It was slow going. They were only halfway to the cars when the ambulance pulled up. David

helped her sit and went to join the men who came running toward them.

Jenny closed her eyes, her mind blank, while the medical crew took care of Dean. She didn't want to see him being carried away, and she only opened them again when she heard the siren start up. By then, David was beside her, helping her up.

"I said you just twisted your ankle and didn't need to ride in an ambulance," he told her. "I hope I was right. I just didn't think you'd ..." his voice trailed off and he gestured at the white van that was speeding away.

Jenny hadn't even considered the possibility that she might ride to the hospital with Dean. The idea was so horrifying, it was almost funny, like black comedy, and she found herself laughing a little. "Thanks," she said. "I hadn't thought of that."

They went a little farther toward the cars, and when they stopped a second to catch their breath, Jenny remembered something.

"You said you told Dean what happened," she said. "Now tell me."

"That's right, I never got my turn, did I?"

"No. So tell me," Jenny said. "How did you know where to come looking for me? And why were you looking for me? And why didn't you seem surprised when I was telling you about Dean?" She'd just thought of that. Her mind really was not working well at all.

"You left out the fight we had the other day,"

David reminded her. "Don't you want to know why I've been acting so weird?"

"I want to know everything," Jenny said. "I've been in the dark long enough, excuse the pun."

"Okay." David took a deep breath. "First things first. Diana woke up."

"She did?" Jenny felt genuinely glad for the girl. *That's great, David. And she's going to be all right?"

"She's all right ah-eady," he said. "Anyway, she told about what happened to her. How she and Dean were arguing and she fell."

"He told me that, that it was an accident," Jenny said. "I didn't beUeve him."

"I guess he's not a total liar," David said, and his face looked sad for a moment. "He didn't push her, but he left her there. Just walked off and left her. Diana doesn't know that yet."

He was quiet for a moment as they started hobbling along. Then he said, "Dean's a computer freak."

"Yes, Sally told me."

**Well, he's a really bright guy and his family's the kind that pushes, you know? Gk)tta be the best, gotta get the best grades, get into the best college."

^Wasn't he?" Jenny asked. "The best, I mean?"

"According to Diana, his grades were dropping. I don't know why, maybe he just got tired of it. Anyway, it looked like he might not get into Harvard or Stanford or wherever. But he's not just your average computer nut, he's a brilliant one and he