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
Besides, it’s fitting that a video about Chloe would be there on the channel we created.
So I share this one as well.
Twenty-Seven
Dad knocks on my door early the next morning.
He’s already showered and dressed for work. His freshly shaven skin glows red, and he smells like the lotion he smears on his face to prevent razor burn.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
I think the worst—the police are back, and this time they have a warrant to arrest me. Even though I’m wearing an old, loose T-shirt, I feel a tightening around my neck.
Dad looks surprised by my greeting. He stands there for a moment not knowing what to say, before clearing his throat. He comes into my room and looks around, as if he’s not sure where to go or what to do. Eventually, he picks up one of my soccer trophies and examines it before putting it back. Then he grabs a book he gave me by Ursula K. Le Guin.
“Have you read this one?” he asks.
“Not yet.”
“Hmph. Your mom always loved it. We read it for a class in college. The whole time the professor was discussing it, I was staring at your mom.”
He puts down the book and sits on the edge of the bed. “Everything’s okay,” he says. His thinning hair looks a little grayer, and the skin under his chin sags more. Dad once said a parent is only as happy as their least happy child. “I made a decision.”
“Okay,” I say.
“I called the school and talked to Dr. Whitley. He’s the assistant principal, right? We agreed you should stop going to school for now—”
“Dad—”
“Hold it,” he says, raising his hand. “It’s for the best. I’ve been thinking about this ever since we left the police station yesterday. You should lay low until the cops know what happened to Daniel. There’s someone out there who’s hurting people. Young people. I don’t want you to be next. Besides, going to school isn’t going to help anything. Not with the mood people are in. They’re sending assignments to you today. You can keep up without distractions.”
A million excuses spring to mind—my friends, the search for Chloe, clearing my name, college—but he won’t be swayed. He’s right.
What would school be like with everyone knowing Daniel was murdered and the police questioned me? It’s been all over Twitter that I was the last person to see Daniel alive. Would things escalate beyond throwing things and nasty notes?
“Do you want me to stay home?” Dad asks.
“That’s not necessary.”
“Are you sure? I have two exams to give, but I can get someone to cover for me.”