Chapter 19

Friday, June2

The next morning, after arriving home at five a.m.—an hour before my parents got home—I was able to shower and pretend I had a normal night in.

I jump in my car to go to school. Rhett and I slept after eating hot dogs and making small talk. I can’t say he’s absolutely not the person messaging me, but after last night, I don’t think he is.

I do know he was weird about Ruthie and Atlas. But he’s weird about a lot of stuff.

All he’s done is confuse me more, because there’s something going on with Atlas, beyond him distancing himself from me.

I drive over the bridge with my window down and the warm breeze drifting in. The sound of water rushing underneath makes me smile. I love hearing the river, but I haven’t been in it since Arthur. Sounds the same, but I don’t think it’ll feel like it used to.

As I reach the top of the bridge, I gasp. Across the river, on the bank, close to where we left Arthur, is a swarm of cops.

They’ve found him.

One of the cops looks up and makes eye contact. White dots dance in front of my face. I jolt backward in my seat and slam my foot on the brakes. The car swerves before it stops, grazing a sign pole. The sound of metal making me grit my teeth.

Oh god.

I look out the window, and sure enough the cop is watching me. Shit. What will he think of this?

Stay calm. It’s okay.

Taking a breath, I pray that the cop will be too distracted to bother with me. I’m wrong. He starts to walk my way, treading carefully on the high riverbank before it drops.

Oh god, it’s Sam. My dad’s friend. Of all the cops who could’ve seen me.

I clear my throat, preparing myself to have to talk to him.

It’s fine. You’re fine.

I glance behind Sam, to the white tent that he disappears behind. Could Arthur’s body have washed up there? It’s not like we weighted him down.

They just threw him in and assumed he was too far from town or any hiking routes to be found.

We thought the tide would take him.

I need to get to school and find Atlas.

“Hey!” Sam shouts, waving his hand to get my attention.

I cut the engine and open the door.

From down there Sam can’t reach me, unless he wants to go back into the forest to then join the road again. Unlikely, given what’s currently happening.

“Marley? Are you okay? I heard a crash,” he says as I move to the edge of the bridge.

I look over the railing, clenching my trembling, sweaty hands together. “Yeah, I’m okay, Sam. I’m fine. It was just a scrape.”

“Are you sure? Do you want me to come up there?”

No, go away.

“Oh no, I-I’m fine, really. The pole is still standing.”

“I’m not concerned about the pole. Your dad would want me to make sure you’re okay.”

He’s not going to let this go.

“I’m fine, I promise,” I say.

“What happened?” he asks, using his hand to block the sun from his eyes.

I look down at him. “Just a lack of concentration,” I say, pointing to the tent. “I’m so sorry. Look, there’s no damage to the sign and only a little scratch on my hood.”

“You’re not in shock?”

“No. Feel like a total idiot, though. First time I’ve ever hit anything.” God, I wish that was true. “It’s just, I saw you guys and the tent. What’s going on?”

“I can’t say just yet.”

I want to ask if it’s in connection to Arthur’s disappearance, but I don’t want them to think that I’m inserting myself in the investigation or looking for information. At the same time, it’s been a week, and isn’t that what someone would ask?

“It’s not Mrs.Hokanson wandering off again, I passed her walking her dog,” I say, waving my hand toward the police presence and death tent behind him. “Why the tent?” My hand flies to my heart. “Oh my god, Arthur! George told me he’s missing.”

“I really can’t say, and I’m guessing you should be getting to school.”

There was no hesitation in his reply, and from what I can tell, he’s not suspicious. He’s relaxed, as if we’re discussing my favorite class at school, something he usually asks as a way to make polite conversation.

“Sam, is Arthur…Is he okay?”

“Have a good day, Marley,” he replies. “Get your dad to look at the bumper, even if it doesn’t look like there’s any damage.”

“All right,” I reply. “You have a good day too, Sam.”

I give him a wave and get back into my car. He’s already walking away when I start the engine. Shoving the car into drive, I avoid the sign again and get back on the road, leaving scrapes of blue paint behind on the pole.

As I make a right to take the route to school, I spot Rhett sitting in his car in a turnout on the edge of the forest.

Rhett watches me as I pass, and I feel his eyes burning holes in the side of my head.

How much of that did he see?

And why the hell is he just sitting there?

I pull into the school parking lot and run from my car to Atlas’s. He’s leaning against the door, chatting with Leon, but when he sees me, he slaps Leon on the back and leaves him behind as if he senses imminent danger.

“What’s wrong?” he asks.

“Found,” I pant, shocked by how out of breath I am. Though I think it has everything to do with the fact that our victim has just been discovered and not my sudden exertion.

“Found what?”

“Arthur’s been found.”

Atlas’s jaw falls, and he stumbles another step closer to me, reaching out like he wants me to hold him up because he’s hanging on by a thread.

“Who? How?” His voice is gravelly and his skin paling. “Marley, what did you hear?”

I shake my head. “Nothing. I saw it. Cops everywhere on the riverbank when I was coming over the bridge.”

For some reason I don’t tell him about the crash. He already thinks I’m going to crumble and send us all to jail.

“What the hell. How do you know it’s Arthur? The river was flowing. He could be long gone by now.”

How many bodies does he think are in there?

“I’m really sure. There was a tent up and dozens of cops. I asked Sam if Mrs.Hokanson had wandered off again. Then made it seem like I’d just remembered something, said George was asking about Arthur because he hasn’t come home.”

He nods. “Good. That’s good. You made it sound like you were speculating.”

“That was the plan. But what do we do now? It’s not normal for people to be found in rivers. There will be an investigation.”

I’m absolutely petrified of this leading back to us. To lose so much because of an accident. But I know, with absolute certainty, that it’s what we deserve.

