Quincy points inside at a white poster board with Angela’s photo in the middle, signatures and notes written on it by people at the party.

“Anyone could feel like dragging you outta here, and you wouldn’t find anyone to help. Everyone drunk. This is dangerous. This how mobs get started,” Quincy says.

I don’t speak. Hurt flits in my eyes, because I still feel betrayed.

“I’m going inside.” Tasha begins to walk away with a drink in her hand.

“I’m trying to help my brother,” I say. “You not the only one who’s got shit falling on them.”

“All right, both of you, stop,” Quincy says. “Come here, Tracy.”

Quincy leads me to the edge of the deck, leaving behind Tasha, who’s sipping on a beer even though she hates to drink.

“Track team’s here. Coach was pissed the team’s been fighting. Pro- and anti-Jamal camps. I thought I’d come to help ask around. I’m not here to party. But seriously, you, here? Come on.”

“I’m not alone.”

“Dean?”

“Yeah.”

“Figures,” Quincy says. “Just let him ask around.”

“He is.”

Quincy leans in closer. “What did Bev say?”

“Kept things close to her chest,” I say. “Said she’d look into it. Jamal’s not answering my texts anymore. I’m worried time is running out for him and it won’t matter what was going down at the Pike.”

“So, you came here to talk to Chris again?” Quincy was livid when he found out I confronted Chris at Angela’s grave. He thought I was reckless, even though I brought Dean.

“No.” I avoid his eyes because that would be ideal. “I came to talk to Mandy. I thought maybe she knew what Angela was working on. She was her best friend. She lied to Natalie about seeing me leave the newsroom so they’d stop suspecting I trashed it. She could be an ally to me.”

“And you thought going to a party with the entire school that’s been treating you like trash was a good idea?”

“The sooner I talk to her, the sooner I can go.”

Quincy huffs. Then leans his back against the deck rail.

“Over there.” Quincy points to Mandy, who’s out in her backyard, rocking on an old swing set, while the rest of the world is getting high and drunk.

I walk down the steps toward Mandy. Quincy pulls at the hem of my shirt for me to stop, but I don’t. He hangs back by the gazebo and watches me.

I take Mandy by surprise when she looks up. She stomps her feet down to stop from swinging and opens her mouth to speak. Before she can ask me what I’m doing here, I interrupt.