15

ELLE

I FIND BECK at school today. He’s actually there, and today he just looks like a boy, a mortal, somebody pretending to be tougher than he is. He’s chewing gum, walking away from Principal Stanton’s office. Probably another detention.

“Hey,” I say. “Did you hear what happened with Tabby’s trial?”

“No,” he says. “Fill me in.”

He’s lying. He’s always lying. Maybe he and Tabby have that in common.

I thought she and Beck still loved each other. I was sure of it, more sure than I’ve ever been of anything, but I guess my brain is good at making me believe things that never happened.

All the times Tabby said to me: “I love him so much, Elle. I’d do anything for him. I love him so much it scares me.”

Anything, Elle. Like, anything at all.

It never occurred to me she wasn’t talking about Mark, and she wasn’t talking about Beck either.