Where on earth was Janine?
* * *
“Starry, starry night,” the group of boys chanted in unison.
Lena watched as one of them broke open the glow stick he was holding and spattered its fluorescence all over her hyacinths.
The group cheered and began the chant anew.
“Starry, starry night! Starry starry night! Starry starry night.”
More glow sticks were broken open and spattered on the lawn, Mike Perley’s pants, the low-hanging tree branches.
Lena reached, grabbed a child by the collar. A round face turned toward her. She recognized the impish grin and spiky eyelashes of one of Janine’s twins.
“Where is your mother?”
He tried to wiggle away, but she caught him by the arm, repeated the question through gritted teeth.
“Where is your mother?”
He shrugged and pointed to the patio.
Janine wore ripped jeans and a Mickey Mouse T-shirt and her hair had been stuffed into a baseball cap.
Lena wasn’t trying to be fussy, but everyone else, even the stranger in the Hawaiian shirt, had made a little effort to look nice.
Janine’s hand was gripped around her daughter’s arm, and she was pulling the girl roughly through the path between the tables.
Lena frowned.
They were grim-faced and hunched, like they were walking through a storm.
* * *
“I updated my apology note to Laurel,” Abe said. “To include making the video.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Jen said from her bed. It was dark outside now, and she was never, ever leaving.
Deb’s text said Annie had seen Abe’s video and was pretty upset. She’d ended it with a frowny-face emoji.
How did they even see it, Jen kept asking Abe and Paul. The thought of them all up there, gossiping about her son. Jen rested a pillow over her face and decided she could stay here forever.
“Here,” Abe said. She heard the heavy paper of his note hit her bedside table. She lifted the pillow.
The Laurel Apology, Take Two, “I’m Sorry I Murdered You in a Video Game” Edition. Abe had selected very tasteful stationery: an ivory notecard with a gold border, the most expensive in the Paganos’ collection.
“We’re like hours late now,” he said. “I can hear the party.”
“You can?”
“Listen,” Abe commanded.
Jen tilted her head. There was the hint of a thrumming bass in the background.
“I made the note more honest,” Abe said. “It might be too honest, you tell me.”
Oh boy.
“Read my note. I’ll accept feedback.”
“Fine.” She folded open the paper.
Sorry for not understanding, yes, strong start.
… The video was unkind … True enough, if a bit mildly put.
… When you hurt me …
Nothing after that made any sense.
Jen backtracked to the beginning, tried to read it more slowly. In her hands, the note card shook.
“Abe,” she said, “are you sure this is what happened?”
“Yes.”
She regarded him, from crooked part to those skinny shoulders, which jerked in anticipation. Did I do okay?
What cold comfort that she could read his face after all.
She had to go find Annie.
CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
“There you are!” Annie had never been so happy to see Janine, even if she was dressed for a field trip to the recycling plant. “I didn’t know you even owned ripped jeans. I have news, Janine. Big news.”
Annie leaned down to Katie. “Sweetie, go join the twins and everyone else on the dance floor.”
But Katie didn’t move. Janine flattened her palms around the girl’s shoulders, gave them an authoritative squeeze.
Katie reached into her pocket and took out a note, which she unfolded. It reminded Annie of an awards show: I’d like to thank the Academy.
But Katie’s speech didn’t start that way.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Perley,” she began, and her voice was noticeably gruff for a thirteen-year-old, “for breaking your front window.”
* * *
“Did you hear?” Harriet Nessel grabbed Lena’s shoulder rather harshly.
“Did I hear what?” Lena wondered whether Harriet was aware that the back of her floral shift had been splashed with the contents of a glow stick. It was as splotchy and phosphorescent as Lena’s flower beds.
Even unflappable Hilde was ruffled. She was at the DJ booth, her shirt untucked and her arms gesturing wildly, imploring DJ Lightning to do something, anything to compel the kids to the dance floor.