like them.
“No, I liked them a lot,” Zander assured her. He hesitated, then added, “Elena seemed kind of …
uncomfortable, though. Maybe we’re not the kind of people she likes?”
Bonnie stiffened. “Are you cal ing my best friend a snob?” she asked.
Zander stroked her back appeasingly. “Sort of, I guess. I mean, nice, but just kind of a snob. The nicest kind of snob.
I just want her to like me.”
“She’s not a snob,” Bonnie said indignantly. “And even if she was, she’s got a lot to be a snob about. She’s beautiful and smart and one of the best friends I’ve ever had. I’d do anything for her. And she’d do anything for me, too. So it doesn’t matter if she’s a snob,” she concluded, glaring at him.
“Come here,” Zander said. They were near the music building, and he pul ed her into the lit alcove by the front door. “Sit with me?” he asked, settling on the brick steps and tugging her hand.
Bonnie sat down, but she was determined not to snuggle up to him again. Instead, she kept a distance between them and stared stubbornly out at the night, her jaw firmly set.
“Listen, Bonnie,” Zander said, pushing a long strawberry blonde curl out of her eyes. “I’l get to know Elena better, and I’m sure I’l like her. I’l get her to like me, too. You know why I’m going to get to know her better?”
“No, why?” said Bonnie, reluctantly looking at him.
“Because I want to know you better. I’m planning on spending a lot of time with you, Bonnie McCul ough.” He nudged her gently with his shoulder, and Bonnie melted.
Zander’s eyes were so blue, blue like morning on the very first day of summer vacation. There was intel igence and laughter with just a touch of a wild longing in them. He leaned in closer, and Bonnie was sure he was about to kiss her, their first kiss at last.
She tilted her head back to meet his lips, her eyelashes fluttering closed.
After a moment of waiting for a kiss that didn’t come, she sat up again and opened her eyes. Zander was staring past her, out into the darkness of the campus, frowning.
Bonnie cleared her throat.
“Oh,” he said, “sorry, Bonnie, I got distracted for a minute.”
“Distracted?” Bonnie echoed indignantly. “What do you mean you—”
“Hang on a sec.” Zander put a finger to her lips, shushing her.
“Do you hear something?” Bonnie asked, uneasy tingles creeping up her back.
Zander got to his feet. “Sorry, I just remembered something I have to do. I’l catch up with you later, okay?” With a halfhearted wave, not even looking at Bonnie, he loped off into the darkness.
Bonnie’s mouth dropped open. “Wait!” she said, scrambling to her feet. “Are you just going to leave me here”—Zander was gone—“alone?” she finished in a tiny voice.
Great. Bonnie walked out to the middle of the path, looked around, and waited a minute to see if there was any sign of Zander coming back. But there was no one in sight.
She couldn’t even hear his footsteps anymore.
There were pools of light beneath the street lamps on the path, but they didn’t reach very far. A breeze rustled the leaves of the trees on the quad, and Bonnie shivered. No sense in standing here, Bonnie thought, and she started walking.
For the first few steps down the path toward her dorm, Bonnie was real y angry, hot and humiliated. How could Zander have been such a flake? How could he leave her al alone in the middle of the night, especial y after al the attacks and disappearances on campus? She kicked viciously at a pebble in her path.
A few steps further on, Bonnie stopped being so angry.
She was too scared; the fear was pushing the anger out of her. She should have headed back to the dorm when Meredith and Elena did, but she’d assured them, gaily, that Zander would walk her back. How could he have just left her? She wrapped her arms around herself tightly and went as fast as she could without actual y running, her stupid high-heeled going-out-dancing shoes pinching and making the bal s of her feet ache.
It was real y late; most of the other people who lived on campus must be tucked into their beds by now. The silence was unsettling.
When the footsteps began behind her, it was even worse.
She wasn’t sure she was real y hearing them at first.
Gradual y, she became aware of a faint, quick padding in the distance, someone moving lightly and fast. She paused and listened, and the footsteps grew louder and faster stil .
Someone was running toward her.
Bonnie sped up, stumbling over her feet in her haste.
Her shoes skidded on a loose stone in the path and she fel , catching herself on her hands and one knee. The impact stung sharply enough to bring tears to her eyes, but she kicked off her shoes, not caring that she was leaving them behind. She scrambled up and ran faster.
The footsteps of her pursuer were louder now, starting to catch up. Their rhythm was strange: loud periodic footfal s with quicker, lighter beats in between. Bonnie realized with horror that there was more than one person chasing her.
Her foot skidded again, and she barely caught her balance, staggering sideways a few steps to keep from fal
