figured out how to tap into the school's system." "I get it," Jenny said. "Instant A's." David nodded. "Diana found out, and he begged her not to tell, she said. She felt sorry for him at first, and said she wouldn't. But then the school got wind of something funny going on and they started asking questions. Diana works in the office and she knew it wouldn't be long before they found out about him. Maybe about her, too." "So she decided to teU?"

"Yes, but first she just wanted to lay it out to him, maybe convince him to confess," David said. "And he freaked. Just went crazy, yelling that he'd be ruined, that he'd been counting on her."

/ was counting on you. Jenny didn't think she'd ever forget the words.

They reached the cars, and David helped her into his, saying he'd come back for hers as soon as he could.

"I have to pick my parents up at the airport later," Jenny said. "At six. They'll be expecting me."

"You'll be there," he told her. "I'U drive you." Jenny leaned back in the seat and smiled. "At last," she said, "something besides rocks to sit on. This is dangerous, though. I may never get up." "If you really want to walk, hop, I mean. ..." "Forget it," she said. "Just tell me now, about why you, all of a sudden, got so ... I don't know, so distant. You acted like you hated me after what happened to Diana. And then you started bugging

me to remember what I heard. What was going on?"

David put the key in, but didn't turn it. His dark eyes looked confused, as if he wasn't sure himself what had been going on. "That night at the scavenger hunt, remember? I gave Diana a lift. She was really upset, told me she was worried about something. She wouldn't tell me what, just said she had to work it out and it wasn't going to be easy. Then she went off with Dean. And after that, I didn't know what happened."

He shook his head, and a look of shame came into his eyes. "This is hard to say, Jenny, but I might as well be honest. There were a couple of times there when I thought it might be you." He swallowed, and then went on in a rush. "She isn't exactly the nicest person in the world, and she'd been pretty nasty to you when you met. I thought maybe after I left you on the bluff that you started climbing up, and ran into her and argued, or something. I knew you wouldn't have pushed her, but I thought ..."

"... it might have been an accident?" Jenny finished.

He nodded. "Everything kept pointing to Dean, though," he went on quickly. "And I didn't want to believe it." He pounded softly on the steering wheel. "I mean, he's a Mend, was a Mend, I don't know. Anyway, it's not every day you suspect a Mend of leaving someone to die. It made me a little crazy. I guess it was easier to think it might be you. I don't expect you to understand, but I kept telling myself I didn't really know you."