don’t,” she says, inching away. “Kenzie, if anything happened to you, I’d—”
“Hey!”
We both startle at the sound, fired by Candace, who’s standing ten feet away with her hands on her hips, her butchered black hair still as shocking as the first time I saw it. Behind her is Dena, who looks like she hasn’t slept at all.
“You better zip your lips, Summerall,” Candace says. “Unless you want to be next.”
Instinctively I get even closer to Molly, refusing to shut her out the way I did before. “I trust Molly,” I say quietly. “She’s my best friend.”
Candace takes a few steps closer, ignoring Molly and focusing on me. “You want to know the last thing Amanda Wilson did before she and Kylie took off last night?”
I just stare at her. I’m not sure I want to know, but I have to.
“She texted her freaking cousin and asked if she and Kylie could go stay with her for a few days. And she told her cousin why.”
“And you think that’s why her car went off Seneca Bridge?” I ask. “ ’Cause I’d bet my life it’s not.”
“You’re betting your life talking to her,” Dena says, coming up to join us. She throws a dismissive look at Molly. “Better leave, Kenzie’s best friend.”
“No.” I grab Molly’s hand and cling to it. “She stays with me. We’re a package deal.”
Candace crosses her arms. “Just like Amanda and Kylie.”
Molly gasps, but I dismiss the comment with a wave. “What do you want?”
“I want to talk to you,” Candace says. “Alone.” She gets my elbow and pulls me a few feet away from Molly. “Listen, we have to meet tonight. At the trailer.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s the only place we’re safe. No one knows about that trailer, and we can talk freely about what to do and not worry about someone killing us.”
I shake my head. “I don’t know.”
“Suit yourself. Stay home and risk an accident. Or come, but don’t bring anyone.” She gets closer to my face. “And I mean anyone.”
She walks away, and Dena follows, slowing down to whisper, “Kenzie, please don’t tell anyone else.”
“She hasn’t told me anything,” Molly says. “So you can quit freaking out.”
Dena slumps with a sigh of gratitude.
“But if I do,” I say, “I don’t think that has anything to do with what’s happening.”
“It might,” Dena says in a harsh whisper. “Don’t take any chances, Kenzie. You’re next. And I’m right after you.”
I want to reassure her, but I can’t, swallowing hollow words. I just nod and when she leaves, I turn to Molly.
“Don’t,” she says, cutting me off when I open my mouth. “Don’t tell me anything that will jeopardize your life.”
“Telling you isn’t going to put me in danger. Anyway, I’m in enough already.”
“Kenzie, you’re scaring me.”
She should be scared. We all should be. “Please understand that this has nothing to do with our friendship and I’m not ditching you for these girls.”
“I know that.” She reaches out and pulls me into a hug. “Please be careful.”
“I will, I promise.” But I’m not sure I can be careful enough.
I head into Latin hoping Mr. Irving can be my savior. He won’t know what he’s doing, of course, but I need to get some help translating the page of Latin I got from Jarvis—if that was Jarvis—that matched the paper Levi found in Conner’s jacket pocket.
It has to hold some kind of answer for me.
When I hand it to Mr. Irving, he gives me a sympathetic smile. “Preparing for State already, Kenzie? That’s a good way to get your mind off things.”
I nod and go with the explanation he’s handed me. “I found this on the Internet in a forum about testing, and I thought it might help me.”
A glimmer of hope crosses his face. “You can go? Did you get the parental consent form signed? The competition’s in less than a month.”
“Not yet, but …” I point to the paper. “Can you give me some help here?”
“Sure.” He pulls reading glasses from his pocket and perches on the empty desk next to mine, frowning at the page and glancing at the few notes of translation I’ve already made. The Latin is over my head, though, written in a way that doesn’t make sense to me. I hope that’s not the case with Mr. Irving.
“Is this a game?” he asks. “Riddles or something?”
Maybe. “I’m not exactly sure.” I point to a section where I was really lost. “I understand the actual words, but it’s those subtle modern meanings that throw