Liv, Forever by Talkington Amy

Author:Talkington, Amy [Talkington, Amy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781616953232
Publisher: Soho Press
Published: 2014-03-10T20:00:00+00:00

We were an unlikely trio: the handsome golden boy, the conspiracy theorist of questionable mental health, and the ghost. And we had some pretty serious communication issues seeing as the golden boy couldn’t hear the ghost, leaving the conspiracy theorist to be the go-between. Not to mention, just minutes prior, the golden boy had thought the conspiracy theorist was an insane stalker and the conspiracy theorist still suspected the golden boy to be the ringleader of some kind of evil scheme. However, we needed one another. Kind of like a mini-ecosystem or a triptych painting or the premise of a wacky TV sitcom.

We retreated to the dreary stacks of the library. We had much to discuss. First of all, Abigail. We told Malcolm we thought she had killed me.

He shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“Then why did she lie about me and try to make it seem like I killed myself?!” I yelled.

Gabe repeated my question for Malcolm in a respectfully calmer tone.

Malcolm looked down, silent.

“And her friend Sloan?” I continued. “And that guy Amos … and … you.”

“Him?” Gabe asked. “You didn’t tell me that.”

I instantly regretted having said it. “But he only lied to keep from getting in trouble.”

Gabe turned to Malcolm. “She says you lied, too.”

He nodded. “The Victors … They didn’t want my name associated with what happened.”

“But why would the others—all Victors, I might add—lie?” Gabe pressed, now speaking for himself. “Why would they try to make it look like a suicide?”

Malcolm stared ahead, silent.

“What did they—you—have to do with Liv’s death?” Gabe demanded.

“Nothing.”

“Then why lie?!”

“Don’t you understand I am sworn to secrecy?”

“Let me guess.” Gabe sneered. “It’s a blood oath.”

“Exactly,” Malcolm confirmed, deadly serious.

Gabe stared at him as if he were speaking a different language. “But Liv got killed and came back as a ghost. Don’t you think that means pretty much all bets are off?”

Malcolm ran his hands through his messy hair, frustrated, then finally caved. “The Victors covered it up to protect the image of Wickham Hall. Murders can’t happen here. It’d ruin our reputation. Suicide’s different. Suicide has happened before. It’s a tragedy, but it doesn’t tarnish the school. That’s the way the Victors see it, at least. The society forced each of us to say what we said. When you join the Victors, you take an oath that you will do anything in your power to protect the society, and the society only exists to protect the school.”

Gabe glared at Malcolm, his disgust palpable.

Malcolm met his stare. “I know you think I’m awful right now, but the Victors did not kill Liv.” He turned away from Gabe and now spoke to me, looking blankly into the air in my general direction. “They did not kill you, Liv. I would know if they had. It’s not what Gabe thinks. It’s not some evil empire aimed at ruling the world. It’s just a bunch of rich families who look out for each other.”

It all added up. I believed Malcolm. “But what if Abigail did it solo, knowing the Victors would cover up for her?” I asked, and Gabe repeated.

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