Part 17 (2/2)

Avery shook her head. ”That's awful. Fletcher has gone through enough.”

”Fletcher?” Kaylee stood up, nearly nose to nose with Avery. ”He seems pretty fine to me. I mean, he's alive.”

”G.o.d, Kaylee! He's totally traumatized. He watched his best friend die! And now people...”-Avery looked around, eyes narrowed and accusatory-”you people are accusing him of murder. He's our friend! We've known him since he was kid!”

”No,” Tim said, standing up. ”We've only known Fletch for a few years. We knew Adam since he was a kid. And Fletcher has never wanted to be anyone's friend. He barely even talks to anyone.”

”You know an awful lot about Fletch, Avery. Maybe you're so defensive of him because you like him.” Kaylee flicked her glossy hair. ”Maybe you're defending him because you know that Fletcher didn't do this alone.”

Avery gasped. ”What are you talking about?”

The kids around them exchanged looks, and a surprised murmur rippled through the room.

Tim shot Kaylee a look. ”Come on, that's not fair. Don't drag Avery into this.”

Kaylee c.o.c.ked a hip, clearly not ready to back down. ”I didn't drag Avery anywhere-she did this to herself. Think about it. She was the one who found Fletcher.”

”I was on a search team.”

Kaylee shrugged. ”So was I, but I didn't find him. You told us not to leave the group for any reason, Avery, but who left the group? You. And when you did, you went straight to Fletcher. Coincidence?” Her blond eyebrows rose.

Avery wanted to defend herself, but her voice was trapped in her chest. She looked around for someone to defend her, for a teacher to step in, but she was surrounded by suspicious stares. ”That's not true.”

”And then the only person Fletcher wanted to talk to in the hospital? Avery again.” Kaylee was gathering steam now, patrolling the cla.s.sroom like a prosecutor in front of an adoring court. ”Everyone knows Fletcher was jealous of Adam. Fletcher's a freak. Adam was perfect. He practically had a full-ride college scholars.h.i.+p already, a brand-new car...he had everything. Fletcher had nothing, and he couldn't take it anymore.”

”That's not-”Avery tried to interrupt.

”Kaylee,” Tim said again.

”And everyone knows you had a major crush on Adam. You probably just got mad because you knew it would never happen for you and him. One of those scorned-lover things. 'If I can't have him, no one can.'”

Avery's head started to spin. The only thing she could register was Kaylee's sharp, snotty voice.

”He thought you were a freak too.” Kaylee pointed her index finger, jabbing at the air in front of Avery's chest.

”He didn't-” Avery heard herself say. ”Adam and I were friends.”

”No you weren't. When was the last time he even talked to you? When was the last time he said anything more than 'Excuse me' or 'Can I borrow a pencil?' He felt sorry for you because your mom died. Just like Fletcher: You. Are. A. Freak.” She punctuated each word so that they hit Avery like poisoned darts. ”You probably wanted him dead.”

”What's going on in here?” Ms. Holly broke through the door like a wave of fresh air, and Avery felt her legs nearly give way. She wanted to report Kaylee, to defend herself and Fletcher, but there was nothing left in her. Kaylee had shredded her, and Avery didn't know how to begin to put herself back together.

The cla.s.s answered Ms. Holly with silence. No one stepped in. No one pointed out that what Kaylee had said was mean and just plain wrong from beginning to end. No one asked about Avery.

”Take your seats, everyone. Come on, come on. Cla.s.s is starting.”

Avery could hear Ms. Holly's voice, but it felt like her ears were full of cotton.

”Avery? You can sit down now.”

Avery snapped to attention, gasping for breath as though she had been holding it the whole time. Tim wouldn't meet her eyes. Kaylee looked unaffected, lazily flipping through pages in her textbook. Avery sank into her seat. Did that really just happen?

Twenty-three.

Avery had no idea how she made it through the rest of her cla.s.ses. Around her, the rumors circulated-that she and Fletcher had attacked Adam together, that it was their plot all along, that they were the modern-day murderous Bonnie and Clyde.

”She snapped,” Avery heard someone say under her breath.

”Fletcher is in love with Avery. He'd do anything she said...”

”Avery said if he got rid of Adam...”

Each new theory was a stab to Avery's self-worth, but the accusatory stares were even worse. Once upon a time, she had been invisible, a goody-goody-now she was a celebrity criminal, tried and convicted in front of a jury of her peers. There was no reason to defend herself. The decision had already been made: Fletcher killed Adam, and Avery had helped. Maybe Fletcher would have defended her, but he didn't show up at school nor did he answer any of Avery's calls or texts. When the final bell rang, she tried again.

After the third ring, a woman answered in an uncertain, scared voice. ”h.e.l.lo?”

”Mrs. Carroll?”

”Who is this, please?”

Avery cleared her throat. ”It's Avery. Avery Templeton. I'm a friend of Fletcher's.” She knew that Mrs. Carroll knew exactly who she was, but adding that she was Fletcher's friend somehow felt important.

”Yes, Avery. May I help you?”

Avery's eyes started to fill with tears, even though she knew the offer to help was part of a greeting rather than any actual offer. She couldn't talk to her father much, and she'd always been able to talk with her mother...

She cleared her throat. ”Is Fletcher there?”

There was an extra-long silence. ”I'm sorry. Fletcher can't come to the phone right now.”

Avery found herself nodding even though she knew Mrs. Carroll couldn't see her. ”Sure, yeah, okay. Would it be okay if I came by the house later?”

Another pause. ”I don't think so, Avery.”

”Can you tell Fletcher that I called? I've been trying to get hold-”

”Sure, Avery,” Mrs. Carroll's soft voice cut her off smoothly. ”I'll let him know that you were looking for him.”

Avery was about to reply when the line dropped and she was listening to silence. She stared at her phone as if that would explain everything: Fletcher seemingly avoiding her and Mrs. Carroll's quick cutoff. Or did Mrs. Carroll just not want her to talk to Fletcher?

Avery turned and Ellison, standing with Tim and some other kids, wandered over to her. ”Hey,” Ellison said.

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