“See, she’s fine. She’s doing her route like normal.”
“She’s not fine.” Mateo starts to pace. “Someone’s after her.”
“You don’t know that. Whoever called could have a totally innocent reason for wanting to find her. Maybe it was…” I search my brain for a comforting alternative. “Your dad.”
“Yeah, right,” Mateo snorts, his strides lengthening. He curls one hand into a fist and slams it repeatedly into his palm. “Like he’s gonna suddenly start giving a crap.”
“Well, Mr. Sorrento didn’t give whoever it was any information, did he? So they won’t be able to track Autumn down.” I clutch Mateo’s arms to hold him still. “Look, I realize I’m the last person to give this particular piece of advice in a crisis, but—letting yourself spiral will only make things worse. Trust me on this.”
That startles him enough that he huffs out a near laugh. “Well, you’re the expert.”
Mr. Sorrento appears at the end of the hallway then, waving a piece of paper, and I release Mateo’s arms. “See? He has her route. We’ll find her. Everything will be okay.”
“I’ll believe that when I see it,” Mateo says, but his tense expression softens. Then, unexpectedly, he brushes the edge of my hoodie away from my face, and leans down to kiss my cheek. “Thanks for talking me down,” he says, tugging the hood back into place before heading toward Mr. Sorrento.
“Anytime,” I say, resisting the urge to touch my fingertips to my cheek.
Mateo turns to give me a fleeting smile over his shoulder. “You know what? You’re cute when you’re incognito.”
Despite everything, something that feels a lot like happiness starts to bubble through my veins. But then I watch Mateo confer with Mr. Sorrento in the hallway, and the emptiness of my earlier words hits me hard. Everything will be okay, I said. I’m praying that it’s true for Autumn, but I know it’s not true for Mateo and me.
The buzzing joy recedes as fast as it came, replaced with the same five-word drumbeat that keeps ruining the only bright spot in this disastrous day.
You have to tell him.
YOUTUBE, CARLTON SPEAKS CHANNEL
Ishaan and Zack are in the Carlton High parking lot.
ISHAAN, panning to the crowd of students behind him: This is Ishaan and Zack coming to you live from Carlton High, getting in-person reactions from fellow students to our Hawkins Report segment about the deadly feud between Boney Mahoney and Ivy Sterling-Shepard. Hey, Carmen! （The camera focuses on a pretty brunette walking past.） Do you have any comment?
CARMEN, stopping: My comment is, You suck.
ISHAAN: Come on, now. A kid died. We’re just trying to get at the truth.
CARMEN: How about you let the police do that?
（Two boys appear over her shoulder, one in an athletic jacket and one with a buzz cut.）
BUZZ CUT: Ivy Sterling-Shepard, people. The classic story of a good girl gone bad.
ATHLETIC JACKET: Remember when she read porn at the talent show? Good times.
ZACK: Look, I think we can all agree that we’re raising some important questions here, but this is getting a little off topic.
（Emily Zhang starts pushing her way through the crowd of students, calling out, “Excuse me, coming through! I have new information!” She puts her hands on her hips once she’s in front of the camera.）
EMILY: First of all, I heard from Ivy. She says she had nothing to do with what happened to Boney.
ISHAAN: Yeah, well, she would say that. Where is she?
EMILY: Second of all, you guys refused to do basic research, so I did it for you. There were twelve absences in the Carlton High student body today, including two other seniors.
ISHAAN, looking mildly interested: Who were the seniors?
EMILY: Mateo Wojcik and Cal O’Shea-Wallace.
CARMEN: Oh, please. Mateo’s not involved in this.
ISHAAN: Cal who?
ZACK: Yeah, Mateo’s just, like…home sick or something.
EMILY: How do you know? Have you talked to him? （She pauses, waiting for Zack to respond, but he doesn’t.） If Ivy is guilty by absence, then he should be, too. Especially since they used to be friends.
CARMEN: They did?
ISHAAN: Seriously, who’s Cal?
ZACK: Okay, let’s—wait a sec. Is that Daniel Sterling-Shepard? （The camera zooms on a blond boy with an athletic bag slung over one shoulder.）
ISHAAN: Yeah, it is. Heading for lacrosse practice like it’s a normal day. Is he clinging to routine, or does he just not give a crap? Yo, Danny boy! Daniel, over here! （The blond boy turns.） You wanna make a statement about your sister?