Page 10 of The Fall of Iris Henley
Maybe it’s that he’s not someone who’s knownmemy whole life.
Finally, I reply.
Typical Varda party. Meaning we’ve got gossip to last us into the next few weeks.
Well, that’s true enough, anyway.
Another few minutes pass and a new set of images swirl through my mind: Sophie tonight, pulling me into her arms after seeing the Sekrit post, her sharp little body softening to hold me. Hayden shouting at a group of freshmen to take a fucking picture, it’d last longer.
Lynette. Always Lynette, never far from my mind. Her already blond hair bleached to the color of steam. It hangs around her shoulders like she’s in the process of evaporating. Like she’s boiling away to nothing.
My phone vibrates.
Gossip you say? Do tell. Anyone I know involved?
Below that, a gif of a man eating popcorn, eager to be entertained.
Jonah’s never been to Varda, but he knows Hayden and a few of the other girls from camp. And he’s heard stories, of course. He knows about Sophie’s battles with her little brother and her obsession with her shih tzus and that she makes beautifully sculpted and decorated cakes for other people but that shenever eats them herself. He knows that Hayden’s personality is big and brash and warm and that she is afraid of snakes and that we all hate her boyfriend.
No, nothing really juicy,I finally say.Just people getting fucked up and saying stuff they’ll regret. What’d you do tonight?
There’s a short pause. Then the little dot-dot-dot of him typing.
I don’t know if you’re ready to hear about the wild nights of southwest Houston.
More little dot-dot-dots. Then a picture. Jonah sitting on a saggy plaid sofa with a chocolate Lab curled up next to him.
The photo makes my mind go drifty for a moment, all the tension I came in with suddenly swooning. In the pic he’s wearing a plain gray hoodie and jeans. I try to imagine the smell of that hoodie—warm and clean, with maybe a little bit of campfire to it. No girl has ever wanted to claim a boy’s hoodie as much as I do in that moment.
Who’s your friend?I ask.
Heidi,he says.One brain cell rattling around in there, but a lot of heart.
Lucky Heidi. Cute, too dumb to be on social media, and cuddled up with a sweet boy. I must be exhausted, because the thought makes tears sting my eyes, and I cannot handle the idea of being jealous of a dog.
Brain cells are overrated,I type.I’m pretty sure I killed a bunch of mine tonight. I’m sure I won’t regret that tomorrow.
Make sure to drink some water before you go to sleep. Wish I could bring you some.
That sends a little shiver through me. I pull the covers up to my chin and rest my eyes, imagining that I’m there too, next to him on the couch. Watching a movie while Heidi softly snores. Nestling up to Jonah’s side. Far away from staring people and all their devices, from the streams of jokes and rumors andsecrets and lies they send flying at each other every second of every day.
I drift off before I have a chance to reply to him, but as I do, I think how glad I am I didn’t tell him what really happened tonight. How glad I am that he is far away from all of this.
It’s better to keep it simple.
It’s better to keep a few secrets.
CHAPTER 8
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 9:13AM
HENLEY HOUSE
pikachoose_me:I’m sorry but you can’t trust a throwaway account there isn’t any proof.
sourpatch_kid:the proof is rocky wasn’t the kind of guy who’d do something like this. No history of violence. No suicide note. No reason.
douevenliftbro:Who here remembers the fight she and Lynette had last year outside the science wing, raise your hand
