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about it, it was still a chewing out. I hoped
it would never happen again and it probably wouldn’t. I was usually
a very good employee.
    It was Courtney Lewis and I watching the
store tonight. We got along in that way where you get along without
really talking. It was how I related to most other people
actually.
    That was why it was kind of funny that Anne
was out the door for about thirty seconds, when Courtney looked at
me and said, “So, where were you?”
    “I forgot I was working,” I said
automatically, not looking at her, worried that my face would turn
red because I was lying. I pretended to dig in my purse for my book
instead.
    I found the book and looked up to find
Courtney still watching me, “Uh-huh. So, tell me about the
guy.”
    “What?” I feigned, feeling suddenly worried.
I knew it wasn’t any of Courtney’s business and all, but I wasn’t
good in social situations as it was, so pressuring me to admit to a
lie threw me for a loop.
    “The guy you were late for? It’s so obvious,”
Courtney was watching me, wanting to hear my gossip for some
reason.
    If I’d known Courtney better, maybe I would
have gossiped to her about my crush on Ethan, but we never talked.
I couldn’t just come out there with it. I mean, Courtney was older
than me by about three years, in college, and she might have more
experience on that front than I did, but I just couldn’t trust her.
Ariel had made me very, very weary of girlfriends and the damage
they could inflict if you trusted the wrong one. I had trusted
Ariel with everything and she had used it to try to destroy me. Not
cool.
    And, then it hit me. Courtney was in college,
Laurel Community College to be exact. Maybe she knew something
about the overdoses, er, murders. She could be an in. Of course, I
was totally ignoring the fact that as of this moment, I was off the
case, but whatever. I couldn’t just leave it alone. No matter what
Ethan wanted to do, I was already involved.
    I faked a smile or maybe it was real because
I was thinking about Ethan, “Well, it’s this college guy…”
    Courtney grinned at me, “A college guy? Where
does he go?”
    “To your school. Maybe you know him? Troy
Matthews?” I asked, hoping I looked dreamy eyed and in love, and
that Courtney knew him.
    Courtney shook her head, “No, I don’t know
him. How’d you meet him?”
    I thought for a moment, “I was checking out
campus, I might go there, and he walked up to me, but anyway, I
found out that he dated one of the girls that overdosed and
now…”
    Courtney looked at me wide-eyed, “Which one?
It wasn’t Melissa Kent, was it?”
    “Why? Did you know her?” I asked, not really
answering her question on purpose.
    “Not super well, you know, but I do remember
my friend who was like friends with her from church group talking
about her and a guy,” Courtney started. “But I don’t remember his
name for sure. It could have been a Troy.”
    “What happened?” I asked, genuinely
curious.
    “Well, Sandy was just telling me that this
guy was totally into Melissa. He was an art major and making all
this cool stuff for her. It was his way of doing the whole romantic
thing. Anyway, she so wasn’t into him – I mean she wouldn’t even
kiss him, but for some reason she kept going out on dates with
him.”
    “She wouldn’t kiss him?” I asked.
    Courtney nodded, “No. And, don’t get me
wrong, if she doesn’t like him she doesn’t have to kiss him, but
it’s just a kiss, you know? If the guy takes you out a few times,
kiss him, maybe you’ll be into him after all. I mean, she kept
dating him and it’s not like it’s anything big. It’s a kiss.”
    “That’s weird,” I said.
    “Yeah. It broke them up. I mean, he was so
into her, but come on, he’s a guy. Give him a kiss at least, if you
want to keep him around. Anyway, she was such a straight edge. So
weird she OD’d,” Courtney said. “So, you think this is the same
guy? I mean, it’s not his fault she did