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"You’re shaking Leta hand on Bonnie’s shoulder as they stood together in front of Caroline Forbes’s house

Bonnie started to lean into the pressure, butso obviously on a Virginiato be treated like a child, too But Meredith, as only six months older, looked more adult than usual today Her dark hair was pulled back, so that her eyes looked very large and her olive-skinned face with its high cheekbones was shown to its best advantage

She could practically be h heels on, too, instead of her usual flats Bonnie felt ser than ever in coh her strawberry-blond curls, trying to fluff theher

"I’nity she couldfrom there, don’t you?" Meredith nodded at the house before them

Bonnie looked sideways at it and then back at Meredith Suddenly Meredith’s adultness wasBut before she looked at Caroline’s house again she blurted, "What’s with the spike heels?"

"Oh," Meredith said, glancing down "Just practical thinking If anything tries to grab ets this" She sta clack from the sidewalk

Bonnie al your brass knuckles, too?"

"I don’t need theain barehanded if she tries anything But quit changing the subject I can do this alone"

Bonnie finally let herself put her own sered one She squeezed "I know you can But I’m the one who should It was me she invited over"

"Yes," Meredith said, with a slight, elegant curl of her lip "She’s always knohere to stick in the knife Well, whatever happens, Caroline’s brought it on herself First we try to help her, for her sake and ours Then we try to et help After that - "

"After that," Bonnie said sadly, "there’s no telling" She looked at Caroline’s house again It lookedskewedin so mirror Besides that, it had a bad aura: black slashed across an ugly shade of gray-green Bonnie had never seen a house with so y, like the breath out of a meat locker Bonnie felt as if it would suck out her own life-force and turn it into ice, if it got the chance

She let Meredith ring the doorbell It had a slight echo to it, and when Mrs Forbes answered, her voice seehtly, as well The inside of the house still had that funhouse er was the feel If she shut her eyes she would ier place, where the floor slanted sharply down

"You came to see Caroline," Mrs Forbes said Her appearance shocked Bonnie Caroline’s ray hair and a pinched white face

"She’s up in her room I’ll show you," Caroline’s mother said