You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
strength. Tyler grabbed the comment and ran with it.<br />
"Yes, and he almost killed me. And tonight somebody did kill Tanner. I don't know what you think,<br />
but I think he did it. I think he's the one!"<br />
"But where is he?" shouted someone from the crowd.<br />
Tyler looked around. "If he did it, he must still be here," he shouted. "Let's find him."<br />
"Stefan hasn't done anything! Tyler – " cried Elena, but the noise from the crowd overrode her.<br />
Tyler's words were being taken up and repeated. Find him… find him . . . find him. Elena heard it<br />
pass from person to person. And the faces in the Stonehenge Room were filled with more than distrust<br />
now; Elena could see anger and a thirst for vengeance in them, too. The crowd had turned into<br />
something ugly, something beyond controlling.<br />
"Where is he, Elena?" said Tyler, and she saw the blazing triumph in his eyes. He was enjoying this.<br />
"I don't know," she said fiercely, wanting to hit him.<br />
"He must still be here! Find him!" someone shouted, and then it seemed everyone was moving,<br />
pointing, pushing, at once. Partitions were being knocked down and shoved aside.<br />
Elena's heart was pounding. This was no longer a crowd; it was a mob. She was terrified of what<br />
they would do to Stefan if they did find him. But if she tried to go warn him, she would lead Tyler<br />
right to him.<br />
She looked around desperately. Bonnie was still staring into Mr. Tanner's dead face. No help there.<br />
She turned to scan the crowd again, and her eyes met Matt's.<br />
He was looking confused and angry, his blond hair ruffled up, cheeks flushed and sweaty. Elena put<br />
all her strength of will into a look of pleading.<br />
Please, Matt, she thought. You can't believe all this. You know it isn't true.<br />
But his eyes showed that he didn't know. There was a tumult of bewilderment and agitation in them.<br />
Please, thought Elena, gazing into those blue eyes, willing him to understand. Oh, please, Matt, only<br />
you can save him. Even if you don't believe, please try to trust… please…<br />
She saw the change come over his face, the confusion lifting as grim determination appeared. He<br />
stared at her another moment, eyes boring into hers, and nodded once. Then he turned and slipped into<br />
the milling, hunting crowd.<br />
Matt knifed through the crowd cleanly until he got to the other side of the gym. There were some<br />
freshmen standing near the door to the boys' locker room; he brusquely ordered them to start moving<br />
fallen partitions, and when their attention was distracted he jerked the door open and ducked inside.<br />
He looked around quickly, unwilling to shout. For that matter, he thought, Stefan must have heard all<br />
the racket going on in the gym. He'd probably already cut out. But then Matt saw the black-clad figure<br />
on the white tile floor.<br />
"Stefan! What happened?" For a terrible instant, Matt thought he was looking down on a second<br />
dead body. But as he knelt by Stefan's side, he saw movement.<br />
"Hey, you're okay, just sit up slowly… easy. Are you all right, Stefan?"<br />
"Yes," said Stefan. He didn't look okay, Matt thought. His face was dead white and his pupils were<br />
dilated hugely. He looked disoriented and sick. "Thank you," he said.<br />
"You may not thank me in a minute. Stefan, you've got to get out of here. Can't you hear them?<br />
They're after you."
Change language