Page 46 of The Fall of Iris Henley
There on the mirror, someone has scrawled something in lipstick.
KILLER.
CHAPTER 25
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 8:43PM
HENLEY HOUSE
When we get home, I head straight up the stairs to my room and shut the door.
I’d managed to wipe away the writing without my mom seeing it. Which was lucky, because if there were one thing that could make everything worse, it would be my mom freaking out. But my hands haven’t stopped shaking.
I don’t know who wrote it. It could’ve been Katy. It could’ve been Noelle. Hell, it could’ve been the salesclerk, for all I know. The lipstick was my own—whoever’d written on the mirror had gotten it out of my purse. My face was pale in between those bright lines on the mirror.
In my room I hang the dress in my closet. Then I pull off my jeans and pull on some sweats.
I don’t know who wrote it, but it’s finally coming home to me that it doesn’t matter who wrote it. Whoever started this whole thing—a jealous girl, a slighted boy, a sociopath, a bored troll—they’re not driving it anymore anyway. It’s got its own momentum now. It’s out in the world, and nothing is going to stop it.
I pace back and forth across the rug. What if it keeps getting worse? What if the bullets in the mailbox and the lipstick on the mirror aren’t enough for someone? I picture people hiding in the bushes outside, waiting for me to come out so they can throw rotten vegetables or shoot air rifles at me. Maybe even worse.
I can hear what my friends would say. They’d tell me I’m being paranoid. That I’m overreacting. I can hear Sophie telling me it’s just a bunch of immature douchebags and I have to rise above it all. The worst thing is, if it weren’t happening to me, I’d probably agree with her. But that’s the point of all this, isn’t it? To make things so chaotic I can’t predict what will happen next. To isolate me and make me feel like I’m the crazy one. Good job, Rockytruther. All it took was one little push of the dominoes.
I catch sight of the dress in my open closet again. All the magic of just an hour ago has vanished. Now I keep thinking about Noelle’sCarriejoke. What if somethingdoeshappen?
And what if Jonah sees?
I sit down on the edge of my bed and pick up my stuffed narwhal, crushing it to my chest. It’s not fair. After all the pain and chaos of the last year, I just want to enjoy something sweet and simple. A cute boy that likes me. A chance to sweep around the dance floor in an elegant dress.
And that’s when I decide I’m not going to let Rockytruther, or anyone else, keep me from that.
ME
I just bought my homecoming dresssssssssssssss
JONAH
That’s a lot of esses, it must be really ssssssssssexy
ME
Are we still on for Saturday?
JONAH
I will be there. What’s the dress code again? Will my novelty cactus-themed Aloha shirt look okay with your dresssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss?
ME
It depends, are you going with the formal hemmed jorts or the informal cut-off ones?
JONAH
Come on give me some credit, I do have class. Camo-print cargo shorts.
ME
[Pause.]
