After the Ink Dries by Cassie Gustafson

Author:Cassie Gustafson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published: 2021-07-20T00:00:00+00:00

(minutes earlier) THOMAS

I’M TOO LATE. SHE’S STANDING by her locker, but she’s not alone.

It’s my first time seeing her since the party, and it knocks the wind out of me. Zac’s standing there with Kevin and Cole, though I’m too far away to hear what he’s saying. But anger flares in me at the way he’s leaning in, practically crushing her as she shrinks against her locker. Why doesn’t she say anything to stop him? She’s in all black—a hoodie with a white cat, tights, and her boots. She’d found the boots, then. It’s the least colorful outfit I’ve seen her wear.

They all turn in my direction, and I duck reflexively behind the guy in front of me. But their gazes fall short, landing on Caylee, who walks ahead of me. Still, I see what Erica is trying to stuff into her backpack so that no one else’ll see—a pink bra, the one she wore to the party that I couldn’t find the next morning. It wasn’t anywhere, but I couldn’t wake her….

Erica looks like she’s about to cry, blinking hard, shaking her head.

I can’t do it, can’t talk to her. How could I explain? Those pictures. And a video?

Stomach churning, I hurry past Erica’s locker right as Caylee joins them, looking upset. With any luck, none of them saw me, especially Erica.

I’m such a coward.

My body feels like a sack of dumbbells as I make for the gym, thinking about how I found her, curled up into herself. There can’t be evidence of that going around. There can’t be. But I know there is. Maybe I could ask any one of these people, and they’d show me everything. What did Zac start?

As I burst into PE, I curse under my breath, remembering the sport-of-the-week is Ultimate Frisbee. There’s too much shit bouncing around my head to care about flinging Frisbees. I hang back, not helping out my team. Besides, everyone seems to be whispering, and I don’t want to hear any of it. Then a girl sprints past me, dark hair loose around her face. I turn, holding my breath, but no, she’s only a sophomore. She doesn’t even look like…

Some freshman pounds into me, but I manage not to fall. The Frisbee clatters to the floor, and I pick it up, flinging it as hard as I can, surprised by how good it feels. I don’t even care when it goes out of bounds. Then it’s like I can see the gym around me for the first time today—bright overhead lights, Panther-blue basketball hoops with stiff nets, three dozen students staring after the Frisbee as Coach Lee nods his approval.

For the rest of class, I’m unstoppable, everyone leaping out of the way as the Frisbee whizzes by them to crash into the bleachers, the wall, the basketball hoop. My team doesn’t score many points since everyone seems afraid of being guillotined, but I don’t care.

And today’s far from over. We’re not even halfway to lunch and then comes

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