street. Dan glanced over, spotting movement on a porch and the glow of a phone.
When he turned back, Cat was running across the field next to the burning house. Dan sprinted after her, but after a block he must have remembered his car because he slowed.
“Cat!” He seemed torn between chasing her and fetching his car.
She kept going. After what he’d done — wrecking her meeting with Finn, attacking him, starting the fire — I couldn’t blame her for running away. A police cruiser roared past, and more sirens pierced the quiet dark. Dan finally made up his mind and sprinted back to the road. He ducked into his car, started the engine, and pulled onto a side street.
His vision wavered with every squeeze of his heart. I think he was searching for Cat, but he didn’t find her. After a while, he gave up and drove home.
His mom was lying on the couch watching TV when he came in. He hurried down the hall, pretending not to hear her questions about where he’d been. Then he locked himself in the bathroom and doused his head in the sink. He washed his face and hands several times. Still, the smell of smoke wouldn’t leave.
By the time the zombie settled down and lost consciousness, it was late.
“Took you long enough,” said TR the moment I slipped out. “I’ve been waiting forever for you.”
“I have to find Cat,” I said, rushing past him.
“Nice to see you, too, dude.”
I explained that the zombie had burned down a house and I needed to see if Cat was all right.
TR’s eyebrows lifted. “That sounds better than my day.”
We found Cat curled up in bed. Her eyes were closed, and she kept making this low, strangled, whimpery sound, but I couldn’t see any sign of an injury.
“What’s wrong with her?” asked TR.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I think she lost something.”
TR frowned. “Like what? A puppy?”
I thought of Finn, only I didn’t want to say that was it. Then I remembered the self-portrait she’d destroy tomorrow. “I think she lost herself,” I said. “I think that’s why I’m supposed to save her.”
TR gave me a perplexed look. “Dude, how do you know that’s what you’re
supposed
to do?”
“Because the zombie messed things up for her,” I said. “So I need to change things.”
“How?” pressed TR.
“That’s what I have to figure out.”
“But how do you know that’s what you’re
supposed to do
?” he repeated.
I wasn’t ready to tell TR about the message carved into Dan’s wall. He’d probably question it or claim it could mean anything. “There has to be a reason I’m here.”
TR snorted and drifted about Cat’s room, kicking a pile of smoky clothes on the floor. His foot went right through them, not moving a thread.
“This is boring,” he said after a while. “Let’s jump off a building.”
Cat shuddered. I knelt by her, afraid that I’d let her down. What if I was supposed to stop Dan from going into the house and ruining her chances with Finn, and I’d already failed? “I think I’ll stay here.”
“Whatever.” TR looked disappointed. “I’ll find you tomorrow. Or yesterday. Or whatever it is.” He paused before stepping out and smirked at me. “Good luck trying to save her, dude.”
When Dan woke the next morning, the wound on his forehead looked worse. It was like watching a black spot on a banana grow. The faint yellow-and-blue tinge of the bruise had spread around the oblong scab. I probably shouldn’t have been eager to find out how Dan had gotten injured — especially since I’d feel it, too — but I couldn’t help being curious. The wound looked bigger than I’d initially thought. It might have been healing for a week or two to get to this point. For all I knew, someone really
had
smacked him with a shovel. But who? And why?
Dan tried, with little success, to get his hair to cover the wound. He ended up wearing a baseball cap to breakfast. The rim of the cap grated against the scab, which sent a jolt of
When he turned back, Cat was running across the field next to the burning house. Dan sprinted after her, but after a block he must have remembered his car because he slowed.
“Cat!” He seemed torn between chasing her and fetching his car.
She kept going. After what he’d done — wrecking her meeting with Finn, attacking him, starting the fire — I couldn’t blame her for running away. A police cruiser roared past, and more sirens pierced the quiet dark. Dan finally made up his mind and sprinted back to the road. He ducked into his car, started the engine, and pulled onto a side street.
His vision wavered with every squeeze of his heart. I think he was searching for Cat, but he didn’t find her. After a while, he gave up and drove home.
His mom was lying on the couch watching TV when he came in. He hurried down the hall, pretending not to hear her questions about where he’d been. Then he locked himself in the bathroom and doused his head in the sink. He washed his face and hands several times. Still, the smell of smoke wouldn’t leave.
By the time the zombie settled down and lost consciousness, it was late.
“Took you long enough,” said TR the moment I slipped out. “I’ve been waiting forever for you.”
“I have to find Cat,” I said, rushing past him.
“Nice to see you, too, dude.”
I explained that the zombie had burned down a house and I needed to see if Cat was all right.
TR’s eyebrows lifted. “That sounds better than my day.”
We found Cat curled up in bed. Her eyes were closed, and she kept making this low, strangled, whimpery sound, but I couldn’t see any sign of an injury.
“What’s wrong with her?” asked TR.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I think she lost something.”
TR frowned. “Like what? A puppy?”
I thought of Finn, only I didn’t want to say that was it. Then I remembered the self-portrait she’d destroy tomorrow. “I think she lost herself,” I said. “I think that’s why I’m supposed to save her.”
TR gave me a perplexed look. “Dude, how do you know that’s what you’re
supposed
to do?”
“Because the zombie messed things up for her,” I said. “So I need to change things.”
“How?” pressed TR.
“That’s what I have to figure out.”
“But how do you know that’s what you’re
supposed to do
?” he repeated.
I wasn’t ready to tell TR about the message carved into Dan’s wall. He’d probably question it or claim it could mean anything. “There has to be a reason I’m here.”
TR snorted and drifted about Cat’s room, kicking a pile of smoky clothes on the floor. His foot went right through them, not moving a thread.
“This is boring,” he said after a while. “Let’s jump off a building.”
Cat shuddered. I knelt by her, afraid that I’d let her down. What if I was supposed to stop Dan from going into the house and ruining her chances with Finn, and I’d already failed? “I think I’ll stay here.”
“Whatever.” TR looked disappointed. “I’ll find you tomorrow. Or yesterday. Or whatever it is.” He paused before stepping out and smirked at me. “Good luck trying to save her, dude.”
When Dan woke the next morning, the wound on his forehead looked worse. It was like watching a black spot on a banana grow. The faint yellow-and-blue tinge of the bruise had spread around the oblong scab. I probably shouldn’t have been eager to find out how Dan had gotten injured — especially since I’d feel it, too — but I couldn’t help being curious. The wound looked bigger than I’d initially thought. It might have been healing for a week or two to get to this point. For all I knew, someone really
had
smacked him with a shovel. But who? And why?
Dan tried, with little success, to get his hair to cover the wound. He ended up wearing a baseball cap to breakfast. The rim of the cap grated against the scab, which sent a jolt of
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