material.
“Christopher, man, hold on, it’s going to be okay. You’l be okay,” Matt said, and pul ed out his phone to dial 911.
His own hands were covered with blood now, and the phone was a slimy mess as he held it to his ear.
“Please,” he said, his voice shaking, “I’m at Dalcrest Col ege, near the business building. My roommate, someone attacked my roommate. He’s bleeding a lot. He’s not conscious.” The 911 operator started to ask him some questions and Matt tried to focus.
Suddenly Christopher opened his eyes, taking a deep gulp of air.
“Christopher,” Matt said, dropping his phone. “Chris, they’re sending an ambulance, hold on.” The shaking got worse, Christopher’s arms and legs vibrating in a rapid rhythm. His eyes settled on Matt’s face, and his mouth opened.
“Chris,” Matt said, trying to hold him down, trying to be gentle, “who did this? Who attacked you?” Christopher gasped again, a hoarse gulping sound.
Then the shaking stopped, and he was very stil . His eyelids slid down over his eyes.
“Chris, please hold on,” Matt begged. “They’re coming.
They’l help you.” He grabbed at Christopher, shook him a little, but Christopher wasn’t moving, wasn’t breathing.
Sirens sounded in the distance, but Matt knew the ambulance was already too late.
13
Bonnie clutched the banana-nut muffin to her chest as if it was some kind of sacred offering. She just could not bring herself to knock on Matt’s door. Instead, she turned big pleading brown eyes on Meredith and Elena.
“Oh, Bonnie,” Meredith muttered, reaching past her, shifting the pile of bagels and the carton of orange juice she was carrying, and rapping loudly on the door.
“I don’t know what to say,” Bonnie whispered back, agonized.
Then the door opened, and Matt appeared, red-eyed and pale. He seemed somehow smal er and more hunched into himself than Bonnie had ever seen him. Overwhelmed with pity, she forgot al about being nervous and launched herself into his arms, dropping the muffin in the process.
“I’m so sorry,” she choked out, tears running down her face. Matt held on to her tightly, bending over and burying his head in her shoulder. “It’s okay,” she said final y, desperately, patting the back of his head. “I mean, no, it’s not … of course it’s not … but we love you, we’re here.”
“I couldn’t help him,” Matt said dul y, his face stil pressed against Bonnie’s neck. “I tried my best, but he died anyway.”
Elena and Meredith joined them, wrapping their arms around Matt from either side.
“We know,” Elena said, rubbing his back. “You did everything you could for him.”
Matt pul ed out of their arms eventual y and gestured around the room. “Al this stuff is his,” he said. “His parents don’t feel like they’re ready to clear out his things yet, they told the police. It’s kil ing me to see it al stil here when he’s not. I thought about packing it up for his parents, but there’s a possibility that the police might want to look through his stuff.”
Bonnie shuddered at the thought of what Christopher’s parents must be going through.
“Have something to eat,” Meredith said. “I bet you haven’t eaten for ages. Maybe it’l help you feel better.” Al three girls fussed around, fixing the breakfast they’d brought for Matt, then convincing him to taste something, anything. He drank some juice and picked at a bagel, his head lowered. “I was at the police station al night,” he said.
“I had to keep going over and over what happened.”
“What did happen?” Bonnie asked tentatively.
Matt sighed. “I real y wish I knew. I just saw somebody dressed in black running away from Christopher. I wanted to chase him, but Chris needed my help. And then he died. I tried, but I couldn’t do anything.” His forehead creased into a frown. “The real y weird thing, though,” he said slowly, “is that, even though I saw a person
“Christopher, man, hold on, it’s going to be okay. You’l be okay,” Matt said, and pul ed out his phone to dial 911.
His own hands were covered with blood now, and the phone was a slimy mess as he held it to his ear.
“Please,” he said, his voice shaking, “I’m at Dalcrest Col ege, near the business building. My roommate, someone attacked my roommate. He’s bleeding a lot. He’s not conscious.” The 911 operator started to ask him some questions and Matt tried to focus.
Suddenly Christopher opened his eyes, taking a deep gulp of air.
“Christopher,” Matt said, dropping his phone. “Chris, they’re sending an ambulance, hold on.” The shaking got worse, Christopher’s arms and legs vibrating in a rapid rhythm. His eyes settled on Matt’s face, and his mouth opened.
“Chris,” Matt said, trying to hold him down, trying to be gentle, “who did this? Who attacked you?” Christopher gasped again, a hoarse gulping sound.
Then the shaking stopped, and he was very stil . His eyelids slid down over his eyes.
“Chris, please hold on,” Matt begged. “They’re coming.
They’l help you.” He grabbed at Christopher, shook him a little, but Christopher wasn’t moving, wasn’t breathing.
Sirens sounded in the distance, but Matt knew the ambulance was already too late.
13
Bonnie clutched the banana-nut muffin to her chest as if it was some kind of sacred offering. She just could not bring herself to knock on Matt’s door. Instead, she turned big pleading brown eyes on Meredith and Elena.
“Oh, Bonnie,” Meredith muttered, reaching past her, shifting the pile of bagels and the carton of orange juice she was carrying, and rapping loudly on the door.
“I don’t know what to say,” Bonnie whispered back, agonized.
Then the door opened, and Matt appeared, red-eyed and pale. He seemed somehow smal er and more hunched into himself than Bonnie had ever seen him. Overwhelmed with pity, she forgot al about being nervous and launched herself into his arms, dropping the muffin in the process.
“I’m so sorry,” she choked out, tears running down her face. Matt held on to her tightly, bending over and burying his head in her shoulder. “It’s okay,” she said final y, desperately, patting the back of his head. “I mean, no, it’s not … of course it’s not … but we love you, we’re here.”
“I couldn’t help him,” Matt said dul y, his face stil pressed against Bonnie’s neck. “I tried my best, but he died anyway.”
Elena and Meredith joined them, wrapping their arms around Matt from either side.
“We know,” Elena said, rubbing his back. “You did everything you could for him.”
Matt pul ed out of their arms eventual y and gestured around the room. “Al this stuff is his,” he said. “His parents don’t feel like they’re ready to clear out his things yet, they told the police. It’s kil ing me to see it al stil here when he’s not. I thought about packing it up for his parents, but there’s a possibility that the police might want to look through his stuff.”
Bonnie shuddered at the thought of what Christopher’s parents must be going through.
“Have something to eat,” Meredith said. “I bet you haven’t eaten for ages. Maybe it’l help you feel better.” Al three girls fussed around, fixing the breakfast they’d brought for Matt, then convincing him to taste something, anything. He drank some juice and picked at a bagel, his head lowered. “I was at the police station al night,” he said.
“I had to keep going over and over what happened.”
“What did happen?” Bonnie asked tentatively.
Matt sighed. “I real y wish I knew. I just saw somebody dressed in black running away from Christopher. I wanted to chase him, but Chris needed my help. And then he died. I tried, but I couldn’t do anything.” His forehead creased into a frown. “The real y weird thing, though,” he said slowly, “is that, even though I saw a person
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