"She's not fine. She doesn't even leave the house."
"Her physical health is fine. Her mental health is a different story." He wakes up his laptop and starts typing. "Close the door on your way out."
Back in my room, I text Jackson.Brock didn't care about the pills. He doesn't care if Braden takes them.
I'm not surprised,Jackson texts back.
After a quick shower, I get dressed and try to do homework. It's a waste of time. I can only focus when I'm studying with Jackson. When he's not around my mind keeps going back to him instead of whatever I'm reading for class.
At eleven I go to the webpage where they're streaming the funeral. The church looks packed. I can only see about half of the pews but it looks like mostly older people are there, not people my age. The Twisted Pine people either didn't show up or all sat in the back.
A minister appears and starts talking about God and how loss affects us all and how tragic it is to lose someone so young. After ten minutes of that I'm about ready to shut it off when the minister says, "And now Kristen's mother, Daphne Reynolds, would like to say a few words."
He looks at her in the audience and nods.
The camera turns back to the front row where Principal Edwards is helping Kristen's mom get up from her chair. She's wearing all black with a black veil covering her face. I didn't know people still did that. It could be to shield her face from the media. This case has been getting a lot of media attention outside the local area. Someone at school said Kristen's mom has had to hide in her house to avoid being hounded by reporters and followed around by camera crews.
Daphne makes her way to the podium, with Principal Edwards holding her arm. She stands in front of the microphone and takes a deep breath before starting.
"Kristen was a beautiful girl," Daphne says, her voice shaking. Her hand's shaking too as she tries to adjust the microphone.
"I'll do it, sweetheart," Principal Edwards says, bending the microphone down. He remains next to her as she talks.
"She was always smiling. Always laughing. She had a spirit that drew others to her." She sniffles and Principal Edwards gives her a handkerchief.
"Thank you, dear," she says to him.
He puts his arm around her and kisses her head, like the doting husband who loves his wife. What a joke. If Daphne only knew what I'd seen that day. If she knew her husband was not only cheating, but cheating with her daughter, she'd divorce that asshole and leave him with nothing. At least I hope she would.
I bet he does it again. Now that Kristen's gone, I bet he'll go find someone else. Another girl half his age.
"No one should suffer such a horrendous death," Daphne says. "But especially my dear sweet Kristen." She breaks down sobbing.
Principal Edwards pulls her into his arms. "You don't have to finish. Let's go sit down."
She nods and the camera follows them back to their seats.
The minister returns to the podium. "The choir students from Twisted Pine will now sing a song chosen by Kristen's mother."
It's a church song about children being blessings. The camera is on the choir but I can hear Kristen's mom sobbing. It makes me sad because I know she's not acting. She really loved her daughter and now she's suffering the way I did when I lost my mom. The pain was excruciating. It still is, even months later. At least my mom's death was quick. She wasn't struggling to breathe while someone strangled her.
Kristen's mom not only has to deal with her daughter's death but also deal with what happened to her. Knowing her daughter was scared and alone with her killer in those last moments of life? It's horrible. My heart hurts for her.
"You in there?" Trystan says, knocking on my door.
"Yeah, what do you need?"
He walks in my room as I'm wiping tears off my face. "Were you crying?"
"Maybe a little." I point to my laptop. "The funeral's going on."
"And you're crying? You hated her."
"I can still be sad. The whole situation is sad. Kristen being killed. Jackson being charged. And her poor mom. Kristen always said she hated her but I think her mom really loved her."
"If she did she had an odd way of showing it. She was never around." He sits next to me on the bed, then lays back, staring at the ceiling. "Parents suck."
"What are you doing in here?"
