“You mean Guy, don’t you?”
I stilled, and my eyes started to sting, more than sting. “Please, just leave me alone.”
Her gaze flicked back and forth between mine and my eyes filled up faster. “Jo. If something happened, I need you to tell me so I can help you. Hate me again in an hour if you need to but right now...”
The suddenly soft tone of her voice sent a tear rolling down my face. The second it did, I decided to remember—just for a little while—that Shelly used to be my friend.
IN BETWEEN
Jolene:
Can I talk to Adam?
Jeremy:
Hold on.
Jeremy:
It’s Adam.
Jolene:
Was it you?
Jeremy:
Was what me?
Jolene:
Shelly told me somebody beat up Guy. Was it you?
Jeremy:
Yes. I was going to tell you.
Jeremy:
I wasn’t thinking. I should have waited and talked to you. It was right after you told me. I didn’t think.
Jeremy:
But he’s moving. You won’t have to see him in the hall.
Jeremy:
Say something.
Jeremy:
Are you mad at me?
Jeremy:
Jolene?
Jeremy:
I couldn’t stand that he hurt you. I wanted to hurt him. And I needed him to know that you weren’t alone. You’re not.
Jeremy:
I looked up some stuff online and there’s info about how to report people.
Jolene:
I don’t want to talk about it.
Jeremy:
He shouldn’t get away with what he did to you.
Jolene:
All he did was kiss me.
Jeremy:
He did something you didn’t want. That’s assault.
Jeremy:
On top of that you’re a minor.
Jeremy:
You wouldn’t have to do it alone. I’m here. I’m always going to be here. We can talk to my parents or Mrs. Cho or whoever you want.
Jolene:
Stop. First Shelly, and now you?
Jeremy:
You told Shelly?
Jolene:
I didn’t plan on it but yes. She wants me to report him.
Jeremy:
I can’t believe I’m saying this but I agree with Shelly.
Jolene:
I just want to forget about it.
Jeremy:
Okay. But I’m here if you change your mind. Bizarrely it sounds like Shelly is, too.
Jolene:
I don’t know right now.
Jeremy:
Okay.
Jolene:
And you need to delete these texts from Jeremy’s phone.
Jeremy:
I will.
Jeremy:
I just want you to know I’m here.
Jeremy:
I’ll do anything for you.
Jolene:
I know.
Jolene:
Thanks.
Jolene
I set my phone down, then curled my legs up, and rested my cheek on my knee. For once, I was glad that my bedroom at my mom’s felt like it belonged to someone else. As my gaze traveled around the room, there were few memories associated with the soulless space. Apart from Mrs. Cho coming in to clean, I was the only one who spent time there. I’d never wanted to have friends over, not even Cherry.
At the thought of her, I lowered one leg, then the other, and after a moment’s hesitation, I walked over to open my closet. Smashed in the corner of a shelf was the holographic gift bag I’d thrown up there over two months ago.
I gnawed on my lip and plucked it down. Crumpled white tissue paper floated to the floor as I revealed a hinged box at the bottom that was no bigger than my palm.
It creaked slightly when I opened it and inside was a necklace with a tiny film camera charm on the end. I lifted the charm in my fingers as a tear slid down my cheek.
* * *
Gabe and Cherry’s mom opened the door when I knocked twenty minutes later. “Hi, sweetie. We haven’t seen enough of you lately.” She reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze as I mumbled a vague excuse about homework. “You just missed Gabe. You want to text him and see if he can swing back for you? He and Grady and Dexter were going to grab something to eat.”
I shook my head. “Can you just give this to him for me?” I held out a flash drive. “It’s the finished music video for Venomous Squid.”
She smiled wide. “You’re such a good friend for helping them with this. Gabe says you’re a genius.”
I gave her a tight-lipped smile in return and my fingers trailed up to clutch the charm resting against my chest. “I was also hoping you might let me see Cherry. I know she’s grounded but—”
Their mom frowned and cut me off. “Cherry’s not grounded anymore. She didn’t tell you?”
The charm dug into my palm as I clutched it tighter. “We haven’t been talking, so...”
The frown smoothed and her eyes softened. “She’s in her room.” She backed up to open the door wider for me. “Go on.”
Upstairs, my footsteps halted a few feet from Cherry’s open door. I’d almost turned around and left when her mom told me Cherry was no longer grounded. That meant she could have tried to call me or at least text me to say she was sorry. But she hadn’t. Which meant maybe she wasn’t. My foot inched back from her door. Maybe all these weeks she’d been avoiding me as much as I’d been avoiding her.
But then I thought about Shelly and what I’d agreed to do the next day and realized that I’d never get through it if I backed away from this situation now.
Cherry’s eyes widened when she saw me. She clicked the TV off and swung her legs off the bed.
“Hey,” I said. “Your mom let me up.”
She nodded. “Gabe’s not here.”
“I know. I came by to see you. I mean, I did drop off the music video, too, but—”