“It’s too late to bother them on a Sunday night. Can’t you stop by and pick it up in the morning?”
Mom adds, “I have a better idea. I’ll call Jewell and ask her to drop it off on her way to work. What does it look like?”
“She can’t go into Swanee’s room, Mom.”
Mom frowns. “Why not?”
Do I really have to tell her? “She just can’t set foot in there.”
That shuts Mom up.
“We’ll work something else out,” Dad goes.
Which means no. I storm back upstairs and almost slam my door. That, I know, would cost me, especially if I woke Ethan. Thankfully I stop myself and lose the attitude so my credit card limit doesn’t dwindle to zero, or something worse.
I catch the glow of Swanee’s cell in my bag and take it out. She has two texts from today. They’re both the same number, but it’s not Liana.
The first one reads:
if u have this cell ur a thief n im reporting u to the cops
The number looks familiar. I check Swanee’s contacts and it’s not in there. Then I think to check my cell. Aha. It’s the number Joss has been using. I should’ve known.
The second text reads:
if u want to keep the cops out of it put the cell in an envelope and send it to this address
It’s a rural address in Hudson; probably that trailer where I left her today.
She’s not getting Swanee’s cell. Just as I’m dropping it back in my bag, my cell rings. It’s a text from Liana:
Sorry I missed your call. My mom always asks who I’m talking to and there’s nowhere in this house I can have a private conversation
Now I’m not even sure why I called her.
I text:
I hear you. Not literally
She texts:
LOL. I can’t believe you bought the merry widow
I text:
Hey, you’re the one who picked it out. In fact, I’m wearing it right now. I made dinner in it for the rents and now I’m doing laundry
LMAO
I text:
Do you like working there?
It’s OK. Better than Chuck E. Cheese’s
But you’d get free pizza there
And salmonella. At VS I get to dream about girls in lingerie all day
There’s a lull in the conversation, like maybe we shouldn’t be having it. Then she texts:
I know you’re not supposed to speak poorly of the dead, but what Swan did was wrong and unforgivable. Except I’m Catholic, so I have to forgive her. I don’t want to hate her. I did at first. Every lie I found out about was like a stab in the back. But I don’t want to let hatred control my life
Swan never should’ve done what she did to Liana. Or Rachel. Or me. No, there’s no comparison with them and me. I know in my heart that Swanee loved me. She just wanted to make sure I was fully committed to her before she broke it off with Liana.
One more day and she would’ve known.
Yeah, it hurts to find out she was seeing someone else at the same time we were coming together. But given the chance, I would’ve proven to Swanee that no one could love her as much as I did.
Liana texts:
I have to go
Before she disconnects, I text:
Wait
A pause.
What?
That’s the question, I think. Why am I making her wait? She needs to get on with her life, and so do I.
I text:
Nothing. Never mind
Chapter 13
When I hand in my persuasive paper, Mrs. Burke scans the mostly empty page and then turns it over to see if I’ve continued on the back. She gets that same look on her face that Mom gets when she’s disappointed in me. I almost say, Quality over quantity, right? I’m surprised teaching doesn’t bring out the serial killer in more adults.
On my way home I pass Swanee’s street and see the Smart car parked at the end of the cul-de-sac with a FOR SALE sign in the window. LIKE NEW. $18,500 .
Oh my God. Joss.
Jewell’s just pulling into the driveway as I’m walking away and she waves at me. She gets out, shoulders her hobo bag, and calls, “Hi, Alix. Come in for a cappuccino. It’ll have to be quick, though.”
I trail her inside, wondering how to ask if she’s regrouped. Her hair is damp and pulled back in a ponytail.
The house looks the
Mom adds, “I have a better idea. I’ll call Jewell and ask her to drop it off on her way to work. What does it look like?”
“She can’t go into Swanee’s room, Mom.”
Mom frowns. “Why not?”
Do I really have to tell her? “She just can’t set foot in there.”
That shuts Mom up.
“We’ll work something else out,” Dad goes.
Which means no. I storm back upstairs and almost slam my door. That, I know, would cost me, especially if I woke Ethan. Thankfully I stop myself and lose the attitude so my credit card limit doesn’t dwindle to zero, or something worse.
I catch the glow of Swanee’s cell in my bag and take it out. She has two texts from today. They’re both the same number, but it’s not Liana.
The first one reads:
if u have this cell ur a thief n im reporting u to the cops
The number looks familiar. I check Swanee’s contacts and it’s not in there. Then I think to check my cell. Aha. It’s the number Joss has been using. I should’ve known.
The second text reads:
if u want to keep the cops out of it put the cell in an envelope and send it to this address
It’s a rural address in Hudson; probably that trailer where I left her today.
She’s not getting Swanee’s cell. Just as I’m dropping it back in my bag, my cell rings. It’s a text from Liana:
Sorry I missed your call. My mom always asks who I’m talking to and there’s nowhere in this house I can have a private conversation
Now I’m not even sure why I called her.
I text:
I hear you. Not literally
She texts:
LOL. I can’t believe you bought the merry widow
I text:
Hey, you’re the one who picked it out. In fact, I’m wearing it right now. I made dinner in it for the rents and now I’m doing laundry
LMAO
I text:
Do you like working there?
It’s OK. Better than Chuck E. Cheese’s
But you’d get free pizza there
And salmonella. At VS I get to dream about girls in lingerie all day
There’s a lull in the conversation, like maybe we shouldn’t be having it. Then she texts:
I know you’re not supposed to speak poorly of the dead, but what Swan did was wrong and unforgivable. Except I’m Catholic, so I have to forgive her. I don’t want to hate her. I did at first. Every lie I found out about was like a stab in the back. But I don’t want to let hatred control my life
Swan never should’ve done what she did to Liana. Or Rachel. Or me. No, there’s no comparison with them and me. I know in my heart that Swanee loved me. She just wanted to make sure I was fully committed to her before she broke it off with Liana.
One more day and she would’ve known.
Yeah, it hurts to find out she was seeing someone else at the same time we were coming together. But given the chance, I would’ve proven to Swanee that no one could love her as much as I did.
Liana texts:
I have to go
Before she disconnects, I text:
Wait
A pause.
What?
That’s the question, I think. Why am I making her wait? She needs to get on with her life, and so do I.
I text:
Nothing. Never mind
Chapter 13
When I hand in my persuasive paper, Mrs. Burke scans the mostly empty page and then turns it over to see if I’ve continued on the back. She gets that same look on her face that Mom gets when she’s disappointed in me. I almost say, Quality over quantity, right? I’m surprised teaching doesn’t bring out the serial killer in more adults.
On my way home I pass Swanee’s street and see the Smart car parked at the end of the cul-de-sac with a FOR SALE sign in the window. LIKE NEW. $18,500 .
Oh my God. Joss.
Jewell’s just pulling into the driveway as I’m walking away and she waves at me. She gets out, shoulders her hobo bag, and calls, “Hi, Alix. Come in for a cappuccino. It’ll have to be quick, though.”
I trail her inside, wondering how to ask if she’s regrouped. Her hair is damp and pulled back in a ponytail.
The house looks the
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