Page 65 of The Fall of Iris Henley
“I don’t think there’s any need to lawyer up,” Ramos says, his voice suddenly much more friendly. “We just want to get to the bottom of things, Mrs. Henley, and I want to make sure I understand Iris’s version of the story.”
“Of course. I understand why you might want to investigate a closed murder investigation six months after the fact, based on one kid’s story,” Mom says. “You know my daughter’s been getting harassed online? People are spreading rumors about her.”
“The way I heard it, she’s been spreading rumors of her own,” he says steadily. Mom cuts her eyes quickly toward me, and I look down at the table, cheeks burning.
“Regardless,” she says. “You have one unsubstantiated claim, from a teenager with a grudge, that my daughter wasn’t in her bed when she said she was.”
“Well, we will be working on substantiating that claim,” he says. “I’ve got the other girls from the slumber party coming in this afternoon to go over their stories one more time.”
“And if you find out anything incriminating, we will be happy to come back. With our lawyer.” Mom stands up abruptly. “Come on, Iris, don’t say another word.”
I hesitate, looking across the table at the sheriff and then back at Mom. Sheriff Ramos looks annoyed, but he doesn’t do anything to stop her. I stand up too and follow her out.
CHAPTER 35
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2:58PM
VARDA HIGH
If I’d hoped anyone at all would still have my back at school, I’m disabused of that notion quickly. From the moment Mom drops me off in the parking lot after our meeting with the sheriff, I’m stared at, sneered at, jostled as I try to move through the hall. Between third and fourth period, Lacy Smith bumps into me so hard my books go flying. At lunch I don’t even bother trying to find a friendly face. I sit alone in a bathroom stall waiting for the bell to ring.
I do the same at the end of the day, waiting for everyone to leave so I can walk to my car on my own, without worrying about who will harass me along the way.
I have to pass by the gym on my way out, where the sounds of Gloria’s voice and the squeaking of sneakers on the varnished floors emanate from beneath the double doors. It’s all eerily normal, proof that even though my life has blown up, it’s business as usual for nearly everyone else.
“Iris.”
I jump. The voice is female, familiar, but I can’t place it. I whirl around to see Kendra.
“Oh. Sorry, you scared me. I didn’t think anyone else would be here this late,” I say.
“You okay?” she says, looking at me carefully, and I wonder if she’s asking because she knows what happened at the dance, or if I’m wearing the carnage of the day on my face.
Or maybe she’s asking because she’s the one who’s been catfishing me, and now she’s checking in on the extent of the damage she’s caused.
“Uh, yeah, I’m okay,” I say. She cocks her head skeptically but doesn’t say anything. “What’re you doing here this late?”
“Stayed after to finish a project in the art room,” she says, gesturing to a few dried paint streaks on her arms. She doesn’t realize it’s in her hair too. “And waiting for Mom to get me. She likes to make sure the school is super empty before she picks me up.”
I shift uncomfortably, realizing I’m not the only one hiding.
Kendra glances at her phone checking the time. “Are you sure you’re okay? Why aren’t you at cheer?”
I know she can still hear the sounds of practice coming from the gym too. “I got benched.”
“Oh?” Her eyebrows fly up. I try to read her face. I can’t tell if she’s surprised and sorry or secretly pleased.
“Not because I did anything wrong,” I say quickly. “The others dropped me.”
“Wait, you fell? Jesus, Iris, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. And I didn’t fall. The others didn’t catch me. On purpose.” I bury my face in my hands. “This sucks. I feel like my life is over.”
Kendra’s face goes cold. “Your life isn’t over, Iris.”
I realize what I’ve said too late, the nerve I hit. “I didn’t mean—”
Her expression remains hard. “You know. I thought your life actuallywasover when I found them in the cabin. I thought Lynette was you.”
