Okay, talk.
I settled on the branch, feet dangling. She stood there, looking up at my feet, then pointed at my legs. Id taken off my socks after the crashtheyd been soakedand hadnt replaced them. When I sat, a few inches of bare shin were exposed.
Those scratches, she said. Theyre from when you got dragged underwater, arent they?
Yep.
Theyre fingernail gouges. You didnt get caught on anything. You were pulled down. By a person. She held up her hands, nails bitten to the quick. It wasnt me. And if thats not enough proof, you can ask Corey. I was in front of him when Nicole went under. I wanted to help, but he told me to stay put. I did until he had her.
Okay.
Youre speculating that Hayley, Nicole, and Serena are the same supernatural type, right? Something to do with water. Which explains how they can swim so well and hold their breath so long. You think someone drowned Serena, someone who could stay under even longer than her. Someone who also tried to drown you.
I slid from the tree. Wheres Hayley?
Shes not the one who drugged you.
What?
At your party. Hayley didnt dose your drink. It was the person who accused her. The one who worked with her at the clinic and had access to the drugs, too.
Nicole?
Sam nodded. I found the pills in her room afterward. She tried to say Hayley had planted them. I didnt believe her. She finally broke down, sobbing, saying she hadnt meant for anyone to get hurt, just that it was her big chance with Daniel and she knew you kind of liked Rafe, and he was coming to the party. She just wanted to give you and Rafe a push, so you wouldnt interfere with her and Daniel.
Ive never interfered
Yeah, I know. But when it comes to Daniel, Nicole is She took a deep breath. Anyway, I told her that she screwed up and if she ever went after you again, shed be dealing with me.
And you didnt think to tell us?
She met my gaze. The wrong decision. I see that now.
So Nicole dosed my drink. I tried to process that, but my brain refused. Sam was lying. Covering up something when Nicole wasnt here to defend herself.
Then I realized where this was heading. You think Nic Nicole drowned Serena? Tried to drown me? No, thats notShe was almost drowned herself this time.
Was she? Or was that a diversion? She pulls you down, thinks shes drowned you, then pops up, screaming for help and no one notices youre gone until its too late.
No. Not Nicole. Why would she?
Daniel. Shes obsessed with him. She didnt think Serena treated him right and
So she killed her for it? I said.
I dont think she meant to. Or maybe she did. I dont know.
Nicole never had a problem with Serena and Daniel. From what I heard, you did, though.
What?
Serena told me you caught her flirting with summer boys. At the diner, just before she died. You told her off.
Sure, I told her off. She was being disrespectful. If youve got a boyfriend, you dont flirt with other guys. Daniel didnt deserve that.
What did Daniel deserve?
Huh?
I gave her a hard look, but she didnt seem to get it.
You like Daniel, I said.
Um, yeah. Hes a great guy. Which is why he didnt deserve to be treated She stopped and stared at me, then choked on a laugh. You meanAre you asking? You think Ive got a crush on Daniel?
Dont you?
She laughed harder. Oh my God, you guys really are as naive as you seem. She looked at me. I dont like guys, Maya. As friends, yes. As dating material? Wrong gender.
Wrong? Oh.
She shook her head. I kept telling myself you guys had figured it out. I mean, come on. Im a walking stereotype. I even use a guys nickname. I was twelve when the kids at my old school figured it out, so I stopped trying to be girlie. Then I come here, and no one says anything, so I figure you all know and youre just pretending otherwise, which pisses me off, but its better than getting Playboy stuffed in my locker. Apparently, I was wrong. Its not an option in your cozy little world.
Right. So the kids who are out at Salmon Creek are only figments of my imagination?
Huh?
Maybe if you paid a little more attention to your classmates, youd have realized that we dont care. But we dont jump to conclusions either. We figure if someone wants to be open about it, shell tell us.
Now it was her turn to say Oh. Then, Well, anyway, I dont like Daniel. Not that way. I just think hes a really good guy. I didnt like seeing him disrespected, but not because I wanted him for myself. If I gave off that vibe, I sure as hell didnt mean it.
She hadnt. Daniel didnt think she had a crush on him. Even Id always felt it was platonic, until Rafe suggested it wasnt. But Rafe hadnt known Sam well.
