Tuesday Morning: April 19th
I gave up partway through the night and turned my iPad on low. If I wasn’t going to float off to dreamland, at least my thoughts could have a soundtrack. My stomach felt like it was being twisted, and my whole body wanted to twitch. I’m pretty sure I could have counted all the sheep in New Zealand before falling asleep.
At six-thirty my alarm started to beep over the sound of a pop song. I bolted upright. My heart raced; I must have slid into sleep sometime after four a.m.
My body felt heavy as I stumbled toward the shower. The warm water did little to make me feel better even if my eyes felt like they could see more than a hazy version of reality. Hopefully everything would clear up before we spewed out our confessions to the police.
What does one wear when they’re planning on turning herself into the fuzz? My usual faded boots and school khakis that fit my butt perfectly, for sure. Might as well add my favorite navy sweater since I’m sure to face a lifetime of prison jumpsuits after today. Too bad I have to start out the day in my school uniform. I wonder if I should wear my sweater with its discrete school logo for my mug shot? The school would adore having that photo on their website, advertising what an outstanding educational experience they gave students at the Academy. They loved to advertise students in the news.
I looked too preppy, despite the dark shadows under my eyes, when I looked in the mirror, but oh, well. I packed my undone homework in my bag. How many classes would we attend before talking to the detective? Okay, pretty much ready.
Except for a quick glance around my room. When would I see it again? It wasn’t the same as before Alex’s attack, but it was rising from the ashes like a phoenix and was close to being normal. Well, normal enough.
Like me. Gin. Benji. We were going to rise from the ashes of Sarah and Paisley’s deaths, even if this would be the end of life as we knew it. Alex was going to regret the day he messed with me. With us. My shoulders felt tense, so I straightened my back. There were a lot of truths I needed to tell, and not all involved Alex. Daniel deserved better from me. I owed him. One of his rehab programs insisted he make amends; now it’s my turn.
I turned off the light and shut the door, pausing to touch the cut-out letters spelling my name that Maggie had made for my birthday last year.
How would I explain this to my little sister? I left a note on the bulletin board on her door that I was heading to Benji’s house and that we’d pick her up at seven-thirty. I ran over the plan Gin had last night: we’d meet at Benji’s one last time to reassure each other to not freak out, and we’d go to school together.
It was almost seven a.m. I’d find something to do. Maybe take my last walk as a free woman.
***
“Harper.”
My dad’s voice made me stop in my tracks as I headed down the hallway toward the front door. I paused.
“Your mother and I talked, and we don’t want you to go to school today. We’re going to set up an urgent appointment with a grief counselor that my secretary knows.”
Gee, thanks, Dad. Glad your secretary knows someone.
“We’re also worried about you going to school here after losing two friends, so we’re placing a call to your mother’s old school—”
“Boarding school?” I said.
“And we think summer session there, followed by your senior year, would be a good change of pace. Keep you from brooding.”
As if I’d ever leave Maggie. Except I was going to leave her by turning myself in. “Whatever. At least let me give Maggie a ride to school,” I said. Even if I didn’t meet up with the boys first, I could still turn myself in at the police station.
“I’ve already scheduled a cab for her.”
“You’ve been busy.”
“Yes, well, I need to get this taken care of so I can focus on some important matters later today.”
Of course he did. His phone chimed, and he answered it, walking in the direction of his home office.
My own phone dinged. Gin.
Parents don’t want me to go to school.
Ditto.
Meet at my house at 10? Gin responded.
Yes.
I’d be able to sneak out before then.
I settled in to wait, hanging out with Maggie as she ate breakfast and caught her taxi. She kept looking at me with her eyes narrowed in worry, but didn’t say anything.
I waved as she caught her cab, and it was Dad’s turn to leave about fifteen minutes later.
“Don’t bother your mother. This all has been very hard on her,” he told me as he pulled on an overcoat and then picked up his briefcase. “She’s not feeling well this morning, so she’s sleeping in.”
“That’s a change,” I said.
“I don’t have time for you to be smart. My assistant will call you when she sets up your appointment later today.”
On that note, he exited to the garage, and I waited by the front door for his car to disappear around the block. I pulled my own coat from where I’d stashed it in the hall closet, along with my backpack, and slipped out the front door, closing it softly behind me although I doubted my mother would have noticed if I’d slammed it.
A jogger in black tight Nike running pants with matching jacket passed me on the trail as I headed toward Gin’s house. The trees were growing thick with leaves, and I bet the first May flowers were getting ready to sprout up.
I prefer the wildflowers of the trail system versus the manicured lawns with perfectly weeded beds of the neighborhood. Someone had tried to turn her front lawn into a vegetable garden with wooden planters last year but everyone had freaked. My father had talked about how this was a breach of HOA regulations, scoffing at the argument that growing food was more important than appearances. “They can grow their carrots in the backyard, out of sight,” he’d complained.
Now my personal vegetable garden was going to be out for everyone to see. What would Dad say when he heard? He’d threatened to cut Daniel off several times but he’d always picked up the pieces eventually. A grim smile crossed my face. Poor Dad. His handsome son struggled with drugs, his youngest daughter belonged to a world he’d never been willing to understand, and now the shining example of his success, his athletic, successful daughter, was going to be a felon before she turned seventeen. But it’s okay. He has important shit to do this afternoon.
A car stopped for me at the crosswalk on Sunrise Crest, and I rejoined the trail on the other side of the street. Not too far to Gin’s house, maybe three blocks. All of the houses on Turret looked over the gully.
My phone dinged, so I pulled it out of my pocket without thinking about it. Penetr8er. My lips curled into a snarl. Just wait, Alex. Your time has come.
I have something of yours.
My eyes riveted on the photo.
Maggie. With her hands and feet duct-taped in front of her. A matching strip of silver tape arced across her mouth.
My phone buzzed again.
I’ll trade. You for Maggie. But if you go to the police your sister will die. You know I’ll do it.
What do you want?
Go to the Strong Brew downtown. I’ll text.
And Harper? This is just between me and you. Call anyone else and Maggie is dead.
I closed my eyes.