Chapter 25

Tuesday, June6

Mom and Dad are up for breakfast, both drinking black coffee because they’ve been working so hard and not getting enough sleep. But they both have the next two days off, so I have to be more careful about what time I’m getting home.

I force another bite of pancake down. It’s usually one of my favorite breakfasts, and I need to eat it to prove nothing’s wrong.

Mom turns the radio down, the latest information about Arthur now over.

She shakes her head. “I wonder what happened to him.”

“I spoke to Sam last night; he thinks it could’ve been a hit and run,” Dad says. “Either the driver dumped him after killing him, or he was hit on the bridge and was knocked over. Either way, it’s awful.”

“Poor Arthur.”

“Do you think George is up for visitors?” I ask. “He could probably use a friend right now.”

Mom smiles. “He’s not awake for long, but I’m sure he’ll appreciate a visit. After school, though—you don’t want to miss these last few days.”

I absolutely do want to miss them. I’d love to run away to California right now and leave all of this behind.

“I’ll go this afternoon,” I tell her. “Does he know about Arthur?”

“Last I saw him, no. He’s in and out, still in a very bad way.”

“What, do you mean he still might die?”

“It’s a possibility.”

“But he woke up.”

Dad squeezes my arm. “I wish that meant he was in the clear.”

“Has he spoken?” I ask.

“Apparently he asked where he was before falling back to sleep. Keep faith, Marley, it’s positive that he’s woken up,” Mom replies.

Except that doesn’t mean he won’t die. What total crap is that?

I need him to be okay.

“What will happen with Arthur now?”

“Sam said they’ll wait to see what happens with George. If he pulls through, he’ll be able to organize the funeral,” Dad replies.

“And if he doesn’t?”

“He will still be laid to rest. Sam’s got someone searching for his lawyer.”

I nod, relieved that he will be buried or cremated properly. No grave in the woods and no river.

“I hope they find whoever did that to him,” Mom says, shaking her head.

Dad shrugs. “There’s not a lot to go off, only that they believe he was hit by a car.”

“Could it have been an accident?” Mom asks. “If he was hit on the bridge, the driver might’ve assumed it was an animal. If it was at night, of course. It’s awfully dark in that area of town. I’ve hit deer I haven’t seen until they were under my wheel.”

A chunk of pancake gets lodged in my throat, and I only just manage to swallow it before I choke.

“I don’t think they’re ruling anything out. I suppose it’s a possibility, but you would check what you hit, surely.”

She shrugs. “Not everyone does. Marley, you better get going.”

I push the plate away. “I’ll brush my teeth and head out.”

When I got to school, my anxiety was buzzing. No matter how many times I give myself a pep talk, I can’t stop from wanting to throw up. The badge is in my pocket because I can’t trust my friends not to steal it again, along with Rhett’s tracker.

It feels really weird without Atlas. I hate that, because I’m so angry with him and whatever he might be up to. But it does. We’ve spent every day since the start of high school together, becoming friends right away, before he asked me out. The end-of-year schedule has me doing more activities with him. We’ve never been in so many classes together. It feels like a punishment now. One I’m sure I deserve.

Now he’s pretending that I don’t exist. He hasn’t glanced my way once, and we’ve been in class for twenty minutes.

I’m at the back of the room, watching him chat with Theo. Unless seats were assigned, he always came straight to me.

I hate that it hurts, but I’m glad that the raw, unfiltered anger is stronger.

Rhett walks in, and the turned-nose look he gives Atlas manages to make me smile. It’s something I wish I could do, but I don’t want to be that girl. I don’t want Atlas to think that I’m still hung up on him. I’m giving him space until I can figure out how involved he is with the others’ plan.

In another game of musical chairs, Rhett walks straight to me and drops down in the next seat. Of all the stupid things he could’ve done.

“What’re you doing?” I ask, hyperaware of Atlas’s gaze and shocked expression.

“Sitting down, ready for class. Ms.Mabel’s quiz.”

“You’re sitting next to me.”

“We’re so winning this quiz,” he mutters, smirking.

“This isn’t funny, Rhett. We don’t sit together.”

He shrugs like this is no big deal. To him I guess it isn’t. He couldn’t care less that people are looking and whispering. Atlas has turned around, but his shoulders are hunched and he’s doing something on his phone. Reporting to Jesse and Luce, maybe.

“Last few days, Marley. Stop caring what people think. You’re not going to see most of them again.”

“I don’t think I’ll see any of them again.”

“Drama is next period.”

It’s not, but I get his point.

Ms.Mabel hands out pages to each group of two and goes to her desk. She’s smiling as if this has been her best idea yet. “I’ll collect them once you’re done, and we’ll see who the winners are.”

Rhett looks down and pushes the papers away.

“Have you seen Ruthie?” I ask.

“No, but I’m not exactly looking for her. We need to find that phone.”

I glance around the room. There are maybe four groups doing the quiz. Ms.Mabel doesn’t seem to care that the rest of us aren’t. She just needs to keep us in the classroom until the end of the lesson anyway.

“I was kind of thinking you could do that while I’m in gym. I know her locker number.”

A smile spreads across his face. “You’re on.”

“Can you try not to enjoy this so much? It’s not a game.”

“I’m not psyched for the serious part of it. I like this part.”

“Plotting.”

“We usually do that against each other.” He nudges my arm, something Atlas doesn’t miss as he takes another not-so-subtle look over here. “I like being on the same team.”

“I think you’re the only one who’s on my team.”

“We can take ’em.”

“Don’t really want to.” My head hurts at the thought of messing with my friends, but I have to protect myself.

What if I’ve made a mistake. Trusting Rhett could be my biggest one. Second to Arthur, obviously.

“The asshole can’t stop looking at you,” he whispers.

“I know. He’ll find you sitting here suspicious. I don’t like it, Rhett. Do you think he knows I’m onto them?”

“Because I’m sitting next to you?”

“Yes! I don’t think you understand how paranoid doing what we did makes you. We now question everything and everyone. Trust nothing. He’ll be asking himself why I’m talking to you, especially now, after the dare. He’ll know what they’re trying to do to me and wonder if I’m getting you on my side and what that could mean.”

“Like, I’m providing you with an alibi for that night?”

“Can’t see that standing up, but yeah, maybe. It’ll be a thought, I’m certain of it. He’ll also wonder if it’s revenge, but everything goes back to that night. I want you to give me another dare in the group. Make it look like that’s why you sat here.”

“No.”

“You have to, and you have to make it a good one. If they start to worry that I’m figuring it out, it could push them to act sooner…with whatever they have planned, and I need more time.”

“Marley, I don’t want to give you another dare.”

“Something big that hasn’t been done before.”

“No.”

“Has to be something I will hate.”

“Have you thought about George?” he asks.

“Every minute,” I whisper.

“No, I mean, have you considered that he might be involved?”

“Where did that come from? Are you just trying to change the subject?”

“No, listen. I think I overheard Ruthie on the phone with George.”

“What?”

“I didn’t really take it in because I was pissed at her for calling me her boyfriend. She definitely muttered George’s name.”

“It could be another George or her talking about George to someone else.”

He tilts his head. “Maybe, but it could be something.”

“I don’t know what to do with that.”

“You should talk to him. See if he knows something.”

“Oh, come on. Arthur was his uncle. If he knows, then I wouldn’t be sitting here right now,” I whisper.

Rhett and I both jump when Carina screams in the middle of class. Her eyes are wide, and she holds her phone up, staring at whatever on the screen has caused that reaction.

“Miss Perry, do you mind telling us why—”

“Ruthie’s dead!”