down at Lori. “She’s dead. It’s a dead body. Oh my God. What do we do? How do we … I mean …”
Meg could hear the panic in her voice and prayed Minnie had actually packed her medications. If she didn’t, this would not end well.
“Don’t look,” Ben said, trying to guide Minnie away from the railing. But it was too late.
“Get it out! Get it away from me!” Minnie screamed. She looked right at Meg, as if she could make it all go away.
“She’s not an it !” Kenny roared. Meg turned and saw him standing in the doorway of his room, tree trunk–sized arms folded across his chest, brows low over his eyes. He’d been quiet the whole time, but suddenly he just exploded. His face was a deep shade of red, and he was shaking from head to toe.
“Of course not,” T.J. said calmly. “She didn’t mean it. She’s just freaked.”
Freaked was an understatement. Meg recognized a panic attack when she saw one. She snapped into caretaker mode, attempting to stem the tide. “Minnie, it’s going to be okay. You’re going to be okay.”
“No, it’s not,” Minnie sobbed. “It’s not, it’s not.”
“What’s wrong with her?” T.J. whispered in Meg’s ear.
“Panic attack,” Meg said out of the corner of her mouth. “She needs her meds.” Then she started up the stairs. “Come on. I’ll get your Klonopin.”
“It’s okay, I’ll take her,” Ben said, taking Minnie’s hand. He looked at her and smiled. “Do you know where it is?”
Minnie nodded slightly and they disappeared up the stairs to the garret.
Meg turned back to T.J. and caught a look of confusion on his face. “Does that happen a lot?” he asked softly.
Meg bit her lip. She’d kept Minnie’s secret for so long she didn’t quite know what to say. “Um …”
She was saved by Kumiko, who slowly emerged from the bedroom, Gunner close behind. She gripped a lined piece of paper in her hands and as she spoke, it was clear that she was trying in vain to control the tremor in her voice. “We found it. We found her suicide note.”
“Dude, really?” Nathan said.
Kumiko held the page up, shielding her face. It was written on strange paper with groups of parallel lines running across it. It took Meg a moment to recognize what it was—sheet music.
“C-can’t deal,” Kumiko read aloud. Her hand shook. “I should just end it all now. This voice will never sing again.”
Silence. Meg stared at the blue and gold runner that carpeted the second floor hallway. It wasn’t a particularly interesting rug, but she couldn’t bring herself to look at anyone. Maybe if she stood there long enough trying to forget what had happened, it would just go away? Maybe she’d wake up and discover this was all a horrible beer-induced dream?
Creeeeeeeak .
Meg’s eyes involuntarily flitted toward the body. She couldn’t help it.
“I don’t believe it.” Kenny’s voice was strong and defiant, and clearly calmer than he’d been a minute ago. But his eyes and face were drawn, his jaw hard and defiant.
“Kenny,” T.J. started. “I’m so sor—”
“I don’t believe it,” Kenny repeated. He stared straight at Lori’s body, unblinking, unflinching. “She didn’t kill herself.”
“Dude,” Nathan said, putting a hand on his friend’s arm. “Dude, I think it’s pretty clear—”
“She. Didn’t. Kill. Herself,” Kenny repeated. Then he turned on his heel, pushed past Nathan into their room, and slammed the door behind him.
“Kenny!” Nathan followed Kenny into the room. “Dude, I didn’t mean …”
His voice trailed off as he shut the door behind him. Poor Kenny. Meg remembered him whispering into Lori’s ear before dinner, and the blush that spread across Lori’s face. She had been watching two people fall for each other, and now Lori was dead and Kenny was in shock. It seemed so … pointless.
Creeeeeeak.
That sound was starting to make Meg nauseous.
“Okay,” T.J. said. He gave Meg’s shoulder a squeeze
Meg could hear the panic in her voice and prayed Minnie had actually packed her medications. If she didn’t, this would not end well.
“Don’t look,” Ben said, trying to guide Minnie away from the railing. But it was too late.
“Get it out! Get it away from me!” Minnie screamed. She looked right at Meg, as if she could make it all go away.
“She’s not an it !” Kenny roared. Meg turned and saw him standing in the doorway of his room, tree trunk–sized arms folded across his chest, brows low over his eyes. He’d been quiet the whole time, but suddenly he just exploded. His face was a deep shade of red, and he was shaking from head to toe.
“Of course not,” T.J. said calmly. “She didn’t mean it. She’s just freaked.”
Freaked was an understatement. Meg recognized a panic attack when she saw one. She snapped into caretaker mode, attempting to stem the tide. “Minnie, it’s going to be okay. You’re going to be okay.”
“No, it’s not,” Minnie sobbed. “It’s not, it’s not.”
“What’s wrong with her?” T.J. whispered in Meg’s ear.
“Panic attack,” Meg said out of the corner of her mouth. “She needs her meds.” Then she started up the stairs. “Come on. I’ll get your Klonopin.”
“It’s okay, I’ll take her,” Ben said, taking Minnie’s hand. He looked at her and smiled. “Do you know where it is?”
Minnie nodded slightly and they disappeared up the stairs to the garret.
Meg turned back to T.J. and caught a look of confusion on his face. “Does that happen a lot?” he asked softly.
Meg bit her lip. She’d kept Minnie’s secret for so long she didn’t quite know what to say. “Um …”
She was saved by Kumiko, who slowly emerged from the bedroom, Gunner close behind. She gripped a lined piece of paper in her hands and as she spoke, it was clear that she was trying in vain to control the tremor in her voice. “We found it. We found her suicide note.”
“Dude, really?” Nathan said.
Kumiko held the page up, shielding her face. It was written on strange paper with groups of parallel lines running across it. It took Meg a moment to recognize what it was—sheet music.
“C-can’t deal,” Kumiko read aloud. Her hand shook. “I should just end it all now. This voice will never sing again.”
Silence. Meg stared at the blue and gold runner that carpeted the second floor hallway. It wasn’t a particularly interesting rug, but she couldn’t bring herself to look at anyone. Maybe if she stood there long enough trying to forget what had happened, it would just go away? Maybe she’d wake up and discover this was all a horrible beer-induced dream?
Creeeeeeeak .
Meg’s eyes involuntarily flitted toward the body. She couldn’t help it.
“I don’t believe it.” Kenny’s voice was strong and defiant, and clearly calmer than he’d been a minute ago. But his eyes and face were drawn, his jaw hard and defiant.
“Kenny,” T.J. started. “I’m so sor—”
“I don’t believe it,” Kenny repeated. He stared straight at Lori’s body, unblinking, unflinching. “She didn’t kill herself.”
“Dude,” Nathan said, putting a hand on his friend’s arm. “Dude, I think it’s pretty clear—”
“She. Didn’t. Kill. Herself,” Kenny repeated. Then he turned on his heel, pushed past Nathan into their room, and slammed the door behind him.
“Kenny!” Nathan followed Kenny into the room. “Dude, I didn’t mean …”
His voice trailed off as he shut the door behind him. Poor Kenny. Meg remembered him whispering into Lori’s ear before dinner, and the blush that spread across Lori’s face. She had been watching two people fall for each other, and now Lori was dead and Kenny was in shock. It seemed so … pointless.
Creeeeeeak.
That sound was starting to make Meg nauseous.
“Okay,” T.J. said. He gave Meg’s shoulder a squeeze
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