Of the Trees(73)

“Just sit, Jon,” Cassie said, her chest tightening. Ryan’s teeth were gritted, and he was staring over Cassie’s shoulder. She kept her eyes on her lunch, the sandwich she couldn’t bring herself to eat, and the awkward silence of the table lingered until Rebecca broke it with a question for Samantha about gym class.

“I didn’t realize he was passing that around,” Ryan said, leaning across the table. His voice was low, his gaze darting over to Jon who was sitting beside Samantha. “The picture, I mean. I had no idea.”

“It’s no big deal,” Cassie lied, trying to smooth it over and ignore that it had ever happened. She still felt sick when she remembered that night and what Jon had seen. She had no desire to dwell on it.

“People have been bugging you about it though, haven’t they?”

Cassie shrugged in admission, avoiding his question. He blew out a sharp breath.

Ryan ignored Jon throughout lunch. Part of Cassie felt guilty about that, but most of her didn’t have the room left to care. The teachers were kind, well-intentioned, but they spoke to Cassie as though she were missing a vital organ. She was; she physically ached with the loss of her best friend. There were so many times throughout the day where she’d think of something amusing and turn to tell Laney, only to remember she wasn’t there. She sought her out in crowds, watched her empty seat as the classroom filled. People stared at her as though she were the one missing, looking right through her with glances of pity or fear.

Many of her peers knew Cassie was in the hospital. Only a few of the stupid ones dared to ask why. Rebecca had helped with one sophomore who asked, yelling at him in the middle of the hallway. Cassie had to find her in the bathroom afterward, crying her eyes out over the sink. Cassie grabbed at her and pulled her into a hug, squeezing tightly until the bell rang and they both walked late to gym class.

The gym teacher took one look at them and excused them to the bleachers, letting them watch the badminton tournaments that absolutely no one cared about or tried to win.

“Do you think they’ll find her?” Rebecca asked. Because it was her, Cassie didn’t mind. The wood of the bleachers was hard to sit on, and she brought her knees up, resting her elbows on her bent legs and hanging her head between her arms.

“No,” Cassie answered, blowing out a sharp breath.

“Not in the woods?” Rebecca asked. Cassie shook her head. Her friend sat quietly for a moment longer before she spoke, her voice hesitant. “I think it’s worse that way. Jess is gone, and it completely sucks. But I don’t have to wonder.”

Cassie felt the burn of tears and kept her face between her arms. “I’m a freaking wreck,” she admitted. “I can’t stop picturing what could be happening to her, where she is—”

Her voice broke, and Cassie stopped, knowing Rebecca understood. She felt the warm pressure of her friend’s hand on her back. “How are you doing?” Cassie asked.

“Completely shitty,” Rebecca answered bluntly. Cassie turned her face toward her friend with a small smile. She barked out a rough laugh and Rebecca grunted in wry amusement. Cassie nodded, resting her chin on her shoulder. She let the smile slip from her face, knocking into Rebecca’s shoulder. They rested together for the remainder of gym class, watching the birdie get hit back and forth over the swaying net.

The cops were waiting outside the school when the final bell rang. Cassie recognized Officer Fitzpatrick from Jessica’s wake. They were handing out pieces of paper. Cassie was given a flyer by a short, balding officer she didn’t recognize. She glanced at the colored photo of Laney, black and white sketches of the men Cassie had described to the sketch artist right below her. Laney’s height and weight, which Cassie knew she’d hate having written under her photo, were there in black and white, as well as her last known location and numbers to call with information. Cassie folded it, but before she could put it in her backpack, Rebecca plucked it out of her hand.

She gave it up without a fight. She didn’t need to see those faces anyway.

“Ryan driving you home?” Rebecca asked, tossing the flyer in the nearest garbage can. Cassie nodded, walking with her past the line of police officers interviewing willing students and into the parking lot.

“Need a ride?”

“No, my mom’s already waiting.”

Cassie saw Ryan, already by his car at the edge of the parking lot. She said goodbye to Rebecca, watching as the girl went to the waiting sedan idling at the curb. Jordan was already in the back seat, his head down over a video game. Cassie waved, but she doubted he noticed.

As soon as Cassie stepped into the parking lot, she saw Ryan was not alone. Jon stood next to his car, facing off with him. They were angry, fists clenched, and shoulders tight. Cassie could see Ryan’s jaw grit as Jon shouted something at him. Words exploded from his mouth next, and he pushed Jon back, his hands forceful on his chest.

Cassie sped up. She couldn’t hear their words until she got closer to them. When she did, it seemed obvious what the fight was about.

“All right!” Jon roared. “But, I mean, c’mon Ryan. You saw it. It’s a freaking hot picture!”

Cassie cringed as Ryan lunged, his knuckles smashing into Jon’s mouth. Jon cried out, dripping blood on the pavement as two teachers and a police officer materialized out of nowhere to grab Ryan by the arms and drag him backward.