Chapter 5: Chapter 5
"Hey," I said softly, brushing some wet leaves aside, "are you alright? She stopped, and I could see her shake her head before turning to face me. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her hair was a frizzy mess on top of her head.But she looked beautiful, despite the wreck of a woman standing next to her. "You can follow me," she said softly, "if you want "—she paused, and I wondered what was wrong—"if you want to find your friend." I thought she meant my friend Max, but she must have meant someone else.Either way, I figured maybe she saw somebody coming towards me because otherwise, she wouldn't have offered. Still, strange behavior considering nobody hassled me on the walk home from school. "I don't want to find my friend. What friend? You know who I am, and you know what I want. So why are you asking?Are you playing games with me?" Suddenly angry, I threw the question back at her: How dare you play games with me! Do you think I M stupid? I watched her for a moment, and her eyes registered my anger before she composed herself once again. "No, I don't think you're stupid, but I do think you're desperate.