The Dead Girls Club - Damien Angelica Walters Page 0,65

know,” I said.

I made myself eat, but everything tasted like nothing.

“You haven’t been hanging out with Becca much lately,” she said. “Did you two have a disagreement?”

I traced my initials in the condensation on my glass. “Sort of. She wants to hang out with Rachel and Gia instead of me. Like we’re not even friends anymore.”

My mom clasped her hands beneath her chin, elbows on the table. “Sometimes friendships change, sweetheart. Sometimes people’s interests change and they get closer to one friend or another for a little while.”

“But they’re not supposed to change like that. Becca’s my best friend,” I said.

“She can be friends with Rachel and Gia and still be your best friend.”

“Not if she doesn’t even want to talk to me.”

“Maybe you need to give her a little bit of time,” she said. “I’m sure everything will be okay, especially once school starts.”

All I could think of was sitting alone in the cafeteria. I’d rather die. My throat got thick, but I swallowed iced tea until it stopped and I had brain freeze. I didn’t want to cry in front of her. She acted as if she knew, but she didn’t. Maybe she could have a fight with her friends and be fine, but it wasn’t the same for me. She hadn’t seen how Becca’d looked at me, then looked away. Everything would not be okay. Not in a million years.

I tried to read for a while, but the story wouldn’t stick in my head, so I took a walk, ending up at the empty house. I knew they’d be there, even before I sneaked to the side and saw light peeking through the basement curtains. I didn’t want to go in. Didn’t want to sit outside either. Mostly, I didn’t want to fight anymore. I didn’t want them to be mad at me. I decided to tell them what I’d felt the night of the ritual. I’d tell them I hadn’t admitted it because I hadn’t wanted her to be real. I’d tell them whatever they wanted to hear so we’d be friends again.

The door to the house was unlocked, like they knew I’d be coming, but I kept my footsteps light so I wouldn’t scare them. Laughter pealed out from the half-open basement door, first loud, then muffled, and I leaned against the doorframe.

Rachel said, “I think it’s better with Heather not here.”

Gia said something I couldn’t hear.

“Yeah, she’s been …”

“A bitch?” Rachel said, her whisper sharp as a nail.

They all giggled.

“I don’t understand why she’s been acting so weird,” Gia said.

“She’s dumb,” Rachel said.

Becca said, “She said I was crazy. Do you think I am?”

Rachel’s and Gia’s nos were clear as day. My fingernails bit into the wood. I didn’t think that. Her thinking the Red Lady was real was crazy. There was a big difference. She knew it, too.

“Maybe the Red Lady doesn’t like her,” Becca said. “Maybe that’s why she didn’t see her, why she didn’t dream about her.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t like her either,” Rachel said.

“Maybe we shouldn’t,” Becca said.

My eyes went all teary. How could they say those things? I’d never talk about them that way. I wanted to stomp down the steps and start yelling, but then they’d hate me even more. I wanted to run out of the house, but that would make me a chicken, so I called out, “Hello? Are you here?”

There was a bunch of furious whispering. Then Becca said, “Yeah, we’re here.”

I made sure to act normal. They were all sitting close and didn’t make a space for me, so I sat a little off to the side. “How come you didn’t tell me you were coming here tonight?”

Rachel and Gia shot side-eye looks at each other.

Becca shrugged. “We didn’t think you’d want to come, since we were talking about the Red Lady.”

“But maybe I would’ve. You could’ve at least asked. I mean, if you don’t want to be my friends anymore, just tell me.”

Rachel opened her mouth like she was surprised, but it was faker than fake. “We never said that.”

Gia said, “I don’t even know why you keep hanging out with us. It’s not like you want to do the stuff we want to.”

I waited for Becca to say something, to tell her she was wrong, but she didn’t. She looked at me, then past me like I was nothing. Like I wasn’t even there. That hurt most of all.

“I heard you,” I said. “I came here to say sorry, to try and make