Chapters (95)
- Front Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Contents
- Video #1
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Video #2
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Video #3
- Sixty-Six
- Sixty-Seven
- Sixty-Eight
- Sixty-Nine
- Seventy
- Seventy-One
- Seventy-Two
- Seventy-Three
- Seventy-Four
- Seventy-Five
- Seventy-Six
- Seventy-Seven
- Seventy-Eight
- Seventy-Nine
- Eighty
- Eighty-One
- Eighty-Two
- Eighty-Three
- The Final Video
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Back Cover
At the end of the video, after all the choreographed gyrating and swaying, the girl simply disappears from the frame, leaving the boy there alone. The whole thing takes about ten seconds.
Over and over again, I play it. Olivia keeps texting, but I ignore her.
How could these students be so clueless? How could they do this when Chloe is missing and in danger?
How?
Then again…the pranks, the comments. The skeleton on my locker.
It’s all the same. It’s blood in the water.
Olivia writes again, and this time I read her text.
I thought about not telling you but everyone’s going to be talking about it at school. Maybe even at the vigil. Sorry.
Do you know these kids? I write.
No. But I’ll find out.
Forget it.
Skip the vigil, Hunter. It’s fine.
The vigil. A bunch of people who don’t really know Chloe standing around pretending like they care. Most of them will be there just to be seen. Or to take photos they can share on social media.
My thoughts about it jumble again…
But one thought keeps cycling through my mind.
It’ll look worse if I don’t. Like I don’t care. You said the video made me look cold.
Forget I said that Hunter.
I’m going.
I check the time on the phone. 6:27. Olivia keeps texting while I get ready.
Gabby and I will be there no matter what. Meet us there.
I text her a thumbs-up. I’ve started a message to Chad, asking him to pick me up, when the door swings open. It’s Dad, briefcase in hand, filling the doorway so I can’t get out.
“I think we should talk,” he says. “About tonight.”
“Okay, sure,” I say. “You mean the vigil, right?”
“I do.”
“Well, Dad, I’ve decided to go. I don’t know if that’s the right thing or not. In fact, it’s likely wrong for me to go. And I know you said to keep a low profile, and you’re probably right. Most of the time you are. But…it’s like this, Dad, I just think I have to go. I have to show my face. And I’ve been going through hell at school and everywhere else, and if I want to go and prove they can’t get the best of me, then I’m going to do it. Okay? So can you just let me do what I want to do even if I’m wrong?”