Vanished by E. E. Cooper

Author:E. E. Cooper
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2015-03-23T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The polite distance that the reporters knew to keep outside the funeral apparently didn’t apply to the reception. As soon as we arrived at the country club, a group of people bore down on me, shouting questions and shoving microphones in my face.

I shielded myself with my hand as Zach wrapped his arm around my waist and maneuvered us through the crowd. “No comment,” he said firmly as they called out question after question about where I thought Beth had gone to, and if I blamed her or Jason more for Britney’s death. Apparently they’d gotten ahold of the suicide note. Brit’s suicide made an even better story when there was a beautiful, missing best friend to blame it on.

Let Beth come back and set the story straight herself. I wasn’t going to defend her.

Zach pulled me forward and finally we were at the entrance of the reception hall, where someone waved us in before closing the door, leaving the journalists outside.

I stood blinking in the foyer.

“Are you okay?” Zach looked freaked out himself. “They’re just trying to come up with a story. Don’t let them upset you.”

I nodded, still not trusting myself to speak. It had been like being chased by bees, each of them darting in to sting. I noticed a group of sophomore girls standing in the corner of the foyer whispering and watching us. The excitement over a possible scandal came off of them in waves. I breathed in to a count of six and told myself to remain calm. They wanted a reaction, something they could talk about with the journalists outside to get themselves some camera time. I wished I had Brit’s talent for shutting people up with a single dismissive glance.

Zach ran his hands through his hair to pull himself together and led me into the reception room. I stood in the back while he went to get the two of us something to drink.

I pulled the Queen of Hearts out of my pocked and flipped the card between my fingers like a magician. If only I had some actual magical ability, I’d wave my wand and make Beth and Brit come back, and everyone and everything else disappear. But there wasn’t a magical bone in my body. Brit was dead, Beth was gone, and I was stuck in the magician’s box with my heart sawed in half.

I watched Brit’s parents at the front of the room looking shell-shocked. They shook hands and accepted hugs and condolences from the long line of people filing past them to pay their respects.

I had no idea what to say to them. Sorry your daughter killed herself? Sorry I didn’t say anything even though I knew stuff was seriously messed up? I loved Brit but at the same time I’m so mad at her for doing this? Their perfectly ordered world had just blown up in their faces. They didn’t need to deal with my grief on top of it.

The sound of Beth’s name pulled my attention to the conversation of some girls at a table nearby.

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