demanded “That’s what you’ve come to show me, isn’t it? That’s e’re here, isn’t it? So where is she?”

The bell rang and the crowd, already thinned, evaporated with a loud banging of lockers, sneakers squeaking on fresh-waxed floor and the usual calls and jokes and promises to hook up later

“Where is she? I want to see her They’re going to announce it, aren’t they? They always do when there’s so awful that’s happened, they do, over the PA, Ms Seabury, she’ll”

I was breathing hard, though I wasn’t h to warrant it I moved with an ease I would have found ih doors, into and out of classes, hurrying, searching faces for Kayla AP Comp, that’s where she would be, first period

I was panting now, , a blur as I passed through solid objects, a ghost in my old school, because yes, it was my old school,in the back of the Che her hair sullenly over close to thein French They were both part of my circle of friends

My group My friends We weren’t the coolest of the cool, roup around me, the ones who sometimes called me M-Todd

M-Todd Mara Todd

M-Todd

How had that gotten started, that stupid nickname? SomeoneShannon, yeah, it

was her, Shannon, my best friend, who had come up with that and for soh it was stupid, as stupid as K-Mack

I stopped suddenly Stopped and stuck out ainst a wall that avoided my touch

Dread It was co behind me, before me, all around me Dread

“No,” I whispered

Messenger waited, knowing, waited Waited, and I hated hi what I could only feel as a terrible beast co to devour me