Chapter 33

Saturday, June10

I scroll social media, ignoring my own page for now. News of Jesse’s arrest has spread like wildfire.

The relief I feel that he won’t get away with this vibrates through my body. He’s killed accidentally and on purpose. And he’s going to pay for it.

I’m trying to find out if Atlas and Luce are still in custody, but there haven’t been any more sightings of them. There’s a relay of information coming through, like on the night Leon drove the ducks to school.

Now I’m going out of my mind because I only know where Jesse is. I could get Dad to call Sam and ask, play the fear card, but I don’t want to involve them just yet.

This afternoon is graduation, and we’re waiting to hear if I’ll be able to walk. I’m not bothered either way at this point, but it wouldn’t look good if I didn’t. I think Fuller might be over pranks and the class of 2023, so he’s pushing back.

Mom and Dad have both taken the day off work, so I’m struggling to find a way to get out of the house.

I half watch the rain pelting against my window and half my phone screen. It wasn’t supposed to rain yet, so I don’t think the footprint will hold up if they find out about the first burial site, but I think I have enough anyway.

Something catches my eye as I scroll. Atlas. He’s climbing onto the roof below my window. The way he used to sneak in and out if my parents were home. Why can’t the cops just charge him already?

I’m tempted to scream, it wouldn’t look good for him, but I want to hear what more he has to say. I set my phone to record, now super mindful that he might’ve done the same, and open my window.

“You need to get out of here, Atlas,” I say. “I’m giving you one warning because of who we used to be.”

“Cut the crap! What the hell are you trying to do?” he snaps.

“Back off. My parents are home.”

He rolls his eyes, water pouring down his face, plastering his hair against his forehead. “The cops are everywhere, searching my house! What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Back off, Atlas. I mean it. Leave me alone. All I want is for you guys to leave me alone.”

His scowl transforms his face, eyes wild and unpredictable.

He reminds me of Jesse.

I know how to deal with Jesse.

“You have to stop this. We’re going to go down!”

“You did it.”

“Stop it! You know what we did.”

“Mom! Dad!” I scream.

Atlas’s eyes widen. He looks over his shoulder and back to me like he doesn’t recognize who I am. Well, same. They’ve changed me, turned me into someone who doesn’t trust another soul, who constantly must protect themselves.

Over the sound of the rain, I can hear footsteps thundering up the stairs.

Atlas wobbles, almost losing his balance before he shuffles to the edge of the roof. He swings his legs over the edge and takes one last look at me. Eyes wide, mouth slightly parted. He knows that I’ve won.

Dad bursts through the door. “What’s wrong?”

“Atlas was on the roof.”

Dad runs over in time to see Atlas sprint across the yard. “I’m calling Sam,” he says, taking his phone from his jeans pocket. “Close that window.”

“What were you thinking opening it?” Mom says, placing her hand on my shoulder. I didn’t realize she’d come in, but she would hardly wait downstairs for Dad to fill her in.

I turn to her while Dad makes the call.

“I—I don’t know. Atlas wouldn’t hurt me, and I wanted to know why he was here.”

“We have no idea what he’s capable of, Marley. I cannot believe you were so reckless.”

“I’m sorry. I just have questions, Mom. We were together for three years.”

“That person is gone. You need to stay away from him.”

“I will,” I promise. “Have you heard about graduation?”

“You’re allowed to walk, but I don’t know if it’s a good idea.”

“What?” I say. “This is so unfair.”

Dad hangs up. “Calm down, Marley. We’re just trying to look out for you.”

“Fuller is the last person who would want me at school right now. You know he hates drama, so if he’s saying I can, it means that he knows I’m innocent.”

“Marley…”

“No, Dad. I don’t want to miss graduation because of something my old friends did. Come on, this isn’t something I can miss. Please.”

He sighs, relenting. “Fine. But we’re not hanging around to be the center of gossip.”

“Okay. We can leave straightaway. I just want to walk and get my diploma.”

“You’d better get dressed,” Mom says, her voice tight, as if she wants to fight Dad because she’s not totally on board.

It will appear like I’m hiding something if I miss graduation. I need everyone to believe me and not them.

I spend the next hour showering and getting ready. I curl my hair, apply makeup, and change into a black dress and matching heels. It’s an outfit that I could also wear to a funeral.

Mom and Dad take me to school and go to find seats in the auditorium. I walk the halls, taking everything in one last time. I’m not supposed to be here, but hanging out with my classmates doesn’t sound fun anymore.

“I knew you’d be hiding.”

I spin around and come face-to-face with Rhett for the first time since he tackled Jesse off me yesterday.

“Am I the center of gossip?” I ask.

“The rest of them more so. There’s a massive photo of Ruthie up, and people are angry.”

“Rightly,” I say.

“Agreed. The cops had me at the station yesterday, that’s what I was doing before I came to find you.”

“You okay?”

He nods. “Everything’s good, Marley. Jesse and the rest of them are going down for what they did to Ruthie and Arthur.”

“And George. He could’ve been killed.”

“Yeah, and George. Have you heard from him?”

I have, but Rhett doesn’t need to know that. “No, but my mom said he was being discharged. I’ll have to find out where he’s going. It’s not like he can stay at Arthur’s.”

Rhett shrugs. “Forget him, he’ll figure it out.”

Forget him. Something that seems so easy for Rhett to do. Once he’s finished with a person, he drops them. I feel a bolt of sympathy for George and a burning anger for the girl who once cried herself to sleep because her friend ghosted her.

“You should get back before your parents find us. I assume your dad won’t be happy that you’re talking to me.”

He scratches his jaw, wincing, and I know I’m right. Doesn’t matter that perfect Rhett Wilder is the reason we’re all in this mess. He can’t do anything wrong in the eyes of his parents, and if he does, it disappears.

“I’ll see you in there, yeah?”

“Yeah, go,” I say, and try to smile.

I watch Rhett retreat and then check my phone, rereading a message I received just before he came in. It says to meet in the guys’ locker room. I have about five minutes before I need to be with my classmates to walk.

I push the door to the gym open and immediately gag. It’s so gross when you first walk in, the smell of sweaty feet wafting through the room. I’m about to go into a much smellier place, though.

Opening the next door almost makes me vomit for real. How the hell are boys this stinky? I turn my nose up and call, “Hello?”

I move deeper into the room and walk around the corner. “Youhere?”

A thud from the door closing behind me makes me jolt. I spin around, my heart in my throat.

Jesse smirks. “Now, why would you be so jumpy?”

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“Don’t you mean what the hell are we doing here?”

I frown. “What?”

With a roll of his eyes, he taps the locked door beside him, and I hear another set of footsteps.

Luce moves into view, and they both look like they want to killme.