can see you. It’s a window, not a door, you idiot.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Julian reeled, busted.
“Because I like it. And it doesn’t matter, you’re my neighbor.”
“Your neighbor? That’s what I am to you? I’m your neighbor? Like Mr. Rogers?”
“Have a great summer. Goodbye.” Sasha hung up.
Julian couldn’t bring himself to say goodbye to Sasha. He didn’t know what to do. He hung up the phone, put his head down on the desk.
His life was over.
CHAPTER 44
David Hybrinski
David crouched on his bathroom rug, stretching the phone cord so he could close the door. Everyone was asleep, and he’d been waiting for Julian to call him. David was getting more and more nervous, so he called Julian, who finally answered.
“David, yo.”
“Julian, why didn’t you call?” David whispered into the phone.
“I was talking to Sasha. How are you?”
“How do you think?” David could barely keep it together.
“Calm down.”
“Are you crazy? After that?” David tried to talk in code, in case anyone happened to wake up. It was unspeakable, what they’d done.
“Dude, take a breath. Chill.”
“I can’t. How can I? How can you?” David didn’t understand how Julian could be so calm, or so cold. It was weird.
“We have nothing to worry about.”
“What are you talking about? We have everything to worry about!”
“Dude, focus. Nobody knows we were there. Nobody knows we even know him. Nobody saw us. It’s dark now, I covered up the hole.”
“When did you do that?”
“Before you and Allie came. I took the gun out and covered the hole back up. I didn’t want him to know where it was buried. Now listen to me—”
“I can’t, I can’t.” David struggled to stay in control. “We’re in so much trouble, dude.”
“No. It’s going to be fine. Don’t tell anyone and don’t IM it. We have to chill. The police are going to think it’s a suicide.”
“Why would they think that? We were there.”
“Don’t say that. They won’t know that. They’re going to find a kid with a gun in the woods. He shot himself because his pervy dad was in the newspaper.”
“But our fingerprints are on the gun. Remember, Sasha made Allie touch it?”
“Fingerprints only matter if they have a match in the computer, like on TV, don’t you know that?”
“But I smelled his . . . brains.” David sniffled, trying not to cry.
“You didn’t smell anything. Don’t be so dramatic.”
“I’m not,” David said, defensive.
“Don’t say anything to anyone. Don’t tell your parents. Act normal. Get it together. You’re going to get us in trouble.”
“We should be in trouble. We killed him.”
“Never say that again.” Julian’s voice hardened. “He killed himself. We weren’t even there.”
David raked his hand through his hair. He’d never heard Julian sound like this. “We can’t get away with this.”
“Dude, we shouldn’t talk for a while.”
“What do you mean?” David asked, surprised.
“I think we should cool it for the summer, at least.”
“What?” David couldn’t believe the way Julian was acting, like he didn’t even know him. “What about camp?”
“I’m quitting. I’m gonna get my mom to go down to the shore early. We all need to separate.”
“You’re going to separate from Sasha?” David didn’t think it was possible.
“Yes, I told her. It’s for the best. If you shut up, we’ll be fine.”
“No way, they’ll figure it out.” David felt more panicky as Julian got calmer. “They’ll know; someone will know—”
“No, they won’t.”
“Why are you acting so—”
“Excuse me if I don’t want to go to jail. Maybe you do.”
“Of course I don’t! Why would I?” David felt tears come to his eyes. “I’m scared! I’m fucking scared!”
“If you shut up, nothing’s going to happen.”
“Something already happened.”
“Don’t be such a pussy. We can’t do anything about it now. Don’t say anything. Don’t ruin me or our business. If Browne goes bankrupt, so do you. My dad can’t give your dad money he doesn’t have. So shut up.”
“Okay.”
“Promise me, bro.”
“I promise.” David took it like a blow. He realized it was never going to be the same between him and Julian. No friendship could survive what they had done. He held back his tears. “Okay, I get it. What about Allie?”
“She’s nobody. Freeze her out.”
“Like you’re doing to me?”
“Whatever, dude. Have a nice life.”
CHAPTER 45
Allie Garvey
Allie slid out of Jill’s bed, left the bedroom, and headed down the hallway to her own room, closing the door quietly. Her head hurt, and she felt sick to her stomach. She hadn’t slept a wink. She went to her desk, sat down, and opened her computer, blinking against the brightness.
The clock