Still, I can feel myself being reeled in by the chance at a normal, successful life. One without courts and prison and public shame. One where my parents don’t have to scrub murderer off their door or move away.

“We were careful. Jesse’s car is clean. No one touched him without gloves. We stay calm and wait for this to blow over,” Atlas says. He stretches his back, squaring his shoulders as if to make himself bigger. There’s no amount of artificial growing he can do to make this right.

“O-okay.”

“You good, Marley?” His face is ashen, like he’s fighting real hard to hold his breakfast down.

“I’m not the one who looks like they’re about to pass out.”

“I’m fine. We should get to class. We need to keep everything normal,” he replies, staring holes into me.

“I was sick one day, Atlas. I’ve been here since.”

He lifts his palms. “I’m not criticizing, but it’s more important than ever for us to keep it together. Come to me if you’re struggling.”

But in public, hold it in and pretend.

“I get it.”

“I mean it.”

“I said I get it, Atlas. Bell’s about to go.” I turn and walk away from him, now irritated as well as terrified and drowning in guilt.

He doesn’t try to talk to me as I head inside, but I hear his footsteps right behind me. I bet he’s watching me like a hawk, ready to pounce in case I throw the doors open and announce what we’ve done.

My first class is with Luce, thankfully not Atlas or Jesse.

Unfortunately, also with Rhett.

I’m still on edge about the forest night and can’t be 100percent certain he’s not the one who messaged me and was trying to throw me off.

This is one huge nightmare that I would give anything to wake up from. Apparently not my freedom, though.

I make a right, shoving my way into the classroom. Atlas’s sigh is the last thing I hear before the door shuts and blocks him out. I’ve been in love with Atlas for years, at least two before we actually got together. We’ve fought and gotten on each other’s nerves…but this situation is the first time he’s doubted me.

It’s not just me who would face serious consequences, so for him to believe I would mess this up and tear apart his life too is like a kick to the gut.

Then there’s Jesse and Luce. I’ve been best friends with Luce for years. She knows everything about me. I thought I knew everything about her.

I take a seat on the plastic chair next to Luce and turn to her. The teacher isn’t here yet, and the rest of the class is chatting loudly. A couple of guys from the football team are throwing a ball to each other. Rhett is right at the back, whispering something into Ruthie’s ear. She’s going to catch something if she keeps letting him get that close.

“What?” Luce asks, taking one look at my face.

So I guess I don’t look normal.

“The cops found Arthur in the river.”

Her eyes widen like in a cartoon. “Oh shit! Are you serious? Marley, what the hell? What are we going to do?”

“Shhh,” I hush, and pull her closer. “We do nothing. The guys are sure we’re in the clear. Nothing was left at the scene, and we used gloves to…move him.”

“This is the start of it, isn’t it? We’re going to have to lie and lie and lie.”

“Why would anyone question us?”

“We did the dare, Marley,” she whispers back, her breathing heavy.

“Yeah, but not on that stretch of road. For all anyone knows, we took a right at the crossroads and went back home.”

Which we did, after we’d disposed of Arthur’s body.

“God, this is…What is it? There are no words,” she says. “What we’ve done is…”

“No words?” I say, and she nods.

She’s right. There are no words in the English language strong enough to describe the horror we have committed. The weight of it is almost as heavy as knowing we are going to spend the rest of our lives covering it up.

“Are you ready for another dare?” Rhett asks, sitting on our desk.

Luce and I sit up, and I shove his arm. “Go to hell, Rhett.”

My palms sweat as I watch him, looking for any microexpressions that could tell me if he heard us talking. He just looks suitably smug, as always.

“Ah, baby, your words hurt.”

“Your words are hurting your girlfriend,” Luce says. “She’s not at all happy that you’re constantly trying to flirt with Marley.”

I don’t know which one of us wants to punch her more, but Rhett and I have the same look of annoyance.

Her comment works, though. Rhett stands. “You’re insane, Luce. Both of you be ready tonight.”

The news of Arthur being found obviously hasn’t hit town yet. It would be all anyone could talk about if it had.

“Rhett, I cannot stress this enough, leave us alone and find another obsession,” Luce says, waving her hand to dismiss him.

Her bravery has me smiling. Very few people stand up to Rhett. It’s always glorious to watch when someone does. His face reddens and he clenches his hands into fists, knuckles turning white with the effort he’s using to hold back.

He’s never hit a girl, and I don’t think he would, but he does not like being challenged, especially in front of others.

I wish she would stand up to Jesse more.

“You need to watch yourself, Luce. You’re on very thin ice here.”

He walks away, back to Ruthie, who’s staring straight through me.

“What the hell did he mean by that? ‘On thin ice’?” I say.

Luce shakes her head, the color draining from her face. “Don’t go there. You said he didn’t mention anything about it in the forest.”

“He didn’t, not really, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know.”

She grabs my wrist, and that’s when Mr.Jackson walks into the room with a DVD in his hand.

There’s a collective cheer as he inserts the disc.

I’m glad it’s not something I’m going to have to focus on. When he flicks off the light and sits at his desk, his head in his laptop, I take out my phone.

What dare?

I thought you were done?

I want to be, but his little water-related warning has me right on edge again. Someone knows what we’ve done, and I have to figure out who. It’s even more important now that Arthur has been found.

Are you giving me one or not?

I think I’m going to give us one since we had so much fun in the forest.

What about Luce?

She can sit it out.

I don’t like this at all. He wants to get me alone again, and he’s probably the one who knows.

When and where?

I’ll let u know

I push my phone into my shorts pocket and then press against the knot in my stomach.

“What?” Luce whispers.

I shake my head, forcing myself to look at the screen. “Nothing.”

Maybe nothing. Rhett definitely knows more than he’s saying; I’m just not sure it’s about Arthur.