I settled on the branch, feet dangling. She stood there, looking up at my feet, then pointed at my legs. Id taken off my socks after the crashtheyd been soakedand hadnt replaced them. When I sat, a few inches of bare shin were exposed.
Those scratches, she said. Theyre from when you got dragged underwater, arent they?
Yep.
Theyre fingernail gouges. You didnt get caught on anything. You were pulled down. By a person. She held up her hands, nails bitten to the quick. It wasnt me. And if thats not enough proof, you can ask Corey. I was in front of him when Nicole went under. I wanted to help, but he told me to stay put. I did until he had her.
Okay.
Youre speculating that Hayley, Nicole, and Serena are the same supernatural type, right? Something to do with water. Which explains how they can swim so well and hold their breath so long. You think someone drowned Serena, someone who could stay under even longer than her. Someone who also tried to drown you.
I slid from the tree. Wheres Hayley?
Shes not the one who drugged you.
What?
At your party. Hayley didnt dose your drink. It was the person who accused her. The one who worked with her at the clinic and had access to the drugs, too.
Nicole?
Sam nodded. I found the pills in her room afterward. She tried to say Hayley had planted them. I didnt believe her. She finally broke down, sobbing, saying she hadnt meant for anyone to get hurt, just that it was her big chance with Daniel and she knew you kind of liked Rafe, and he was coming to the party. She just wanted to give you and Rafe a push, so you wouldnt interfere with her and Daniel.
Ive never interfered
Yeah, I know. But when it comes to Daniel, Nicole is She took a deep breath. Anyway, I told her that she screwed up and if she ever went after you again, shed be dealing with me.
And you didnt think to tell us?
She met my gaze. The wrong decision. I see that now.
So Nicole dosed my drink. I tried to process that, but my brain refused. Sam was lying. Covering up something when Nicole wasnt here to defend herself.
Then I realized where this was heading. You think Nic Nicole drowned Serena? Tried to drown me? No, thats notShe was almost drowned herself this time.
Was she? Or was that a diversion? She pulls you down, thinks shes drowned you, then pops up, screaming for help and no one notices youre gone until its too late.
No. Not Nicole. Why would she?
Daniel. Shes obsessed with him. She didnt think Serena treated him right and
So she killed her for it? I said.
I dont think she meant to. Or maybe she did. I dont know.
Nicole never had a problem with Serena and Daniel. From what I heard, you did, though.
What?
Serena told me you caught her flirting with summer boys. At the diner, just before she died. You told her off.
Sure, I told her off. She was being disrespectful. If youve got a boyfriend, you dont flirt with other guys. Daniel didnt deserve that.
What did Daniel deserve?
Huh?
I gave her a hard look, but she didnt seem to get it.
You like Daniel, I said.
Um, yeah. Hes a great guy. Which is why he didnt deserve to be treated She stopped and stared at me, then choked on a laugh. You meanAre you asking? You think Ive got a crush on Daniel?
Dont you?
She laughed harder. Oh my God, you guys really are as naive as you seem. She looked at me. I dont like guys, Maya. As friends, yes. As dating material? Wrong gender.
Wrong? Oh.
She shook her head. I kept telling myself you guys had figured it out. I mean, come on. Im a walking stereotype. I even use a guys nickname. I was twelve when the kids at my old school figured it out, so I stopped trying to be girlie. Then I come here, and no one says anything, so I figure you all know and youre just pretending otherwise, which pisses me off, but its better than getting Playboy stuffed in my locker. Apparently, I was wrong. Its not an option in your cozy little world.
Right. So the kids who are out at Salmon Creek are only figments of my imagination?
Huh?
Maybe if you paid a little more attention to your classmates, youd have realized that we dont care. But we dont jump to conclusions either. We figure if someone wants to be open about it, shell tell us.
Now it was her turn to say Oh. Then, Well, anyway, I dont like Daniel. Not that way. I just think hes a really good guy. I didnt like seeing him disrespected, but not because I wanted him for myself. If I gave off that vibe, I sure as hell didnt mean it.
She hadnt. Daniel didnt think she had a crush on him. Even Id always felt it was platonic, until Rafe suggested it wasnt. But Rafe hadnt known Sam well.
