“My little brother,” he says. “The others are still too young.”
I’m trying to think of what else to ask about his family when the bell sounds, signaling the end of lunch. Sydney and I exchange a disappointed look. We didn’t even get to ask him about the other boys yet.
“Damn,” Lyle says, glancing at the clock. “That went by too fast.”
Sydney looks him over. “You’re a nice guy,” she says. “And thanks for helping clean up.”
“Anytime,” Lyle says. “And hey, maybe I’ll see you at the game this weekend. My brother’s on the team.” He laughs. “Matt’s a freshman, so he’s benched most of the time, but he likes when I show up.”
“That sounds great,” I say. “We’ll see you there.”
Lyle gets up, nodding to us awkwardly, before walking away. Sydney and I hang back a second. My skirt is still wet where the milk ran onto the fabric. I quickly check Garrett’s table, relieved to see that he and his friends are gone. I turn back around in time to see Lyle leave the cafeteria.
“What do you think?” I ask Sydney, regarding Lyle.
“I like him,” she says. “He’s not exactly the type Leandra told us to look out for, but I’m open to investigate further. At least he seems harmless.”
“Agreed,” I say. “And with his brother on the team, he might have a direct connection to the other boys. Anything that can help this along so we can get out of here.”
“Can’t wait to get out of here,” Sydney murmurs, glancing around. “But I have a feeling we’re going to have quite a few suspects.” She reaches to grabs her backpack.
“By the way,” she says as we start out of the cafeteria, “I’m going to stop by the mall after school to pick up new phones,” she says. “You want to go?”
“No,” I say. “I told Annalise I’d meet with Raven about my programming.”
The moment I say the words, anxiety claws its way through my chest, tearing at me. Warning me.
Ice picks and whispers, hands wrapped around my throat …
“Okay,” Sydney says, interrupting my thoughts. “Then I’ll meet you at the apartment?”
“I’ll see you there,” I say, trying to steady my voice. I force a smile.
Together, we walk out of the cafeteria to finish our day at school. But when I’m alone, I think about connections. How we can find more information. And suddenly, I have a different plan.
13
Idon’t go directly home after school. Instead of meeting with Raven, I figure out the bus route, take it to the upscale neighborhood, and wait by the gate for a car to drive through. Once I’m inside, I try to remember which streets to take to get to Lennon Rose’s house.
My heart is pounding as I make my way to the oversized door. The driveway is empty and the window blinds are closed. I hope she’s here.
I want to talk some sense into her, convince her to come home with me. She belongs with her girls.
She belongs with us.
I ring the bell and wait. It’s quiet, and I wonder what time it is. She might not be home from … I pause, realizing that I don’t even know if Lennon Rose attends school.
The door opens, and I find Lennon Rose standing there. Her long hair cascades down her shoulders, and she’s wearing a largecardigan over leggings, smiling like she’s been expecting me.
“Hello, Mena,” she says. She leans against the doorframe. “I hope you didn’t walk. We could have come and picked you up.”
A chill trickles down my back. “We?” I ask.
She laughs. “Yes,we,” she replies playfully, reaching to take my hand. “Now come in. Winston is dying to talk to you.”
I rock back on my heels instead. “Winston Weeks is here?”
Although I knew this was his house, knew that Lennon Rose was working with him, the idea that he’s so close is terrifying. I’m not sure I can do this. Not alone.
