River’s nokomis knocked softly on the bedroom door. “River, can I come in?”
River opened the door. Eric was right behind his mother.
“Dad?” River glared. “You told.”
“What?” asked Eric, holding up his hands. “She needs to know. She’s smarter than me at this stuff.”
“River, what happened?” asked her nokomis. “Who did this to you? Was it two teenage girls at the store?”
“How do you know that, Noki?”
“Word travels fast at bingo. All the grannies have cell phones too, you know.”
“Oh my god. Yes. I got jumped at the store by these two girls. They were saying I was, like, white, and I don’t belong here. That kinda stuff.”
“Gee whiz, River,” said her nokomis. “Ever sad, those girls. I don’t know why they act like that. I think I know them. They have done that before, and they never seem to get caught. No one ever calls them out on their actions.”
“Why?”
“They might be gang affiliated,” suggested Eric. “And no one wants to mess with that. So they just lie low until it smooths over, or is forgotten. Or they move on to the next person.”
“So this is normal? This would never happen where I live.” River stood lifeless with her hands by her side.
Eric hung his head and looked at his mother.
Her nokomis shook her head in disbelief. “I’ll arrange for a healing and justice circle. River, we will work through this together. Don’t you worry, my girl. Your old noki knows exactly what to do.”
River looked back at her dad. He just shrugged and mouthed, “I told you so.”
River answered her phone.
“Hi, Josh.”
“Umm . . . are you okay? What’s going on?”
“Why? What do you mean?”
“I just saw that nasty post you were tagged in.”
“I don’t know what’s going on. I honestly don’t know what to say to you, Josh.”
“Well, are you gonna tell me what happened? We haven’t talked in more than a month. This isn’t like us at all. It’s not like you at all. It’s like I don’t even know you anymore.”
“Okay. Well. I got hazed at the store today. Some crazy rez girls, who were clearly mistaken about my intentions, just called me out. They beat me up and then posted some lies online about me. I just told Dad and Nokomis what happened to me. Noki is calling for a healing-justice circle thing. She says she knows the girls and they have done this before.”
“And?” Josh demanded.
River paused. “And what?”
“I know this might be bad timing. But can you at least tell me what it meant in the comments when it said ‘we saw you sleeping with Russell in the North End’?”
“Um . . . yeah . . . I don’t know. It’s kind of a long story. And it isn’t what it seems like, I swear.”
“Hmmm. Okay.”
The silence grew.
“I’m listening,” said Josh with an edge in his voice.
“Well . . . I was going to wait and tell you in person when I got back. I honestly haven’t even thought about it really. I went to a party and got wasted. I ended up sleeping in the same bed as this guy, because it was a really scary place in the North End, and I didn’t feel safe. But nothing happened, I SWEAR.”
“Nice.” The hurt in Josh’s voice pierced River’s ears.
“Josh.”
“So . . . um . . . I’m just supposed to believe you? Believe that nothing happened?”
“Why would I lie to you, Josh?”
“I don’t know, River. It all seems pretty dramatic. And even if you didn’t have sex with the guy, it’s not like you’re having sex with me. I’ve been patient, River, but now it looks like ‘nothing’ is what’s been happening between you and me all these years. You haven’t told me anything that has been going on since you left. Talk to me, River.”
River felt she couldn’t even start explaining to Josh. “Josh, I can’t. Maybe we need a break.”
“What are you saying? I’m calling to see if you’re okay. Calling to see if this is true. You say it sort of is. And now you are telling me we need a break? What is happening with you, River?”
“Josh, all I know is that I seriously need to figure some stuff out. It’s more complicated than it seems. I have no idea how I got into this one. Or how to dig myself out. I really don’t want to drag you into all of this.”
“But you already have, River. This sounds like a lot of ‘It’s not you, it’s me.’ And I’m not buying it.”
“Can I call you in like a week and we can talk more, when I get some stuff figured out?”
“Don’t bother,” Josh snapped as he hung up the phone.