Take the Fall(39)

“Sonia?”

“Yeah?” I wipe my cheek.

He screws up his mouth. “Do you think she would’ve given me a chance . . . eventually?”

I exhale. I always used to think Kip deserved a chance. He’s a guy who would rather play video games than drink beer at a party. He never cuts class, always gets As, and wouldn’t think of crossing the street without a walk signal. Not exactly Gretchen’s type. I couldn’t bring myself to tell Kip she’d never date him while she was alive, and I’m not going to say it now.

“What—exactly what time did you see her?” I ask.

“Huh?”

“I’m just trying to understand what happened, or how . . .”

Kip lowers his head, but when he looks up, his eyes are clear, confident. “It was right around eleven thirty.”

I tense, my brain calculating when I left Gretchen, when her parents discovered the intruder, and when Marcus was supposedly “walking” in the woods.

“Are you sure?”

“I was already half an hour past my curfew—I remember that,” he says, looking shamefaced. “I wish I’d said something to her. Maybe if I had . . .”

Haley catches my attention, waving good-bye as she and Yuji exit the booth across the aisle.

I force myself to swallow. Kip’s story sounds reasonable, but it also places him in the woods with Gretchen without an alibi right before they think she died. I wonder what the sheriff makes of that. “Thanks, Kip.”

“Does it even matter?” he continues. “I told you, Marcus Perez wanted her dead.”

This makes me pause. “You really think? Because of one drawing?”

“Did you see the graffiti?” Kip balls his hands into fists. “It was done with a paintbrush.”

I open my mouth, but there’s an argument over my shoulder, and before I can turn to see what’s going on, Yuji’s at my side. “Hey, man, just back off Marcus. Let the cops do their jobs.”

Haley comes over and rests one hand on his shoulder. “Um, we were just taking off. Don’t want to be out after curfew.”

Kip looks up, eyes flat. “I wouldn’t be too worried . . . just watch out for artists in the woods.”

Yuji doesn’t even blink. “Look, dude, for all anyone knows, you might’ve killed Gretchen. So why don’t you back the f*ck off.”

Kip starts clambering out of the booth and Yuji steps forward. I flash back to the hall at school and though my ribs protest, I grab a cold pot of coffee off the next table and thrust it between them. “Take it outside, guys.”

“C’mon, this isn’t worth it.” Haley hurries to take Yuji’s arm and steers him toward the door. I shoot her a grateful look and she mouths talk tomorrow.

Kip sinks back into the booth, picks up his knife, and tucks it away in his pocket.

“Like I said, everyone’s upset.” I set the coffeepot down so it won’t be obvious how much I’m shaking. “Look, Kip, there’s this photo you posted of Gretchen and me at the party . . .”

He scratches his head. “Oh, that . . . wish I’d taken one myself.”

“You mean it wasn’t yours?” I say a little too eagerly.

“Give me a little credit.” His nostrils flare. “Someone must’ve grabbed my camera. It was loaded with terrible shots the next day. But after I heard what happened, I saved that one.”

“Did you print a copy?” My voice quavers.

“No, but I can if you’d like me to.”

I shake my head.

“I’ve barely slept a night since.” He sighs. “I just keep wondering if I could’ve done something. If there’s something I missed.”

I turn away and whisper, “Me too.”





NINETEEN


“IT’S NOT THAT GRETCHEN DYING suddenly fixed everything.” Haley turns red and tugs at her hair. She’s abandoned her usual ponytail to let her brown hair hang straight today, but she keeps fiddling with it like she’s desperate to get it out of her face. “God, that sounded awful. I just mean we’ve both been thinking about getting back together for a while.”

“No, I think it’s great,” I say.

“Totally, you guys should never have broken up,” adds Aisha.

Haley’s shoulders relax, her face returning to its normal color. She waves to Yuji in the pizza line across the cafeteria. “I was a little worried about what people would say, under the circumstances.”

Aisha and I exchange a look, but then my phone vibrates in my pocket. I hesitate, turning to one side before looking at the screen.

Still on for after school?

I lift my head and scan the room.

Marcus sits with his hood up in a corner by himself. He looks down when I glance over and doesn’t raise his head again. I narrow my eyes. Derek and Yuji just sat down and Haley and Aisha are busy talking about prom, of all things.

My fingers hover over the screen, trying to figure out how, or if, I should answer.

“Hey. Is anyone sitting here?”

I almost drop my phone. Kirsten stands next to me, holding a brown paper lunch bag. Her voice sounds so much like Gretchen’s, it’s a minute before I’m breathing normally again. The conversation stalls as the rest of the table notices her, but I reach for my backpack, which is sitting in an empty chair. I slide it to the floor and pull the seat out for her.