Wilder Girls - Rory Power Page 0,92

I will. But there’s still one thing left. “Why bother with the water, then,” I ask, “if we’re all dead anyway?”

Headmistress coughs delicately. “It’s more humane.”

“Humane?” I nearly laugh. I can’t believe her. “Where was that when you tried to gas us?”

“Gas?” Reese says from behind me, shock tight in her voice. I’d forgotten she didn’t know.

“It should have worked,” Headmistress insists. “I don’t think your dose was concentrated enough. It worked on your friend, after all.”

For a second I’m not here anymore. I’m on the ferry that first day, watching Byatt watch me. Her smile like something I’d been waiting for my whole life, her smile like I was something special.

“No,” I say. “No, I don’t understand. What are you talking about?”

“Your friend. Miss Winsor.”

My breath catches. Reese swears softly.

But Headmistress keeps on. “From what I hear she was very helpful.”

“ ‘Was’?” I say. But I know; I know what’s coming.

“She’s dead.” Headmistress shrugs. “The CDC administered her dosage of the gas sometime yesterday.”

I feel hollow, like the center of me has vanished. Ripped clean out of me. She can’t be gone. Tears pricking at my eye, and my whole body shuddering. “I don’t believe you,” I say. “I don’t, I don’t.”

“Well, that hardly matters.”

I’m across the room before I realize it, my hand clawing at Headmistress’s face. She cries out, and blood streaks over her skin as my nails tear a stripe down her cheek. Reese grabs me around the waist and hauls me back, my legs kicking wildly as she drags me away from Headmistress.

“She’s lying,” I say. “She doesn’t know Byatt. She doesn’t understand.”

“I know,” Reese says in my ear. “You’re right. You are. But we don’t have time. Like you said, okay? We have to go.”

“Yeah.” I swallow hard, force my body to relax. “Just one thing first. Dump the bottles. Except one.”

“No,” Headmistress says, “no, no, wait.” Reese lets me go, lets me press my forearm against Headmistress’s neck.

“It’s over,” I say. Behind me Reese starts pouring out the water. The floor turns dark and slick, and Headmistress is crying.

Byatt isn’t dead. I won’t believe it. Headmistress has lied before, and she could be lying now. I’ll find Byatt like I promised I would. And when I do, I’ll be able to tell her I did this in her name.

I drop my arm from Headmistress’s throat. Reach back toward Reese, and she presses the last water bottle into my working hand. For Byatt, for Mr. Harker, and for us.

“We were supposed to drink this?” I say, holding the bottle up to my lips. She nods.

“It’s what’s best for you,” Headmistress says. “You don’t want all that pain. I promise, it’ll be the easiest thing in the world.”

“Yeah.” I stare down at the water and lick my lips. When I look back up at Headmistress, she’s watching me with warmth in her eyes, and she reaches up to touch my shoulder.

“It won’t hurt,” she says softly.

I lean in close. “Prove it.”

She gasps, and I shove the bottle into her mouth, throw all of my weight against her jaw, holding it open as the water tumbles in.

A muffled yell, and a whimper as she thrashes under me. Water spilling down over my hand, drenching the front of her shirt. She can try not to swallow, but soon enough she’ll have to. Her lips are wet against my palm, but I don’t give, just press harder, touch my forehead to hers. She did this to us. Now it’s our turn.

Snot dripping from her nose, and she starts to choke as spasms rack her body. I’m watching her throat, waiting, waiting, and finally, a moan slipping out of her as she swallows.

I stay there, hip to hip with her, until she goes limp and I can’t hold her up anymore. I step away, let her body drop to the floor. On her hands and knees, gasping for air. She looks small. I can see the narrow taper of her wrists, skin sallow and pale. I crumple the water bottle, toss it down next to her.

“Leave her,” Reese says, “and let’s go. It’s getting nasty out there.”

I look back at her, confused, and she nods toward the hallway. Hit after hit against the double doors closing off the main hall. If the front doors didn’t hold, these don’t stand a chance. I can hear Julia, yelling at the other girls, urging them to keep supporting the barricade. But it’s no use.

“Okay,” I say.

I hoist the backpack