No: one is Jennifer, talking about me.
“Haveyouseen Clementine?”she asks.“The truck is still here, so she hasn’t left, but I can’t find her and I’m getting worried.”
“Sorry,” calls the other voice, one I don’t recognize.
I clear my throat and take a shaky breath.
“Jen,” I call.
Silence, then footsteps on the stairs.She rounds the landing in a whirl, calling my name, and then the lights go on and I squeeze my eyes shut, shielding them with my hand.
“There you are,” she says.
I open one eye and look up at her, afraid to speak.Jennifer holds out one hand.
“They made it,” she says softly.
I lean my head back against the wall and take a deep breath.
It’s okay,I think over and over.It’s okay it’s okay it’s okay.It’s okay.
“C’mon,” Jennifer says.“They’re in a helicopter, heading to Ashlake General.”
I grab her hand and let her pull me up, and before I can stop her she’s pulling me in, wrapping her arms around me.
“There’s a football trophy with Cute Butt’s name on it by the principal’s office,” she says softly.“You never said you’d known each other since high school.”
That does it.
The dam breaks and I startsobbinginto Jennifer’s shoulder, and it’s a loud, messy, snot-filleduglycry but I don’t care because I feel limp and spent like a rubber band that’s been stretched too far and snapped back.Jennifer just strokes my hair and makes soothing noises as I babble, shit likeI thought he was gonna dieandI couldn’t fucking do anythingandJesus I’m a mess I’m sorry.
Eventually, the waterworks are over and I’ve just got the hiccups.Jennifer reaches into a pocket and hands me half a brown paper towel from one of the school bathrooms.
I clear my throat and blow my nose, then wish I’d dried my eyes before blowing my nose, and Jennifer guides me upstairs to the girl’s bathroom where there are as many paper towels as I need.I splash my face, and as I dry it on more scratchy paper towels, Jennifer’s radio says her name.
“Yeah,” she says.
“Did you find Clementine?”
She looks at me.
“Yeah, I got her,” she says.
“Can she talk?”
I nod.
“Sure,” she says, and hands me the radio.
There’s another lump in my throat, and I try to clear it.The radio is quiet for a long time, and I just watch it, waiting.
Then there’s a quick burst of static.
“Clem?”Hunter’s voice says.
“Hey,” I say, and I grin despite myself, my eyes filling up again.
Jennifer turns and leaves the girls’ bathroom.
