Seeing it online is bad enough. Hearing it whispered behind my back is even worse. But no one’s had the balls to say it to my face so far, and now that Cameron has, it’s obvious that the rest of them have just been waiting for that inevitability. Waiting for my reaction.

“It isn’t my baby,” I tell him again, and I can feel disappointment all around me. They want a more dramatic denial. Something explosive.

They want a confession.

How am I supposed to make people believe the truth, when the rumors are so much more interesting?

“You always wear baggy sweaters,” Cameron says with a glance at the gray one I’m wearing right now.

Amira rolls her eyes. “It’s December.”

“You were absent all day, then you show up just in time to find a dead baby,” Page says. “Why were you even in the locker room?” She sounds more curious than accusatory, but her question rubs me the wrong way. Why should I have to defend myself to these assholes?

“Because I have the worst luck in the world, evidently.” I tug my backpack higher on my shoulder. “I came to school for a last-period French test, and I found a dead baby. I can’t get her out of my head, and I think it’s horrible that if we don’t do something to help, the county will have no choice but to dump her in an unmarked grave. So, think whatever you want about me. What’s important is that we do what we can for her.”

Cameron snorts. “Whatever. Give me a damn flyer.” He snatches a single sheet of paper from Abby on his way into the hall.

Amira gives me a hug.

“They’re going to believe whatever they want,” I mumble into her shoulder.

She doesn’t bother to argue.

“Don’t forget your flyers.” Sophia shoves a stack at Page as she heads into the hall. “Sorry about that,” she says as I take a stack for myself. I can’t tell whether she believes that I only found Lullaby Doe or she just feels sorry for me.

I unzip my bag and slide the flyers inside.

“Hey, sorry I missed the meeting.” My brother appears in the doorway. “I had to see the counselor about my transcript. What’d I miss?”

“Fundraiser.” Sophia shoves the last of the flyers at him. “They can explain. I’m going to be late for class.”

Penn frowns at the papers in his hand. “We’re raising money for a funeral?”