kind of . . . um . . . haggard lately.”
“Gee, thanks,” I say.
In the school parking lot, Scotch’s usual spot is empty. I can’t stop staring at it. My sister spots Regina walking toward the school building and mumbles something about needing to talk to her. After she’s gone, Rollins pulls the keys out of the ignition and slides them into his pocket.
“What’s going on with you?” he asks quietly.
“What do you mean?”
“You just haven’t been yourself lately. Is there something you want to talk about?”
In that moment, I’m filled with the need to spill everything that happened last night. It feels wrong to keep such a huge secret from Rollins, the guy who’s been my closest friend for the last year.
But before I can answer, someone raps at Rollins’s window. We both look over to see Anna standing next to the car, beaming at Rollins. Her hair is gleaming in the early morning light, and her cheeks are rosy from the fresh air.
Rollins shoots a look as if to say, Last chance. Wanna talk?
I turn away.
Rollins sighs and opens his door. “Hi, Anna.”
“Hi, guys,” she says brightly, smiling at Rollins and then me. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”
I shake my head vigorously. “Nope. Nothing. In fact, I’ve got to get inside. I forgot to do my Government homework. If I hurry, I’ve got just enough time to finish it before class starts.” After spouting my lame excuse, I escape from the car and walk briskly toward the school. I hear Rollins calling my name, but I don’t slow down.
Once inside, I start feeling sick again. I have to walk through the cafeteria to get to my locker, and the smell of rubbery eggs has me gagging. There are only a few lone souls eating breakfast.
The pay phone at the far end of the cafeteria catches my eye.
It’s time.
I can’t avoid it any longer.
I have to call the police.
Making sure no one is paying attention, I discreetly pick up the receiver with the sleeve of my shirt pulled over my hand, just in case the cops try to dust the phone for prints later, after they’ve found Scotch. Again, I wonder how I became this girl—someone who worries about leaving fingerprints.
Taking a deep breath, I dial the numbers.
9. 1. 1.
A woman answers, sounding not much older than me. “911. What is your emergency?”
I make my voice as low as it will go. “Yes, I’d like to report an accident at Lookout Point. Please send an ambulance.” As soon as I finish, I hang up the phone and walk away as quickly as I can.
I head straight for the girls’ restroom, hoping it’s empty.
Inside, Regina stands in front of a sink. The faucet is running, but Regina isn’t washing her hands. She’s just staring at herself in the mirror. I know the look in her eyes, the haunted stare of someone who’s overcome with shame.
“Hey,” I say softly.
She doesn’t respond.
I want to wrap my arms around her and tell her I know how she feels. It’s like something out of a horror movie, to know someone might be dead and not be able to say a word about it. I want to tell her I couldn’t fall asleep last night, either. I want to ease her mind. Before saying anything, though, I check beneath the stall doors to make sure no one’s lurking, listening.
“I called the police from the cafeteria,” I say. “They should be headed to Lookout Point right now.”
Without looking at me, Regina turns off the water.
She pushes past me, her shoulder butting into mine. “Leave me the hell alone.” With that, she disappears into the hallway.
Before English class, I see Samantha getting a drink of water. I stand behind her, waiting for her to finish. She jumps when she turns around.
“Jesus, you scared me.”
“Sam, we have to talk about what happened.”
Sam claps her hand over my mouth and looks around. “Not here.”
I peel away her fingers. “But I have to tell you something.” She may never forgive me for making that phone call, but she needs to know
“Gee, thanks,” I say.
In the school parking lot, Scotch’s usual spot is empty. I can’t stop staring at it. My sister spots Regina walking toward the school building and mumbles something about needing to talk to her. After she’s gone, Rollins pulls the keys out of the ignition and slides them into his pocket.
“What’s going on with you?” he asks quietly.
“What do you mean?”
“You just haven’t been yourself lately. Is there something you want to talk about?”
In that moment, I’m filled with the need to spill everything that happened last night. It feels wrong to keep such a huge secret from Rollins, the guy who’s been my closest friend for the last year.
But before I can answer, someone raps at Rollins’s window. We both look over to see Anna standing next to the car, beaming at Rollins. Her hair is gleaming in the early morning light, and her cheeks are rosy from the fresh air.
Rollins shoots a look as if to say, Last chance. Wanna talk?
I turn away.
Rollins sighs and opens his door. “Hi, Anna.”
“Hi, guys,” she says brightly, smiling at Rollins and then me. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”
I shake my head vigorously. “Nope. Nothing. In fact, I’ve got to get inside. I forgot to do my Government homework. If I hurry, I’ve got just enough time to finish it before class starts.” After spouting my lame excuse, I escape from the car and walk briskly toward the school. I hear Rollins calling my name, but I don’t slow down.
Once inside, I start feeling sick again. I have to walk through the cafeteria to get to my locker, and the smell of rubbery eggs has me gagging. There are only a few lone souls eating breakfast.
The pay phone at the far end of the cafeteria catches my eye.
It’s time.
I can’t avoid it any longer.
I have to call the police.
Making sure no one is paying attention, I discreetly pick up the receiver with the sleeve of my shirt pulled over my hand, just in case the cops try to dust the phone for prints later, after they’ve found Scotch. Again, I wonder how I became this girl—someone who worries about leaving fingerprints.
Taking a deep breath, I dial the numbers.
9. 1. 1.
A woman answers, sounding not much older than me. “911. What is your emergency?”
I make my voice as low as it will go. “Yes, I’d like to report an accident at Lookout Point. Please send an ambulance.” As soon as I finish, I hang up the phone and walk away as quickly as I can.
I head straight for the girls’ restroom, hoping it’s empty.
Inside, Regina stands in front of a sink. The faucet is running, but Regina isn’t washing her hands. She’s just staring at herself in the mirror. I know the look in her eyes, the haunted stare of someone who’s overcome with shame.
“Hey,” I say softly.
She doesn’t respond.
I want to wrap my arms around her and tell her I know how she feels. It’s like something out of a horror movie, to know someone might be dead and not be able to say a word about it. I want to tell her I couldn’t fall asleep last night, either. I want to ease her mind. Before saying anything, though, I check beneath the stall doors to make sure no one’s lurking, listening.
“I called the police from the cafeteria,” I say. “They should be headed to Lookout Point right now.”
Without looking at me, Regina turns off the water.
She pushes past me, her shoulder butting into mine. “Leave me the hell alone.” With that, she disappears into the hallway.
Before English class, I see Samantha getting a drink of water. I stand behind her, waiting for her to finish. She jumps when she turns around.
“Jesus, you scared me.”
“Sam, we have to talk about what happened.”
Sam claps her hand over my mouth and looks around. “Not here.”
I peel away her fingers. “But I have to tell you something.” She may never forgive me for making that phone call, but she needs to know
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