The Book of Matthew (The Alex Chronicles Book 1) (23 page)

That first kiss with Mark was a moment I relived a hundred times in my mind as I ran at break-neck speed through Kessler Hall, the all-girl dormitory, out the front door, across the street, past the Kentmore building, down the hill and across the lawn.

“Alex?” a male voice yelled into the phone just as I was putting it to my ear, waking me from sleep only moments before. “It’s me. Mark’s been in an accident.”

Peter.

A thousand questions came to my mind, but I asked only one. “Where is he?” I was hoping he wasn’t at the area hospital. I didn’t have a car on campus and didn’t want to wake my roommate Lisa to bug her for a ride. Plus, the hospital was some 20 miles away, and I wasn’t entirely sure how to get there.

“Student Health Center,” he said.

I hung up the phone and switched on my bedside lamp. Lisa sat up in bed, rubbed her eyes, blinked back the bright light.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“Tell you later,” I said, grabbing the baseball cap off my desk on my way to the door. “Go back to sleep.”

Then I closed the door and started running.