The Girl in the Park by Mariah Fredericks Read Free Book Online Page B

gossiped with in class, the girls who laughed at her crazy stories in the cafeteria.
“So, then I was like, oh my God, Mr. Security Guard, I must have fainted! Of course I had the bracelet down my pants. Good thing no strip search. Although he was cute …”
    I hear Karina say, “The thing that kills me? Is let’s face it. You knew it was going to happen. I mean, how many times did we say, Wendy—too much. You gotta chill out.”
    I know: these girls never told Wendy to chill out. They never told her, Too much. They laughed, they said, Wendy, you’re insane! Maybe I didn’t say things I should have to Wendy; but neither did they.
    “And”—Karina lowers her voice—“of course she leaves this giant freaking mess behind. The cops called my parents in Europe, and they’re like, Party? What party? So
I’m
totally busted.”
    I am dying to step forward, dying to say, “Yes, Karina, you’re so right. The worst thing about Wendy’s death is no more parties. Wow. How deep.”
    Just then I hear sobbing. Not Look at me, I’m so sad tears, but full-out crazy crying. I follow the sound down the hall and find Jenny Zalgat. Jenny who became Wendy’s best friend after Wendy and I were done. I used to envy Jenny. Jenny was fun, Jenny got it about guys, Jenny didn’t take it all so seriously. Inmy more evil moments, I thought, Jenny’s about as deep as a piece of toilet paper, only not as smart.
    Right now she’s a wreck. She’s leaning against the wall, her head hanging down, her hair in her face. Snot dripping from her nose, face red with tears. The sound of her crying is like vomit; you can tell it hurts to let it out. But she can’t stop. Oh my God, she keeps saying over and over. Oh my God, oh my God. A few girls are standing around her, patting, making moo noises.
    Slightly nervous, I approach, say, “Hey, Jenny …”
    She pushes through the little crowd like I’m the one she’s been waiting for and grabs hold. Startled, I wrap my arms around her, and for a moment we stand there, a soggy, miserable pair.
    Jenny coughs. “She’s not gone, right? Like, this is some horrible, disgusting nightmare. I just can’t …”
    I hug her tighter. The other girls drift away.
    Jenny says, “I can’t believe someone would do that.…” She stares off down the hallway and I can tell she’s focusing on the stairs, the exit sign, whatever, to keep from losing it again. “She was the sweetest thing ever. You know? Would not hurt anybody. This makes no sense,” she finishes forlornly.
    “I know,” I say. “She had a huge heart.”
    “Totally.” She smiles, grateful that I get it. “Wendy always said you were the smartest person she knew.”
    “Ah …” That’s all I can say. I had no idea Wendy even talked about me.
    “ ‘Way too smart to be friends with me’ was what she said.” Jenny smiles sadly. “She was always putting herself down. And she
was
smart.” She sniffs. “I’m so mad at her that she didn’t know that.”
    “Me too,” I say. The idea of being mad at a girl who’s dead strikes us both as funny and we laugh—sort of.
    Jenny says, “I feel like it’s my fault.” I must look puzzled, because she adds, “I left her, you know? I was her ride home, and …”
    She breaks off, unable to say it. But she wants to tell me something about that night. If I press, she’ll shut down. I just have to wait.
    Then she blurts out, “I
would
have left with her, if she’d asked. But I thought … I mean, she told me …”
    “What?”
    She looks around, nervous that people are listening. “I don’t want to say it. Everybody thinks she’s Superslut as it is.”
    “I don’t think that, Jenny.”
    “No, I know.” She lowers her voice to barely a whisper. “Just … I thought she was leaving with Nico.”
    A chill goes right down my spine, even as I think, No. Not possible. Taylor said Wendy left alone, and Taylor does not get her facts wrong.
    Only she didn’t say she knew it for