Chapter 24

When I got to our room, the door was wide open and Lucy was sitting, Indian style, on the futon with a book in her lap. She saw me standing in the doorway, closed her book, and smiled.

"Good night?" she asked.

"It was OK," I said. I took off my jacket and threw it on my bed. I sat down at my computer, kicking my shoes into the corner, with my back to Lucy's grinning face.

"Oh, come on! You went upstairs last night and totally disappeared! Spill it!" I turned around in my chair and had to laugh at the expectant look on Lucy's face. She was leaning forward like I was about to tell her the secret of life.

"I had a good night. That's all I'm saying." I turned back around and started checking away messages. Isaac's was just one, big happy face and I giggled.

"I saw that, you bitch!" Lucy shrieked. "You guys are totally in love, aren't you! You're gonna get married and have babies and a house and two dogs."

"Lucy," I started.

"And a cat and," she rambled.

"Lucy, I don't even like cats," I said.

"Oh," she replied. "That's OK, you can still do everything else, right?"

"Sure," I said. "Hey, I'm gonna go do some work in the Commons."

"Want me to come with you?" she asked.

"Yeah, right," I laughed. "I'm not planning my wedding, I'm doing homework. You stay."

"Oh, alright," she sighed. She opened her book and went back to reading, but I could tell she was still watching me, probably waiting for me to whip out an engagement ring or something.

I changed my away message and stood up to gather my books. Really, I only needed the Notebook, but Lucy couldn't know that. I tried to remember where I'd stashed all of my school books. I hadn't used any of them in over a week, except for when Lucy was paying too close attention and then I used them as props. But, since I hadn't actually been reading them at those times, I had no idea where any of them were.

I glanced quickly around the room, hoping Lucy wouldn't notice how confused I was. I grabbed a couple books from my desk and a couple of notebooks from the floor under my bed. I shoved them in my bookbag, making sure that the Notebook was already there. I picked up my Discman, some CDs, and extra batteries and threw them in my bag, too. If I wore headphones, I could be sure no one would bother me.

I put on a hooded sweatshirt and threw my bag over my shoulder, looking around the room as if I was making sure I hadn't forgotten anything.

"See you later, Luce," I said, walking out the door.

"See ya," she yelled after me. "Tell Loverboy I said hi." I rolled my eyes and walked to the elevators, nearly bumping into Danny, Sarah's skeezy boyfriend.

"Oh, hi," I said.

"Hey."

"How are you?" I asked.

"OK," he said, staring at the ground. Fine. If he wasn't going to try to be polite, I sure as hell wasn't. I pushed the down button and we waited for the elevator. We waited. And waited. Danny sighed and crossed his arms, giving me a look that suggested it was completely my fault that the elevator was running so slowly. Finally, the doors opened. Danny pushed his way through the people getting off of the elevator and pushed the button for the doors to close before I was even on. I glared at him, but I don't think he noticed. We rode down the elevator in silence. He raced out as soon as the doors opened, and jogged out the back door of the dorm. I walked around to the front and as I was headed down the steps, I saw his car screech out of the parking lot and down the street away from me. I shook my head and continued down the street to the Commons.

I was almost there when a figure in a black hood raced across the street and pushed me into the bushes.