Page 43 of The Fall of Iris Henley
cutie
I know how corny it is but I can’t help but glow.
I am in the middle of responding when a commotion breaks somewhere to my left.
The crowd has gotten suddenly quiet—so quiet you can actually hear all the different Bluetooth speakers playing different music. I look around to try to see what’s happening. There’s an ugly laugh from somewhere. Next to me, Bella gives a little gasp of shock.
Bryce Sanders is in the middle of the parking lot, standing over a chalk body outline like you’d find at a crime scene. He’s holding a big piece of cardboard with a target drawn on it. In big red letters, it says:SHOOTING MY SHOT TO TAKE IRIS TO HOMECOMING.
“Iris Henley!” he shouts. “I don’t care what everyone says about you, I still want to take you to homecoming.”
I want to be sick, but I can’t even move. I can’t tear my eyes away. People are laughing. Some are filming too.
“You fucking jackass!” Sophie strides at Bryce and gives him a little shove, unafraid even though he towers over her. “What are you thinking?”
“It’s a promposal,” he slurs, looking surprised. “Come on, it’s funny. Because everyone thinks she’s a killer, right?”
“No one does a promposal for homecoming. And even if they did?” She jabs a finger at his chin. “This shit isn’t a joke. It’s not funny.”
In my periphery I see phones angled toward me, trying to get pictures or video of my reaction. Bryce looks toward me and tries to catch my eye. I look away quickly. I’ve never been so grateful for Sophie; I don’t think I could speak now if I wanted to.
Sophie pokes him in the sternum, hard. “Get the fuck out of here.”
Then she turns on her heel and walks away, toward me.
I have a few seconds to see Bryce’s expression turn confused and then angry before the crowd closes back in around him.
The truck bounces a little as Sophie climbs up next to me. She’s breathing hard, her face flushed with rage. “Are you okay?”
I look down at my lap. I know people are gawking, talking about me, but for once I barely care. Maybe later I can be embarrassed. Right now I’m just shell-shocked.
“Yeah. Yeah, it’s fine.” I give her a weak smile. “What an idiot.”
“I could fucking kill him,” she snarls. “Look, Hayden’s running late but as soon as she gets here I’ll take you home, okay?”
“I’m okay. I just need a minute is all,” I say.
She gives me a sidelong look, then nods. “Want me to see if any of the girls have a Xanax, or…”
“No,” I say quickly. Then, again, more deliberately. “No, thanks, I don’t want anything that’ll mess with my head. Really, I’m okay.”
I lean my back against the truck’s rear window when she’sgone, looking out over the parking lot. Someone’s led Bryce away, and it looks like people are going back to their projects—though not without sneaking glances at me first. I am almost sure pictures of the “promposal” are going to be uploaded to Sekrit within minutes. I take a shaky breath.
I glance down at my phone. Shit, I was in the middle of texting Jonah back. I’d typed inI did not know being a mermaid would be so much workbut I hadn’t sent it. He’s been looking at my little dot-dot-dot for like ten minutes now. He’s already replied.
JONAH
Everything ok?
I delete the text I was in the middle of writing and start again.
ME
I’m so sorry, I just got interrupted by a douche trying to talk me into going to homecoming with him
There’s no response for a minute. I think with a mixture of relief and disappointment that hehasn’tbeen sitting there waiting with bated breath—of course he hasn’t. I’m just sliding the phone back in my pocket when he replies.
JONAH
