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"But you're not kicking anybody," she said quickly "Right?"

"Nobody who doesn't deserve it," he said "What else do I need to fit in?"

"Backpack" She found her spare - she'd brought two - and tossed it to him He stuck in some paperbacks, a PSP, and his iPod and headphones, then raided the cabinets for Twinkies and bottled water "We're not exactly going to the wilderness, Shane You don't have to take everything There are vending machines"

"Yeah? I didn't see any lunch in that schedule You'll thank me later"

In fact, she did feel better with Shane loping along beside her; he atching the shadows, the dark alleys, the eh he'd packed the iPod, he wasn't listening to it She missed hers, all of a sudden, and wondered if Monica had it

They made it to campus without incident, and they were halfway across it, heading for her first class, when Claire suddenly thought of so for a couple of paces, then looked back

"Monica," she said "Monica's going to be hanging around She usually is She'll see you"

"I know" Shane hitched his backpack to a o"

"But - Monica!"

He just looked at her, and started walking She stayed where she was "Hey! You're supposed to be withme!"

"Monica's my business," he said "Drop it" He waited for her, and she reluctantly caught up "She doesn't mess with us, I won't mess with her How's that?"

Wishful thinking, to Claire's otten it in for Shane, even a year or two ago, and gone far enough to kill his sister, she couldn't iine any situation where Shane just walked away

Shane wasn't a walking-away kind of guy

The square concrete courtyard between the Architecture Building and the Math Sciences Building was packed with students crossing between classes Now that Claire knehat to look for, she couldn't help but notice how many of them had bracelets - leather, metal, even braided cloth - with symbols on them

And how many students didn't

The ones ore the syuys Athletes

Popular kids The loners, the sideliners, the dull and average and strangethey were the ones eren't Protected

They were the cattle

Shane was scanning the crowd Claire kept walking quickly toward the Math Building; she knew for a fact that Monica wouldn't be caught dead - or killing anybody - in a place that geeky The only proble on the Quad was the Business Ad, and that was, of course, where Monica liked to spend her ti for rich boys

Almost there

She was actually on the steps leading up to the Math Building when she heard Shane stop behind her He was staring off into the Quad, and as Claire turned, she saw Monica, surrounded by a clique of adht as well have been alone It was the kind of look that people in love exchanged, or people ere about to kill each other

"Son of a bitch," Shane breathed He sounded shaken

"Corabbed his elbow She was afraid he wouldn't let her pull him on, but he did, as if his lanced at her, his eyes were dark and hard