She leans closer and lowers her voice. “Leave me alone.”
My thoughts swim around my head like soup, all of them jumbled together, and nothing makes sense. How did I go all this time not knowing Mallory was spending time with Myles? That’s something I should’ve caught on to. I’ve thought about every second I spent with Mallory before she died, mulling over every detail, trying to figure out what I missed until the memories were worn out. I hoped I’d findMyles’s motive somewhere along the way, but they were—they are—spending time together and I didn’t notice.
There’s a raw pull at my heart thinking of them together. How close are they? Nausea strikes and my head spins at the thought of them in the same room. In my mind, the lights are low and they sit next to each other. Their hands touch—
“Are you dating him?” I blurt out. It’s less of a question and more of an accusation.
“What? No.” Her nose scrunches up and she grimaces. “It’s Myles. He’s like my brother.”
Some brother. He kills you.
“Then what’s going on?”
Mallory pries my hand off her again. “Nothing’s going on.”
If only she could understand the gravity of the situation. Whatever she’s doing with him right now is going to lead to her death.
“Please.”
“If you don’t believe me, go ask him,” she says, twirling me around by the shoulders so I have a clear view of him sitting across the cafeteria, surrounded by the rest of the baseball team.
Go ask him? Themurderer?
I already tried that. He doesn’t want anything to do with me. Talking to him is like talking to a wall. Useless. Besides, every time I’m around him I feel sick.
“I’m going to eat.”
“But—”
I spin around to face her again, but she’s already walking off.
I stomp, and pinch my lips together to keep from yelling at her. It wouldn’t do any good. If I want any chance of herlistening to me, I have to get on her good side. I tug my sweater, grip tightening by the second as heat rises to my ears.
Myles sits on the end of the bench, and Sam is in the spot closest to him. They’re laughing about something, twisting a knife in my heart. How can he sit there smiling and laughing when he’s planning on hurting my sister?
I march forward, focused on him like a missile ready to explode on impact.
He catches a glimpse of me and covers his face with his hand like it’ll keep him safe, and the rest of the table grows quiet in my presence.
“And she’s back,” Sam says.
“Shut up,” I sneer. I’m not here to make friends. Not to mention, I’m still sore about how he vandalized my locker and his unwavering disbelief of Myles’s guilt.
I hit the table with two hands, leaning my weight forward. “Myles, I need to talk to you.”
Myles groans as his friends holler like a bunch of animals.
“She needs to talk to you,” Sam echoes.
I roll my eyes at their ridiculous behavior. I can guarantee they have no idea what I’m planning to talk to Myles about.
“Come on man. She’s waiting,” says the boy sitting across from him.
Myles lowers his hand to reveal his bright red face and his glaring eyes. “Go away,” he says through clenched teeth.
“I’ll go if you promise to stay away from Mallory.” I like that I’m looking down at him, where he belongs. He’s so used to walking around this school with everyone looking up to him, but he doesn’t deserve it. He deserves to be the gum on the bottom of a shoe, unwanted and destined for the trash.
“I already told you I never talk to her,” he says.
