Page 50 of The Fall of Iris Henley
He glances politely at the number on the house. “Is this the home of Iris Henley?”
“Yes, that’s me.” I can’t quite muster a smile, but I do fight off the tears threatening my eyes. “Can I help you?”
He holds up a small plastic container before pushing it at me. “Delivery.”
It’s a wrist corsage. Three pink roses, arranged in a wristlet. There’s a note attached to the top of the container.Family emergency. I won’t be able to get to Varda tonight. I’m so sorry, Iris. I know these will be beautiful on you. I will make it up to you.
“Th-thank you,” I mumble to the delivery guy before shutting the door.
I stand there for a moment, the little plastic box light in myhands. A family emergency. Well, that could mean anything. It could mean sick grandparent, parent in a car accident. Could mean someone was kidnapped or that the house caught on fire or that everyone was abducted by aliens. Or it could mean,Hey, I decided dancing with a potential murderer wasn’t that appealing after all.
But maybe that’s just the paranoia talking. Isn’t that what Rockytruther wants? For me to feel alone? Like I can’t trust anyone? There’s no good reason to believe that this was ever supposed to be a prank. If it were a prank he wouldn’t send a wristlet.
I pull out my phone and open the chat with Jonah.
ME
Don’t answer this if things are too chaotic right now, but I just got the flowers. They’re beautiful. I’m disappointed you won’t be here to see in person… but I hope you and your family are ok. We’ll talk when you are able.
Then I go to my room to check my hair and makeup one more time before I leave.
The juniors are usually in charge of decorating for homecoming, but there’s only so much you can do with a high school gym. The air still smells like chalk and rubber, and the scoreboard is a big blank face overhead. Still, the shiny metallic streamers and paper lanterns give the place a softer, dreamier feel. You can squint your eyes and make out a hint of transformation on top of everything familiar.
When I step in it’s not the big entrance I’d imagined—nocute boy, no sudden needle scratch—but right away I see my girls, standing at a high cocktail table draped in white linen. Sophie’s in a short sequined dress that shimmers when she moves. Next to her Billy Schultz watches her with puppy-dog eyes, and I smile, realizing he hasn’t gotten the memo that they’re just “going as friends.” Hayden’s in a dark green dress that hugs her curves. She sees me looking and waves.
“Where’ve you been?” she shouts over the thrumming bass. “I was starting to think we were going to have to come and drag you out of the house. You look amazing, by the way.”
“Thanks!” I hug her, careful not to crush her flowers or her hair, and then turn to do the same with Sophie. Thank God I didn’t tell anyone about Jonah—I’d be making excuses and answering questions all night. Even Sophie and Hayden would be demanding more info. As it stands I can glide into the dance without looking like an enormous loser.
Well. Without looking likemoreof an enormous loser. People are still watching me cagily, giving me a wide berth. A few girls smirk from the snack table, leaning in to whisper to each other when I look their way. Javier Rodriguez keeps aiming his phone at me without even trying to hide it. Everyone’s eyes are still on me.
But by and large, most people seem wrapped up in their own dramas. Stephen Dawes and Lacy Smith are on the dance floor, and their bodies are pressed so close together they can barely move to the music. A few feet away Lizzy Hernandez is shouting something at Braden Nederbrock, who is gesturing angrily back at her. And there’s Olivia Chambers in a dress that more or less breaks every Varda High dress code on the books, leaning over and trying to get the DJ’s attention.
It’s a big night. Everyone wants to be the main character of their own story—so, they have less energy to pay attention to me.
That’s when Carter appears at the table, trailed by a couple of his buddies. His jaw is clean-shaven for once, his hair slicked back. He flops an arm heavily around Hayden’s shoulders, and she snuggles up to his side. It’s pretty clear he’s been pregaming.
“We gonna dance, or what?” he asks. Then he notices me there, and his eyes go wide. I wonder if he’s surprised—or just enraged. It’s hard to tell. But does he expect me to stay home? Does he expect he’ll never bump into me again?
Does he really think that I murdered his best friend?
“You,” he says. I take a step away from him as his finger jabs against my chest. “Why’re you here?”
“Well, Carter,” Sophie cuts in before I can answer. “She goes to this school, so she comes to the dances.” I see Hayden shrink a little.
Carter either acts like she hasn’t spoken, or he’s so drunk he can’t focus on her enough to listen. But his eyes are locked on me.
“You’re alwaysaround. I’m just so sick of you.” Hayden cranes up to whisper something in his ear, but he shrugs her off. “Why didn’t he just… why didn’t he just break up with you? What did he see in you, anyway?”
The laugh that comes out of me is almost cruel in its despair. “Oh, Carter, I wish I knew.”
He tries to focus his eyes on me. His pupils are cavernous, and I wonder if he’s on something besides just cheap whiskey. Hayden whispers something else to him, and this time he lets her lead him away to the dance floor. She tosses an apologetic look back over her shoulder and gives a little shrug.
I put my elbows on the table next to Billy and Sophie, the roses bright against my freckled skin. “Well. That sucked.”
“She has got to dump him,” Sophie says, watching them stagger to the dance floor. “He’s a nightmare.”
“He’s been drinking a lot lately,” Billy says. He’s a soft-spokenboy with shaggy hair and a sweet drawl. I’m not used to hearing him speak up in a group, even a small one. “More than he used to. We’ve all been trying to get him to lay off.”
